Costa Ships Will Slow Down or Stop for Scenic Guest Experiences
Imagine cruising off the Greek island of Santorini and your captain locates the perfect location for viewing the sunset. As the sky turns vibrant colors, music begins playing on deck, and you sit back, relax, and let it all sink in.
That’s called Endless Sunset, one of Costa Cruises’ programs offered as part of its “Sea & Land Destinations,” a collection of unique experiences that has been revitalized as the summer 2025 season begins.
“Sea & Land Destinations represent a new way of traveling, where the sea and the land create unique and complementary opportunities that transform each trip into a spectacular, multi-sensory experience designed to amaze guests,” a statement from Costa Cruises explains.
There are a slew of at-sea experiences offered on various ships in the Costa fleet, but more about that later.
The cruise line, a Carnival Corporation brand that caters mainly to the Italian market, also has reinvigorated its land destination programs to be so unique that they cannot be independently copied.
The excursions offer substantially more than guided sightseeing by, for example, featuring “privileged access” to the world’s top landmarks and sites, offering activities specifically for family groups, and making the best use of the time in ports without stressing out guests.
The land tours are formulated to provide full and rewarding experiences, and to convince guests that their best bet is to book excursions through the cruise line and not via independent vendors at the various ports of call.
At-Sea Experiences Offer Serene As Well As Lively Programs
Turning to Costa Cruises’ Sea Destinations, the onboard experiences are divided into three regions — Northern Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Mediterranean. The activities and experiences are offered only on ships sailing in those regions during the summer months.
For example, the Endless Sunset experience mentioned above is offered on the 2,700-guest Costa Fortuna, which is sailing a summer series of Greek Island voyages roundtrip from either Athens or Istanbul.
Other new experiences are offered on Costa Cruises’ newest ship, Costa Toscana, which was christened in 2022.
The 6,500-guest mega-ship offers the experience called Symphony at Dawn, as the ship sails the waters off Calanques National Park Bay, near Marseille, France. In this serene Western Mediterranean program, the ship sails slowly past the cliffs of Les Calanques at dawn, offering an unforgettable view of sunrise.
Costa Toscana is sailing a variety of 5- to 7-night summer sailings roundtrip from Marseille, Barcelona, Rome, and Palermo, Sicily.
Some experiences are much more lively. Take, for instance, Costa Deliziosa’s summer cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean operating roundtrip from Venice.
During the Summer Carnival experience, the 2,260-guest ship sails into the Venice lagoon while guests are given decorative masks to wear and fans to hold, while music plays on the outdoor decks.
Read Also: When Is the Best Time to Go on a Cruise for Each Region?
In Northern Europe, as Costa Diadema sails the Norwegian Sea, guests can enjoy the Friluftsliv Meditation experience. In this program, guests onboard the 5,000-passenger ship can join a guided meditation. Friluftsliv, by the way, translates to “life in the open air.”
In some cases, special performances are part of the experience. Guests on Costa Fortuna will surely delight in the Dervishes Show, as the ship sails through the Dardanelles Strait in northwestern Turkey. The strait separates Europe from Asia, and the traditional Dervish dances are considered an ancient Turkish ritual.
Due to the nature of the various “Sea & Land Destinations” programs, weather conditions can impact planned experiences.
Costa Ships Will Slow Down or Stop for Scenic Guest Experiences