Costa Cruises has set sail again with the Costa Smeralda from Savona. The company's flagship, powered by LNG, currently the most advanced propulsion technology for reducing emissions, is the third Costa ship to resume operations, following the Costa Deliziosa and the Costa Diadema.
Costa Smeralda will offer week-long itineraries and will depart five times from Savona, from October 10 to November 7, 2020. These cruises will be dedicated to safely redefining the best of Italy, making stops in La Spezia, Cagliari, Naples, Messina and Civitavecchia (Rome).
These departures represent the return home of the Costa Smeralda after the pause in its operations due to the health emergency caused by Covid-19, since Savona has always been the port of origin of this ship since it made its first cruise on December 21, 2020, after having left the Meyer shipyard in Turku where it was built.
“It’s very exciting to see our flagship sailing again from Savona, Costa’s main port in the Mediterranean,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group & Carnival Asia. “We are gradually resuming operations and adding more ships to our fleet, safely and responsibly, thanks to new safety protocols. The return of Costa Smeralda, the most advanced ship in our fleet in terms of reducing its environmental impact, also reaffirms our commitment to the sustainable development of cruising, which will be a key factor in our industry’s recovery in the coming years.”
Guest embarkation on the Costa Smeralda from Savona was conducted in accordance with the procedures established in Costa's Safety Protocol, which includes new operational measures in response to the COVID-19 situation, addressing all aspects of the cruise experience both on and off the ship. This protocol, developed by the company in conjunction with a panel of scientific experts, contains new measures adapted to the COVID-19 situation and is consistent with the guidelines defined by the relevant Italian and European authorities. Upon arrival at the Palacrociere terminal, with staggered entry times based on online registration, each guest had their temperature taken, completed a health questionnaire, and underwent a rapid antigen swab test, with the possibility of an additional molecular swab test for any suspected cases. Before embarking, crew members also underwent molecular swab testing and were quarantined for the preceding 14 days. Furthermore, each crew member will be tested monthly.
From the first stop in La Spezia, destinations on the Costa Smeralda itinerary can only be visited via protected excursions organized by the company for small groups in sanitized vehicles, subject to temperature checks before departure and upon re-boarding. Onboard services and entertainment have been redesigned according to the Safety Protocol procedures, but retain the distinctive characteristics of a Costa cruise holiday, thanks in part to the physical distancing made possible by the ship's reduced capacity. Examples of the new leisure offerings include: repeat performances of live shows for smaller audiences; a shift from buffet to table service in restaurants; reduced capacity and minimum distance between tables in the theater, show lounge, bars, and restaurants; and staggered entry to some facilities such as the spa, swimming pools, and kids' club, with a limited number of people allowed at any one time. In addition, cleaning and sanitizing of all areas on board, including cabins, has been increased, and onboard sanitary facilities have been expanded. Other health and safety measures include the use of face masks whenever necessary, hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the ship, and the introduction of self-service kiosks with thermometers.
Costa Smeralda is a true floating “smart city,” where sustainable technologies and circular economy concepts are applied to reduce its environmental impact. This is all thanks to the use of LNG, currently the most advanced technology for reducing emissions. The ship almost completely eliminates sulfur oxide emissions (zero emissions) and particulate matter (95-100% reduction), significantly decreasing nitrogen oxide emissions (85% direct reduction) and CO2 emissions (up to 20% reduction). Furthermore, the ship's daily water needs are fully met through the direct transformation of seawater using desalination plants. Energy consumption is also minimized thanks to an intelligent energy efficiency system, and 100% separate waste collection is carried out on board, recycling materials such as plastic, paper, glass, and aluminum.
