Costa Cruises

Costa Crociere S.p.A.
Subsidiary
Industry Transportation
Founded 1854
Headquarters Genoa, Italy
Key people

  • Michael Thamm (CEO)
Products Cruises
Parent Carnival Corporation & plc
Website costacruise.com

Costa Crociere S.p.A. (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkɔsta kroˈtʃɛːre]), trading as Costa Cruises (Italian: Costa Crociere), is a British/American owned Italian cruise line, based in Genoa, Italy, and under control of the Carnival Corporation & plc.[1][2]

Founded in 1854,[3] the company originally operated cargo ships, in order to carry olive oils and textiles from Sardinia to Liguria.[3] In 1924 the company passed to founder's sons (Federico, Eugenio and Enrico) that started commercial activities, buying the ship Ravenna.[3] Commercial activities continued until the introduction of passenger services in 1947, with regular services between Italy and South America. The company later converted its entire fleet to full-time cruising, and as an independent company became one of the largest cruise operators in Europe. Acquired by Carnival Corporation in 2000, Costa Cruises is now one of ten brands operated by Carnival and accounts for approximately 16% of its revenue.[4]

Today, as Costa Cruises Group, the company is one of the main operating companies in the Carnival group, with executive control of the groups activities in Europe. The company is responsible for operation of Costa Cruises in Italy, and AIDA Cruises in Germany and was formerly responsible for the operation of Ibero Cruises in Spain. AIDA was previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises, being transferred to Costa following the merger of Carnival Corporation and P&O Princess in 2002. Ibero Cruises is a new brand, created in 2007 as a joint venture between Carnival Corporation and Orizonia Group.

The Costa Cruises brand currently operates fifteen cruise ships, which all sail under the Italian flag and provide cruise holidays in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, South East Asia and South America.

The company gained international attention on January 13, 2012 when one of its cruise ships, the Costa Concordia, ran aground and capsized off the coast of Italy, because Captain Francesco Schettino wanted to 'salute' the Italian island of Giglio off Tuscany with a close sail past at night. The captain was one of the crew to leave the sinking ship early while many passengers were still on board. The ship was left lying on its starboard side in shallow water. Thirty-two persons have been confirmed dead.[5] Six weeks later the company made headlines again when a fire on Costa Allegra left it drifting without power for 13 hours in waters near Somalia frequented by pirates, before the ship was taken under tow.

On July 27, 2014, after tugboats had slowly towed the wreck of the Costa Concordia 200 miles (320 kilometers) north from the island of Giglio over a period of five days, the Costa Concordia arrived in its home port of Genoa, Italy, for eventual scrapping.[6] The total cost of the disaster is estimated to be over $2 billion, including $500 million for the loss of the ship and $1.5 billion for the salvage and recovery operations. On February 11, 2015, Captain Francesco Schettino was found guilty by an Italian court of multiple manslaughter, causing the shipwreck, and abandoning his passengers and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.[7] An Italian appeals court on May 31, 2016 upheld the 16-year prison sentence.[8]

Market position

As of 2015, according to Scott Knutson, vice president of sales and marketing for Costa Cruises North America, Costa was “... uniquely positioned as the only international brand that hasn’t adapted its product to the American market. That authenticity allows us to go to a certain segment of the market. It’s those vacationers who like the international experience — the food, the wine, the service." Italians accounted for 25 to 30 percent of bookings on most Costa cruises, and they were followed by passengers from France, Germany and Spain. Depending on the season or destination, North Americans could make up 5 to 15 percent of the passenger list. The "universal" language on board was English.[9]

Fleet

Current fleet

Mistral class

Ship Built Builder Entered service
for Costa 		Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Costa neoRiviera[10] 1999 Chantiers de l'Atlantique 2013–Present 48,200 Portugal → Italy Previously Mistral for the failed Festival Cruises and Grand Mistral For Iberocruceros.[11]

Classica class

Ship Built Builder Entered service
for Costa 		Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Costa neoClassica 1991 Fincantieri 1991–Present 52,926 Italy → Liberia → Italy Originally Costa Classica, received a €18 million refit in 2014 and renamed Costa neoClassica
Costa neoRomantica 1993 Fincantieri 1993–Present 56,769 Italy → Liberia → Italy Originally Costa Romantica, received a €90 million refit in 2012 and renamed Costa neoRomantica

Victoria class

Ship Built Builder Entered service
for Costa 		Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Costa Victoria 1996 Bremer Vulkan 1996–Present 75,166 Italy → Liberia → Italy Similar to Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun.

Atlantica class

Ship Built Builder Entered service
for Costa 		Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Costa Atlantica 2000 Kværner Masa-Yards
Helsinki New Shipyard 		2000–Present 85,619 Italy Panamax form factor
Costa Mediterranea 2003 Kværner Masa-Yards
Helsinki New Shipyard 		2003–Present 85,619 Italy Panamax form factor

Luminosa class (Vista Class)

Ship Built Builder Entered service
for Costa 		Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Costa Luminosa 2009 Fincantieri 2009–Present 92,700 Italy Hybrid design between Spirit and Vista-class ships
Costa Deliziosa 2010 Fincantieri 2010–Present 92,700 Italy Hybrid design between Spirit and Vista-class ships

Fortuna (Destiny) class

Ship Built Builder Entered service
for Costa 		Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Costa Fortuna 2003 Fincantieri 2003–Present 102,587 Italy Identical to Carnival Triumph and Carnival Victory
Costa Magica 2004 Fincantieri 2004–Present 102,587 Italy → Liberia → Italy Identical to Carnival Triumph and Carnival Victory

Concordia class

Ship Built Builder Entered service
for Costa 		Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Costa Serena 2007 Fincantieri 2007–Present 114,500 Italy Concordia-class
Costa Pacifica 2009 Fincantieri 2009–Present 114,500 Italy Concordia-class
Costa Favolosa 2011 Fincantieri 2011–Present 114,500 Italy Modified Concordia-class
Costa Fascinosa 2012 Fincantieri 2012–Present 114,500 Italy Modified Concordia-class

Diadema (Dream) class

Ship Built Builder Entered service
for Costa 		Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Costa Diadema 2014 Fincantieri 2014–Present 132,500 Italy Currently the largest ship built for Costa Cruises. Currently Costa Crociere's flagship. Modified Dream Class

Future Ships

Ship In Costa service Builder Gross tonnage Flag Notes Image
Unnamed 2019 Meyer Turku 183,200 Italy Will be the largest ship to be built for Costa Cruises.
Unnamed 2021 Meyer Turku 183,200 Italy Will be the largest ship to be built for Costa Cruises.
Unnamed 2019 Fincantieri 135,000 Italy Will be built specially for the Chinese market.[12]
Unnamed 2020 Fincantieri 135,000 Italy Will be built specially for the Chinese market.[12]

Former Fleet

Ship In Costa service Notes Image
Anna C I (1948–1971)
Anna C II (1971-1981) Built in 10.1955 at Wilton-Fijenoord, Schiedam yard in the Netherlands. LOA 150.3m, 19.2m, DWT 10,272, Flag Panama, Class Registro Italiano Navale. Sold in 1981 to Chaldeos Freighters Ltd and renamed Damenham. Sold to Geofman International for demolition. Broken up at Gadani beach on 2 June 1984.
Andrea C (1948–1981)
Luisa C (1947–1951)
Maria C (1947–1953)
Franca C (1952–1977)
Flavia (1968–1982)
Federico C (1958–1983)
Fulvia C (1969–1970)
Giovanna C (1947–1953)
Italia (1974–1983)
Bianca C (1959–1961) explosion and shipwreck
Carla C (1967–1985, 1986–1992)
Columbus C (1981–1984)
Danae (1979–1992)
Daphne (1979–1997)
Enrico C/Enrico Costa (1965–1994)
Eugenio C (1966–1996)
Costa Riviera (1981–1993, 1994–2002)
Costa Olympia (never entered service) Originally ordered for Costa Cruises but following the financial collapse of the shipyard the hull was sold to Norwegian Cruise Lines and became Norwegian Sky.
Costa Playa (1995–1998)
Costa Tropicale (2001–2005)
Costa Europa (2002–2010)
Costa Marina (1988–2011)
Costa Concordia (2006-2012) Ran aground, capsized and partially sunk. Later deemed a total constructive loss and is in the process of scrapping.
Costa Splendor (never entered service) Originally ordered for Costa Cruises but transferred during construction to Carnival Cruise Lines and became Carnival Splendor.
Costa Allegra (1989-2012)
Costa Voyager (2011-2013)
Costa Celebration (never entered service) On the day before the ship was scheduled to depart on its inaugural voyage, the vessel had been sold to an unnamed buyer which turned out to be Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line.

Summer 2015 Itineraries

Western Mediterranean

Eastern Mediterranean

Norwegian Fjords

Baltic Sea

Asia

Accidents and incidents

See also Carnival Cruises Accidents and incidents for incidents associated with the parent company's other cruise operations.

Costa Concordia sinking

Costa Concordia capsized on reef

On January 13, 2012, Costa Concordia ran aground off Isola del Giglio, Tuscany. The ship capsized and partially sank, killing 32 people. In 2014, the ship was parbuckled and refloated with caissons, and in July 2014 it was towed to its home port of Genoa, where it will be dismantled and eventually scrapped.

Costa Allegra engine room fire, ship adrift

On February 27, 2012, Costa Allegra suffered an engine room fire and went adrift in the Indian Ocean. After several days adrift without power, the ship was towed to the Seychelles island of Desroches but was unable to dock there. She was then towed to Mahé, Seychelles, where the passengers disembarked. No casualties were reported.

On 9 March 2012, it was announced that Costa Allegra would not return to service with Costa, and she was given to Themis Maritime Ltd ship company.[13] In late 2012, Costa Allegra was beached at Aliaga, Turkey, for scrapping.[14]

Costa Pacifica moored at Katakolo, Greece.
Costa Atlantica approaching Miami Cruise Ship Terminal.
Costa Luminosa in Magdalenefjorden, Spitsbergen

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Company profile." Costa Cruises. Retrieved on January 20, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Dati Societari." Costa Cruises. Retrieved on 15 January 2012. "Sede legale: Piazza Piccapietra 48, 16121 Genova - Italia"
  3. 1 2 3 "Costa Concordia Collision". DubaiBlog. 2012-01-14.
  4. ↑ "2012 World Wide Market Share". Cruise Market Watch. 2011-11-20.
  5. ↑ "Cruise ship Costa Allegra adrift off Seychelles". BBC News Online. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Costa Concordia reaches Genoa's main port for scrapping after 200-mile journey from wreckage site". The Independent. 27 July 2014.
  7. ↑ "Costa Concordia captain Schettino guilty of manslaughter". BBC World News. 11 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "Costa Concordia "Captain's Prison Sentence Upheld by Italian Court"". Time. 31 May 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  9. ↑ Shillinglaw, Greg (March 30, 2015). "Sailing Italian Style". TravelPulse.com. Retrieved April 14, 2015. External link in |work= (help)
  10. ↑ "Overnights and unusual destinations mark new Costa project".
  11. ↑ "Grand Mistral South America season cancelled, ship transferred to Costa".
  12. 1 2 http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/13433-carnival-announces-newbuilds-for-costa-princess-and-pao-australia.html
  13. ↑ Hannah Sampson (10 March 2012). "Micky Arison on Costa Concordia accident: "I am very sorry it happened."". The Miami Herald. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  14. ↑ Gene Sloan (9 March 2012). "Fire-damaged cruise ship Costa Allegra will not return.". USAToday. Retrieved 19 March 2012.

Bibliography

  • Ceserani, Gian Paolo; Piccione, Paolo (1998). Costa Crociere: cinquant'anni di stile [Costa Cruises: fifty years of style] (in Italian). Cinisello Balsamo, Milano: Silvana Editoriale. ISBN 8882150976. 
  • Dellacasa, Erika (2012). I Costa: storia di una famiglia e di un'impresa [The Costas: the story of a family and a business] (in Italian). Venezia: Marsilio Editori. ISBN 9788831713030. 
  • Peter, Bruce (2012). Costa Cruises. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 9781906608408. 
  • Piccione, Paolo, ed. (2002). Costa crociere: ritratto di una flotta : storia per immagini delle navi Costa [Costa Cruises: portrait of a fleet: picture story of the Costa ships] (in Italian). Cinisello Balsamo, Milano: Silvana Editoriale. ISBN 888215386X. 
  • Piccione, Paolo; Fochessati, Matteo (2003). Crociere nell'Arte: arte a bordo delle navi Italiane [Cruising into art: art on board Italian liners] (in Italian and English). Genova: Tormeno. ISBN 8884800595. 
  • Piccione, Paolo; Ceserani, Gian Paolo; Palazzini, Fiora Steinbach (2008). Sessant'anni di crociere Costa: 1948-2008 [Sixty Years of cruising with Costa: 1948-2008] (in Italian). Cinisello Balsamo, Milano: Silvana Editoriale. OCLC 860565092. 
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