All About Cruises

Tag: Costa Crociere

  • Costa Cruises (Costa Crociere): An Overview

    Costa Cruises, or Costa Crociere in Italian (it’s based in Genoa, Italy), is not a cruise line that has escaped our attention. We’ve written about the Costa cruise line several times in the past, both explaining general features of the cruise line and covering the headline-making incidents its cruise ships have been involved with recently. The latter have dominated most conversations about Costa Cruises over the last year or so, so we thought we should look at the basic facts of company, explaining again the cruise line behind the unfortunate recent incidents.

    In case any of the basics of Costa Cruises’ recent problems escape you, we should begin with a brief reminder of exactly what happened. The first incident that brought Costa to the attention of the world was the catastrophic ship wreck involving the Costa Concordia that occurred off the coast of Italy. Less than two months after this, the Costa Allegra was left stranded in pirate-filled waters after a fire broke out in the engine room of the ship. Costa is owned by the cruise line conglomerate Carnival, and a few ships in the company’s namesake cruise line (Carnival Cruise Line) were involved in problems after the Allegra incident, most notably the Carnival Triumph, of “Cruise from Hell” fame. The last year and a half have not been kind of Costa and parent company Carnival.

    Despite its problems, Costa remains a major cruise line. The company operates 15 ships (this obviously doesn’t count the Concordia, which is completely destroyed, or the Allegra, which is now in a scrapyard) spread across seven classes, making it one of the largest cruise lines in the world. Many of these cruise ships are quite large – all the sister ships in the Concordia Class have a gross tonnage of 114,500 and can hold nearly 4,000 passengers – so it is not as if they have a fleet of only small or moderately sized vessels. In terms of market share, it is the second largest cruise line that belongs to Carnival (only Carnival Cruise Lines itself is larger) and the third largest cruise line in the world. (Royal Caribbean is the second largest.) The cruise line offers voyages to virtually everywhere in the world, with an emphasis on Europe. These destinations of course include some of the major destinations (like the Caribbean and the Mediterranean), but also places that don’t come up as frequently, like Dubai and the Norwegian fjords. Since they have so many ships operating so many cruises, they are often offering heavily discounted cruises, which you can find on deal site or by clicking on the “Hot Deals” tab on their website.

    Of course, it is hard not to the think of Costa Concordia disaster in particular and the problems involving Carnival ships in general when considering taking a cruise vacation. A cruise, just like a flight, places you in a vulnerable situation by the nature of the transportation it provides (way out at sea or miles in the air). However, also like flights, cruises are a very safe mode of travel. A ship that is sailed by a captain who makes a reckless decision (as happened with the Carnival Concordia) could presumably belong to any cruise line, so there is no reason to completely shun Costa specifically, which as we saw above is a major cruise line that offers tons of trips around the world. Basically, you are limiting the range of possible cruises to take if you ignore Costa, and its almost never good to reduce the number of possibilities before you.

  • The Costa Allegra Arrival to Seychelles

    After more than two days at sea in sweltering heat, and with no access to running water or hot meals, the passengers on board the Costa Allegra finally stepped off the ship onto the island country of Seychelles earlier today, where they were greeted by medical personal and representatives from embassies and consular offices. Officials from Costa Crociere (which translate to “Costa Cruises” in English), the cruise line that owns the Costa Allegra, were also on hand to help.

    Despite the trying circumstances endured over the last few days, about 70 percent of the 627 passengers on board decided to continue their vacations in the Seychelles at Costa Cruises’ expense, according to a statement from the company. These passengers have been taken to hotels spread across four islands of the Seychelles – Praslin, La Digue, Silhouette and Cerfs – where they will spend one to two weeks vacationing. There are worse places to spend a holiday, as the Seychelles, a renowned tourist destination, are essentially a chain of resort islands with white-sand beaches. After their vacations conclude, Costa Cruises will arrange flights home for the passengers.

    The remaining passengers who decided to return home immediately have also been taken to hotels, where they spent the day recuperating and waiting for flights home this evening, which were arranged by Costa Cruises. Since they didn’t decide to remain in the Seychelles for the expenses-paid vacation, Costa Cruises gave them a voucher worth the money they spent on their ill-fated Costa Allegra cruise. The voucher can be applied to any Costa cruise that departs within 24 months.

    Regardless of which option the passengers selected, Costa Cruises fully refunded the fare paid for the Costa Allegra cruise and any associated travel expenses (e.g., the cost of the flight to the port of departure, in northern Madagascar), and passengers were also given an indemnity worth the same value as this refund. The cruise line also refunded expenses that passengers may have incurred while on board the ship.

    Before being hooked up to a French fishing vessel, which slowly pulled the Costa Allegra to the Seychelles over the last two days, the Costa Allegra was left without power after a fire broke out in the engine room. Before assistance arrived, the ship was adrift in an area of the Indian Ocean known for pirate attacks, although no pirates were ever seen.

    While the Costa Allegra cruise had a more or less happy ending, the same cannot be said of the Costa Concordia, another ship owned by Costa Cruises, which is itself owned by Carnival. After striking a reef off Isola del Giglio, Italy, the Costa Concordia, the largest passenger ship ever wrecked, began to keel over and partially sink. Twenty five people were killed in the disaster, and another seven are missing and presumed dead.

  • The Costa Allegra, Moving Slowly to Shore

    The Costa Allegra, the cruise ship that stalled in the Indian Ocean on Monday after a fire broke out in the engine room, is being towed by a French deep sea trawler to Victoria, the capital of the island country of Seychelles. The ship, which is owned by Costa Cruises, is being pulled at a speed of six knots (about seven miles per hour) and is expected to reach land early Thursday morning. Two tugs boats from Seychelles were originally sent to the vessel, which was drifting without power in an area of the Indian Ocean known for pirate attacks, but efforts to add a tug boat to help with the towing operation were unsuccessful, leaving the task to the French trawler alone.

    Although a generator was brought to the Costa Allegra following the engine-room fire, it is much too small to power the entire ship. The generator is only being used to keep communications equipment running, and as a consequence the cooking and air-conditioning systems on the ship are not operational. In the sweltering Indian Ocean, the lack of air conditioning has led to much passenger discomfort, but now that the ship is moving, a breeze has helped ameliorate the situation.

    Once the passengers reach land, they will be greeted by a team of doctors and nurses, who will address any medical needs of those who were on board the ship. Accommodations have been arranged for all the passengers at three hotels, where they will have access to showers and their first hot meal in days, according to news reports.

    Evidently, the Costa Allegra’s problems have not compromised many of the passengers will to vacation, as a solid majority of those on board the ship will continue their holidays in Seychelles at Costa Cruises’ expense, and will be flown home once their vacations are over. The remainder of the passengers will be flown home once they arrive to Seychelles. All flights will be paid for by Costa Cruises.

    The problems faced by the Costa Allegra occurred only six weeks after the Costa Concordia disaster, heaping another set of troubles on Costa Cruises, which is owned by Carnival. The Costa Concordia was the largest passenger ship ever wrecked, and 32 people likely died in the accident. (Seven people are still technically missing, but they have been presumed dead for some time, and 25 people have been confirmed dead.)

    Despite the negative publicity swirling around Costa Cruises, many believe the company, which is the largest cruise ship operator in Europe and has done business for 60 years, will weather the PR nightmare. Costa Cruises’ bookings have dropped substantially since the Costa Concordia wreck, but the dip stands in contrast to general trends in the cruise industry as a whole, which has grown substantially in recent years. Before the troubles of the last six weeks, Costa Cruises was growing along with the industry, adding ships to their fleet as sales increased. As long as the abundant negative feelings toward the company pass, the company will likely regain its footing. However, some say that in order for this to occur, Costa Cruises may have to rebrand itself.

  • The Costa Allegra, Adrift in the Indian Ocean

    The Costa Allegra, a cruise ship with over 1,000 people on board, is adrift without power in the Indian Ocean after a fire broke out in the engine room earlier today. Once the fire, which has now been extinguished, was started, a distress signal was sent out. Rescue efforts are underway as two tug boats, a motorboat, and a plane from the island country of Seychelles are en route to the imperiled vessel. The earliest assistance is expected to arrive by tomorrow morning. Currently, the ship is upright and stable, and emergency generators have kept the ship’s communications equipment running, according to an official from Costa Crociere (known as Costa Cruises in English), the cruise line to which the Costa Allegra belongs.

    The Costa Allegra has 636 passengers and 413 crew members on board, and all are reportedly safe. The passengers are being kept in the ship’s main communal rooms, as opposed to their cabins, and they will likely spend tonight on the ship’s outside decks. The ship is located in an area of the Indian Ocean that is known for pirate attacks, adding urgency to the rescue operations. However, nine members of the Italian military are on board the ship, and these armed soldiers could help protect passengers from piracy, although no pirates have been seen in the area of the Costa Allegra, according to news reports.

    Just six weeks ago, another ship in Costa Cruises’ fleet, the Costa Concordia, hit a reef and began to sink off the coast of Isola del Giglio, Italy. The Costa Concordia was the largest passenger ship ever wrecked, and so far 25 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the disaster. Another seven passengers are missing, but they have long since been presumed dead. The Costa Concordia tragedy has been largely blamed on the captain of that vessel, Francesco Schettino, who stands accused of abandoning ship and manslaughter. Animosity toward Schettino only increased after a transcript of the exchange between the captain and the Italian Coast Guard, which occurred as the ship filled with water, came to light shortly after the accident.

    Costa Cruises, which is owned by Carnival, is in the midst of a public relations crisis of the first proportion, one that will likely only get worse given the news out of the Indian Ocean today.

  • Costa Cruise Line

    Costa Cruise Line is not your average cruise line. Costa Cruise Line happens to be the largest and most innovative cruise company in all of Europe. Costa Cruise Line features more than a dozen ships that travel to dozens of destinations throughout Europe and Scandinavia, the Americas, Pacific Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

    Costa Cruise Line has a fleet of luxury vessels that offer something for everyone. Some Costa Cruise Line vessels are large and luxurious, while others are small and intimate. The Costa Cruise Line fleet consists of: Costa Allegra, Costa Atlantica, Costa Classica, Costa Concordia, Costa Europa, Costa Fortuna, Costa Magic, Costa Marina, Costa Serena, Costa Romantica, and Costa Victoria.

    The two largest (and longest) ships in the Costa Cruise Line fleet include Costa Serena and her sister ship Costa Concordia. Costa Serena features a Samsara Spa that spreads over two decks, more than 500 cabins with balconies, 13 bars, five restaurants, four swimming pools, and spacious decks with panoramic views. Costa Classica, the most popular Costa Cruise Line ship, features a modern design, gorgeous art and sculptures throughout, a grand ballroom, and an elaborate theater on two decks.

    Costa Cruise Lines lavishness doesn’t stop with the interior of its ships. This cruise line is all about pampering and total entertainment for its guests. Passengers may personalize their cruise by selecting from a list of offerings such as Costa Cruise Lines red and rose wines special, floral arrangements, a variety of cabin comforts such as chocolates or a fresh fruit basket daily, gift sets, champagne and sparkling wines, a special selection of white wines, and beauty & spa packages.

    Costa Cruise Line guests may find themselves exploring any of the following destinations and more: Atlantic Ocean and Canary Islands, Eastern Caribbean, Eastern Mediterranean, Far East, Grand Oriental, Indian Ocean, Middle East, Northern Capitals, Norwegian Fjords & Highlands, South America, Transatlantic, Western Caribbean and Western Mediterranean. Sample itineraries include: Bahamas, Bermuda, Antilles, Canary Islands, Spain, (24 nights); Dubai, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Italy (16 nights), Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Madagascar (14 nights), Italy, Corsica, Tunisia, Malta (five nights), and Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Shetland Islands (14 nights), to name a few.

    Costa Cruise Line offers a wide variety of excursions for any type of itinerary, whether it’s a few days or several weeks. Costa Cruise Line features shore excursions specifically designed to allow the passenger to get up close and personal with different cultures, environments, and habitats. Guests can choose from three different levels including: Easy, Moderate and Hard — all specially designed to provide something for all tastes and abilities. For example, natural and cultural tours are typically designed with age in mind. Some are suitable for older guests, while others will suit younger guests. In addition, active and sports-oriented excursions are also available for individuals who are on the adventurous side.

    Costa Cruise Line vacations are available 365 days a year and booking far in advance is highly recommended, as space tends to fill up rather quickly. To book a Costa Cruise, you can contact the cruise line directly by phone at: 020 7940 5398, or visit the cruise lines’ website at: www.costacruise.com. You can also contact your local cruise travel specialist to help you plan the perfect Costa Cruise.

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