By
Bill Becken |
In the half-year or so since the righting of the grounded Costa Concordia off the Italian coast, the cruise line is on the rebound. Reputational damage to the brand from the incident and the consequent drag on sales has lifted, it seems. Beginning in the middle of 2013 and extending through the year’s end, overall bookings were up some 10% over 2012, according to Norbert Stiekema, EVP, sales and marketing at Costa Crociere S.p.A, which runs the Costa Cruises brand.
By the beginning of 2014, bookings in some source markets had returned to the levels they had reached previously. For example, Costa’s North American sales team has not only matched but exceeded prior levels, says Scott Knudson, VP of sales and marketing for Costa Cruises, North America. “How do we know we’re back to where we were in 2012 BC (before Concordia – that is, before the night of January 13, 2012)? Suffice it to say, for North America, our 2014 levels are higher than they were BC. Especially in the first quarter, in the earlier weeks of wave season, we enjoyed sales records. It’s still a pretty tight booking window…but, for example, in terms of the Caribbean, we’re looking at increasing capacity levels next year.”
In 2014, what other signs are there of Costa Cruises’ resurgence? At least three more things: first, Costa is building the Costa Diadema, a huge new, US$740 million, 3,700-passenger flagship, its first newbuild in two years, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera. Second, the line is developing the Costa neoCollection of smaller, bespoke vessels – the 624-cabin Costa neoRiviera and the 789-cabin Costa neoRomantica are currently deployed – to give guests an innovative ‘slow cruising’ vacation experience; and finally the firm is making further inroads into the Asian market.
In particular, the budding ‘slow cruise’ collection is exclusive to Costa Cruises, says Stiekema. “The Costa neoCollection is our invitation to guests to make the most of every minute, to cruise more leisurely and to linger longer in port,” he explains. “It offers a vacation tailored to individual tastes and to leaving each person their own pace, both onboard and ashore – ideal for couples and groups of friends.”
Asia is the brand’s third-largest source market and both Stiekema and Knutson highlight the region for its great development potential. The Costa Asia brand, which has two vessels with at least 4,000 berths for the 2014 season, will undertake a world cruise from Asia this year, and is contemplating more berths.
Late last year, the cruise line retrofitted, at a cost of US$18 million, the 79,000gt Costa Victoria at Sembawang Shipyard, Singapore. “Our investment in the Costa Victoria speaks to our long-term commitment to the Asian market,” says Stiekema. “The Costa Victoria boasts an unmistakable style that marries nautical motifs with essential design, yielding a refined, stylish work of art. ‘Italy at Sea’ is its theme. The ship is the strongest statement yet of our commitment to Italian fashion and service onboard – and to the unique tastes and needs of our Asian guests and the Asian market.”
He concludes: “We are confident in the strength of our brand and the quality of our product. Cruises are a safe and complete way of having a holiday and the cruise market is growing, with a lot of new opportunities to capture. Our plan is to continue to invest in order to satisfy growing demand by means of the latest generation of ships and new, innovative services.”
This article appeared in the Spring/Summer 2014 edition of International Cruise & Ferry Review. To read other articles, you can subscribe to the magazine in printed or digital formats.