As the health situation related to COVID-19 continues to improve across the world, most cruise lines have started to relax the mask policy for the crew. Crew Center has talked to crew members working on several major cruise lines to find out what are the latest crew mask policies. Surprisingly most of them said that masks are now optional and not a requirement in all crew and guest areas.
Costa Cruises announced that the cruise ship Costa Pacifica will homeport in Taranto starting June 3 to October 7 2023 offering seven-night voyages, to the Greek islands.
Costa Cruises announced that FIFA World Cup matches hosted by Qatar from November 20 to December 18, will be broadcasted live on all cruise ships. The football matches will stream on Sport 24, the ship's live sports channel. No matter where Costa cruise ships sail, guests will not miss a single match, even in the middle of the sea, thanks to satellite broadcasting with extensive coverage between the two hemispheres.
Several crew members working aboard Costa Cruises ships voiced their disappointment about the promotion opportunities in the company and the lack of transparency about the policy of future advancement. A crew member said that after joining Costa Cruises, seven years ago, as a Snack Steward his ambition to become a waiter was partially realized despite all his efforts to achieve his goal.
Carnival Corporation's European-based brands, AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises have switched their low-emission LNG-powered cruise ships to diesel fuel due to high prices of liquefied natural gas, reports Suddeutsche Zeitung.
Costa Cruises and the Italian multinational manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas Enel, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote sustainable maritime mobility using electrification solutions.
On January 15, 2023, Costa Cruises ship Costa Toscana, arrived in Doha, Qatar as part of the first cruise tour in the Arabian Gulf.
The cruise ship will offer 3 to 7-day voyages, and can accommodate about 6,500 passengers. They feature water parks, swimming pools, hot tubs, restaurants, and lounges.
Carnival Corporation has signed a deal for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service and is already rolling out high-speed connectivity on Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises ships. Carnival announced today plans to install Starlink on almost 100 cruise ships sailing for Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Australia, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises, and Cunard.
Costa Cruises announced its comeback in Asia with the cruise ship Costa Serena. From June to September 2023, Costa Serena will offer thirty “charter” voyages, in collaboration with local Asian partners. The signing of the agreements took place in Dubai, aboard Costa Toscana, the flagship of the fleet deployed in the Arabian Gulf for the entire winter season 2022/23.
The cruise ship Costa Magica has been sold to the Greek ferry operator and the largest cruise ship owner in the country, Seajets. According to Greek media reports, the cruise ship was renamed to Mykonos Magic and is now flying the flag of Bermuda.
