Today, May 1st Costa resumes cruise operations, with its LNG-powered flagship Costa Smeralda. as the first vessel in the fleet to start cruising with guests. The start of cruise operations was celebrated this morning in the presence of the Costa Cruises General Manager Mario Zanetti, and the local authorities, including the mayor of Savona Ilaria Caprioglio.
“This year, the 1st of May takes on a special meaning for Costa Cruises on Labor Day, 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" – stated Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises. "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 today'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".
Today we're finally back at sea with #CostaSmeralda, the first of 4 #cruiseships that will sail in the #Mediterranean this summer. We celebrate the #restart of an entire sector, the #cruiseindustry, which is vital for the Italian economy.#cruisingagainhttps://t.co/SY3qVcblmp pic.twitter.com/uWYmKAm9en
— Costa Press Office (@Costa_Press) May 1, 2021
According to Costa Cruises website, Costa Smeralda is expected to depart from the port of Savona at 6:00 p.m. local time, on a week-long itinerary with stops in Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, Messina, Cagliari and La Spezia. This voyage can be divided into two mini-cruises of 3 or 4 days for those who prefer a shorter holiday.
Everyone on board will follow strict health procedures set out in the Costa Safety Protocol, the protocol developed by Costa together with experts and Italian authorities, which includes enhanced health and safety measures for all aspects of the holiday experience, both on board and ashore. The protocol includes, for example, swab tests for all guests before embarkation and after half of the cruise, visiting destinations with protected excursions, new ways of using onboard services, and wearing a mask when necessary.
Costa Smeralda is the first of four Costa ships to operate during the Mediterranean summer season 2021. On May 16, Costa Luminosa will restart cruises with Eastern Mediterranean voyages from the port of Trieste with itinerary to the Greek destinations Corfu, Athens, Mykonos and Katakolon. In June. Costa Deliziosa will resume cruises visiting Venice, Mykonos, Katakolon, Corfu and Bari. And at the beginning of July Costa Firenze will start cruises in the Western Mediterranean, again with an all-Italian itinerary until 12 September, when the ship is expected to expand cruise destinations including Ibiza, Barcelona and Marseille.
