The Canary Islands and Madeira continue to rank among the most appreciated winter destinations thanks to their mild climate, diverse landscapes, and rich cultural heritage. Following the great success of the recent winter season in the area, Costa Cruises is enhancing its deployment in the region for winter 2026/27.
During the next winter, the company’s flagship, Costa Smeralda, will be positioned in the Canary Islands and will be operating a brand-new 7-day itinerary between the Canaries and Madeira. Initially, the LNG-powered Costa Smeralda was set to return to the Arabian Gulf to operate 7-day itineraries from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Qatar and Oman. By deploying the Costa Smeralda in the Canary region instead, Costa will significantly increase guest capacity and elevate the experience offered in the region.
After her planned dry dock period, Costa Pacifica (previously planned for the Canary Islands and Madeira) will instead be positioned in the West Med, offering both 7-day cruises towards Western Mediterranean destinations and longer cruises towards Southern Europe and North Africa, including new exclusive long itineraries. This new program will offer a selection of fascinating destinations that are particularly attractive to visit in the winter season, offering guests inspiring new opportunities for discovery.
With this decision, Costa intends to provide clarity and planning certainty for all travelers at an early stage. As the outlook in the Middle East remains uncertain for the winter season 2026/27, Costa will not operate itineraries in the area for the upcoming season to ensure every Costa voyage is always relaxing, enjoyable, and worry-free. Costa also does not currently have any other ships operating in the Middle East.
As a result of this redeployment, the previously scheduled positioning voyages of Costa Smeralda to and from the Emirates will not take place. Guests booked on the positioning cruise to/from the Emirates, as well as guests with a booking in the Emirates, may choose any other cruise immediately, with a € 200 onboard credit per stateroom (€ 100 per person). Guests with a booking on the previously scheduled winter cruises of Costa Pacifica in the Canary Islands will be protected under the same conditions on the Costa Smeralda Canary itineraries.
The new itineraries for Costa Smeralda in the Canary Islands and Costa Pacifica towards the Western Med and North Africa will be available for booking through all channels by the end of March.
Pictures Costa Cruises.
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