Costa Cruises

In 2000, Carnival Corporation took full control of Costa Crociere after buying out Airtours' 50% interest for $525 million.[7] In 2002, Carnival Corporation and P&O Princess Cruises merged to form Carnival Corporation & plc, bringing together both companies' assets under one corporation.[8] As of 2018, Costa accounted for approximately 12% of Carnival Corporation & plc's revenue.[1]

In 2004, Costa Crociere purchased control of AIDA Cruises in Germany.[9] In 2007, Carnival Corporation and Orizonia Group created Ibero Cruises in a joint venture.[10] Ibero was absorbed into Costa Cruises in 2014.[11]

In 2012, the company gained international attention when Costa Concordia ran aground and capsized off the coast of Italy on 13 January 2012.[12] Thirty-two people died in the disaster.[12] Six weeks later, the company made headlines again when a fire on Costa Allegra left it drifting without power for 13 hours in waters near Somalia frequented by pirates, before the ship was taken under tow.[13]

In February 2018, Costa announced its partnership with football club, Juventus.[14]

In December 2019, Costa debuted Costa Smeralda and became the second cruise line to operate a cruise ship fully powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), following AIDA's AIDAnova one year earlier.[15] Costa Smeralda is to be joined by her sister LNG ship, Costa Toscana, in 2021. On 30 January 2020 Costa Smeralda was quarantined along with some 6,000 passengers at the Italian port of Civitavecchia following two suspected cases of COVID-19.[16]

As of 2015, Italians accounted for 25 to 30% of bookings on most Costa cruise holidays, followed by the French, the Germans, and the Spanish.[17] North Americans only made up approximately between 5 and 15% of the passengers aboard most ships.[17] English is also mandated as the "universal" language on every Costa ship, and all crew members are required to be able to communicate in it.[17]

During an interview with Travel Pulse in 2015, Scott Knutson, vice president of sales and marketing for Costa Cruises North America, shared his thoughts on Costa's position in the cruise industry and its ways of adapting to an international audience:

The most important thing to keep in mind is that we are an international product. We are uniquely positioned as the only international brand that hasn’t adapted its product to the American market. That authenticity allows us to go to a certain segment of the market. It’s those vacationers who like the international experience—the food, the wine, the service.[17]

Virtually all cruises around the world were cancelled in March 2020 due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.[18] As of September 2020, the no-sail rule by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prohibited cruising in the U.S. until October 31, 2020 at the earliest but other countries had already allowed for cruises to recommence.[19]

Costa began new sailings on 6 September in Italy, initially with two ships, Costa Deliziosa and Costa Diadema. At that time, the line required all passengers to be from Italy. By 27 September 2020, however, "Costa Cruises will be available for all European citizens who are residents in any of the countries listed in the most recent decree from the Prime Minister of Italy" according to a news report. The company had implemented strict health protocols to protect its staff and guests.[20]

A report on 9 January 2021 stated some cruise lines were hoping to resume some sailings in Europe in the near future but added that "it remains to be seen whether this will go ahead with much of the continent still in lockdown".[21] Costa's Web site at that time was indicating no sailings in January but was hoping to start on 28 February with the Costa Firenze, on 2 April with the Costa Deliziosa on 3 April with the Costa Magica, and so on. Only Italian ports would be used initially, and the gradual restart would accept only guests from Italy.[22]

On 22 October 1961, Bianca C. was off Grenada when an explosion occurred in the engine room. Two crew members died in the explosion and the ship subsequently caught on fire. Local fishermen helped rescue the passengers and crew, but as the local authorities did not have the equipment to extinguish the fire, the ship was left to burn until the British frigate HMS Londonderry arrived from Puerto Rico. The burning ship was in the main anchorage and would block the harbour if it sank there, so the Londonderry towed it to a different location where the Bianca C. sank on 24 October 1961.[30]

Costa Concordia capsized on reef

On 13 January 2012, Costa Concordia ran aground off Isola del Giglio in Tuscany. The ship capsized and partially sank, killing 32 people. In 2014, the ship was parbuckled and refloated with caissons, and in July 2014, she was towed to the Port of Genoa over a period of five days, where it was dismantled and eventually scrapped.[43] The total cost of the disaster was estimated to be over $2 billion.[44]

On 11 February 2015, the captain at the helm during the sinking, Francesco Schettino, was found guilty by an Italian court of multiple manslaughter, causing the shipwreck, and abandoning his passengers.[45] He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.[45] An Italian appeals court on 31 May 2016 upheld the 16-year prison sentence.[46]

On 27 February 2012, Costa Allegra suffered an engine room fire and went adrift in the Indian Ocean. After several days adrift without power, the ship was towed to the Seychelles island of Desroches, but was unable to dock there. She was then towed to Mahé, Seychelles, where the passengers disembarked. No casualties were reported.

On 9 March 2012, it was announced that Costa Allegra would not return to service with Costa, and she was given to Themis Maritime Ltd ship company.[47] In late 2012, Costa Allegra was beached at Aliaga, Turkey, for scrapping.[48]