Costa Cruises has joined a growing movement by cruise lines to bypass sailings in the Red Sea due to escalating tensions in the region, cancelling Costa Toscana‘s repositioning sailing less than six weeks before the cruise was to begin.
Booked guests have been offered some alternative options with onboard credit incentives, or may opt for a full refund for the cancellation.
Costa Toscana Repositioning Cruise Cancelled
Costa Toscana‘s March 9, 2024 departure from Dubai – a 19-night cruise meant to reposition the ship from the United Arab Emirates to Italy for the Mediterranean summer season – has been cancelled. Guests were notified of the cancellation less than six weeks before the cruise was to set sail.
“As you can well understand the critical situation that is currently affecting the maritime traffic along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is constantly monitored with maximum attention,” the notification explained. “As always, the security and well-being of our guests and crew is our foremost priority, and on this direction no uncertainty and compromise can be accepted.”
Multiple cruise lines have already cancelled sailings in the Red Sea to avoid the potential for violent actions against ships. Depending on the cruise line and available options, ships may be rerouted around Africa or moved through the Red Sea while empty, so there is less risk to guests. Now, Costa Cruises is also canceling a critical repositioning cruise to avoid dangers in the region.
“Given recent developments on the current security environment and future uncertainties in the area, working in close consultation with global security experts and government authorities we have made the difficult decision to cancel the cruise that was originally planned,” the notification read.
“Therefore, we regret to inform you that your northbound cruise with Costa Toscana from Emirates to Mediterranean has been cancelled.”
The impacted cruise was to have been a one-way sailing that would have visited exotic destinations in Oman, Jordan, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, and Italy, including passage through the Suez Canal. The itinerary had already been revised when the tensions in Israel began, and now, the entire cruise is cancelled.
The 185,010-gross-ton, Excel-class Costa Toscana is the newest ship in the Costa Cruises fleet, able to welcome more than 5,300 guests per sailing.
At the moment, there are no further changes expected for Costa Toscana, and the ship will be prepared to sail its scheduled Mediterranean season as planned. Guests booked on the first Mediterranean cruise, however, will want to stay in close contact with Costa Cruises in case further adjustments may be necessary.
Options for Impacted Guests
Costa Cruises is offering guests several alternatives to their now-cancelled cruise. Guests may move to any other repositioning or transatlantic cruise by December 2024, with price protection and an onboard credit of €100 ($108 USD) per adult. If the new cruise is a lower price, the price difference will be returned to the guest.
It should be noted that the May 2024 Costa Favolosa repositioning from Brazil to Germany is not included in this offer, nor is the first segment of Costa Deliziosa‘s World Cruise that begins in December 2024.
Guests can also choose to move to any other Costa Cruises sailing with an onboard credit of €50 ($54 USD) per adult, with a departure date no later than March 31, 2025.
Read Also: Costa Cruises Details Winter Deployments
A third option is to cancel the old booking entirely. This can be done in one of two ways – preserving the full amount as a credit for a new sailing, with the addition of a €100 ($108 USD) per adult onboard credit. To redeem this option, the credit must be used within 18 months.
Finally, guests can choose to cancel their cruise entirely for a full refund. Processing times for the refund will vary for different financial institutions.
This variety of options gives travelers plenty of choices for how to rearrange their vacation plans and still enjoy an amazing experience with Costa Cruises, despite the current volatility that makes some destinations unavailable.
