Genoa, August 27, 2019 – Costa Cruises has announced new itineraries in one of its key destinations, the Mediterranean. The Italian company is thus strengthening its offerings for 2020.
Winter 2020/2021 is the chosen timeframe for the start of two new itineraries operated by the Costa Fortuna. Costa Cruises will resume operations in Turkey and Israel with two new 14-day voyages. The first cruise, departing from Savona on December 6, 2020, and February 7, 2021, will call at Marseille, Barcelona, Heraklion (Greece), and Izmir (Turkey), with an overnight stay in Istanbul, before continuing on to Athens, Palermo, and Naples.
The second itinerary will also depart from the Italian port of Savona on January 10 and March 7, 2021, and will visit Marseille, Barcelona, Heraklion (Greece), with an overnight stop in Haifa (Israel) before continuing on to Kusadasi (Turkey), Palermo, and Naples. Additionally, during the winter season, the Costa Fortuna will operate week-long itineraries in the Western Mediterranean, including a visit to Valencia.
On the other hand, Costa's presence in the Mediterranean Sea will increase with the arrival of the Costa Smeralda and the Costa Toscana, the company's two new flagship vessels currently under construction at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland. Starting in November of this year, the Costa Smeralda will begin operating week-long cruises in the Western Mediterranean, joined by its sister ship, the Costa Toscana, in 2021. Both ships represent a significant environmental advancement, as they are powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the world's cleanest fossil fuel, both in port and at sea, thus minimizing their environmental impact.
In addition, Costa will have another new addition to its fleet, the Costa Firenze, currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, which will begin operating in the Asian market ahead of schedule. Both the Costa Firenze and its sister ship, the Costa Venezia, launched last March, are the Italian cruise line's first ships specifically designed for the Chinese market, where Costa was the first to operate in 2006 and is currently the market leader.
Thus, to meet the growing demand among Chinese and Asian passengers, the Costa Firenze will sail directly to China after its scheduled delivery on September 30, 2020. This will mark a change in the operational plan initially set for the Costa Firenze, which was scheduled to remain in the Mediterranean in October 2020.
As a result of these changes, in winter 2020/21, the Costa Mediterranea will replace the Costa Fortuna, operating its itineraries from Singapore and allowing passengers to explore destinations such as Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Additionally, there will also be schedule changes for the Costa Victoria after September 9, 2020, and for the Costa Luminosa in winter 2020/21, which are no longer available for booking.
Costa Cruises will inform travel agencies and customers of these changes to ensure alternative holiday options are available. Guests who have already booked a cruise from Singapore aboard the Costa Fortuna for the 2020/21 winter season will retain their booking on the Costa Mediterranea. Customers who have booked a trip aboard the Costa Victoria to India and the Maldives, the Costa Mediterranea to visit the Indian Ocean, the Costa Luminosa for the Caribbean, or the Costa Firenze for its repositioning itinerary or to sail the Mediterranean, will have the opportunity to choose any of the cruises in Costa's portfolio with an additional 10% discount.
