The parent company of Costa Cruise Line, the Italian based Costa Crociere was bought by Carnival Cruise Line in 1997. Needless to say that Carnival Cruise Line left Costa Cruises operating as a separate brand, preserving the style and the image Costa Cruises has created for over 50 years in the passenger ship business. As the phrase "Cruising Italian Style" implies, everything onboard seems to be molto Italiano, from the cruise ships design to the celebrated Italian cuisine. In the past the cruise line used to employ all Italian crew, now days they hire personnel from all over the world, although Italians are in key management positions. It is fun to work for this cruise line with it's European atmosphere, passengers are also a mix of Europeans and Americans and the cruise ships change their itineraries regularly (summers in Europe and winters in the Caribbean or South America).
Launched in 1860 as a freighter company that exported Italian olives and olive oil to destinations all over the world, Costa Crociere entered the passenger ship business in the 1940s with the second-hand Anna C. In 1959 Costa Cruises began to offer Caribbean cruises aboard the Franca C. When the end of the grand liners came in the 1970s, Costa's vessels were converted into cruise ships. Costa's last former liner, Costa Riviera, was retired in late 2001.
Following the takeover by Carnival Corporation in 1997 and eventual complete buyout in 2000, Costa Cruises has launched a number of new cruise ships. Costa is known for its "Cruising Italian Style" concept which successfully attracts both North American and European passengers alike. Costa’s fleet expansion program includes the introduction of five new ships by 2012, all built in Italy by Fincantieri for a total investment worth 2.4 billion euros. In addition to the Costa Pacifica, Costa Luminosa and Costa Deliziosa, two sister ships of the Costa Pacifica will enter service in Spring 2012 and 2012. The Costa Cruises fleet will then be 17-strong and able to carry some 46,400 guests, an increase of 50% from present capacity. Costa Cruises is Italy and Europe’s number one cruise line. For the past 60 years its ships have sailed the world, offering the best in Italian style, hospitality and cuisine and providing dream vacations with the best in fun and relaxation. In 2007 over 1.1 million guests chose to cruise with Costa, a record for the European cruise industry. The company’s 12 fleet members, each with her own distinctive characteristics and unique style, all fly the Italian flag and sail each year to 250 destinations in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, South America, the United Arab Emirates, the Far East and the Indian Ocean.
Cruise ships and itineraries:
Costa Deliziosa: Italian registry, inauguration 2010, 92,600 gross tons, 2,260 passengers, 921 crew members.