Costa Cruises Plans to Resume Sailings in May 2021

Costa Cruises has revised its plans to resume cruising, and is now aiming for a May restart.

In a press release, the Italian line said that “the decision has been taken in consideration of the restrictions still in place in Italy and other European countries to contain COVID-19.” It went on to say that the restrictive measures don’t allow the line to offer the best cruise vacations to its guests.

Costa Smeralda

In line with the new plan, Costa Smeralda‘s departure in Italy is now planned for May 1, 2021. The itinerary is unchanged — the ship will offer three and four-night voyages or a seven-night cruise calling at Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Messina, and Cagliari.

From June 12 onward, Smeralda will return to sailing weeklong voyages in the western Mediterranean, with visits to Savona, Civitavecchia, Palermo, Marseille, Barcelona, and Palma de Mallorca.

Costa Luminosa

The departure date of the line’s second ship to return to service, Costa Luminosa, is postponed to May 16 from Trieste, and the following day from Bari, Italy. The ship will operate seven-night cruises in Greece and Croatia, in line with Greece’s recent roadmap to the resumption of international tourism.

Safety Measures

Costa Cruises’ return to service will continue to be supported by the Costa Safety Protocol, which contains operational measures related to all aspects of the cruising experience both onboard and ashore.

These measures will include limited capacity, swab tests for all guests and crew, temperature checks when disembarking and boarding, protected shore excursions, physical distancing, and the use of face masks when necessary.

As previously announced, all other Costa sailings that were scheduled through the end of May are canceled.

Sarah Bretz

Sarah has been writing about the cruise industry since 2015. She’s been on 10 cruises and counting, and her favorite onboard activities include trying out the water slides, spending time in the spa’s thermal suite, eating lots of food, and attending the love & marriage show. You can keep up with her on Instagram at @IAmSarahJaneB.