Costa Cruises, one of Carnival’s largest brands returned to service over the weekend for the first time in 2021. Hope is building with the cruise industry in Europe making a comeback with new health and safety measures in place.
Costa Cruises Restarts Operations
On Saturday, the Italian-based cruise line finally restarted operations with the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, following our first report on cruises restarting in May. The vessel left the port of Savona on Saturday morning and is the first in the fleet to sail with passengers since last year.
The ship, powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), departed the Palacrociere terminal for a week-long cruise around Italy, including calls at Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, Messina, Cagliari, and La Spezia.
Costa’s Zanetti, said:
“This year, May 1 takes on a special meaning for Costa Cruises as our company is resuming its operation, celebrating the resumption of work, for us and for the entire allied industries.”
“We are delighted to be starting off again from a Ligurian port, from the region that has been our home for over 70 years. The cruise and tourism sector is essential for the recovery of the Italian economy. Suffice it to say that, before the pause due to the Covid-19 emergency, our company generated an economic impact of €3.5 billion at national level, with over 17,000 direct and indirect jobs, working with about 5,000 partners. We hope that Saturday’s restart will be a sign of a return to normality, for us, for our guests, whom we are pleased to welcome back onboard, and for all the suppliers working in our sector.”
The cruise line celebrated its return, and at the terminal was Costa Cruises President Mario Zanetti, together with local authorities including the Mayor of Savona, Ilaria Caprioglio; the President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Paolo Emilio Signorini; and the Captain of Savona Costa Guard, Francesco Cimmino.
As part of the cruise experience, Costa Smeralda offers a totally renewed shore excursion program and new menu proposals related to the ports the ship is visiting. The cruise line has already been sailing during the pandemic, and that experience will help make sure procedures during the voyage work well.
Also Read: When Will Cruises Resume in 2021?
Even More Costa Ships to Resume
Costa Smeralda will not be the only ship resuming operations. On May 16, Costa Luminosa will restart, offering week-long cruises to Greece. On June 26, Costa Deliziosa will be back on one-week cruises to Greece. On July 4, Costa Firenze will be sailing on a one-week itinerary in Italy. Alongside the return of the Costa Firenze, from July 3, the Costa Smeralda will be back on international itineraries, with week-long cruises in Italy, France, and Spain.
It comes as cruises out of Greece are returning this summer with AIDA Cruises, Azamara, and even the new Celebrity Apex operated by Celebrity Cruises will begin sailings this summer.
