In 2023, the Italian company will offer two special cruises in collaboration with A.P.E.I. to discover the art of pastry with its great masters. The cruises will take place in the Mediterranean aboard Costa Toscana from June 9 to 16 and aboard Costa Fascinosa from October 21 to 31.

The collaboration between Costa Cruises and A.P.E.I. (the association that brings together the Pastry Ambassadors of Italian Excellence, headed by the Master of Masters Iginio Massari) continues, with the aim of bringing the best of the pastry art around the world. Two cruises dedicated to foodies are in the plans for 2023, featuring some of the greatest Italian and international pastry masters on board the Costa Toscana and Costa Fascinosa.

The first cruise-event, “Massari narrates Iginio,” is scheduled from June 9 to 16 on the flagship Costa Toscana, during a weeklong itinerary in the Mediterranean. Iginio Massari and the other A.P.E.I masters will be onboard, offering guests daily workshops dedicated to pastry making. Departing from Genoa, the cruise will visit some of the most beautiful destinations between Italy, France and Spain, such as Marseille, Barcelona, Cagliari, Naples and Rome. It will be a real “journey within a journey”, discovering Master Massari’s personal and professional path, with the opportunity to taste some of his most iconic desserts. There will also be moments dedicated to the younger guests, through the reading of fairy tales written to guide them into a world of sweet fantasies. Complimentary volumes from the “Dolce è la vita” book series, autographed by the Maestro Massari, will be distributed to guests.

The second event planned for 2023 is the new edition of “Panettone senza confini” (Panettone With no Borders), which for the third consecutive year will come onboard a Costa ship. From October 21 to 31, Costa Fascinosa will host the challenge dedicated to Italy’s most representative dessert, with 15 competing pastry shops from around the world.

The 10-day itinerary, departing and arriving in Savona, will include calls at Marseille, Malaga, Cadiz, Lisbon, Gibraltar and Valencia.

The cruise, a celebration of the world’s best-known leavened product, will allow guests to taste panettone in a variety of ways, traditional and chocolate, in the form of ice cream and plated desserts. Cruise guests will also be the protagonists of the challenge, called upon to vote for the best Chocolate Panettone. The best traditional panettone, on the other hand, will be presided by a jury of A.P.E.I. Masters, chaired by Iginio Massari.