Costa Deliziosa, the first Costa Cruises ship to return to the sea with guests on board, arrived in Syracuse this morning from Corigliano-Rossano, as part of a one-week itinerary dedicated to the rediscovery, in safety, of the best of Italy . The next stops on this first cruise, which will visit only Italian ports, will be Catania, Trieste, Bari, Brindisi and Corigliano-Rossano. The ship will call in Syracuse every Thursday until October 1st, from 9 to 20, always with the same itinerary, which for the first three cruises will be reserved only for guests resident in Italy.
“Syracuse is preparing to welcome the Costa Deliziosa in what is one of the first post-Covid cruises of the prestigious company. If its presence represents for the country a tangible sign of the desire for recovery, for Syracuse it constitutes a further opportunity for growth and diversification of its tourism. The choice to start again from our history and from the cultural and monumental heritage of one of the most beautiful cities in the world is a source of great satisfaction for us “- declared Francesco Italia, mayor of Syracuse.
“It is a great pleasure to be able to cruise again with our Syracuse ships and we thank the city for the nice welcome. The arrival of Costa Deliziosa marks the return of cruises to Syracuse, and therefore also the recovery of a sector that can have a positive economic impact for the local economy “- declared Carlo Schiavon, Country Manager Italy Costa Cruises – “As the only Italian cruise company we have decided to start again from our country, because it offers a variety of unique destinations, such as Syracuse, which are very attractive both for those who have never visited them and for those who want to rediscover them from a different perspective. Thanks to the new health procedures, which they have worked on with the Italian authorities and with the help of a panel of experts, our guests will be able to enjoy the best cruise holiday, with all those experiences they have always appreciated, in compliance with maximum safety , not only for those on board but also for the communities of the destinations visited. “
For the restart of its cruises, Costa has developed a new protocol together with a panel of scientific experts, the Costa Safety Protocol, which contains new operational measures adapted to the needs of the Covid-19 situation, perfectly compliant with the provisions on the matter defined by the Italian authorities and European. Before boarding, which took place in Trieste and Bari, passengers arriving today in Syracuse on the Costa Deliziosa were subjected to body temperature checks, health questionnaire checks and an antigen swab test. In the event of suspected cases, a molecular swab test can be performed. Before boarding, the crew also underwent molecular swab tests at different times, and observed a 14-day quarantine period. The crew test is also repeated once a month.
The destinations included in the Costa Deliziosa itinerary can only be visited with protected excursions organized by the company in small groups of people, with temperature control before leaving and returning on board, and using sanitized vehicles. As for Syracuse, the excursions include a tour of the historic city center, Pantalica, Scicli, Modica, Ragusa Ibla, Noto and a food and wine excursion to discover the flavors of Sicily.
The offer on board the ship has been redesigned according to the procedures of the safety protocol, but without giving up the characteristic elements of the cruise holiday, also thanks to the physical distance favored by the reduction of the ship’s capacity. For example, the shows are repeated several times for small groups of people; the restaurants only offer table service; the seating capacity in theaters, show lounges, bars and restaurants has been revised to take into account physical distancing; for some areas, such as spas, swimming pools, miniclubs for children, staggered entrances are provided with a limited number of people at a time. Sanitation and sanitation activities were also intensified in all on-board areas, including cabins, and medical services were enhanced. Additional measures to guarantee safety are the use of the mask when necessary, the dispensers with hand sanitizing gel and the measurement of body temperature guaranteed at any time through self-service electronic devices on board.
After Costa Deliziosa, the next Costa Cruises ship to return to the sea will be Costa Diadema on 19 September from Genoa. Also in this case the itinerary will be only in Italian ports and reserved for guests residing in Italy, with stopovers in Civitavecchia / Rome, Naples, Palermo, Cagliari and La Spezia. The flagship Costa Smeralda will also be operational again from October, followed in December by the Costa Firenze, the company’s new ship under construction at the Fincantieri plant in Marghera.
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