Costa Cruises presents a series of new features for its vacations, completely revamping the Italian company's offerings. The new Costa concept is based on allowing guests to explore destinations through unique experiences, both on board and ashore. To create these experiences, the company has focused on three key areas—cuisine, excursions, and sustainability—with a new visual identity to communicate them, in line with the principles of its "Manifesto for Value-Driven, Sustainable, and Inclusive Tourism," the ten-point plan that outlines the company's commitment to growing alongside local communities.
“Now that our ships are sailing again, we’ve decided to completely renew our range. The innovations are so significant that we can speak of a whole new way of traveling with Costa. We want everyone who travels with us to enjoy unique and enriching experiences, discovering destinations in the most authentic, insightful, and sustainable way possible,” commented Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises. “For more than 70 years, Costa has been synonymous with cruise travel. At this crucial moment for the recovery of tourism, we wanted to rewrite the future of cruising in a more responsible way, mindful of people and the planet, with the goal of returning the sector to the steady growth it enjoyed before 2020.”.
For the cuisine, Costa has enlisted the expertise of three of the world's best chefs: Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze, and Ángel León. This exceptional trio of Michelin-starred chefs has explored authentic local recipes from the destinations visited by Costa ships, reinterpreting them with their own unique touch. To ensure guests fully enjoy their culinary journey, allowing them to discover the destinations on board even before arriving, Costa Cruises has created two exciting new offerings: the Archipelago restaurant and Destination Dishes.
Destination Dishes are individual recipes designed by the three chefs, interpreting the traditions and flavors of the places guests will visit the following day. They are available in the main restaurants on all Costa ships and are included in the cruise price.
The new Archipelago restaurant, available on the Costa Smeralda and soon to be available on other ships in the fleet, offers guests a truly unique culinary experience with three menus to choose from, one from each chef. The menus feature five exquisite dishes created to explore each part of the maritime route through its cuisine. Both the concept and design of the restaurant are equally innovative. Archipelago features "island" tables for a more intimate experience, framed by a copper sculpture that encloses unique pieces of driftwood—installations made from reclaimed coastal timber. Sustainability is a key focus. The chefs' menus, like the destination dishes, have been designed with meticulous attention to the ingredients—most of which are sourced from local producers—and the methods used to prepare them, in order to minimize food waste. But that's not all. The driftwood that decorates the islands was rescued as part of "Guardians of the Coast," the environmental education program for the protection of the Italian coastline run by the Costa Crociere Foundation. For every dinner in the Archipelago, Costa will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Costa Crociere Foundation to support environmental and social projects.
Regarding excursions, the company has revamped its entire range so guests can explore hidden gems and less-visited destinations. Itineraries have also been redesigned to accommodate longer port calls, giving guests full days to leisurely explore their destinations and make the most of their cruise. In this way, Costa voyages become authentic experiences that uncover the essence of each place, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the most genuine traditions, flavors, and colors, while also creating value for local communities.
Costa's transformation is so profound that the company has decided to also transform its distinctive symbol, with a new visual identity. The most significant innovation lies in the company logo, especially its most recognizable element: the iconic "C," which has accompanied Costa on seas around the world for over 70 years. The new "C" brings together two different motifs in a sinuous and enveloping embrace: the land, seen in yellow at the bottom of the logo, and the sea, in blue at the top, united in a single experience thanks to Costa cruises.
Costa's latest innovations are already available on ships currently in service: Costa Smeralda, the flagship LNG-powered vessel and pioneer in sustainable innovation, and Costa Firenze, offering week-long cruises in the Western Mediterranean; Costa Luminosa and Costa Deliziosa, with week-long cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean; and Costa Diadema, now sailing 10-day cruises in Spain and Portugal. These innovations will be rolled out to subsequent ships as they gradually return to service, including the new flagship Costa Toscana, the second LNG-powered ship in the fleet, which will enter service in March 2022.
