 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | March 31, 1948 (1948-03-31) |
| Headquarters | Genoa,Italy |
Area served | World |
Key people | Mario Zanetti, President[1] |
| Products | Cruises |
| Revenue | $2.236 billion (2018)[2] |
| Parent | Carnival |
| Website | www |
Costa CrociereS.p.A. (Italian pronunciation:[ˈkɔstakroˈtʃɛːre]), operating asCosta Cruises, is an Italiancruise line founded in 1948 and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary ofCarnival Corporation & plc since 2000. Based inGenoa, Italy, the cruise line primarily caters to the European cruise market, but the company's 10 ships, which all sail under the Italian flag, provide itineraries sailing to countries globally.[3][4]
Founded inGenoa in 1854 by Giacomo Costa (1836–1916) as Giacomo Costa fu Andrea, the company originally traded in olive oils and textiles, later establishing its own refinery and the brand "Dante".[5][6] In 1924, the company was passed to the founder's sons (Federico, Eugenio and Enrico) and started shipping activities, buying its firstcargo vessel,Ravenna.[5] Seven more cargo ships were purchased beforeWorld War II, during which all but one were lost.[7]
After the war, the company decided to rebuild its shipping business, but concentrating on passenger traffic, particularly across the Atlantic.[8] In 1946–1947 they bought three American-owned cargo ships, refitting them with accommodation for 25 first class passengers, and in 1947 commenced a scheduled liner service between Genoa,Montevideo andBuenos Aires.[7] At the same time, the name of the company was changed to Linea C.[8] In March 1948, full passenger services were introduced on the South American route, operated by the shipAnna C, with her previous capacity increased from 100 to 500 passengers.[6][7][8] The ship departed from Genoa and reached Buenos Aires 16 days after departure, the firstocean liner to cross the SouthAtlantic Ocean following World War II.[8]
In 1958, Costa commissioned their first purpose-built ship,Federico C, which provided a liner service betweenGenoa, Italy andBuenos Aires, Argentina viaRio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1959, the company gradually transitioned into offering more pleasure holidays, with trips being offered in theMediterranean and theCaribbean regions.[8] The second purpose built ship,Eugenio C, debuted in 1966, designed by famous naval architect Nicolò Costanzi.[9] Linea C went on to own 12 more ships by 1980, making the company the owner of the world's largest fleet of passenger ships.[8] In 1986, Linea C changed its name to Costa Cruises and became a cruise-centered business.[8]
The line had decided to modernize its fleet by the late 1980s, and ordered two new ships in 1987, which becameCosta Classica andCosta Romantica entering service in 1991 and 1993 respectively. The line also converted and completely rebuilt two former container ships intoCosta Marina andCosta Allegra around the same time as ordering the two new ships. Costa wanted to create a new upscale European brand for their new ships and launched the short-lived EuroLuxe brand.[10]
TheCosta Victoria debuted in 1996, and was the largest cruise ship ever built in Germany at the time, and largest for the Costa.[11] Its completion cost was covered by selling theEugenio Costa. TheCosta Victoria would be the final ship completed under the Costa family brand before the line was taken over byCarnival Corporation & plc. The ship was scheduled to have a sister, theCosta Olympia, which was never completed for the line after the shipyards bankruptcy, and instead the uncompleted hull was sold to Norwegian Cruise Line.
In March 1997, Carnival andAirtours PLC purchased Costa Cruises for $300 million, on a 50:50 basis.[12] At the time, Costa Cruises was the leading European cruise line, with an estimated market share of 19%.[12]
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After Carnival's take over, a new-building program commenced for the line, utilizing Carnival Cruise LinesSpirit-class andDestiny-class design platforms for the new ships. The line would also utilize Carnival's designer Joe Farcus, who undertook the interior design, moving away from the contemporary Italian style of the previous ships to more themed public spaces similar to Carnival Cruise Line.[13] The first ship delivered under Carnival Corp management, wasCosta Atlantica in 2000.
In 2000, Carnival Corporation took full control of Costa Crociere after buying out Airtours' 50% interest for $525 million.[14] Carnival Corporation would transfer older ships from their other brands to Costa, with theCosta Tropicale (former Carnival Cruise LineTropicale) in 2001, and theCosta Europa (former Holland American LineWesterdam) in 2002.
In 2002, Carnival Corporation andP&O Princess Cruises merged to form Carnival Corporation & plc, bringing together both companies' assets under one corporation.[15] As of 2018, Costa accounted for approximately 12% of Carnival Corporation & plc's revenue.[2]
In 2004, Costa Crociere purchased control ofAIDA Cruises ofGermany.[16] Carnival Corporation and the Spanish tour operatorOrizonia Group created a joint venture in 2007,Ibero Cruises,[17] which was absorbed into Costa Cruises in 2014.[18]
The company attracted international attention whenCosta Concordiaran aground and capsized off the coast of Italy on 13 January 2012.[19] Thirty-two people died in the disaster.[19] Six weeks later, the company made headlines again when a fire onCosta Allegra left it drifting without power for 13 hours in waters nearSomaliafrequented by pirates, before the ship was taken under tow.[20]
In February 2018, Costa announced its partnership with the Italianfootball club,Juventus.[21]
In December 2019, Costa debutedCosta Smeralda and became the second cruise line to operate a cruise ship fully powered byliquefied natural gas (LNG), following AIDA'sAIDAnova one year earlier.[22]Costa Smeralda was joined by her sister LNG ship,Costa Toscana, in 2021.
Owing to the Covid pandemic of 2020, Costa sold some of its ships, including theCosta Victoria andCosta neoRomantica to help cut costs. It also led to the continued long term layup of theCosta Magica andCosta Serena.[23]
In 2022, parent company Carnival Corp. announced they would be transferring ships out of the fleet to help balance overall fleet capacities due to the pandemic and the selling of numerous ships. It was announced theCosta Luminosa would be transferred to Carnival Cruise Line, theCosta Venezia and theCosta Firenze will join Carnival Fleet under the new "Carnival Fun Italian Style" concept in 2023 and 2024 respectively.[24]
In February 2023, it was announced thatCosta Magica had been sold toSeajets, aGreek/Cypriot ferry company.[25][26]
On March 31, 2023, Costa Cruises celebrated its 75th anniversary.[27]
In May 2025, it was announced thatCosta Fortuna had been sold toMargaritaville at Sea, leaving the fleet in September 2026.[28][29]
| Ship | Built | Builder | Entered service for Costa | Gross tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortuna (Destiny) class | ||||||||
| Costa Fortuna | 2003 | Fincantieri | 2003 | 102,669 |  | Identical toCarnival Triumph andCarnival Victory. Will leave company in 2026[30] |  | |
| Concordia class | ||||||||
| Costa Serena | 2007 | Fincantieri | 2007 | 114,500 | | Concordia class |  | |
| Costa Pacifica | 2009 | Fincantieri | 2009 | 114,500 | | Concordia class |  | |
| Costa Favolosa | 2011 | Fincantieri | 2011 | 114,500 | | ModifiedConcordia class |  | |
| Costa Fascinosa | 2012 | Fincantieri | 2012 | 114,500 | | ModifiedConcordia class |  | |
| Luminosa class (HybridSpirit/Vista class) | ||||||||
| Costa Deliziosa | 2010 | Fincantieri | 2010 | 92,720 | | Hybrid design betweenAtlantica- and Vista-class ships | .jpg) | |
| Diadema (Dream) class | ||||||||
| Costa Diadema | 2014 | Fincantieri | 2014 | 133,019 | | ModifiedDream-class ship |  | |
| Excellence class | ||||||||
| Costa Smeralda | 2019 | Meyer Turku | 2019 | 185,010[31] | | Largest ship built for Costa Cruises. Powered by LNG. | .jpg) | |
| Costa Toscana | 2021[32] | Meyer Turku | 2021 | 185,010 | | Powered by LNG. | _in_September_2021_(cropped).jpg) | |
Costa's former fleet in chronological order:
| Ship | In Costa service | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maria C | 1946–1953 | Passenger-cargo Built in 1913 inBremen asPommern, and later USSRappahannock andWilliam Luckenbach. Scrapped in 1953.[33] | _underway_off_Pensacola%2c_Florida_(USA)%2c_in_July_1924_(NH_105186).jpg) |
| Giovanna C | 1947–1953 | Passenger-cargo Built in 1919 inAsano, Japan asEastern Trader, laterHorace Luckenbach. Scrapped in 1953.[34] | |
| Luisa C | 1947–1955 | Passenger-cargo Built in 1919 in Asano, Japan asEastern Merchant, laterRobert Luckenbach. Sold in 1955 and renamedSula, then scrapped in 1959.[35] | |
| Anna C | 1948–1971 | Formerly Prince Line'sSouthern Prince. Requisitioned as HMSSouthern Prince in World War II. Scrapped after a serious fire in 1971. |  |
| Andrea C | 1948–1981 | Built in 1942 as theOcean ship,Ocean Virtue. Converted for passenger use in 1948. Scrapped in 1982. |  |
| Franca C | 1952–1977 | Was one of the world's oldest active cruise ships (built in 1914) when finally retired from service in 2009. Laid up until 2015, then converted to a land locked hotel in Bintan, Indonesia from 2016 to 2019 and renamedDoulos Phos, The Ship Hotel |  |
| Federico C | 1958–1983 | First purpose built passenger ship for Costa Line. Abandoned and sank in 2000 after engine room flooded. | .jpg) |
| Bianca C. | 1959–1961 | Sank on 24 October 1961 following an explosion and fire in the engine room.[36] | .jpg) |
| Enrico C Enrico Costa | 1965–1994 | Sold toMSC Cruises in 1994 and renamedSymphony. Scrapped in 2001. |  |
| Eugenio C | 1966–1996 | Sold in 1996 by Costa Cruises to Bremer Vulcan shipyard in part exchange for the construction of theCosta Victoria. Resold and saw further service asEdinburgh Castle for Direct Cruises and asThe Big Red Boat II for Premier Cruises. Laid up from 2000 until 2005. Scrapped in Alang in 2005. | |
| Carla C Carla Costa | 1967–1992 | Scrapped in Aliaga in 1994 after a fire destroyed the ship. |  |
| Flavia | 1968–1982 | Formerly the Cunard Line's RMSMedia. Scrapped in 1989 in Kaohsiung after a fire. |  |
| Fulvia C | 1969–1970 | Sank on 20 July 1970 following an explosion and fire in the engine room off Tenerife, Canary Islands. | _i_Oslo_havn.jpg) |
| Italia | 1974–1983 | Scrapped in 2010 at Alang asSapphire. |  |
| Angelina Lauro | 1977–1979 | Chartered fromLauro Lines. The ship was destroyed by fire while docked inSaint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands on 30 March 1979. The ship later sank on 24 September 1979 while being towed to a scrapyard. | |
| World Renaissance | 1977–1982 | Chartered fromEpirotiki from 1977 until the early 1980s.[37] Scrapped in Alang in 2010. |  |
| Danae C | 1979–1992 | Scrapped in Aliağa in 2015. |  |
| Daphne C | 1979–1997 | Scrapped in Alang in 2014. |  |
| Amerikanis | 1980–1984 | Chartered from theChandris Line between 1980 and 1984. Scrapped in Alang in 2001.[38] | .jpg) |
| Columbus C | 1981–1984 | Formerly an ocean liner before being converted into cruise ship. Struck a breakwater in 1984 and partially sank, then scrapped. |  |
| Costa Riviera | 1981–1993; 1994–2002 | Scrapped in Alang in 2002. | .jpg) |
| Costa Marina | 1988–2011 | Converted container ship. Scrapped at Alang in 2014. |  |
| Costa Allegra | 1989–2012 | Converted container ship. Withdrawn from service following an engine room fire on 27 February 2012 and scrapped in Aliaga.[39] | .jpg) |
| Costa Classica Costa neoClassica | 1991–2018 | OriginallyCosta Classica, she received a €18 million refit in 2014 and renamedCosta neoClassica. Left the fleet in March 2018 after being sold to Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and now operating asMargaritaville at Sea[40] | |
| Costa Romantica Costa neoRomantica | 1993–2020 | OriginallyCosta Romantica, received a €90 million refit in 2012 adding two half decks and was renamedCosta neoRomantica. The ship was sold toCelestyal Cruises renamedCelestyal Experience and left the fleet in 2020.[41]Celestyal Cruises resold her in 2021 after which she was sold to the Gadani Ship Breaking Yard in Pakistan for scrapping. It was beached for scrapping on 3 December 2021.[42][43] | .jpg) |
| Costa Playa | 1995–1998 | Scrapped in China in 2009. | |
| Costa Victoria | 1996–2020 | Sold to Genova Trasporti Marittimi in June 2020 inPiombino; thereafter resold and beached on 28 January 2021 in Aliağa for scrap.[44][45] | |
| Costa Olympia | (1998) Never entered service | Originally ordered for Costa Cruises and was to be the sister ship ofCosta Victoria. Its construction was halted following the financial collapse ofBremer Vulkan shipyard. The unfinished hull was sold toNorwegian Cruise Lines and was completed asNorwegian Sky. | .jpg) |
| Costa Atlantica | 2000–2020 | Sold toAdora Cruises in November 2018 and transferred in January 2020.[46][47] | |
| Costa Tropicale | 2001–2005 | PreviouslyTropicale forCarnival Cruise Line. Scrapped in Alang in 2021 | .jpg) |
| Costa Europa | 2002–2010 | Sold toThomson Cruises in 2010. Retired from service in 2020. Scrapped in 2022 | _(cropped).jpg) |
| Costa Mediterranea | 2003–2020 | Sold toAdora Cruises in November 2018 and laid up beginning in 2020.[3] |  |
| Costa Magica | 2004–2023 | Identical toCarnival Triumph andCarnival Victory Sold toSeajets in February 2023 and renamedMykonos Magic.[48] |  |
| Costa Concordia | 2006–2012 | Ran aground, capsized, and partially sunk on 13 January 2012. It was later deemed a constructive total loss and the wreck was later removed and scrapped in Genoa by 2017. |  |
| Costa Splendor | (2008) Never entered service | Originally ordered for Costa Cruises but transferred during construction toCarnival Cruise Line and becameCarnival Splendor in 2008. | .jpg) |
| Costa Luminosa | 2009–2022 | Transferred toCarnival Cruise Line in September 2022 and renamedCarnival Luminosa sailing seasonally between Australia/South Pacific & Alaska.[49] | .JPG) |
| Costa Voyager | 2011–2014 | Previously sailed asGrand Voyager forIberocruceros. Sold in 2014 to Bohai Ferry Company and nowChinese Taishan. |  |
| Costa neoRiviera | 2013–2019 | PreviouslyMistral forFestival Cruises andGrand Mistral ForIbero Cruises.[50] Transferred toAIDA Cruises and operating asAIDAmira from December 2019.[51] |  |
| Costa Celebration | (2014) Never entered service | PreviouslyCelebration forCarnival Cruise Line andGrand Celebration forIberocruceros. Inherited fromIberocruceros after its operations were discontinued and merged into Costa's. She underwent a refit and was renamed. However, on the day before the ship was scheduled to depart on her inaugural voyage with Costa, she was sold toBahamas Paradise Cruise Line.[52] It was scrapped in Alang in 2021. |  |
| Costa Venezia | 2019–2022 | ModifiedVista-class ship Originally planned to serve the Chinese market but later amended to the Mediterranean[53] Now it is sailing out of New York City for Carnival under the Carnival Fun Italian Style concept from June 2023, asCarnival Venezia.[54] | .jpg) |
| Costa Firenze | 2020–2024 | ModifiedVista-class ship Originally planned to serve the Chinese market but later amended to the Mediterranean.[53] Will sail out of Long Beach for Carnival under the Carnival Fun Italian Style concept in 2024.[55] It will be renamedCarnival Firenze. | .jpg) |
See alsoCarnival Cruise Line's accidents and incidents for incidents associated with the parent company's other cruise operations.
On 22 October 1961,Bianca C. was offGrenada when an explosion occurred in the engine room. Two crew members died in the explosion and the ship subsequently caught on fire. Local fishermen helped rescue the passengers and crew, but as the local authorities did not have the equipment to extinguish the fire, the ship was left to burn until the British frigateHMS Londonderry arrived from Puerto Rico. The burning ship was in the main anchorage and would block the harbour if it sank there, so theLondonderry towed it to a different location where theBianca C. sank on 24 October 1961.[36]
On 25 February 2010,Costa Europa collided with a pier in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, killing 3 crew members and injuring 4. Costa blamed strong winds for the collision.[56]
On 18 October 2010,Costa Classica collided with the Belgian bulk carrier, Lowlands Longevity in the mouth of the Yangtze river. The collision caused a gash over 60 feet long in the side of the ship.[56]
On 13 January 2012,Costa Concordia ran aground offIsola del Giglio inTuscany. The ship capsized and partially sank, killing 32 people. In 2014, the ship wasparbuckled and refloated withcaissons, and in July 2014, she was towed to thePort of Genoa over a period of five days, where it was dismantled and eventually scrapped.[57] The total cost of the disaster was estimated to be over $2 billion.[58]
On 11 February 2015, the captain at the helm during the sinking, Francesco Schettino, was found guilty by an Italian court on multiple counts of manslaughter, causing the shipwreck, and abandoning his passengers.[59] He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.[59] An Italian appeals court on 31 May 2016 upheld the 16-year prison sentence.[60]
On 27 February 2012,Costa Allegra suffered an engine room fire and went adrift in the Indian Ocean. After several days adrift without power, the ship was towed to theSeychelles island ofDesroches, but was unable to dock there. She was then towed toMahé, Seychelles, where the passengers disembarked. No casualties were reported.
On 9 March 2012, it was announced thatCosta Allegra would not return to service with Costa, and she was given to the shipping company, Themis Maritime Ltd.[61] In late 2012,Costa Allegra was beached at Aliaga, Turkey, for scrapping.[62]
Costa cruises around the world were cancelled in March 2020 due to the worldwideCOVID-19 pandemic.
Costa began new sailings on 6 September in Italy, initially with two ships,Costa Deliziosa andCosta Diadema. At that time, the line required all passengers to be from Italy. By 27 September 2020, however, it was reported that, having implemented strict health protocols to protect its staff and guests, "Costa Cruises will be available for all European citizens who are residents in any of the countries listed in the most recent decree from the Prime Minister of Italy".[63]
A report on 9 January 2021 stated that some cruise lines were hoping to resume some sailings in Europe in the near future but added that "it remains to be seen whether this will go ahead with much of the continent still in lockdown".[64] Costa's Web site at that time was indicating no sailings in January but was hoping to start on 28 February withCosta Firenze, on 2 April withCosta Deliziosa, on 3 April withCosta Magica, and so on. Only Italian ports would be used initially, and the gradual restart would accept only guests from Italy.[65]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)As of 19 September "Costa became the first large cruise line to relaunch the operations of a second ship"
Cruise lines extend suspensions further into 2021
we are pleased to announce the restart of operations from Italian ports. Initially, it will be a gradual restart from our Italian ports reserved exclusively for our Italian Guests.
Member brands and operational groups ofCarnival Corporation & plc | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America & Australia (NAA) |
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| Europe (EU) |
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| Former | ||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
