REG-Carnival PLC: Costa’s Cruises return to Genoa

CarnivalAnnouncement

21/09/2020 07:05

Costa's Cruises Return To Genoa: Costa Diadema Sails Today

Costa Diadema is the second ship operated by the Italian company to resume
service and marks the return of cruising with Costa to Liguria and the Western
Mediterranean. On October 10 it will be the turn of the flagship Costa
Smeralda to set sail again while December 27 sees the debut of the new fleet
member Costa Firenze, with both ships calling regularly at Liguria's three
main ports. AlDAblu will be calling in La Spezia.

The company has developed a health and safety protocol including COVID-19 swab
testing for all guests and crew, temperature screening, tours of destinations
on protected excursions, physical distancing thanks partly to a reduction in
the number of passengers, new ways of enjoying shipboard amenities and
services, enhanced sanitization and increased health care facilities.

Infrastructure development, green transition, tourism development and social
commitment are the four cornerstones of Costa's vision.

GENOA, Italy, Sept. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Costa Cruises, the leading cruise
line in Europe and a part of Carnival Corporation & plc
(https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2922514-1&h=178766940&u=http%3A%2F%2Fphx.corporate-ir.net%2Fphoenix.zhtml%3Fc%3D140690%26p%3Dirol-index&a=Carnival+Corporation+%26+plc)  (NYSE/LSE:
CCL; NYSE: CUK), announced that Costa Diadema will  depart from Genoa today.
She is the second Costa Cruises
(https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2922514-1&h=488257086&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.costacruise.com%2F&a=Costa+Cruises)
ship to return to the sea with a complement of guests. Costa Diadema's
itinerary, which marks the return of Costa's cruise holidays to Liguria and
the Western Mediterranean, only includes calls at Italian ports and is
reserved for guests resident in Italy. After Genoa, her next ports of call
will be Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, Palermo, Cagliari and La Spezia.

"At last Costa's cruises are back in Genoa and Liguria, which has been our
home for over 70 years. We're setting sail again gradually and responsibly,
with safety protocols that are unrivalled in the tourism industry. The initial
response from our guests has been most encouraging," said Group CEO, Costa
Group & Carnival Asia Michael Thamm.  "As Europe's number one cruise company,
we have a responsibility to turn this difficult situation into an opportunity
to come back stronger than ever, and to continue to develop the tourism and
economic ecosystem of the destinations. We want to do it in close cooperation
with all our stakeholders and we believe that Liguria has a leading role to
play with us in becoming a model for others to follow based on four
cornerstones: state-of-the-art infrastructures, like the new passenger
terminals in Genoa and La Spezia; sustainable innovation, to improve
environmental performance in ports, such as shore power, LNG; improved
destination management and tourism development to better respond to the needs
of today's travelers and expand our value creation capabilities; and support
to the social needs of the community, for which we are committed through our
Costa Crociere Foundation."

Liguria is featuring prominently in Costa's return to cruising, with a total
of around 80 calls in this part of north-west Italy between now and the end
of the 2020/21 winter season. From October 10 Savona will be the homeport for
the flagship Costa Smeralda, the company's first vessel powered by LNG
(liquefied natural gas), which will be offering one-week cruise holidays in
the Western Mediterranean. After a series of cruises intended for the French
market, from November Costa Diadema will also be moving to Savona, for 12-day
cruises to the Canary Islands and 14-day cruises to Egypt and Greece.  Costa
Firenze, the new ship under construction at Fincantieri's Marghera yard, will
make her debut on December 27, again sailing in the Western Mediterranean, and
calling at Genoa and La Spezia every week. Meanwhile, from October 22 to
mid-December La Spezia will see the arrival of AIDAblu, operated by the Costa
Group's German brand AIDA Cruises, on 7-day cruise vacations devoted entirely
to Italy. Costa's cruises sailing on or after September 27 will be available
for all European citizens who are residents in any of the countries listed in
the most recent Prime Ministerial Decree.

The embarkation of guests on Costa Diadema for today's first departure from
Genova has been carried out in accordance with the procedures set out in the
Costa Safety Protocol, which contains new operational measures in response to
the COVID-19 situation, dealing with all aspects of the cruise experience both
on and off the ship. The procedures, devised with the support of independent
public health experts, are in line with – and in some cases even stricter
than – the health protocols defined by the relevant Italian and European
authorities. On arrival at the Stazione Marittima in Genoa, with staggered
entrance times by virtue of online check-in, each guest had their temperature
scanned, submitted a health questionnaire and was subjected to an antigen
rapid swab test, with the possibility of an additional molecular swab test
for any suspected cases. Prior to embarking, crew members were also subjected
to a molecular swab test at intervals and were quarantined for 14 days. In
addition, each member of crew will have a monthly test.

Starting with the first call at Civitavecchia/Roma, the destinations on Costa
Diadema's itinerary can be visited only by joining the protected excursions
organized by the company for small groups of people on sanitized means of
transport, and subject to temperature measurement before leaving and rejoining
the ship. The shipboard amenities and entertainment have been redesigned based
on the procedures in the Safety Protocol but still retain the distinguishing
features of a Costa cruise holiday, thanks partly to the physical distancing
enabled by the ship's reduced capacity. For example: repeat performances of
the live shows for smaller audiences; a switch from buffet restaurants to
seated dining; reduced capacity and minimum distance between tables in the
theater, show lounge, bars and restaurants; staggered entrance for some
facilities such as the spa, pools and kids' miniclub with a limited number of
people allowed in at any one time. Also, there is enhanced cleaning and
sanitization in all areas on board, including cabins, while the shipboard
health services have been expanded. Other health & safety measures are the use
of face masks whenever necessary, hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the
ship and the introduction of self-service clinical thermometer kiosks.

CONTACT: Costa Cruises Press Office, tel. +39 010 5483523 / 010
5483068,costapressoffice@costa.it; Gabriele Baroni, Communication Director
- cell +39 3497668013, baroni@costa.it; Rossella Carrara, V. P. External
Relations & Sustainability Costa Group, cell 3497668005,
rossella.carrara@costa.it; Davide Barbano, Media Relations Manager, cell 334
6525216, barbano@costa.it;  www.costapresscenter.com



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