Costa Cruises Named Official Cruise Line of the Ryder Cup 2023

Costa Cruises Named Official Cruise Line of the Ryder Cup 2023

Costa Cruises announced that it was named the Official Cruise Line of the 2023 Ryder Cup 2023 competition which kicks off on September 28.

Costa Cruises will be attending the event with its own dedicated space inside the Ryder Cup Village, where it’s proposing a real putting challenge, during which visitors will be able to challenge themselves.

Guests onboard the Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda will also get to experience the excitement of the Ryder Cup and attend the final days of the competition, which ends on October 1.

During the Ryder Cup, the cruise line is also offering its Cruise and Golf package, allowing guests to join a cruise aboard the Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda during the two ships’ calls, to play at some of the most prestigious golf clubs in the Mediterranean and the United Arab Emirates.

Guests can choose up to four of the 24 best itineraries in Italy, France and Spain, such as the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, the Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta, the Golf Club Garlenda in Savona, the Golf Club Genova Sant’Anna, the Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona, the Son Gual Golf in Palma de Mallorca and the Golf Bastide de la Salette in Marseille. 

With the Costa Toscana, guests sailing during the upcoming winter will be able to discover up to four of the 15 most famous golf clubs in the Arab Emirates, Oman and Doha, such as the Emirates Golf Club or ‘The Els Club’ in Dubai, the Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Yas Links Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, the Almouj Golf Club and the Ghala Golf Club in Muscat, and the Doha Golf Club.

Additionally, there is a special offer for golfers to enjoy a range of restaurants available on the Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana, such as the Archipelago restaurant and try some of the treatments and services in the “Solemio” spa and beauty salon onboard.

 

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 Smeralda, the Spectacular Floating Stage of Sanremo’s Music

Costa Smeralda, the Spectacular Floating Stage of Sanremo’s Music

Costa Cruises announced that it will be back in Sanremo with the Costa Smeralda for the famous Italian musical event that takes place from February 7-11. 

“Our presence in Sanremo will be even more spectacular than last year. From our floating stage, you will see just how much fun you can have on a ship like the Costa Smeralda because we will be hosting more than just performances: they will be moments where guests can dance, sing, feel good together with others and experience emotions to remember,” -said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises

The Costa Smeralda will host shows every night as a floating stage for the duration of the festival, featuring extraordinary artists, according to a press release. 

To celebrate the event, Costa Cruises has prepared a very eventful cruise featuring Italian travel agents, Italian clients and members of C|Club, the company’s loyalty club. 

The Costa Smeralda will be anchored in front of Sanremo from February 4 through February 12, 2023, allowing guests to experience Italian music, Italian gastronomy, selected Italian pastry as well as Italian comedy.

 Costa wanted to highlight the presence of partners with whom the cruise company usually collaborates. In addition to live broadcasts, experiencing the most popular Italian music event of the year from its “floating stage,” guests onboard will be able to enjoy exclusive experiences created for the occasion, which will change daily.

 The Costa Smeralda’s floating stage program includes special guests, tastings, previews, workshops, and sports courses. Additionally, guests will also be able to go ashore and explore the city of Sanremo during the music festival. 

Costa Cruises Announces Brand Transformation

Costa Cruises has added various new features to its cruise offerings, as well as renewed its visual identity.

According to a press release, Costa’s new concept is based on "enabling guests to explore destinations through unique experiences, both onboard and ashore." To build these experiences, the company has focused on three key areas – cuisine, tours, sustainability – with a new visual identity to communicate them.

The concept is in line with the principles of its "Manifesto for value-driven, sustainable and inclusive tourism,” the decalogue that outlines the company's commitment to “grow together with local communities.”

“Now our ships are sailing again, we decided to completely renew our offer. The innovations are so significant that we can talk about a whole new way of travelling with Costa. We want everyone who holidays with us to enjoy unique, enriching experiences, discovering destinations in the most authentic, insightful, sustainable way possible,” explains Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises. “For more than 70 years Costa has been synonymous with cruise travel. At this very important time for the recovery of tourism, we wanted to rewrite the future of cruises in a way that is more responsible and mindful of people and the planet, with the aim of steering the sector back to the constant growth it saw before 2020.”

When it comes to cuisine, Costa worked with chefs Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darrozeand Ángel León. The chefs have explored authentic local recipes from the destinations visited by Costa ships, reworking them with their own personal know-how.

In that way, Costa Cruises has created two new features: the Archipelago restaurant and Destination Dishes. Destination Dishes are individual recipes designed by the three chefs, interpreting the traditions and flavors of the places guests will be visiting the following day. They are available at main restaurants on all Costa ships, included in the price of the cruise.

The new Archipelago restaurant, available on the Costa Smeralda and coming soon to other ships in the fleet, gives guests three menus to choose from, one by each chef. The menus offer five dishes created to explore each part of the sea route through its cuisine. Archipelago features “island” tables for a more intimate experience, framed by a copper sculpture enclosing pieces of driftwood, installations made using wood salvaged from the shore. 

The chefs’ menus were designed "with the greatest attention for the ingredients," according to the press release. Most of them are being sourced from local producers, and the way the dishes are prepared allows to prevent food waste, Costa said.

The driftwood decorating the "islands" was salvaged as part of “Guardians of the Coast”, the environmental education program for the protection of the Italian coastline run by the Costa Crociere Foundation. For every dinner eaten at the Archipelago, Costa said it will donate part of the proceeds to Costa Crociere Foundation to support environmental and social projects.

The company has rethought its entire range of tours, too. The itineraries have been redesigned to accommodate longer stopovers in ports, giving guests whole days to explore their destinations and make the most of their whole cruise.

"Costa tours become genuine experiences discovering the essence of each place, allowing guests to enjoy the most genuine traditions, flavours and colours, and creating value for local communities," the cruise line wrote.

As part of its transformation, Costa Cruises has decided to transform its logo too, with a new visual identity. The letter “C” in the logo, which has been accompanying Costa on seas worldwide for over 70 years, has been given a new look, which brings "two different motifs" together in a "sinuous, enveloping embrace," The two motifs are the earth, seen in yellow in the lower part of the logo, and the sea, in blue in the upper part, joined in the same experience thanks to cruises with Costa.

Costa’s latest innovations are already available on ships currently in service: the Costa Smeralda, the flagship powered by LNG, and the Costa Firenze, offering week-long cruises around the western Mediterranean; the Costa Luminosa and Costa Deliziosa, with week-long cruises around the eastern Mediterranean; the Costa Diadema, now running 10-day cruises to Spain and Portugal.

Innovations will then be extended to the next ships gradually returning to operate, including the new flagship Costa Toscana, the second LNG-powered ship in the fleet, in service from March 2022.

Another Costa Cruise Ship Back in Servia, Luminosa Sails from Trieste

Another Costa Cruise Ship Back in Service, Luminosa Sails from Trieste

The Costa Luminosa is back in service for Carnival Corporation's Italian brand as the ship today sailed from Trieste, becoming the company's second ship to resume operations in 2021 after the Costa Smeralda reentered service earlier this month from Savona.

The Luminosa will offer Adriatic Sea itineraries and also call in Greece as part of Costa's four-ship sailing plan for summer 2021, all operating under the company's Costa Safety Protocol. 

In addition to Trieste, Costa Luminosa's one-week itinerary includes visits to Bari and Corfu, Athens, Mykonos and Katakolon/Olympia. The deployment is scheduled through mid-November, totalling 27 departures.

Costa Luminosa’s restart was celebrated in Trieste by Costa Cruises President Mario Zanetti, together with several key figures, including the Mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza; the Councilor of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Pierpaolo Roberti; the Captain of the Trieste Coast Guard, Vincenzo Vitale; and the CEO of Trieste Terminal Passeggeri, Francesco Mariani.

"With the restart of the Costa Luminosa, we are finally bringing cruises back to the Adriatic Sea and Greece, one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations, and reviving a sector of great importance to the economy of many European countries, including Italy, as well as the eastern part of the Mediterranean,” said Zanetti.

“Just to illustrate the importance of this restart, before the pause caused by the pandemic, our company generated an annual economic impact of almost €13 billion in Europe, creating over 63,000 jobs. We are particularly pleased to be resuming from Trieste, a city that has always welcomed us warmly, and which will be the home port of Costa Luminosa not only this year but also in 2022. We look to the future with optimism, and we are working to make Trieste even more strategic for cruises, promoting sustainable development and a quality guest experience," he added. 

Next for Costa, on June 26, the Costa Deliziosa will restart with week-long cruises in Greece. July 4 will see the departure of the Costa Firenze with one-week cruises in Italy.

In addition, starting on July 3 Costa Smeralda will begin sailing in international itineraries, with one-week cruises in Italy, France and Spain.

“Trieste welcomes the return of the Costa Cruises ships. In recent years we have developed a very important collaboration with the company that guaranteed a regular presence of Costa ships in our beautiful city. Trieste is a city with a tourist vocation and the return of Costa rewards us for the work we are doing, but above all, it means that tourists are back,” said the Mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza.

Costa Will Start Cruising Again in May

Costa Cruises announced that it will start cruising again in May, citing restrictions in place in Europe and other European countries to contain COVID-19.

In line with the new plan, the Costa Smeralda’s departure from Italy is planned for May 1, with three- and four-day mini-cruises or alternatively a seven-day cruise, calling at Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina and Cagliari.

From June 12, the Costa Smeralda will return to sailing one-week cruises in the Western Mediterranean, with visits to Italy (Savona, Civitavecchia and Palermo), France (Marseille) and Spain (Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca).

The departure date of Costa Luminosa, the second Costa ship scheduled to resume service, is now postponed to May 16 from Trieste, and the following day from Bari, confirming its program of one-week cruises in Greece and Croatia.

Costa Restarts Cruises With New Program From March 27

Costa Cruises will be restarting service on the Costa Smeralda from March 27 and on the Costa Luminosa from May 2. This was announced by its parent company, Carnival Corporation, in a press release.

“The cruise ships of Costa Cruises … are ready to set sail again and offer guests holidays filled with leisure and relaxation, along with enhanced health and safety protocols,” the company said.

The Costa Smeralda program will consist of an unchanged itinerary across Italy for three- or four-day mini-cruises or, alternatively, a 7-day cruise, calling at Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina and Cagliari.

On May 1, the Costa Smeralda will return to one-week cruises in the Western Mediterranean with visits to Italy (Savona, Civitavecchia and Palermo), France (Marseille) and Spain (Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca).

The Costa Luminosa will be departing from Trieste from May 2, and the following day from Bari, confirming its program of one-week cruises in Greece and Croatia, according to the press release.

“Costa is working with national and local authorities of the countries included in the itineraries of its ships outside Italy to define the details of the restart of cruise operations, with enhanced health and safety measures through the implementation of the Costa Safety Protocol,” Carnival Corporation wrote. “The protocol contains operational measures related to all aspects of the cruise experience, both onboard and ashore, which were implemented in the past months of cruise operations.”

All other cruises scheduled until the end of May, and not included in the program updated on Feb. 17, will be cancelled. Costa is in the process of informing travel agents and customers affected by changes.

Costa Toscana floated out at Meyer Turku shipyard.

Costa Toscana has been designed to be a travelling 'smart city' (Image: Costa Cruises)

Costa Cruises’ newbuilding Costa Toscana was floated to the outfitting pier at Meyer Turku shipyard ahead of its entry into service later this year

Costa Toscana is the third of five LNG-powered newbuilds ordered by Costa Group for its subsidiary lines. Two other vessels, Costa Smeralda and AIDAnova have already entered service. They are part of an expansion plan that includes seven new ships to be delivered to Costa Group by 2023, for a total investment of more than €6Bn (US$7.27Bn).

Costa said the vessel has been designed to be a travelling ’smart city.’ The use of LNG is expected to eliminate sulphur dioxide emissions and reduce particulate matter into the atmosphere by over 90% while also lowering nitrogen oxide up to 85% and CO₂ emissions by up to 20%.

Desalinisation plants on board will process seawater directly to meet the vessel’s daily water supply requirements, and energy consumption will be reduced to a minimum via an intelligent energy efficiency system. In addition, 100% separate collection and recycling of materials such as plastic, paper, glass and aluminium will be carried out onboard, as part of an integrated approach aimed at supporting circular economy projects.

The vessel’s design was curated by hospitality designer Adam D Tihany who worked with Milanese architects Dordoni Architetti, New York-based Jeffrey Beers International and cruise ship specialist Partner Ship Design in designing different areas of the ship. Costa Toscana features Italian-made furnishings, lighting, fabrics and accessories.

At the heart of the new flagship is the Colosseo – a three-deck-high, midship-located show lounge featuring large LED screens mounted on its walls and dome. The vessel features 2,600 cabins for its occupants and the Sea Terrace cabins offer a verandah with a view of the ocean.

Costa Cruises chief commercial officer and president of Costa Group Asia, Mario Zanetti said "Despite the current challenging scenario, Costa Group is confirming its investment in fleet expansion. We are confident in the recovery of our industry, and we are excited about the arrival of new ships like Costa Toscana, which embodies the elements we want to focus on for the future.”

Meyer Turku chief executive Tim Meyer said "The float-out is always a very special occasion for us shipbuilders, as the ship is finally set to its natural environment. As this is also the start of the final stage of shipbuilding, all the exciting colours, venues and features will start taking their final form. In the coming months it will be finalised at the pier and then tested and commissioned in Q3 for delivery. "

Once interior fittings have been completed, Costa Toscana will make its maiden voyage in Brazil in the 2021-22 cruise season departing Santos on 26 December 2021, with a week-long itinerary visiting Salvador and Ilhéus, before returning to Santos on 2 January 2022.

Costa Forced to Cancel Christmas and New Years Cruises

Costa Diadema.

Costa has cancelled its holiday cruise program, citing a request from the Italian government. 

"This is a temporary stop that, as stated by the Government itself, has never questioned the reliability of the health protocols adopted in collaboration with the Italian authorities," the company said, in a press release. "Those protocols represent a unique model in the tourism sector at an international level, and have proven their full effectiveness in the last 4 months of operation in Italy."

Costa said that during the holiday period, its ships would be in various ports and it would offer a special food donation program. 

Costa also said, in a prepared statement: "The cruise suspension does not only affect the Company but the entire ecosystem that depends on cruises, such as travel agencies, shipyards, ports and local activities of destinations visited by ships the ports and local activities of the destinations visited by the ships, that the Company helped to restart in the second half of the year.

"The cancellation of Christmas and New Year's Eve cruises, among the most popular of the year, therefore represents a further economic sacrifice for Costa Cruises and the entire industry, in a period that was already very difficult for the entire sector, that relied on these operations."

Costa said it will resume service with the Costa Smeralda on January 7, 2021, with the one-week itinerary, dedicated exclusively to Italy, that can be divided into two short cruises of three and four days each, departing from Civitavecchia. The four-day mini-cruise sails to Central and Southern Italy, with stops in Naples, Messina and Cagliari. The three-day cruise voyages to Central and Northern Italy, and includes visits to Civitavecchia, La Spezia and Savona.

Covid-19 forces Costa Cruises to revise winter programme

Costa Deliziosa

Carnival Corporation brand Costa Cruises has altered its schedule for winter 2020-2021 because of travel restrictions and the continuing Covid-19 crisis.

The Italian cruise line said Costa Smeralda will operate an Italian-only itinerary to replace a voyage to Italy, France and Spain that would have started from November 14.

Costa Deliziosa (pictured) will continue operating its current one-week itinerary in Italy and Greece until January 3, 2021, instead of visiting Montenegro and Croatia as originally planned.

Costa Diadema will postpone the start of long cruises in the Mediterranean to April 6, 2021, offering 14-day cruises to Turkey and 14-day cruises to Egypt and Greece.

Costa Firenze cruise ship

New ship Costa Firenze, which is currently in the final stages of completion at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, will be delivered as planned in mid-December 2020 but will begin offering its seven-day cruises in Italy, France and Spain only from February 28, 2021.

Finally, Costa Favolosa cruises in the Caribbean are cancelled and the ship will return to operate from April 2, 2021, with mini-cruises in the Mediterranean.

The 2021 world tour by Costa Deliziosa is also cancelled, with guests offered the chance to book the 2022 voyage.

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.

Carnival: Optimistic For Restart in the U.S. By Year’s End

“At this time, we have every reason to be optimistic we will be sailing in the U.S. before year’s end,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation, on today’s third-quarter earnings call.

The company’s Costa Cruises brand has already returned to service with two ships in the Mediterranean, soon to be joined by a third ship, the Costa Smeralda, according to Donald. They are sailing weeklong cruises from different Italian homeports. The sister brand, AIDA, is set to launch service later this month, also in the Mediterranean, with German passengers.

Donald explained that the ships are sailing with lower occupancy levels enabling the cruise lines to test and assess their health and safety protocols.

With national brands, Donald said Carnival is ideally positioned for a phased-in return to service, as each brand can be restarted independently, and in most cases with ready access to drive-to markets.

Also, with a small percentage of the fleet entering service, for now, he said, there will be less reliance on new-to-cruise, compared to all previous growth cycles that required the brands to tap more new passengers.

In addition, as Carnival is disposing of some 18 older ships and right-sizing its shoreside organization, Donald said a leaner and more efficient company would emerge.

“All initiatives going forward will be focused on maximizing cash generation and creating shareholder value. The delivery schedules of new ships have been stretched out and there is only one new ship on order for 2024 and one for 2025. This will further reduce our capital expenditures and allow us to repay debt,” he added.

Added David Bernstein, CFO and chief accounting officer: “We are focused on assets that are cash generative, so we can pay down debt, rebuild our balance sheet and get back to investment-grade rating.

“We are working through a number of different financial scenarios, but there is a lot of uncertainty involved so it is difficult to give (financial) guidance. (However), we expect over time to build occupancy up to generate positive cash flow and reduce the cash burn. The start-up occupancy level is less than 50 per cent. Over time, once we know we have things right, we will increase occupancy, while keeping social distancing in mind as well.”

Bernstein noted that the break-even point ranges from 30 to 50 per cent occupancy for different ships.

Costa Readying Two Ships to Start Mediterranean Cruising

Costa Crociere may be readying two ships to start cruising in the Mediterranean as soon as August, according to crew aboard the line's ships who attended a recent town hall-style meeting.

The ships that would be put into operation will reportedly be the newest vessels in the Italian brand's fleet, the 2014-built Diadema, and the 2019-built Smeralda. 

In a letter sent to the crew, Costa said it has been working with various institutions to restart operations with a limited number of vessels, as soon as August. However, any restart would be linked to a certain number of conditions, according to the company.

The new challenge is for Costa to crew its ships, with Costa noting that many countries are restricting the movement of the crew, presenting challenges in getting crew to the ships.

Thus, Costa is asking that crew near the end of their contracts consider extending their contracts aboard.

"We official inform all crew members under a valid contract that they will be requested to fulfil their contract commitment, continuing the regular schedule of operation," a company letter read.

Costa Cruises ship cleared after coronavirus scare

Costa Cruises ship cleared after coronavirus scare
 

The fear of a potential outbreak of coronavirus on one of the world’s largest cruise ships has turned out to be a false alarm.

Costa Cruises confirmed that Italian health officials diagnosed a passenger onboard the 6,000-passenger Costa Smeralda with the “common flu”.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that two members from the same family in England have the first cases of coronavirus in the UK.

Passengers on the Costa ship had been placed in quarantine as a precaution over a suspected case of the deadly virus in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome.

At least 66 British passengers were reported to be on board the vessel at the time.

A 54-year-old woman from Macau held in isolation on the ship with her husband had reportedly flown from Hong Kong to join the Mediterranean cruise.

A Costa Cruises spokesperson said: “Thanks to the protocols that are applied on board the fleet, Wednesday night our medical team promptly identified a suspected fever case in a 54-year-old woman, just a few hours before the ship’s arrival in Civitavecchia.


“As soon as the case was discovered, the required precautionary procedures were immediately taken. The relevant authorities were informed and, upon arrival of the ship in the port of Civitavecchia, they carried out all the required checks.

“While we appreciate the inconvenience caused, the procedures in force and our co-operation with the health authorities were effective in managing the situation and intended to ensure maximum safety for our guests, crew and the community as a whole.”

The ship will remain docked at Civitavecchia until today and miss the port of La Spezia before returning to its homeport of Savona.

MSC Magnifica in Queensferry, Scotland, photo credit Dave Jones

The scare came as rival line MSC Cruises announced a new series of strict “precautionary measures” across its fleet due to the coronavirus outbreak in China which has caused 213 deaths in the country and triggered a World Heath Organisation global health emergency.

    Guests from all nationalities are required to fill out a pre-embarkation questionnaire to ensure no-one boards their ship who has travelled from mainland China or visited mainland China in the past 30 days. Anyone who has travelled from mainland China or visited mainland China in the past 30 days will be denied access to the ship;

    Mandatory non-touch thermal scans conducted for all guests and crew prior to embarkation for every cruise operated by the company anywhere in the world, and persons with signs or symptoms of illness such as fever or feverishness, chills, cough or difficulty breathing will be denied embarkation;

    Elevated deep-sanitation on every ship in the line’s entire fleet;

    Guests who may have fever symptoms will be isolated in their cabin and the same measure applies for their close contacts, including guests staying in the same cabin and family members, as well as any crew member who may have served these guests.

A spokesman said: “While there are no cases of coronavirus on board any of MSC Cruises’ ships these measures are additional steps to secure the health and well-being of all guests and crew.”

“These measures follow previous actions that were taken last week,” the spokesman added.

“Guests and crew who travelled last week from mainland China were already screened for symptoms upon embarkation and were requested to report any symptoms of illness to the onboard medical centre.

“Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, MSC Cruises has been closely monitoring the public health and safety situation in each of the regions its ships sail.

“The company has been consulting with international and local health authorities to follow their advice and recommendations.”

The move came after the line cancelled the next three MSC Splendida sailings from Shanghai.

The ship’s four and five-night sailings from Shanghai to Japan on February 1, 5 and 9 will not operate.

MSC Splendida, deployed in Asia for the winter, will reposition to Singapore to start a 27-night repositioning voyage to the Middle East and Europe on February 14.

The line’s chief executive Gianni Onorato said: “The decision to reposition the ship from Shanghai to Singapore has been taken in the best interests of the safety and wellbeing for our passengers and crew, as was the decision to cancel our next three scheduled sailings from China.

“Many major airlines have either cancelled or reduced their flight frequency to China and the grand voyage, a maritime tradition whereby a ship moves from one part of the world to another for a new sailing season, was entirely booked with guests flying from abroad to enjoy the experience of a unique itinerary.

“In light of Singapore becoming a new embarkation port we have had to cancel calls to Naha, Japan and Hong Kong but it has also created an opportunity to update and enrich the grand voyage’s itinerary with four additional new ports; Langkawi, Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, plus Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to create a new, one-of-a-kind memorable cruise.”

Cruise ship warning: How diseases can spread like wildfire amid coronavirus fears

 

A CRUISE ship with 6,000 passengers carrying two suspected coronavirus patients have banned guests from disembarking at an Italian port, as fears surrounding catching diseases while travelling are on the rise. What are the best ways travellers can protect themselves against outbreaks?

 This fear has further heightened after news broke that two suspected patients from Hong Kong are being held in isolation in the on-board hospital of the Costa Smeralda in Civitavecchia, Italy.

The ship, which contains around 6,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members have been told to stay on board amid concerns of the outbreak.

In a statement, Costa Cruises said: “Costa Cruises confirms the sanitary the protocol has been activated for a guest on-board of Costa Smeralda.

“The guest, a 54 years old lady of Chinese nationality, is currently put on isolation on the onboard hospital since last night together with her travel mate, in line with health protocols.

“As soon as the a suspected case was detected, the Medical Team on board immediately activated all the relevant health procedures to promptly isolate and manage the clinical condition.

 

“The Health Authority has been immediately notified and is now on board to conduct all the pertinent measures. It is our utmost priority to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew.”

They added that the company is at “complete disposal” of the Health Authority and their indication will be strictly applied.

“Costa Cruises continue to apply the relevant national policies and epidemic developments, as per World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indications.”

Other major cruise lines cancelled cruises as the virus spreads, including Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises.

 

Mardi Gras delays not surprising but still costly for Carnival

 

When Carnival Corp. announced that it was delaying this year’s delivery of the Carnival Mardi Gras, it had a familiar ring.

The Mardi Gras, the first Carnival Cruise Line ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), joins ships from two other Carnival Corp. brands that also feature LNG propulsion and weren’t delivered on time.

The shipyards involved have blamed the delays on design complexity, troubles with coordinating subcontractors and the size of the ships, which are each intended to carry more than 5,200 passengers.
In each case, the ships are the first in a new class of vessel for their respective lines. All are built on a common platform introduced by Carnival in 2015 and referred to as the Excellence class.

The platform was adapted for the individual needs of Carnival as well as for Carnival Corp.’s two European brands, Costa Cruises and Aida Cruises.

For North Americans, the Mardi Gras will be the first ship to feature the LNG engines, a big technological leap that promises environmental gains and cheaper operating costs, especially with new restrictions on heavy sulfur fuels that start this year.

But going first has never been a formula for smooth sailing in the cruise industry. New technologies frequently have unforeseen problems that need to be ironed out as they move from the drawing board to actual use.

 
World's First Purpose-Built LNG Bunkering Vessel

Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald alluded to that legacy when asked about the delay in a conference call in December.

“The situation is that historically we’ve had occasional delays with prototypes,” Donald said. “But we’re working with the yard and are in the process of negotiating what we need to do to ensure that future delivery is on time.”
That’s not much consolation for passengers on eight Mardi Gras sailings that were cancelled because of the delay.

Those sailings included a debut cruise in Europe, a transatlantic crossing, a New York preview cruise and the first four sailings from the Mardi Gras’ year-round homeport, Port Canaveral in Florida.

More than 40,000 guests have been notified that their plans have been changed. They will get a full refund and a 25% future cruise credit for their troubles as well as assistance with nonrefundable airline and hotel reservations already booked.
Travel agents who sold the cruises will still receive the commissions they earned, Carnival said.

The first sailing, which had been set for Aug. 31, has now been rescheduled for Nov. 14.
Ben Clement, Carnival’s senior vice president of newbuilds, said that despite working closely with shipyard executives to keep the giant ship on schedule, prudence dictated that it be delayed to get it right.


“While we deeply regret disappointing our guests, this change in the delivery date is required to make sure all of the ship’s systems, features and technology will be fully operational so that we can give our guests the vacation they expect,” Clement said.
Carnival will get some compensation from the shipyard, Donald said, but it will be reflected in the ship’s value on the balance sheet, not on the profit and loss statement, so the loss of the eight cruises in 2020 will likely impact earnings.

Clement didn’t go into detail about what issues are making the ship late. But in the previous cases involving Aida and Costa, the shipyards issued statements.
In October 2018, the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany said that it would push back delivery of the AidaNova from Nov. 15 to Dec. 2. It was eventually delivered to Aida on Dec. 19.
AidaNova was the first cruise ship to be powered by LNG, and Meyer Werft said it “required more time for commissioning and testing of this prototype.”

 
Costa Smeralda

Another LNG ship built to the Excellence platform is the Costa Smeralda, which was launched Dec. 20 after being delayed twice. The the shipyard, a Meyer Werft-owned facility in Turku, Finland, cited “the high complexity and the sheer size of the ship project” and noted that it was the the first ship in the class to be built at the Turku yard.
The Carnival Mardi Gras is also being built in Turku.

Using LNG for power instead of diesel requires special pressurized steel tanks to keep the gas in its liquid state. For safety reasons, the tanks must be surrounded by void space, requiring about twice as much room inside the ship as tanks for diesel fuel.
The Mardi Gras is being fitted with three steel LNG tanks and four Caterpillar engines. Carnival officials have said that integrating the tanks, piping and bunkering is the biggest challenge in designing LNG ships.

One reason Carnival and other lines are switching to LNG, despite its complexities, is that natural gas is cheaper than oil. Perhaps more importantly, burning it produces little or no sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide, two health-damaging gases in petroleum exhaust.
By some estimates, natural gas also generates about 15% less carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas implicated in climate change.

Of the first four LNG-powered ships ordered by Carnival, only the P&O Cruises ship Iona, due in May 2020, has not suffered a delivery delay.
In addition to its novel powertrain, the Mardi Gras has several other features not attempted before on Carnival ships.

 
P&O Iona

The most prominent is an electric roller coaster that loops around the funnel and most of the upper deck of the ship. Called the Bolt, it is being built by Munich-based Maurer Rides and will require extensive testing for issues of vibration, noise and safety, Carnival has said.
The Mardi Gras is also pioneering an atrium that looks out to see from the side of the ship through a glass wall that spans three stories; a report in the Wall Street Journal noted novel structural problems for supporting that area, which would typically be framed in steel.

Costa Smeralda Passes Propulsion Tests

Costa Smeralda Passes Propulsion Tests

The Costa Smeralda has successfully passed her sea trials carried out with liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to a statement. 

During the sea trials, which began on Nov. 16, the ship carried out a series of tests to verify the correct operation of systems, equipment and engines with LNG propulsion.

“The fueling of cruise ships with LNG is an innovation in which we were the first to believe five years ago, when we ordered the Costa Smeralda, setting an example for the sector which has since been followed by other companies. It is a safe and reliable technology, which is currently the most effective and feasible solution to ensure a significant reduction in the environmental impact of cruise ships in port and at sea," said Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises.

Once the sea trials were finished, the ship returned to Meyer Turku for her final interior outfitting.

The first cruise will depart from Savona on Dec. 21. The itinerary, which will be repeated until May 16, 2020, will include Savona (Saturday), Marseilles (Sunday), Barcelona (Monday), Palma de Mallorca (Tuesday), Civitavecchia (Thursday) and La Spezia (Friday).

Five Ships to Leave Costa Fleet by May 2021

Five Ships to Leave Costa Fleet by May 2021

Working to reduce capacity growth in Southern Europe, five ships will leave the Costa Cruises fleet by May 2021, according to Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation, speaking on the company's third-quarter earnings call on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Donald said that two Europe-based ships will leave the Costa fleet in 2020, and he added that two ships will leave the Costa fleet in Asia in 2020.

In addition, he confirmed the Costa Mediterranea will leave the fleet in May 2021. 

The ships will be replaced with more efficient capacity in the new Costa Smeralda, Donald underscored. 

Carnival's CEO did not mention what other ships would leave the fleet, but based on other Carnival Corp. vessel transfers, these would most likely be the line's older and less efficient vessels. 

"Some are being sent to China; some are being sent to other markets where we have strength," Donald said, noting some would also leave the fleet. "When we sell them, we don't sell them into competing markets."

The Atlantica and Mediterranea are expected to transfer to Carnival's joint venture in China with China State Shipbuilding Corporation, but the timeline is behind previously announced goals. 

Recent Carnival Corporation secondhand vessel transactions include not only Costa vessels, but the P&O Oriana, which was sold to Chinese owners and just transferred to the new Astro Ocean brand.

In addition, the Pacific Jewel was sold to Jalesh Cruises, the Pacific Eden moved to Cruise & Maritime Voyages, and the Prinsendam is now the Amera for Phoenix Reisen.

Cruise Industry Trends for 2019

A record year of newbuilds, new cruise brands, expedition ships and capacity growth will dominate cruise headlines in 2019, while drydocks grow in scale.

Also impressive will be technology gains, with guests benefiting from the latest connectivity and apps that integrate into the cruise experience while cruise lines continue an arms race to save fuel and reduce their environmental footprint. Among challenge areas are new shipbuilders and emerging markets.

New Ships

Twenty-four new ships will debut in 2019, making it the biggest year ever for new ship introductions.

The Mein Schiff 2 from TUI Cruises will be the first of the 24 new ships delivered, according to projections from the 2019 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

The biggest vessel to enter service this year will be the Costa Smeralda with capacity for 5,224 passengers.

MSC's Grandiosa, a Meraviglia-plus class ship, is also large and will debut in November with capacity for just under 5,000 guests.

The smallest ship debuting? The 100-guest Magellan Explorer from Antarctica21.

MSC is one of four cruise lines with big ship introduction plans in 2019, with the Grandiosa debuting as well as the Bellissima.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will also take delivery of two expedition newbuilds, the Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration.

French luxury line Ponant will get a pair of 180-guest Explorer-class ships, and Costa will take delivery of two megaships.

The Costa Venezia debuts in March from Fincantieri and moves to China for year-round service, while the Smeralda will debut later in the year and sail in Europe.

New Brands

Brands are coming into the cruise industry with newbuild projects and secondhand ships.

Jalesh Cruises will start service in April from Mumbai, offering a short-cruise product for the Indian source market.

In China, CTS (China Travel Service) is expected to start service in the third quarter, which will help boost capacity in the region, which is considerably lower, according to the 2019 China Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

Heading into the future, both The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Virgin Voyages are bringing their new brands and bold new concepts and their brands into the industry with newbuild projects.

Capacity Growth

New ships on order and set to be delivered in 2019 represent an additional 42,488 berths into the industry, obliterating 2018’s record introduction of approximately 34,000 new berths.

According to the  2019 Cruise Industry News Annual Report, the 42,488 berths represent 7.5 percent additional berths across the industry.

The companies with the biggest plans to fill cabins this year are both European brands. MSC will add 9,388 berths between the Bellissima and Grandiosa, while Costa will add 9,120 berths with the Costa Venezia and Smeralda.

Drydocks Grow in Scale

Refurbishment projects across the industry are only growing in scale, according to the 2019 Drydocking and Refurbishment Report by Cruise Industry News.

The biggest project this year, and the biggest drydock ever to take place, will see the Carnival Triumph converted into the Carnival Sunrise over a two-month work period in Cadiz with a budget of $200 million. The ship will debut in Norfolk, Virginia in late April with additional capacity, and a number of new entertainment and food and beverage features.

Elsewhere, Royal Caribbean International’s Navigator of the Seas will be reimagined with a budget of $115 million  and then reintroduced into the hot short cruise market in May 2019.

Expedition Boom

The newbuild boom in the expedition market that saw the first of a large number of new ships launching in 2018 shows no signs of slowing down for 2019.

Expedition newbuilds are all over the orderbook this year, with 12 expedition ships set to launch into service.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has the single biggest year, with 460 berths coming online with the Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration.

Ponant will mark its second year in a row in which it takes delivery of two ships as well, with the new Le Bougainville being joined by Le Dumont-d'Urville.

The most notable delivery will happen in China, as SunStone will welcome the first of up to 10 expedition newbuilds. The Greg Mortimer will debut in August on a long-term charter contract to Aurora Expeditions.

China Questions

China was set to become the world’s largest cruise market, and may still get there, but 2019 will be about the so-called readjustment period in the region.

Too much supply brought on too fast, a challenged distribution model (chartering), a short-in booking window and lack of product differentiation put a stop to runaway growth in China.

A readjustment period is now the term, and will give Chinese officials time to work on policies and port development; it will also give way to another new Chinese cruise brand coming late this year.

China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) will buy two cruise ships ahead of building a series new ships.

The company will take delivery of the Costa Atlantica in late 2019, followed by the Costa Mediterranea a year later.

Shipyard Problems

Delayed deliveries, strikes, ownership changes and other major questions revolve around a new set of shipyards that have aggressively entered the cruise business in recent years.

Facing a collapse in the offshore business, shipyards turned to small, expedition and niche cruise lines to gain business back.

Those yards have been met with a host of challenges ranging from ownership changes to yard strikes as they have found out that building a cruise ship is a highly complex task – mainly attributed to the customized hotel aspect of the project.

Technology

While Princess Cruises continues to roll out its OceanMedallion platform, the cruise lines are working hard to upgrade connectivity and provide new apps and digital experiences for passengers.

Royal Caribbean Cruises is utilizing facial recognition to get passengers onboard the ship within 10 minutes of arriving at the terminal; while on the new Celebrity Edge, guests can use an app to turn on and off stateroom lights and even unlock the door.

At MSC Cruises, a personal assistant, Zoe, will debut in every stateroom aboard the Bellissima when the ship is delivered in February.

Passenger-facing apps and connectivity solutions will continue to be hot topics, but behind-the-scenes, a technical arms race will continue to save fuel while lowering environmental impact when it comes to air and water emissions.