Costa ship to sail 15 'Jewels of the Baltic' itineraries from Stockholm until mid-August
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Costa Cruises’ Costa Luminosa made her maiden call at Stockholm, Sweden, on 15 May, as she arrived to begin her summer cruise schedule in the Baltic region.
The 92,000gt ship was greeted by Elena Basile, Italian ambassador to Sweden; Stefan Hansson, chairman of the board of Ports of Stockholm; Thomas Andersson, CEO of Stockholm Visitors Board; Henrik Ahlqvist, manager of cruise and ferry, and deputy harbour master; and Andrea Tavella, sales and marketing director of North Europe at Costa Cruises.
This summer, the 2,260-passenger ship will sail 15 weeklong ‘Jewels of the Baltic’ voyages, which starts with a full day and an overnight in Stockholm and includes a day in Helsinki, Finland; two full days in St. Petersburg, Russia; a day in Tallinn, Estonia; and a full day and overnight in Stockholm.
“Our aim, with the Costa Luminosa, is to offer a new way to enjoy North Europe,” said Tavella. “We have focused on quality, choosing few but select and incredibly charming cities in the Baltic Sea that guests can discover in the best way possible, thanks to the long stopovers that include overnight stays. Stockholm is the departure port and one of the strong points of this itinerary.”
While in Stockholm, guests will be able to take a boat trip to the 14 islands comprising the city, a bicycle tour in the royal gardens of Djurgården and a panoramic tour from the 130-metre-tall Sky View. They will also be able to visit the Royal Palace and the old city, the Vasa Museum, designer shops and spend an evening at the Ice Bar.
Available attractions in Helsinki include boat and bike trips, the Parliament, the National Museum, Finlandia Hall, the new Opera Theatre and the old city of Porvoo, while a visit to St Petersburg offers guests the chance to call at the Hermitage Museum, the palaces on the Neva, the Nevsky Prospect and The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood. They can also attend a classical dance show or take a cruise on the city canals. In Tallinn, guests will be able to tour the city centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Costa Luminosa is expected to bring around 30,000 visitors to Stockholm, many of whom will be French, Italian, Spanish and Scandinavian.