Since Costa Cruises’ ships Costa Deliziosa and Costa Diadema both had successful returns to cruising last month, the cruise line announced the decision to bring back a third ship to resume sailings in October.
The line’s new flagship Costa Smeralda will operate a weeklong itinerary around Italy beginning on October 10. Sailing from Savona, port calls include La Spezia, Cagliari, Naples, Messina, and Civitavecchia (Rome).
Five of these voyages are scheduled through November 7.
Along with Costa’s two ships that have already returned to service, operations on Costa Smeralda will follow the line’s new Costa Safety Protocol.
These guidelines have been developed in collaboration with a panel of scientific experts, and are fully compliant with the rules that have been set forth by the Italian and European authorities.
Key measures in the Costa Safety Protocol include the following:
- Antigen swab tests for all guests and crew before embarkation
- Temperature checks while disembarking and returning to the ship
- Visits to destinations only with protected excursions
- Physical distancing onboard and in the terminals
- Improved sanitation and medical services
- Use of face masks when necessary
READ MORE: Cruise Line Resumes Some Sailings, Cancels Others
Costa Smeralda was christened in Savona on February 22, 2020. It includes the first museum built on a cruise ship, sixteen dining venues, an aqua park, kid’s clubs, a solarium, a spa, and themed bars.
The ship was also built with the latest sustainable technologies, including the use of LNG (liquefied natural gas) to reduce emissions and leave less of a carbon footprint on the environment.
After Costa Smeralda sails her initial five itineraries around Italy, she will resume her one-week itinerary through Italy, France, and Spain, again departing from Savona.
Carnival Corporation’s German brand AIDA Cruises is also set to resume sailings in October from Italy. Already Costa and MSC Cruises have had successful incident-free voyages from Italy.
On Thursday, Carnival Cruise Line announced that would only sail six ships from two Florida ports in 2020
