Tomorrom, May 1st, Costa Cruises is restarting its operations from Savona. The first ship to resume operations is Costa Smeralda, the Italian cruiseline’s LNG-powered flagship.
On Saturday, May 1, Costa Cruises will be sailing again from Savona, with its LNG-powered flagship Costa Smeralda on an itinerary exclusively dedicated to Italy. To celebrate the restart of Costa Smeralda, local and port authorities will be present at the port of Savona, along with Costa Cruises President Mario Zanetti.
The restart of the Italian-flagged cruise company marks an important economic recovery for the entire territory. Before the Covid-19 emergency Costa generated an economic impact of €3.5 billion per year and over 17,000 direct and indirect jobs in Italy.
Costa Smeralda’s week-long itinerary includes Savona, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, Messina, Cagliari and La Spezia. For those who prefer a shorter holiday the itinerary can be divided into two mini-cruises of 3 or 4 days.
Costa Smeralda cruises departing from Saturday will follow the procedures set out in the Costa Safety Protocol, the protocol developed by Costa together with scientific experts and Italian authorities. The protocol includes enhanced health and safety measures for all aspects of the holiday experience, both on board and ashore. This includes, for example, swabbing all guests before embarkation and after half of the cruise, visiting destinations with protected excursions, new ways of using on-board services, and wearing a mask when necessary.
Costa Smeralda will be the first of a total of four Costa ships to operate during the summer of 2021, offering cruises in the Mediterranean. Costa Smeralda and Costa Firenze will sail in the Western Mediterranean, while Costa Deliziosa and Costa Luminosa will sail in the Eastern part.
Also read: Costa Cruises Resumes Operations With 4 Ships In The Med
On the days when Costa ships are not operating, the Palacrociere terminal in Savona will continue to be used by ASL 2 Savona (local Public Health Unit) for the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, contributing to the distribution of the vaccine in the Savona area.