Costa Firenze debuts in Dubai with double event

December 21, 2021

Costa Cruises strengthened its presence in Dubai with the departure of Costa Firenze’s first cruise, following the official opening of the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal. The new ship, whose design is inspired by the Florentine Renaissance, entered service last July and will offer a one-week itinerary in the Arabian Gulf throughout the 2021-2022 winter season.

Costa Firenze’s debut in Dubai was marked by a double event linked to the city’s tourism development. The Italian company’s ship inaugurated the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal, the region’s first dedicated, purpose-built cruise port, in a spectacular ceremony that also included AIDAbella, from the Costa Group’s Germany-based AIDA Cruises. Costa Firenze also started the exclusive tours that take its Italian and international guests to discover Expo 2020 Dubai, in particular the Italian Pavilion, supported by Costa Cruises as a gold sponsor.

“Costa Firenze’s debut in Dubai marks another important step in the resumption of our operations, and we are excited to restart cruises in a wonderful destination with great potential and where we have been the first to open to cruises,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises. “The inauguration of the new Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal and our commitment to support the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai demonstrate how Costa, and the Carnival Corporation group to which it belongs, continue to invest in the restart of tourism and the cruise ecosystem, from which Italy and Europe benefit greatly economically and in terms of employment.”

The Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal project is part of a strategic partnership between Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise company, and Shamal Holding, which aims to transform Dubai into the region’s leading maritime tourism hub. As the region’s first-ever dedicated, twin-terminal cruise port, Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is capable of accommodating two large cruise ships simultaneously. Located in the heart of modern Dubai, the world-class facility spans over 120,000 square meters and includes two purpose-built terminal buildings that offer passengers and crew a safe, comfortable and seamless embarkation and disembarkation experience

Together, six brands from Carnival Corporation – AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises and Seabourn – will visit the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal by 2023 and in total the six brands are expected by then to make 90 calls to the new twin-terminal cruise port. Costa Firenze will be homeporting weekly at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal through March 2022.

Costa Firenze’s itinerary, which includes long stops at the ports of Dubai (two days) and Abu Dhabi(a full day, from 9am to midnight), allows guests to enjoy Expo 2020 Dubai to the fullest. Thanks toits collaboration with the Italian Pavilion, of which it is a gold sponsor, the company offers exclusivevisits, which are true “grand tours” to discover the Italian excellence showcased at the Expo.

After a panoramic visit of Dubai or Abu Dhabi, Costa Firenze guests enter Expo without queuingup, with a privileged entrance, to discover this extraordinary exhibition, which includes about 200pavilions. Among these, a main attraction of the tour offered by Costa is the Italian Pavilion, towhich a special visit is dedicated, with guides in foreign languages.

Covering an area of 3,500 square meters, the Italian Pavilion is highly recognizable thanks to thethree large “hulls”, which are covered with coatings made from food scraps and form the world’slargest tricolor of the Italian flag. The theme that runs through the pavilion is “Beauty connectsPeople,” recognizing beauty as the element capable of combining multidisciplinary knowledgeand skills of the past, present and future. The pavilion offers visitors a journey to discover Italianexcellence, featuring a “garden of stories” and a synthesis of different elements, which are notexclusively related to the world of art and culture, but represent a social tale of the know-how ofItalian companies.

Costa Cruises is one of the excellences of savoir-faire present in the Italian Pavilion, playing aleading role in the sustainability-themed forums in the transport and tourism sectors, an area inwhich Costa Cruises is at the forefront and a pioneer. At the end of the visit, participants in the”grand tour” of Costa’s Italian Pavilion will be guests of Bvlgari for a unique gastronomic experience.