Tourism Breaking News
Costa Cruises is consolidating its presence in Dubai with the arrival of Costa Toscana. The Italian company’s latest flagship, which entered service last March, called today for the first time at Dubai Harbour, an extraordinary seafront district designed for a maritime lifestyle, set against the district’s unique backdrop, iconic vista and accessible location. On the occasion of this first call, an event was held on board the ship, attended by local and Italian authorities. Throughout the winter of 2022/23, Costa Toscana will offer itineraries of different duration – 3, 4 or 7 days – to discover the Arabian Gulf. In total, there will be 13 cruises, from 17 December 2022 to 11 March 2023, also available with the ‘flight+cruise’ package, which guarantees maximum comfort, without having to worry about transfers to the ship or luggage at the arrival at the airport.
To mark the arrival, Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal Management along with public and private sector stakeholders will exchange plaques with the Ship Captain, a maritime tradition, to commemorate the ship’s arrival. Throughout the season, more than 300,000 passengers are expected to arrive at the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal, which reaffirms the bounce back of the cruise business after the pandemic.
Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Portfolio Management Officer, Shamal Holding said: “We are delighted to welcome our second LNG powered cruise ship for the season with the arrival of Costa Toscana. Dubai is a city where cruise ships play a crucial role in boosting the overall tourism strategy. Cruises provide distinct choices to experience the city from a unique perspective. We believe these shorter itineraries from Costa will offer tourists and residents a chance to experience maritime lifestyle, set against our extraordinary backdrop designed to offer something for everyone and anyone who loves to be on, near, in or by the sea. Across Dubai Harbour and our wider stakeholders and partners we are committed to playing our part to support achieving Dubai’s tourism strategy to become one of the most visited cities in the world.”
“Last year, we had a great season homeporting at Dubai Harbour with Costa Firenze. We are elated to be back this time with our new flagship of the fleet, Costa Toscana, our most technological and sustainable ship to date. We will offer to our Guests many different itineraries options including 3, 4 or 7 days itineraries options to experience our product and to discover the Arabian Gulf.” said Francesco Raffa, Director of Asia Region, Growth Markets and North America Costa Cruises. “We are grateful for the support we continue to receive each year from Dubai Harbour’s extraordinary location, facilities and employees. It’s great to see that we both seek to offer innovative lifestyle and hospitality experiences with our itineraries, tailor-made for all types of traveller preferences from the region, and with the hospitality and state of the art of the services at the terminal.”
The company offers a wide range of excursions to discover from a unique point of view these wonderful destinations, which combine the modernity of futuristic architecture with the charm of the desert and ancient traditions. For example, in Dubai, a very special tour is the helicopter tour, which offers a breath-taking panorama of this incredible city. Also not to be missed is the off-road desert tour. In Muscat, guests can try a cruise along the coast of Oman on board the Dhow, a traditional wooden boat, or an excursion to the spectacular canyon of Wadi Al Arbeieen, with its lakes and pools of water carved out of Oman’s colourful mountains. In Abu Dhabi, guests can choose to visit one of the city’s three most famous theme parks: Ferrari World for those who love speed and racing; Warner Brothers World, to meet famous cartoon characters; and Yas Waterworld, a huge water park with 43 attractions including slides, water games and swimming pools. Or also relax on the exclusive beach of Al Maya Island, a true earthly paradise just minutes from Abu Dhabi, or visit the Louvre, a true masterpiece of contemporary architecture, where you can admire works of art from all over the world.
The “cruise & golf” package is also available for golf lovers, which combines the best of golf with the best of cruising, and will allow golfers to play at some of the most beautiful clubs in the Arabian Gulf during the ship’s port calls.
Costa Toscana’s onboard offerings will also be tailored according to the destination. Starting with the gastronomic offer, signed by Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze, and Ángel León. These three world-renowned chefs will introduce the cruise destinations through taste, with the Destination Dishes, available in the main restaurants that interpret the tradition and flavors of the place that will be visited the following day. Again, the three Archipelago restaurant menus, one by each chef, are designed to explore the sea being sailed through food. The on-board entertainment program will see the debut of an unprecedented and spectacular show, called “Essence,” inspired by the Arabian Gulf’s “Arabian Nights” atmospheres.
Costa Toscana is a traveling “smart city,” able to be powered by liquefied natural gas and equipped with cutting-edge technological innovations designed to reduce environmental impact. The interiors are the result of an extraordinary creative project, curated by Adam D. Tihany, created to enhance and bring to life the colors and atmosphere of this wonderful Italian region in a single location. Furniture, lighting, fabrics and accessories are all “Made in Italy,” created by 15 partners highly representative of Italian excellence. The onboard offer is perfectly integrated in this extraordinary context: from the Solemio Spa to the areas dedicated to entertainment; from the thematic bars, in collaboration with great Italian and international brands, to the 21 restaurants and areas dedicated to the “food experience.” For the youngest guests there is the Splash AcquaPark, with its slide positioned on the highest deck, a new area dedicated to video games, and the Squok Club.
