Tag Archives: Santorini

Costa Sales ‘Robust’ as Easter Cruises Kick Off European Season

Posted on by
Reply

Costa Cruises is highlighting a series of Easter cruises including sailings in the Western Mediterranean, South America and a two-week cruise bound for the Canary Islands, according to a press release.

“Sales in the last three months have been robust. Ship occupancy is growing steadily, and summer programs are selling quickly with a high demand for cabins. This is a very encouraging outlook, considering that our capacity in the Mediterranean has increased compared to 2019, while keeping our capacity in Northern Europe constant, thanks to the entry of new, state-of-the-art ships into the fleet in the last three years, such as Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises.

The Easter cruises mark the beginning of the spring-summer 2023 season. The Costa Toscana will be returning to the Mediterranean after a winter in the Arabian Gulf and will be offering one-week cruises to Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, Cagliari, Naples and Civitavecchia/Rome. 

The Costa Smeralda will offer a one-week itinerary to Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca (Ibiza in summer), Palermo, and Civitavecchia/Rome. Joining them in the Mediterranean is the Costa Diadema, which underwent major renovation work over the winter and restarted on Friday. 

The Costa Diadema will introduce new experiences onboard such as the Archipelago restaurant, where guests can enjoy menus crafted by chefs Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze and Ángel León; the Sushino at Costa, a sushi bistro by the sea; and the Fiorentina Steak House, featuring Italian and international meats. The Costa Diadema will offer two-week cruises to the Canary Islands and a one-week itinerary starting May 7, with calls in Savona, Civitavecchia/Rome, Cagliari or Ajaccio (depending on departures), Palma de Mallorca, Valencia and Marseille.

Starting on April 13, the Fortuna will also offer sailings in the western Mediterranean including a three-day mini-cruise and 14-day itineraries to Turkey and the Canary Islands. In the summer, the Costa Fortuna will offer a new two-week itinerary exploring the Greek and Balearic islands with calls in Savona, Civitavecchia/Rome, Messina, Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Kefalonia, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona and Marseille.

The Costa Deliziosa will sail to Marghera/Venice, Katakolon/Olympia (Greece), Mykonos (Greece) Santorini (Greece) and Bari while the Costa Pacifica will visit Catania, Malta, Mykonos and Santorini. 

The Costa Fascinosa will sail 12-day itineraries to the North Cape, or nine-day cruises to the Baltic. The Costa Favolosa will explore Iceland, the Lofoten Islands and Greenland while the Costa Firenze will offer one-week cruises in the Norwegian fjords.

Virgin Voyages Welcomes Resilient Lady to Growing Cruise Fleet

Posted on by
Reply

Virgin Voyages has taken delivery of the brand’s third vessel: the Resilient Lady.

Built by Fincantieri, the Resilient Lady is a mid-size ship weighing 110,000 gross tons like her sister ships in the fleet: Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, according to a press release.

On May 14, 2023, Resilient Lady will embark on her MerMaiden voyage around the Greek Isles, making stops in Santorini, Rhodes, Bodrum and Mykonos before returning to her homeport in Piraeus, Athens. The ship will sail two, eight-night itineraries including the “Greek Island Glow” with the aforementioned route, and the “Adriatic Sea and Greek Gems,” complete with calls in the beautiful cities of Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Corfu.

After her inaugural season in the Med, Resilient Lady will embark on a 44-night repositioning voyage, heading Down Under for a winter season in Australia and New Zealand. Starting Oct. 22, 2023, the ship will depart Athens before stopping in some of the most exotic locales the brand has yet to introduce including Cairo, Dubai, Bali, Mumbai, Phuket and Singapore. She’ll finally arrive in Sydney on Dec. 4, 2023, for a series of celebrations, media sneak peeks and more.

Next Princess Ship Set to Be Named Sun Princess, Debut Spring 2024

Posted on by
Reply

Princess Cruises today revealed the new Sun Princess, which will debut in early 2024.

“Sun Princess is a new and bespoke ship platform, designed to simultaneously embrace Princess heritage while boldly pressing into the future with iconic, elegant and pure lines unique to our brand,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “A show-stopping, first-of-its-kind Dome on the top deck and suspended glass Piazza in the centre of Sun Princess offer innovative designs showcasing expansive ocean views for incredible opportunities to connect with the sea.”

Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard and scheduled to debut in early 2024, the 175,500-ton vessel is the largest Princess ship ever constructed and embraces Italian heritage by featuring a next-level, brand-iconic Piazza and The Dome, a cutting-edge entertainment space inspired by the terraces of Santorini. Sun Princess will also feature the exclusive Princess Medallion, the company said.

The 4,300-guest ship will feature innovative entertainment venues, multi-story dining rooms and next-level stateroom accommodations while remaining true to the smooth clean lines and design aesthetics inspired by the Seawitch icon and popularized in the original “Love Boat” TV series and returning to the venerable “Sun Princess” name back into operation.

The cruise line also announced that Sun Princess will sail an inaugural spring/summer season of Mediterranean cruises followed by Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages out of Port Everglades, Florida in the fall of 2024.

According to Princess, infused with light, the ship connects guests with dynamic views of the world and innovative experiences, from service to food to entertainment. The line’s Piazza spans three stories, forming an iconic architectural feature offering guests an outward-looking suspended space with comfortable seating and areas to enjoy the ocean views in every direction. An impressive LED screen is also showcased in the centre of the Piazza that can be moved and configured to deliver live entertainment programming. Adjacent to the Piazza Atrium will be a new coffee shop, Coffee Currents, Bellini’s Cocktail Bar, along with Princess favourites like Crooners Bar and Alfredo’s Pizzeria.

The other stand-out structure onboard Sun Princess is The Dome. Inspired by the terraces of Santorini, it is a multi-level covered deck and first-of-its-kind true glass-enclosed dome ever constructed on a cruise ship. During the day, the Dome features an indoor/outdoor pool, and unique water feature, in a comfortable and relaxed space. At night, the pool becomes a stage, and the Dome completely transforms into an entertainment venue with a South Beach vibe, state-of-the-art lighting effects and the ability to deliver aerial performances.

The company said that with 2,157 total staterooms, including 50 suites and 100 connecting rooms, the 21-deck Sun Princess features more outdoor balcony space and all-balcony accommodations feature an in-room sofa.

Also launching exclusively on Sun Princess will be a new level of suite accommodations, the Signature Collection. In addition to premium stateroom amenities, Signature Collection suites include access to the Signature Restaurant, Signature Lounge, and Signature Sun Deck, a private area of the Sanctuary.

With Sun Princess, Club Class accommodations onboard this ship, and all Princess ships will now be called Reserve Collection, which is the best-located mini-suite staterooms. Within the Reserve, Collection will be Reserve Collection Cabana rooms, resort-style staterooms that offer a balcony and private cabana, and extra-large outdoor lounge space. These premium accommodations also include access to the Reserve Collection Restaurant.