I was still at Costa Fortuna when I’ve heard that Costa Smeralda will be the next ship I'm going to conquer.  It's not easy for me to decide whether to go for it and worst comes worst or to turned down the offer. While enjoying the vacay and having hard times in deciding whether Costa Smeralda is for me or not. It was indeed a great challenge to face this mysterious Costa Smeralda. Nevertheless, I made the right decision then.

The Brazilian newspaper Jornal Da Orla reported today that a cruise ship doctor has died in a hospital in Santos after testing positive for coronavirus. 

On Saturday, April 11, the Brazil National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) proceeded with the disembarkation of the Costa Facisinosa crew in the port of Santos. 246 Filipino crew members were scheduled to disembark the cruise ship, however, only 227 were allowed to leave after 19 crew members tested positive for COVID-19. 

The first phase of Costa Mediterranea plan to transfer Filipino and Indonesian crew from Costa Pacifica, as well as debarking the European crew, was completed successfully. After arriving at the port of La Spezia, on April 10, Costa Mediterranea received 408 crew from Costa Pacifica, and at the same time, 221 crew debarked the ship and transferred to Costa Pacifica. The vessel set sail from La Spezia on April,13 and is heading to the port of Brindisi, Italy.

The Italian cruise line Costa Cruises plans to use the cruise ship Costa Mediterranea to return the Indonesian and Filipino crew back home. The ship will embark on a one month voyage from Itlay to the Far East with a final stop the port of Shanghai. Before setting sail on this long journey Costa Mediterannea will stop in La Spezia to diembark European crew and pick up the Filipino and Indonesian crew from the cruise ship Costa Pacifica.

A passenger sailing on the Costa Victoria tested positive for coronavirus after disembarking the cruise ship in Crete. Local officials and media reported that the 63-year-old woman from Argentina disembarked in Crete and was immediately hospitalized in intensive care in Heraklion.

Costa Luminosa crew member was admitted to San Paolo hospital in Savona today after his condition deteriorated. The man had fever and breathing difficulties and was in need of urgent medical attention. This is the eighth person hospitalized in Ligurian hospitals from the cruise ship, moored since March 20, in the port of Savona.

The cruise ship Costa Magica has been turned away by several ports in the Caribbean after two people tested positive for COVID-19 aboard the ship. Costa Magica is now anchored near Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe where one seriously ill crew member was medically evacuated today from the ship.

Following the recent global developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Italian cruise line Costa Cruises has decided to voluntarily suspend voyages on all of its cruise ships  Costa Cruises announces they will put on hold the global operations of their vessels, impacting voyages until April 3, 2020. The decision was taken as the global spread of the Coronavirus is calling for extraordinary measures and for the resolute contribution of all stakeholders to stop the outbreak. 

Today the Italian cruise line Costa Cruises, announced they will not allow embarkation of passengers from Italian ports until April 3. The cancelations come after the Italian government imposed travel restrictions across the country. Voyages currently underway will stop in Italian ports only to allow guests to disembark and return home, the company said in a statement.