Costa Cruises plans to restart cruises from two Italian ports this weekend, September 6 with two ships. The line plans a gradual, phased-in approach and has new health and safety protocols to protect guests and crew. The one-week itineraries are only for Italian guests. No U.S. and Canadian travelers or those from any other nations will be accepted for the cruises in this initial stage of the restart.
Costa Deliziosa will offer weekly cruises from Trieste, Italy on September 6, 13, 20 and 27, visiting five destinations in southern Italy, including Bari and Brindisi in Puglia, Corigliano-Rossano in Calabria, and Siracusa and Catania in Sicily.
Costa Diadema will follow on September 19 from Genoa, calling at Italian ports in the western Mediterranean, including Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples,
The initial cruises will take place with adjusted passenger capacity and enhanced health protocols developed with government and health authorities to follow shore-side mitigation guidelines.
Costa Safety Protocol
Costa Cruises has developed a fleet-wide "Costa Safety Protocol," with new operating procedures supported by independent scientific experts in public health and consistent with the health protocols defined by the Italian government and European authorities.
Measures and protocols cover crew and guest health and safety; the booking process; guest activities, entertainment and dining; onboard medical care; pre-boarding, embarkation and disembarkation operations. In addition, all guests will be tested for COVID-19 prior to embarkation.
Second Carnival Brand Restart
Sister brand, AIDA Cruises, which serves the German-speaking market, will resume its cruise operations in November 2020 with two ships sailing from the Canary Islands, plus two more ships departing from the western Mediterranean and United Arab Emirates beginning in December 2020.
In the company's press statement, Arnold Donald, CEO, Carnival Corporation said that "in areas of the world where community spread is largely mitigated and authorities are supportive of a gradual return to service over time, we look forward to again welcoming guests on board.”
Carnival Corporation has been working with public health, epidemiological and policy experts to help develop enhanced protocols and procedures for the return of cruising. It also recently held a Global Scientific Summit with many experts providing insight on COVID-19 and prevention.
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