17 July 2008

Costa weighs up new destinations

Further destinations are under consideration by Costa Cruises as the company seeks to build on its success in developing new markets.

Details are due to emerge in September as the Italian line plans for deployment of an expanded fleet for 2O1O.

Costa has been instrumental in introducing mass appeal cruises to regions such as Dubai, the Indian Ocean and Asia.

UK managing director Marco Rosa declined to disclose new locations under consideration but confirmed: "We are looking to some new destinations and should know by September."

While the UK makes up only five per cent of overall sales, Rosa said current economic conditions had not affected sales. The UK arm hit its annual budget target for 2OO8 this week supported by a surge in last minute summer bookings.

"We have had a huge amount of late business, I have never seen this before," said Rosa.

While there are still pockets of capacity to fill, he is no focussing on sales for 2OO9 when two new ships will be introduced.

Rosa said revenues for next year were already higher than at the same time last year for 2OO8.

Costa plans a double naming ceremony of the 3,78O-passenger Costa Pacifica and the 2,826-passenger Costa Luminosa in Genoa on June 5 next year.

The larger ship will then enter service in the western Mediterranean while Luminosa will sail to its summer homeport of Amsterdam where it will offer voyages to the North Cape.

The line plans to add five new ships by 2012, bringing the fleet size up to 17 vessels (see previous TravelMole story).

by Phil Davies