This group of distribution professionals, Costa Cruises' best strategic partners, enjoyed the gastronomy, entertainment and exclusive excursions offered by the shipping company's new flagship.
Among the Spanish travel agents was Patricia López, Lady-in-Waiting at the christening ceremony of the Costa Diadema, which took place in Genoa on November 7.
The Costa Diadema, Costa Cruises' new flagship, launched on November 7th in Genoa, welcomed a group of 192 travel agents from Spain, Portugal, and Andorra on a voyage between Savona and Barcelona from November 8th to 10th. This trip, one of the first undertaken by the Queen of the Mediterranean and a way for Costa to express its gratitude for the agents' strong commitment to the brand, allowed them to experience firsthand the excellent products and services offered on board. This experience enabled them to recommend this particular ship, and Costa Cruises in general, as a unique vacation option representing the very best of Italy.
During the three intense days aboard the Costa Diadema, the guests shared their experiences and ideas with many of the cruise line's sales and marketing representatives, while admiring and enjoying all the new features of the ship, which serves as the Queen of the Mediterranean, ambassador of 'The Best of Italy' on its Western Mediterranean itineraries. Among the Spanish travel agents was Patricia López, Maid of Honor at the Costa Diadema's christening ceremony, who, moved, shared her experience with her colleagues, whom she represented during such a special moment.
Among many other innovations, one of the favorite experiences for the hundreds of travel agents was the Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant, which features an exclusive show cooking experience for passengers, as well as the Dresden Green Club Brewery, where they could sample authentic craft beers on tap and in bottles from the most prestigious brands. At dinnertime, one of the most popular spots was the traditional Italian pizzeria, where genuine pizzaioli prepare up to 14 different varieties of pizza. The Club and Samsara restaurants were also very popular, offering the finest Italian cuisine.
Both day and night, distribution partners enjoyed the 360-degree terrace that surrounds the ship, literally suspended over the sea, overlooking the leisure and dining establishments like a seaside promenade. They could also relax in the Spa, the digital library (where they could borrow an e-book for the entire duration of the cruise), the Gelateria Amarillo sampling the finest pastries and ice creams, or the Vinoteca, an exclusive setting where they could enjoy the best wines from Italy, Spain, and France.
During the stopover in Marseille, travel agents were able to visit this beautiful city on the French coast or spend the day in Aix-en-Provence, experiencing a new type of excursion based on a culinary experience combined with the city's cultural highlights. Finally, after the excursions, the agents had the opportunity to relax reading in the fully digital onboard library, where they were provided with an e-reader to use throughout the voyage.
With this initiative, which saw very high participation from the Spanish market, Costa Cruises reaffirmed its commitment to distribution in Spain, thanking and praising its partners as the company's best strategic allies. Furthermore, the cruise line's commitment to the Spanish market is further strengthened by the Costa Diadema's weekly calls at Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, on Mondays and Tuesdays respectively, until the end of 2015. Costa also collaborated with Renfe High Speed Rail and Iberia Airlines for this occasion, two key strategic partners for Costa's growth in 2015.
