Costa Drops Israel Port Calls for 2011

[Capricruiser]

The Costa Cruise Lines press office yesterday released the bombshell news that along with the Tunis and Alexandria port calls, for the remainder of 2011 they have cancelled also the scheduled calls at Haifa and Ashdod. The press release for Europe's number one cruise line goes on to say that these ports will be replaced as follows:

Tunis will be replaced by calls at either Malta, Palma de Maiorca, or Cagliari. Alexandria, Haifa and Ashdod calls will be replaced with Limassol Cyprus, Rhodes Greece, and/or Marmaris, Alanya or Antalya Turkey.

While the dropping of Tunis and Alexandria is no great news, the release does not indicate a specific reason for the Israeli ports. It does say that the recently published 2012 itineraries will go ahead with the Tunisian, Egyptian and Israeli port calls.

It's going to be a different year in the Med!:(

[Karennella]

Where did you see this? It is not on the Australian version of the website as yet.

[Capricruiser]

I posted the source info yesterday evening but by this morning it had disappeared.

The Italian Costa website is http://www.costacrociere.it. See the link "Comunicati Stampa" at the bottom of the page.

Also see discussion on the CC Costa Cruises forum.

Also google "costa cruises drops israel" and you'll see many news items regarding the subject.

The same press release in English is on the USA website http://www.costacruises.usa.

[OreetS]

The information you posted is not accurate - it does not appear on the English Costa site. I saw the info that shows up on the web after a google search - however, more authoritative is the agent for Costa in Israel.

 

I spoke with their shore agency today and was assured that there is no truth to this rumor. Costa ships have docked in Israel this week and are scheduled to arrive again soon. Their port schedule for all of 2011 as pertains to Israel has not been changed - cruises scheduled to dock in Israel will be here.

[Capricruiser]

The information you posted is not accurate - it does not appear on the English Costa site. I saw the info that shows up on the web after a google search - however, more authoritative is the agent for Costa in Israel.

 

I spoke with their shore agency today and was assured that there is no truth to this rumor. Costa ships have docked in Israel this week and are scheduled to arrive again soon. Their port schedule for all of 2011 as pertains to Israel has not been changed - cruises scheduled to dock in Israel will be here.

 

Not accurate? How's this (from the Costa UK website):

 

COSTA CROCIERE CHANGES ITS MEDITERRANEAN ITINERARIES REPLACING

THE CALLS IN EGYPT, TUNISIA AND ISRAEL FOR 2011

Genoa - 8 March 2011 - Costa Crociere, the number 1 cruise company in Europe, has announced

the replacement of its calls in Tunisia, Egypt and Israel during 2011. Since the beginning of its

operations, the Italian company and its passengers have learned to value and appreciate the

great appeal of these three countries as prime tourist destinations. However, due to recent

events, the Company decided to change the itineraries of the cruises which initially included

calls in those countries.

For all the current season 2011 all the 7 days cruises in the Mediterranean of Costa Concordia,

Costa Serena and Costa Magica with a one-day call in Tunis (Tunisia) will be replaced with a oneday

call in Malta (Malta), Palma de Mallorca (Spain) and Cagliari (Italy).

Moreover all the Mediterranean itineraries with originally scheduled calls at Alexandria (Egypt),

Haifa (Israel) and Ashdod (Israel) will be modified and will offer alternative calls of equivalent

attractiveness and cultural appeal such as Limassol (Cyprus), Rhodes (Greece), Marmaris

(Turkey) and the new and extremely attracting ports of Alanya (Turkey) and Antalya (Turkey).

All the information on itineraries changes can be checked on the Company's website

http://www.costacruises.co.uk, and through Costa partner travel agencies.

The changes are due to the Company need to anticipate, to plan and to ensure for the whole

season the best possible performing of the several and complex technical and maritime

operations.

Moreover the Company strongly wishes to ensure to all its Guests and holiday makers the

highest tranquillity and serenity as they are expecting from a cruise with Costa, trying to

minimize as much as possible any last-minute calls modification.

At the same time Costa Cruises is confirming all scheduled calls in Egypt, Tunisia and Israel for

its 2012 program as presented in the official Costa 2012 brochure already launched worldwide

last February 15, 2011.

Costa Cruises is Europe’s no. 1 cruise company. For over 60 years its ships have plied the seas of the world, offering the

best in Italian style, hospitality and cuisine and providing dream holidays with the utmost in terms of fun and

relaxation. Its fleet has a total of 14 ships, all flying the Italian flag, each with her own distinctive characteristics and

unique style; together each year, they offer the chance to visit some 250 separate destinations in the Mediterranean,

Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, South America, the United Arab Emirates, the Far East and the Indian

Ocean. Two more new ships have been ordered from Fincantieri and will be delivered by 2012.

Costa Cruises has been certified by RINA (Italian Shipping Register) with the BEST4, an integrated system of voluntary

certification of corporate compliance with the highest standards governing social accountability (SA 8000, issued in 2001),

environment (UNI EN ISO 14001, 2004), safety (OHSAS 18001, 2007) and quality (UNI EN ISO 9001, 2008). Costa Cruises

has been an official partner of WWF Italia for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea since 2005. All the ships in the

Costa fleet have been assigned RINA’s Green Star notation certifying that they are operated in compliance with the

highest environmental protection standards. In the “Global Reputation Pulse” 2009 international study, Costa Cruises is

in 1st place among Italian “service industry” companies; Pulse scores are a measure of the corporate reputation (in terms

of trust, esteem etc.) of the 600 largest enterprises located in 32 countries worldwide.

With revenues of approximately 2.85 billion euros and 2.15 million total Guests in 2010, Costa Crociere S.p.A. is the largest

Italian travel group and comprises the brands Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises and Iberocruceros. The Group counts today 25

operating ships and 5 new orders; in the 2013, based on the current size of the fleet, the number of fleet units will reach

the 30 ships, with capacity for more than 74,000 total Guests. The Group is one of Italy's top 10 most profitable

companies and 49th in terms of turnover in Mediobanca’s 2010 survey of over 3,700 Italian enterprises that recorded

revenue of at least 50 million euros the previous fiscal year. Costa Crociere S.p.A. is a member of Carnival Corporation &

plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest cruise operator.

[dog]

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2011/03/costa-cruises-tunisia-egypt-israel-cruise-ship-calls/146740/1

 

article in USA Today, and on the USA Costa website. Must download using windows, but above link tells what site says.

[motib]

The Costa Cruise Lines press office yesterday released the bombshell news that along with the Tunis and Alexandria port calls, for the remainder of 2011 they have cancelled also the scheduled calls at Haifa and Ashdod. The press release for Europe's number one cruise line goes on to say that these ports will be replaced as follows:

Tunis will be replaced by calls at either Malta, Palma de Maiorca, or Cagliari. Alexandria, Haifa and Ashdod calls will be replaced with Limassol Cyprus, Rhodes Greece, and/or Marmaris, Alanya or Antalya Turkey.

While the dropping of Tunis and Alexandria is no great news, the release does not indicate a specific reason for the Israeli ports. It does say that the recently published 2012 itineraries will go ahead with the Tunisian, Egyptian and Israeli port calls.

It's going to be a different year in the Med!:(

 

Costa did not cancel the Israeli ports, on the contrary, Costa added port calls to Israel, and indeed the press release is talking about "MODIFYING". In some case it means canceling in other it means changing dates or even adding dates!

Most of the ships mentioned in this release where plan to call Israeli ports only on very few of their itineraries and that was not canceled. One for example – The Alegra – sailing the Red Sea has an extra day in Eilat in the new itinerary.

All other ships, mainly the Pacifica and the Mediterranea, are schedule to call Haifa or Ashdod, or both, as it is detailed in all the modified itineraries in Costa's web site. In most cases, instead of calling 1 port for 1 day the call both ports for 2 days,

Costa will have more than 70 port call to Ashdod/Haifa until the end of the year according to the modified itineraries!

[Capricruiser]

Motib; I don't know where you're getting your info but it's all OLD.

Go to the Costa website and you'll see that the itineraries for the Costa Pacifica, Allegra, and Mediterranea no longer have calls scheduled at Haifa or Ashdod (I checked only April and May 2011 sailings). Those old schedules have been modified with calls at Limassol, Rhodes, Marmaris, Antalya, etc. I'm sorry, but it's you who are totally wrong. Go to http://www.costacrociere.it and check the itineraries for East Mediterranean cruises (Mediterraneo orientale) and you won't find any for Haifa or Ashdod. Maybe they'll be modified again as we get into the summer? Who knows at this point...

[OreetS]

Motib; I don't know where you're getting your info but it's all OLD.

Go to the Costa website and you'll see that the itineraries for the Costa Pacifica, Allegra, and Mediterranea no longer have calls scheduled at Haifa or Ashdod (I checked only April and May 2011 sailings). Those old schedules have been modified with calls at Limassol, Rhodes, Marmaris, Antalya, etc. I'm sorry, but it's you who are totally wrong. Go to www.costacrociere.it and check the itineraries for East Mediterranean cruises (Mediterraneo orientale) and you won't find any for Haifa or Ashdod. Maybe they'll be modified again as we get into the summer? Who knows at this point...

 

 

As I mentioned earlier - the Israeli agent for Costa shows all Costa cruises scheduled to Israel as arriving, some, as Moti said, with additional days.

 

The agent is still scheduling shore excursions and still hiring tour guides. I can assure you that there is no way they would be scheduling and hiring guides if no ships are coming. Costa is definitely still coming to Israel.

[Capricruiser]

I rest my case. I feel sorry now also for the agent and tour guides that will be standing on the Haifa and Ashdod docks searching the horizon for the ships that aren't coming.

[epixx]

Motib; I don't know where you're getting your info but it's all OLD.

Go to the Costa website and you'll see that the itineraries for the Costa Pacifica, Allegra, and Mediterranea no longer have calls scheduled at Haifa or Ashdod (I checked only April and May 2011 sailings). Those old schedules have been modified with calls at Limassol, Rhodes, Marmaris, Antalya, etc. I'm sorry, but it's you who are totally wrong. Go to www.costacrociere.it and check the itineraries for East Mediterranean cruises (Mediterraneo orientale) and you won't find any for Haifa or Ashdod. Maybe they'll be modified again as we get into the summer? Who knows at this point...

 

Here is an example of the itinerary change: The Mediterranea 21 July was scheduled for 12 days round trip Savona as follows: (1) Savona, (2) Civitavecchia, (3) sea, (4) sea, (5) Alexandria, (6) Ashdod, (7) Limassol, (8) Rhodes, (9) Piraeus, (10) Katakolon, (11) sea, (12) Savona.

 

The Costa website shows the new itinerary as follows: (1) Savona, (2) Civitavecchia, (3) sea, (4) Piraeus, (5) Rhodes, (6) Limassol, (7) Alanya, (8) Marmaris, (9) Santorini, (10) Katakolon, (11) sea, (12) Savona.

(http://www.costacruise.com/usa/cruise_details/costa_mediterranea-201107-MD_11_SVN_S_F0B0H0_SVN_CIV_ATH_RHO_LMS_ALA_MRI_JTR_KAT_SVN-MD11110721.html)

[motib]

Motib; I don't know where you're getting your info but it's all OLD.

Go to the Costa website and you'll see that the itineraries for the Costa Pacifica, Allegra, and Mediterranea no longer have calls scheduled at Haifa or Ashdod (I checked only April and May 2011 sailings). Those old schedules have been modified with calls at Limassol, Rhodes, Marmaris, Antalya, etc. I'm sorry, but it's you who are totally wrong. Go to www.costacrociere.it and check the itineraries for East Mediterranean cruises (Mediterraneo orientale) and you won't find any for Haifa or Ashdod. Maybe they'll be modified again as we get into the summer? Who knows at this point...

 

As it is looks today Costa is pulling out of Israel.

The Pacifica, according to Costa's web site, on the Holy Land cruise starting this Sunday March 13 will call both Ashdod and Haifa but that will be its last call to Israel.

The Alegra schedule for the Red Sea cruises until the end of March is going to call Eilat for 2 days twice until the end of March and one time to Ashdod on its cruise to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal in the beginning of April.

The sad thing about it is that Costa is being cynical talking about their care to the safety of their passengers while everyone could figure it out very easily that the reason to pull out of Israel is not due to security issues but due to economic reasons. Once you don't call the Egyptian ports Israel becomes the farthest destination on an Eastern Mediterranean cruises and ending the cruises in Cyprus, or even in Turkey is going to save Costa a lot of money.

Of course I might be wrong and indeed Limassol is a much more attractive port then Ashdod, after all, the shore excursion from Ashdod is only to Jerusalem…

See you next year Costa Cruises!