In the summer of 2023, Taranto (Italy) will become a new Costa Cruises' port of call.
From June 3 until October 7, Costa Pacifica will be in Taranto every week as part of a Greek Islands itinerary.
The announcement was made during a press conference organized at the Palazzo di Citta in Taranto, attended by Sergio Prete (President of the Ionian Sea Port System Authority & Extraordinary Commissioner of the Port of Taranto), Rinaldo Melucci (Mayor of Taranto), Raffaella Del Prete (General Manager of Italian Cruise Ports of Global Ports Holding), Gianfranco Lopane (Councillor for Tourism of the Apulia Region), and Mario Zanetti, (President of Costa Cruises).
A total of 19 calls are scheduled for Costa Pacifica in Port Taranto, arriving on Saturdays and staying in port between 8 am and 5 pm. In addition to Taranto, the liner also visits Catania (Sicily Italy), Valletta (Malta), and Greece's Mykonos Island and Santorini Island, allowing passengers to enjoy two of the best Greek island destinations, two Italian destinations (Puglia and Sicily/Italy’s most popular for tourism regions), as well as Malta, in a single itinerary.
Taranto will be both a homeport (embarkation/disembarkation port, also reached with a fly-cruise package) and a transit port (call port) for passengers embarking in other ports, particularly Catania.
The tour project in Taranto is focused on visiting the historic downtown, the Aragonese Castle, MarTa archaeological museum, and the Cathedral, while visits to major provincial/regional destinations are planned in the area, along with a catamaran tour of the Gulf of Taranto.
Costa Pacifica has volume 114,500 GT-tons and max passenger capacity 3780, featuring 521 staterooms with balconies, 9 swimming pools and whirlpools, 6 restaurants and food outlets, 11 bars and lounges.