Costa Cruises has had many months to rethink its product offerings for Spanish travelers. In the absence of a Spanish cruise line, it has created a range of options with a Spanish flavor that will be available this season on the Costa Magica, Costa Pacifica, and Costa Fortuna.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 56 – March 2021
The cruise line has always offered all the necessary amenities in its fleet to satisfy Spanish customers, and after months of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has decided to further adapt its product to this market. In this vein, Costa Cruises has enhanced its offerings to provide a tailor-made experience for Spanish customers, and, after listening to the suggestions and opinions of travel agencies and its clients, has launched the “Spanish Product,” which will be available on the itineraries of three of its ships between June and September 2021.
According to Luigi Stefanelli, Managing Director for Spain and Portugal at Costa Cruises, “Spanish customers have felt comfortable and perfectly cared for and understood on all Costa ships, and our product is capable of fully satisfying their needs. But there is a market niche, such as seniors and those who have never been on a cruise, who are more likely to value a product that 'speaks their language,' not only in an linguistic sense but also by reinforcing other aspects of the onboard experience. We want to continue offering an innovative product and a unique vacation experience, just as we have always done. In this context, Costa's commitment to the 'Spanish Product' is based on placing the tastes and preferences of our Spanish guests even more at the heart of product design through a product that has been designed around three of the main pillars of Spanish culture and customs: gastronomy, entertainment, and language.”
In this way, the “Spanish Product” includes more personalized onboard customer service in Spanish; an increased gastronomic offering, incorporating typical dishes from our cuisine, along with new meal times adapted to the customs of our country; and onboard entertainment with Spanish comedy artists such as El Sevilla, José Corbacho or Pablo Chiapella.
In Stefanelli's words, "The new product seeks to reconnect with the essentials and remind Spanish passengers of their origins and traditions, without neglecting the international offerings or losing the characteristic Italian touch of Costa Cruises. The differentiating factor of the new product is that it adapts even more than before to the preferences of Spanish customers, with an all-inclusive, tailor-made experience."
This product will be available from June on board three of the most special ships in the shipping company's fleet: the Costa Pacifica in the Western Mediterranean, the Costa Magica through the Greek Islands with direct flights, and the Costa Fortuna through Northern Europe, also with direct flights.
Sevilla, José Corbacho and Pablo Chiapella will be stand-up comedians on board.
Stefanelli continues, “Cruises are sailing again in a much safer and more robust manner, so now is the perfect time to start thinking about traveling in 2021 and take advantage of the opportunity to book. It’s difficult to make short-term predictions; however, at Costa, we strive to offer maximum flexibility in our cancellation policy, which allows free cancellation up to 15 days before departure. We believe this new product will delight consumers and travel agencies and will help boost cruise bookings for this season. We want to offer safe holidays, even more tailored to our customers, and therefore, we hope, even more attractive and memorable.”
Upon resuming operations, Costa Cruises' priority, like all cruise lines, is to guarantee the health and safety of passengers, crew, and the communities visited. To this end, Costa Cruises has implemented the Costa Safety Protocol, which includes comprehensive measures to address the situation created by COVID-19. These measures cover all aspects of the onboard experience, both on the ship and ashore, and have already been successfully implemented in Italy since September 6th, when the cruise line restarted its operations, sailing along the Italian coast with Italian passengers and receiving very positive feedback from guests.
Activity was paused again at the end of December as a result of the Italian government's recommendations regarding the spread of COVID-19, without questioning the effectiveness of the health protocols established by the shipping company in collaboration with the Italian authorities, which proved their full effectiveness during the four months of operation in Italy
The resumption of operations in 2021 begins with the departure of the flagship, the Costa Smeralda, on May 1st, which will take passengers to beautiful places in Italy, with 3 and 4 day mini-cruises or alternatively a 7 day cruise, with stops in Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina and Cagliari.
The Costa Smeralda, Costa Cruises' new flagship powered by liquefied natural gas, represents a giant leap forward for the Italian cruise line, a true 21st-century ship. This latest addition to the Italian brand (its cities and monuments lend their names to the ship's decks, plazas, and most emblematic spaces) boasts 185,000 gross tons, a length of 337 meters, a beam of 42 meters, and 2,612 passenger cabins. A fabulous space to enjoy 12 entertainment venues, 17 bars, 15 restaurants, shopping areas, sports facilities, wellness areas, swimming pools, and above all, a vast array of quiet corners where you can find a moment of tranquility.
Costa adapts schedules, gastronomy and shows to Spanish passengers on three of its ships.
Furthermore, the ship itself is an exercise in respecting the environment, an aspect that is increasingly valued in the sector and that now goes beyond theory to become evident in multiple ways: its fuel, its recycling systems, its treatment of surplus food, its water management and its energy savings.
Costa is working closely with national and local authorities in the countries included in its ships' itineraries outside of Italy to define and agree on the details of resuming cruise operations, with enhanced health and safety measures thanks to the application of the Costa Safety Protocol.
Costa Cruises' health protocol includes a free antigen test for both passengers and crew before boarding.
Among the wide variety of measures included in this protocol, some stand out, such as free antigen testing for all guests and crew before boarding. If someone tests positive, they undergo a PCR test, and if they test positive again, they will not be allowed to board. In addition, temperature checks are carried out upon disembarkation and re-embarkation, and protected shore excursions are offered, always in small groups without interaction with the local population at the destinations, to protect passengers and the local population at all times thanks to the bubble system. The protocol is constantly updated in accordance with the evolving situation and advances in medical knowledge.
