Costa Cruises' ship Costa Deliziosa returned to service on Sunday, September 6, setting sail from the Adriatic port of Trieste following a COVIDlockdown of more than 5 months.
Carrying only Italian residents as part of the precautions against the virus contagion, Deliziosa's week-long trip follows an all-Italy itinerary of Mediterranean and Adriatic ports. Costa Deliziosa left at 5:00 p.m. from Trieste, Italy on the 7-day voyage designed to rediscover the best of the country, and visiting the Italian ports of Bari, Brindisi, Corigliano Calabro, Siracusa, Catania.
Following a strict health and safety protocol, passengers had their temperatures taken, completed a health questionnaire, and were all tested for COVID-19 before being allowed onboard. The crew members had been tested for the Coronavirus and spent 2 weeks in quarantine prior to the departure. Social distancing rules eliminated the traditional dinner buffet. The use of bars, restaurants, and swimming pools was carefully scheduled in order to limit numbers.
After Deliziosa, which is due to be departing from Trieste until the end of 2020, the next ship of Costa Cruises due back in service is Diadema, scheduled to leave from homeport Genoa on September 19. She will also be only calling at Italian ports and carrying passengers resident in Italy, with calls at Civitavecchia-Rome, Naples, Palermo Sicily, Cagliari Sardinia, La Spezia.
From October it will be the turn of the flagship Costa Smeralda, followed in December 2020 by Costa Firenze - Costa's newest liner currently under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera Yard.