Carnival Executives Detail Latest Ship Sales

Carnival Executives Detail Latest Ship Sales

Carnival Corporation has sold two ships this year, as the Seabourn Sojourn will be transferred to Mitsui Ocean Cruises next year, and the Costa Fortuna will sail for Margaritaville in late 2026.

“Over time, since ships get older, we will sell them to other parties,” said David Bernstein, CFO, speaking on the company’s second quarter earnings call.

“We do not feel that those parties come back to compete against us because they are generally in different marketplaces with different brands,” he continued.

Neither Bernstein nor Josh Weinstein, CEO, would comment on the sales prices of either ship, although Weinstein said it was “nicely over book value.”

“People came to us looking for ships and gave us prices that we thought were in the best long-term interest of the company,” Weinstein said.

He also explained that the Costa Fortuna's departure from the fleet does not impact Costa’s core program in Europe, as the Serena will take its place in the market.

Costa Introduces Costa Voyages, Longer Itineraries

Costa Introduces Costa Voyages, Longer Itineraries

Costa Cruises is launching Costa Voyages, a new cruise experience designed to explore extended itineraries, according to a press release.

Starting in September 2023, Costa Cruises will offer itineraries ranging from 10 to 14 days, allowing guests to visit destinations and explore them in-depth.

Voyages include visiting destinations such as the Canary Islands, Turkey, Egyptian pyramids, the Azores, Israel and Morocco and exploring the various European cultures, from Normandy to Spain.

In addition, guests can look forward to exclusive food and beverage experiences on every cruise including sampling the 14 new desserts created by the Master of pastry chefs, Iginio Massari.

The main restaurants will offer three different dinners including a new, exclusive menu included in the price and created by Costa chefs including Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze, and Ángel León.

Onboard, guests can relax and enjoy a drink or two at the special Banquet Night Party, a buffet with ice sculptures carved by master ice sculptors and a live DJ set.

Rock and roll enthusiasts can look forward to the Rolling Stone exclusive show onboard while photography amateurs can engage in dedicated photography sessions organized by the Japanese brand Canon.

Costa Voyages will also organize games inspired by the 1960s and 1990s, such as “Double interview” for couples, “Musichiere” and “C-Music” with quizzes, challenges and more. There will also be a range of workshops and creative labs and an exclusive guided tour of the behind-the-scenes areas of the ship.

The Costa Voyages cruises will be available from September through November 2023, from April to June 2024, and from September to November 2024, onboard six ships, including the Costa Favolosa, Costa Fortuna, Costa Firenze, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Pacifica and the Costa Diadema.

The Costa Pacifica will take guests to explore Egypt and the Holy Land in 2023, while the Costa Fortuna will take over in 2024. The Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fortuna will take guests to Morrocco to explore local traditions and visit the Hassan I Mosque.

The Costa Firenze and Costa Fortuna will visit the Canary Islands in 2023 and the Costa Diadema in 2024. Four ships will take guests to Portugal in 2023, including the Costa Firenze, Costa Fortuna, Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fascinosa, while the Costa Diadema will join them in 2024.

The Costa Fortuna will be visiting Turkey in 2023 and 2024, while the Costa Firenze, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Diadema, and Costa Favolosa will offer sailings that combine the North and South of Europe into a single vacation.

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

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

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.

 

Costa Returns to Northern Europe After Three-Year Gap

Costa Returns to Northern Europe After Three-Year Gap

Costa Cruises is sailing in Northern Europe for the first time since 2019. The brand returned to the region with the Costa Diadema, which kicked off the season on May 27.

The vessel is part of a three-ship program in the region, which will see the company offering itineraries to the Norwegian Fjords, the Baltic, the British Islands, Iceland and more.

Cruising in Northern Europe for the first time, the Costa Diadema is now sailing a series of seven-night cruises to the Norwegian Fjords.

The vessel’s itineraries depart from Kiel (Germany) and Copenhagen (Denmark) and include visits to several ports in Norway, such as Flam, Bergen, Hellesylt, Nordfjordeid, Stavanger and Haugesund.

Another ship based in Kiel for the summer, the Costa Fascinosa will offer longer cruises to the Baltic and the Cape North.

Starting on June 7, the 3,012-guest ship sails ten- to 12-night itineraries that ports including Helsinki, Stockholm, Riga, Gdynia, Trondheim, Honningsvag, Tromso, Olden and more.  

Resuming service ahead of its program in Northern Europe, the Costa Fortuna completes the deployment lineup.

The 2003-built vessel will offer cruises departing from three different ports in the Netherlands and Germany: Ijmuiden, Amsterdam and Bremerhaven.

Extending from June 11 to August 28, the ship’s program features port-intensive cruises, with 11- to 14-night itineraries to the British Islands, Iceland, and the Norwegian Fjords.

A fourth ship, the Costa Favolosa, was also set to sail in the region for the company in 2022, offering itineraries at the Baltic. 

The vessel’s program, which featured visits to Saint Petersburg, was entirely cancelled by the company due to the recent developments in Russia.

After becoming one of the first mainstream cruise lines to resume service in 2020, Costa focused its European operations in the Mediterranean.

With the travel restrictions in place in Northern Europe, the company decided to cancel its entire local program in both 2020 and 2021.

Costa Ship Shuffle for Brazil Due to LNG Supply Chain Challenges

Costa Ship Shuffle for Brazil Due to LNG Supply Chain Challenges

Citing uncertainty and recent world developments, Costa Cruises has announced changes to its 2022-2023 program in South America.

According to a statement issued in the local market, the company will no longer operate the 2021-built Costa Toscana in Brazil during the season.

Instead, the Costa Firenze will debut in the country, taking over the program previously announced for the LNG-powered ship.

Citing world developments in the energy market, Costa said it decided to “assure the arrival of three vessels in South America, bringing the new Costa Firenze in place of the Costa Toscana.”

The company said that the LNG needed for the Toscana “could only be sourced through international operations.”

With the change, the 2020-built Costa Firenze is now set to offer a series of seven-night domestic cruises in Brazil.

Departing from Santos and Salvador, the program takes place between December 2022 and April 2023.

Taking the title currently held by the Costa Diadema, the Firenze will become the largest ship ever operated by Costa in South America, the company said.

In addition to the Costa Firenze, Costa’s 2022-2023 program in South America also includes the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fortuna.

Starting in December, the Favolosa is set to offer seven-night cruises to Argentina and Uruguay. The program runs through April and features departures from two Brazilian ports: Santos and Itajaí.

Returning to the region after a ten-year hiatus, the Costa Fortuna will also be based in Brazil. Sailing from Rio de Janeiro, the vessel is set to offer eight-night itineraries to several destinations in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

Both ships will also offer departures from Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

Third Costa Ship Back Cruising: Smeralda Departs From Savona

Costa Cruises now has three ships back in cruise operation as the Smeralda departed from Savona on Oct. 10 with guests aboard.

The ship joins the Deliziosa and Diadema as the Costa ships back in operation.

All three ships are sailing under the Costa Safety Protocol which is a strict set of new health and safety requirements including COVID-19 testing for all guests and crew. 

The LNG-powered ship will now offer five week-long itineraries through early November, calling at Italian ports La Spezia, Cagliari, Naples, Messina and Civitavecchia/Rome.

"It is very exciting to see our flagship depart once more from Savona, Costa's main port in the Mediterranean," said Michael Thamm, Group CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia.

"We are gradually returning to cruising with an increasing number of ships, in a safe and responsible way, thanks to new health protocols. The return of Costa Smeralda, which represents the most advanced vessel in our fleet in terms of reducing environmental impact, is also a renewal of our commitment to sustainable cruise development, which will be one of the key points in the recovery of our sector in the coming years," Thamm noted.

Savona is playing a leading role in the company's restart, with the Smeralda scheduled to homeport in the Italian city through the end of 2021. Plans call to offer different itineraries, per local regulations, that will include Italy, France and Spain.

Starting in November, the Costa Diadema will also dock at the Palacrociere cruise terminal in Savona and will offer 12-day cruises to the Canary Islands, 14-day cruises to Egypt and Greece, and 14-day cruises also to Turkey.

The Costa Fortuna, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa will also arrive in Savona, offering mini-cruises in the Mediterranean and 10-day cruises to Portugal.

Costa Mediterranea Sails to Get Crew Home; Sets Course for China

Costa Crociere is preparing to use the Costa Mediterranea to get crew from the Philippines and Indonesia home, according to a document circulated on board the vessel.

According to Costa's plan, the 2003-built ship will first sail to La Spezia on April 10.

European crew will be disembarked, as will crew not required for operational reasons that can also get home.

All other crew members, with the exception of the Filipino and Indonesian crew aboard, will be then moved to the Costa Pacifica.

"For these crew members we are restlessly working with Governments and air companies in order to guarantee a safe journey back to home," the company's letter said.

Meanwhile, Filipino and Indonesian crew aboard the Pacifica, except for those needed for minimum safety manning, will be transferred to the Costa Mediterranea.

The Mediterranea will then sail to Brindisi and meet the Costa Fortuna, taking on the Filipino and Indonesian crew from the latter ship.

Finally, the Mediterranea will set her course for Shanghai with projected port stops in Indonesia and the Philippines to disembark crew.

Costa said it is working closely with local government and manning agents to get crew home safely.

It is unknown what the company's plans are for the ship in China, but the Mediterranea, along with the Atlantica, has recently been transferred to Carnival Corporation's joint venture with China State Shipbuilding. 

The Mediterranea has previously been scheduled to leave the fleet in 2021.

Costa China Set to Introduce ‘Game Changer’ New Ship

“It is our first newbuild dedicated to the Chinese market,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Group Asia, referring to the new Costa Venezia, which debuts in Shanghai next May.  “We are creating a strategy for the new ship and it will be a game changer.”

That strategy is offering Italy at Sea to Chinese guests with a flair of local tastes as well, while a dramatic Venetian-themed interior design brings out the best of Italian culture aboard the 4,232-guest ship, as the company has its eye on the current and future needs of the modern Chinese cruise guest.

With the Venezia arriving in Shanghai, it will take the place of the Serena, which will move to Tianjin in place of the Fortuna, which heads back to Europe.

The Atlantica will concentrate on southern homeports, sailing from Shenzhen and Xiamen, said Zanetti, in an interview with Cruise Industry News.

"Those four ports are our backbone and the way to create accessibility, having homeports in the south, east and north,” he said.

Zanetti has helped lead Costa away from full ship charters in the market, helping to diversify risk while working to create value for travel agencies, he said.

“At this stage of the industry it’s largely based on the charter, and it’s not adequate for the sustainable development,” he said. “We are shifting models to reduce the risk and reduce the (size of the charters), to create a win-win culture. We are not only talking but working with our agency partners to help them educate the market.”

Earlier this year the company launched various business-to-consumer programs in China, including a roadshow covering the entire country.

 Moving away from full ship charters, he said a good number of agents were now involved in each sailing. Adjusting the model from a supply driven market to a consumer-centric market is key for the long-term development of the industry, Zanetti explained.

With other cruise companies making significant adjustments to their business operations in China, Zanetti said the numbers were promising.

“We are talking about a market where the penetration rate is very low,” he said, noting the growing middle class and their demand for leisure and entertainment options.

“We see our peers reducing deployment, but we are focused on being committed to the market to provide a high-quality and Italian cruise holiday experience. We are confirming this by introducing the Costa Venezia and increasing our capacity next year. That expresses our confidence in the growth and potential of this market.” 

Costa Enters Second Three-Way Agreement in Singapore

Costa Cruises has announced that it has entered its second three-way agreement with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG). Costa stated that the three-year partnership will leverage its global presence, Singapore’s cruise hub status and Changi Airport’s air hub connectivity to further enhance Southeast Asia’s appeal as a cruise destination.

The partnership will see joint-marketing initiatives rolled out in different countries where Costa operates worldwide. It is expected to bring in over 100,000 international fly and cruise visitors to Singapore over three years.

Costa currently has four ships deployed in Asia year round. The Costa Fortuna, which has a total capacity of 3,470 guests and is sailing in the Far East, will be homeported at Singapore from mid-November 2018 to March 2019.

In 2017, Singapore welcomed 421 ship calls and logged a passenger throughput of 1.38 million. This represents an increase of 3 percent and 17 percent respectively over 2016 figures, according to Costa.