Until August 22, the ship will be in the city every week for a new and exclusive itinerary, which includes two-day stops in the Swedish capital and St. Petersburg.
Last Friday, May 15th, the Costa Luminosa, one of the ships in the Italian fleet of Costa Crociere (www.costacruceros.es), made its first port of call in Stockholm. Every week until August 22nd, the Swedish capital will be the departure port for the Costa Luminosa's new 'Great Baltic Cities' itinerary, for a total of 15 cruises. This new route, exclusive to Costa, focuses on extended stays in four stunning cities on the Baltic Sea.
The ship's arrival in Stockholm was celebrated with a ceremony attended by Elena Basile, Italian Ambassador to Sweden; Stefan Hansson, Chairman of the Stockholm Ports Board; Thomas Andersson, CEO of Stockholm Visitors Board; Henrik Ahlqvist, Cruise & Ferry Manager and Deputy to the Maritime Authority; and Andrea Tavella, Sales and Marketing Director for Northern Europe at Costa Crociere.
“Every year, we strive to offer something unique to our passengers. Our goal with the Costa Luminosa is to provide a new way to experience Northern Europe. We have focused on quality, selecting a few select Baltic cities with incredible charm, which passengers can discover in the best possible way thanks to extended port calls, some of which include an overnight stay. Stockholm is the departure port and one of the highlights of the itinerary,” noted Tavella. “During the two-day port call, our passengers will be able to enjoy an extended tour of this splendid city. We expect to bring around 30,000 visitors to Stockholm this summer. While the majority of guests will be Italian, Spanish, and French, we also anticipate a significant number of Scandinavian clients.”
The Costa Luminosa, which entered service in 2009, is one of the most beautiful and elegant ships in the Costa Crociere fleet. One of its most striking features is 'Reclining Woman 2004', a magnificent sculpture by Fernando Botero, the centerpiece of the ship's spectacular atrium.
The week-long 'Great Baltic Cities' itinerary departs from Stockholm, with a one-day, one-night stopover. From there, the Costa Luminosa continues to Helsinki, Finland; spends two days and one night in St. Petersburg, Russia; has a one-day stopover in Tallinn, Estonia; and returns to Stockholm for one day and one night. Reaching the Swedish capital will be easy thanks to flights from Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, and Alicante, operated by Air Europa, Iberia, and Norwegian Airlines.
In Stockholm, passengers can choose from a wide variety of excursions: a boat trip around the 14 islands that make up the city; a bike ride through the royal gardens of Djurgården; a visit to the Royal Palace and the old town; a panoramic tour from the 130-meter-high Sky View; a visit to the Vasa Museum, which has the only fully preserved 17th-century ship; an evening at the Ice Bar; or shopping in the many designer stores.
Helsinki , Finland, can be explored by boat or bicycle. Some of the many attractions include the Parliament Building, the National Museum, Finlandia Hall, designed by the renowned architect Alvar Aalto, and the new Opera House. From Helsinki, passengers can discover the old town of Porvoo, with its historic center and characteristic wooden houses.
The two-day, one-night stopover in St. Petersburg, the Venice of the North, will allow passengers to admire its unique attractions, including the Hermitage Museum, magnificent palaces along the Neva River such as the Winter Palace, Nevsky Prospect, and the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Passengers can also attend a classical ball or take a cruise along the city's canals.
Tallinn, for its part, is famous for its medieval historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The heart of the capital is also its Town Hall, a Gothic structure dating back to the 1400s, near Raeapteek, the oldest municipal pharmacy in Europe that is still in operation.
