Costa Smeralda Marks Five Years in Service – Cruise Industry News

The Costa Smeralda recently completed five years of service for Costa Cruises after being delivered by the Meyer Turku shipyard on Dec. 5, 2019.

As the company’s first LNG-powered ship, the vessel repositioned to Southern Europe before entering service two weeks later.

Following its departure from Finland, the Costa Smeralda sailed for the ports of Barcelona and Marseille for inaugural events.

The 5,224-guest vessel then kicked off its maiden season at the Italian port of Savona on December 21, 2019.

During its inaugural season, the ship offered a series of seven-night cruises to the Western Mediterranean that sailed to Spain, France and Italy.

With multiple embarkation ports, the vessel’s regular itinerary featured visits to Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Civitavecchia and La Spezia.

A few months after its inaugural cruise, the Costa Smeralda was christened by Spanish actress Penélope Cruz.

The ceremony took place in Savona in late February 2020 and also included a gala dinner by the Italian multi-starred chef Bruno Barbieri.

As the largest ship ever built for Costa Cruises, the Smeralda continued to sail in the Western Mediterranean during most of its five-year career.

The 182,700-ton vessel also sailed around Africa, as well as in the Red Sea and the Middle East—where it is currently based.

During the 2024-25 winter, the Costa Smeralda is sailing a series of seven-night cruises departing from Dubai and Doha.

Extending through early March, the deployment includes itineraries to destinations in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Following a repositioning cruise via Africa and the Canary Islands, the ship is set to kick off a new summer season in the Western Mediterranean in April.

This year, the ship’s regular seven-night itinerary features visits to ports in Italy, Spain and France, including Cagliari, Naples, Civitavecchia, Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona.