Costa Cruises to sail Middle East and North Africa with new Voyages program
Costa Cruises new Costa Voyages program will deploy six ships on a range of unique itineraries in 2023 and 2024, including cruises to the Holy Land, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and more.
The new cruises include “extended itineraries,” Costa said, as part of longer cruises to the Holy Land, Egypt, the Azores Archipelago, the Canary Islands, Morocco, Tunisia and other unique destinations.
Costa Voyages is designed for extended itineraries of 10 to 14 days, offering a wide variety of destinations along with unique cuisine onboard and new entertainment offerings.
Three of the five announced itineraries thus far feature either the Middle East or North Africa.
Costa Pacifica will sail to Egypt and the Holy Land in the Middle East, while Costa Fortuna will sail to Tunisia in North Africa. Costa Favolosa will also feature North African cruises, with voyages to Tunisia and Morocco.
Costa Pacifica’s Middle East cruises will operate between October and November, 2023 with Savona (Italy); Haifa (Israel); Barcelona (Spain); and Marseille (France) available as homeports.
The cruise will visit these ports as well as Naples and Catania (Italy), La Valetta (Malta), Alexandria and Port Said (Egypt), and Heraklion (Greece). The 14-day cruise includes shore excursions to the Egyptian Museum, the great pyramids of Giza, the holy sites in Jerusalem, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, the Wailing Wall and more.
Similar cruises will also be offered by Costa Fortuna in 2024.
Costa Cruises other MENA itinerary for the Voyages program in 2023 and 2024 will see Costa Fortunasailing 14-night cruises to Savona, Civitavecchia and Catania (Italy); Barcelona (Spain); Marseille (France); Tunis (Tunisia); Piraeus (Greece); Izmir and Istanbul (Turkey). Homeports on offer during these cruises in April, 2024 include Savona and Civitavecchia (Italy); Barcelona (Spain); and Marseille (France), with guests given the opportunity to experience Istanbul from four perspectives: on foot, by tram, by metro, and by boat.
In Izmir, they can discover Turkish rituals and then take a stroll through the village of Alaçati, which blends the East and the West, while in Greece, Italy, Spain, France and Tunisia, they will explore the best hidden and iconic gems of the Mediterranean.
Costa Favolosa will also be sailing to North Africa from the Mediterranean, but she will be focusing more closely on Morocco and Gibraltar during her 10-day cruises out of Savona (Italy); and Marseille (France) during October and November, 2024.
Costa Favolosa will visit the historic Tangier and the iconic Casablanca, in addition to three ports in the UK and Spain.
In Casablanca, two new excursions will be available, Costa said, allowing guests to immerse themselves in Moroccan traditions with visits to the Hassan I Mosque, followed by lunches at Rick’s Café, a restaurant inspired by the 1942-released Casablanca movie.
In Tangier, passengers will be able to explore the markets of the white city and savor the flavors of Moroccan cuisine. The Canary Island and Portugal are another itinerary offered by Costa Firenze as part of the Voyages program, along with Madeira and the Azores by Costa Fascinosa.
