GENOVA, Italy, Oct. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After the successful
restart of cruising by Costa Deliziosa and Costa Diadema, Costa
Cruises, a part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;
NYSE: CUK), today announced that starting Oct. 10 Costa Smeralda will also return to cruise
operations with new and enhanced health protocols.
For the restart of its flagship, the first ship in its fleet to
be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), Costa Cruises has
designed a new one-week itinerary dedicated to the rediscovery of
the best of Italy. A total of five
cruises are scheduled, from Oct. 10 to Nov.
7, that will allow guests to visit beautiful Italian cities
of art and natural parks of rare beauty, as well as taste
traditional local cuisine.
The first call on the itinerary is Savona, from where guests can
also visit nearby destinations such as Genoa or Finalborgo. The second call is La
Spezia, with excursions to Cinque Terre, Lerici, Florence or Pisa. The next call is Cagliari, followed by
Naples, with the possibility to
visit Sorrento, Pompei and the
Royal Palace of Caserta. The last two destinations on the itinerary
are Messina, with excursions to
the Etna volcano and Taormina; and Civitavecchia, which offers
visits to Rome and Tarquinia.
Like the other two Costa ships that have already returned to
service, the Costa Safety Protocol will be in place on board Costa
Smeralda. The protocol, developed by the company together with
scientific experts, includes new operational measures that address
the COVID-19 situation, fully compliant with the provisions defined
by the Italian and European authorities.
The Costa Safety Protocol considers every aspect of the cruise
experience, from booking to returning home. Key measures include
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 and physical
distancing onboard and at the terminals. In addition, with a
reduction in the number of passengers, the enhanced protocols
include new ways of using onboard services, improved sanitization
and medical services, and the use of protective face masks when
necessary.
Costa Smeralda, which was christened in Savona this year on
Feb. 22, is a tribute to Italy, the result of an extraordinary creative
project designed to exalt and bring the best of Italy to life in a single location. Italian
design is the main feature of the CoDe - Costa Design Museum, the
first museum built on a cruise ship. The onboard highlights fit
perfectly into this extraordinary context: from the Solemio Spa to
the areas dedicated to entertainment; from thematic bars, in
collaboration with major Italian brands, to the 16 restaurants and
areas dedicated to the "food experience," including a new
restaurant dedicated to families with children.
Costa Smeralda is a travelling "smart city," where sustainable
technologies and circular economy concepts are applied to reduce
environmental impact. By utilizing LNG, currently the maritime
industry's most advanced fuel technology for significantly
improving emissions, Costa Smeralda is able to almost completely
eliminate sulfur oxide emissions (zero emissions) and a 95 to 100%
reduction in particulate matter. The use of LNG also significantly
reduces emissions of nitrogen oxide and CO2.
The ship's daily water requirement is met by the direct
transformation of sea water through the use of desalination plants.
Energy consumption is reduced to a minimum level thanks to an
intelligent energy efficiency system. There is also 100% separate
waste collection and recycling of materials such as plastic, paper,
glass and aluminum, which are carried out on board.
Starting on Nov. 14 2020, Costa
Smeralda is scheduled to resume her one-week itinerary in
Italy, France and Spain, again departing from Savona. Costa is
working with the national and local authorities of the countries
included in this itinerary, with the goal of offering guests a safe
and enjoyable holiday experience through the implementation of the
Costa Safety Protocol both on board and in all
destinations.
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content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/costa-smeralda-restarts-on-october-10-from-savona-with-itinerary-dedicated-to-rediscovery-of-italy-301144953.html
SOURCE Costa Cruises