Cruise & Ferry Review - Spring/Summer 2021

1 5 9 Costa Smeralda aims to resume operations from Savona, Italy, in March 2021 has always been at the core of our itinerary planning because it offers so many wonderful destinations, so there haven’t been any particular difficulties while doing this. We also have very strong connections with territories, communities, partners and relevant stakeholders in Italy.” Hence, in addition to the ports Costa usually visits – such as Savona, Civitavecchia, Naples, Bari and Trieste – it has also considered several new destinations, including Brindisi, Corigliano Calabro, Syracuse and Messina. “With every new port of call and itinerary, we always aim to offer the best possible holiday experience to our guests and revitalise the local tourism ecosystem,” says Bartoli. Costa hopes to bring an “ever- increasing number of ships” back into service in 2021, but Bartoli concedes that this will depend on the progress of the pandemic. “At the moment, our 2021 itinerary plan is focused on the Mediterranean and Northern Europe (only in summer),” he says. “The itineraries are not exactly the same as those we offered before the Covid-19 emergency, but they offer an excellent holiday experience. Of course, these programmes are subject to revisions, particularly in respect of the first part of 2021. They are also dependent on the evolution of governments’ decisions on restrictions and the reopening of new destinations, as well as on the decisions of the Italian authorities since we are an Italian-flagged company.” Despite the obstacles caused by the pandemic, Bartoli is optimistic that the cruise industry will bounce back well. “We are confident for the future. As soon as people are able to move without restrictions, our itineraries will offer the best way for them to return to travel because we have enhanced safety protocols and offer the opportunity to visit wonderful destinations, while taking advantage of our high-quality onboard services and experiences.” CFR “ Italy has been our home for 70 years and has always been at the core of our itinerary planning”