The Costa Luminosa Sets Sail On The Around-The-World Cruise
A 98-day voyage to cross the Great Oceans: a journey covering 30,227 nautical miles to discover 5 continents and 39 fascinating destinations in 24 different countries.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
Genoa, 14 September 2015 – Today, the Costa Luminosa, the ship chosen by Costa for the Around-the-World cruise, departs from Savona: an exciting 98-day voyage during which Costa guests will discover all the marvels of the world, crossing 3 oceans and visiting 39 destinations on 5 continents, to return to Italy, in Savona, on 21 December. The ideal trip for cruise lovers who want to enjoy a unique experience and circumnavigate the world in a little over 3 months, encountering magnificent cultures and extraordinary places, following in the footsteps of the great navigators of the past.
More than 1,000 guests will depart from Savona on this Around-the-World cruise; another 260 will board tomorrow in Marseilles while about 240 will embark in Barcelona for a total of nearly 1500 cruise passengers. There is quite a wide range in terms of age and nationality of the guests who have chosen this special adventure to enjoy an unforgettable autumn vacation: the oldest traveller is a youthful 95 while the youngest is just 1 year old. There are more than 30 different nationalities on board and mainly Swiss, German and French, followed by Italian and Spanish.
The Costa Luminosa, the ship chosen for this Around-the-World cruise, is one of the most amazing of the Costa fleet. Even thousands of kilometres from home, guests will still be able to enjoy all the excellence of real Italian hospitality. And to check on the Costa Luminosa’s incredible voyage even from home, just go to the Costa site and check out what’s happening in real time through the 2 webcams installed on board.
Exclusive festivities have been planned to celebrate the ship’s departure from Savona on this incredible voyage: a quintet played live music as guests boarded the ship from the Palacrociere, while a special poolside party accompanied the departure “countdown”, after greetings from the Captain.
“The itinerary of this Around-the-World voyage will include stops in marvellous countries like France, Spain, the Antilles, Colombia, Mexico, the United States, Hawaii, Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Jordan – stated Pietro Sinisi, Captain of the Costa Luminosa – It’s a real dream come true for all the great travellers who, thanks to Costa Cruises, will be able to visit 5 continents during a single trip”.
The special shore excursions will give the Around-the-World cruise an even more exciting and unique touch. The excursions that have already been booked prior to departure and the most popular among guests include a fascinating tour of the island of Antigua along with a three-stop visit to Nelson's Dockyard National Park, teeming with history and natural wonders; an excursion to discover the biggest attractions of San Diego, like the Gaslamp Quarter and the Old Town; and then a 4-hour visit surrounded by the natural wonders of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii.
The Costa Luminosa will make longer calls in some particularly interesting destinations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Cochin, Mumbai and Dubai (2 days), Sidney and Singapore (3 days). This will give travellers a chance to discover the unique characteristics of these special vacation spots, taking advantage of the exclusive excursions proposed by Costa Cruises, some of which include an overnight stay in a hotel on shore: after an afternoon of shopping in Los Angeles and a reposing rest in a magnificent room facing the Strip, guests will have the opportunity to take a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon; in Sidney guests can experience all the magic of Ayers Rock, an iconic symbol of Australia: here travellers can savour a dinner right in the middle of the desert, after having visited these incredible rock formations on foot. After discovering the magnificence of “The Twelve Apostles”, the iconic limestone stacks of Melbourne, guests can leave the ship at Perth to go to Bali, to be immersed in the enchanting atmosphere of white beaches and pristine nature for a couple of days, before returning to the Costa Luminosa in Singapore. Finally, from Cochin guests can visit Delhi and Agra, to fully experience the spirit of the Indian tradition and admire the Taj Mahal, the “seventh wonder of the modern world”.
“We are extremely proud to welcome our guests on board this special voyage and their choice represent how much they are passionate about Costa brand. The Around-the-World cruise follows on the heels of a sold out, record-breaking month of August – declared Norbert Stiekema, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing of Costa Cruises – and represents a really exclusive offer by Costa. Starting in fact from the Round-the-World cruise, the fall season is also on an upswing, and bookings continue to increase. It’s a sign of just how much our product is appreciated, offering the Italy’s finest on board and providing the opportunity to visit a variety of unique destinations in absolute comfort. From this point of view the Around-the-World cruise is obviously at the top, but we have lots of other proposals these months that are suitable for everyone: the short mini-vacations, 7-day cruises to the most beautiful destinations in the Mediterranean, or vacations on board our neoCollection ships that visit brand new locations with longer calls.”
By now a can’t-miss opportunity for great travellers, the next Around-the-World cruise will depart from Savona, always on board the Costa Luminosa, on 6 January 2016 with a 108-day itinerary that will cross the two Tropics and end on 23 April 2016.
