Costa Diadema Debuts in Argentina and Uruguay

Costa Diadema Debuts in Argentina and Uruguay

One of three Costa Cruises ships in South America this season, the Costa Diadema recently offered its first-ever cruise to Argentina and Uruguay.

The 3,700-guest ship debuted in the two countries as part of a seven-night itinerary that includes visits to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, as well as the Brazilian ports of Santos and Itajaí.

Sailing from multiple homeports, the cruise will be offered through early April and also includes three days at sea.

“We had great demand for this itinerary in the 2023-24 season, so we decided to increase our offering in this region,” said Renê Hermann, Costa’s Brazil president.

The Costa Diadema takes over the itinerary from the smaller Costa Favolosa, which had been sailing to Argentina and Uruguay for the past two summer seasons.

While most of the ship’s capacity will be allocated to the Brazilian market, passengers will also be able to embark in Argentina.

“We’ve also seen significant demand in the country, and we’ll have guests embarking there too,” Hermann told Cruise Industry News.

In addition to the Costa Diadema, Costa’s 2024-25 deployment in South America also includes the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Pacifica.

The Costa Pacifica opened the company’s season in South America after arriving in Brazil in late November.

Sailing from Santos and Rio de Janeiro, the 2009-built vessel will be fully dedicated to the Brazilian market through late March.

Offering longer itineraries in the region, the Costa Favolosa is also offering cruises to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

The vessel’s eight- to nine-night itineraries sail from Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo and visit destinations that include Punta del Este, Balneário Camboriú and Ilhabela.

After completing its schedule of seven-night cruises in the region, the Costa Diadema is scheduled to offer short cruises from Santos before returning to Europe in late April.

Costa Pacifica Becomes First Ship to Watch Santos’ Firework Display

Costa Pacifica Becomes First Ship to Watch Santos’ Firework Display

The Costa Pacifica became the first cruise ship to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Santos, Brazil.

The Costa Cruises ship reached the town as part of an eight-night cruise to Brazil.

Before anchoring in Santos Bay for the 14-minute firework display, the Pacifica embarked guests in Santos and Rio de Janeiro.

In addition to its two homeports, the itinerary also included visits to Búzios, Angra dos Reis, Ilhabela, and Balneário Camboriú.

According to Santos Mayor Rogério Santos, the operation highlights the town’s status as a major cruise hub.

“It is an extremely important action to promote Santos not only during New Year’s Eve but throughout the season, in all seasons of the year,” he said.

Continuing its deployment in South America, the Costa Pacifica is set to offer a series of three- to seven-night cruises from Santos and Rio through late March.

Costa’s 2024-25 season in the region also includes the Costa Diadema and the Costa Favolosa, with itineraries departing from different homeports.

A traditional destination for cruise ships during New Year’s Eve, Rio de Janeiro received six ships to ring in 2025.

The lineup included two vessels from Costa Cruises, the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Deliziosa, as well as four ships from MSC Cruises, including the MSC Grandiosa, which is currently the largest vessel sailing in Brazil.

The 4,888-guest ship joined the MSC Seaview, the MSC Orchestra and the MSC Poesia for the 12-minute firework display.

In Portugal’s Madeira Island, 11 cruise ships gathered in Funchal for the port city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Nine different companies were represented, including AIDA, Cunard, and Fred. Olsen, Hapag-Lloyd, Marella, Phoenix Reisen, Saga and TUI.

The largest ship on the scene was the 3,000-guest Queen Anne, which entered service for Cunard in April 2024.

 

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 Details Full Cruise Fleet Restart Plan

Costa Mediterranea in the Port of Amsterdam, Photo credit Spacejunkie2

Costa Cruises has detailed its full cruise fleet restart plan, starting with the Costa Toscana sailing on March 5, according to the Carnival Corporation brand.

Deployment and sales are now open from spring 2022 to winter 2022-2023, with ships calling at 179 ports with cruises from three to 127 days.

"We are seeing the growth in demand for holidays, and I am sure that this trend will increase further in the coming weeks," said Roberto Alberti, SVP & Chief Commercial Officer of Costa Cruises.

"We think our offer is the best ever, thanks to elements that combine unique experiences, both onboard and ashore. Our rich itinerary program suits every need and includes some great new features, such as cruises to Turkey. Our cruise experience has been profoundly enriched and will allow guests to discover destinations in an authentic way, also thanks to extended stops in some ports. Furthermore, our guests will be able to enjoy their vacations on a fleet with latest generation ships, which combine sustainable innovation with entertainment, hospitality and well-being."

Summer Season Start Up Program:

• Costa Toscana - March 5 (Mediterranean)
• Costa Favolosa - April 28 (Mediterranean)
• Costa Venezia - May 1 (Mediterranean)
• Costa Smedalra - May 7 ((Mediterranean)
• Costa Pacifica - June 4 (Mediterranean)
• Costa Luminosa - Atlantic Islands 
• Costa Fortuna - June 12 (Northern Europe)
• Costa Diadema - May 5 (Mediterranean)
• Costa Fascinosa - May 1 (Atlantic Islands)
• Costa Deliziosa - April 15 (Mediterranean)
• Costa Firenze - April 7 (Mediterranean)

For the height of the summer season, four ships, the Costa Fortuna, Costa Favolosa, Costa Fascinosa and Costa Diadema, will be deployed in Northern Europe.

Costa said that for winter 2022-2023, it will deploy the Firenze in the Middle East while the Venezia will stay in Istanbul for 11-day cruises for the winter. The Diadema will offer two-week sailings to the Canary Islands. The Costa Pacifica and Costa Fascinosa will be in the Caribbean while the Costa Smeralda will be offering one-week cruises in the Western Mediterranean. The Costa Toscana, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fortuna will be in South America.

In addition, the Costa Deliziosa will be offering a world cruise, departing from Venice on January 6, 2023, or from Savona on January 11, 2023.

The Costa Luminosa's grand cruises are also back, departing from Genoa on January 8, 2023, and from Buenos Aires on February 27, 2023, going from the Mediterranean to Tierra del Fuego and back, sailing up the Amazon River to Manaus.

Also of note, Costa said the Serena's program to resume cruising in Asia will be announced soon.

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 Brings Spin Master Games Aboard for Kids

Starting December 2013 the innovative games by Spin Master will be making their debut aboard Costa Crociere – a world first exclusive to Costa – on the Italian company’s ships, where they will be the stars of the “New Costa Adventures” entertainment program.

The Italian cruise company’s youngest Guests on two of its ships – the Costa Pacifica and the Costa Serena – will be able to enjoy a truly special vacation on board, with fantastic games stimulating their curiosity while they interact with other children, kids’ staff and parents. Many of these games are now household names worldwide – for example the remote control “Air Hogs” vehicles, the levitating “AtmoSphere”, the family board games “” and “Fibber!”, and the “Flutterbye Flying Fairy”.

Thanks to the partnership with Spin Master Italy (Spin Master exclusive agent for Italy), a cruise with Costa confirms its reputation as the ideal vacation for the whole family. While parents and grandparents enjoy the cruise, young children and teens can have great fun at the free kids’ Clubs, where they will be supervised by dedicated kids’ staff and where the highlight will be the packed entertainment program featuring the Spin Master games.

The “New Costa Adventures” program includes a host of activities for children of all ages, all based on one or more Spin Master games: mission impossible with Spy Gear covert mission kits for secret agents; fun “drawing” for toddlers and their mums on the magic Aquadoodle color mat; hovering or bouncing off walls with AtmoSphere; aerial acrobatics with the remote control Air Hogs; courses on how to spread your wings and guide the Flying Fairy.

Thus the two Costa ships will turn into veritable floating “toy libraries”, where kids can while away the time between destinations on the itinerary: one-week Western Mediterranean cruises on the Costa Pacifica; 11-day cruises to Greece, Turkey and Israel or Morocco and Portugal on the Costa Serena.

This first phase of collaboration between Spin Master and Costa Crociere marks the beginning of a partnership that will continue in the Spring of 2014, when the Spin Master games and the “New Costa Adventures” program will be extended on 12 Costa ships.