A second cruise ship from Carnival Corporation will resume cruises today when Costa Diadema departs from Genoa, Italy.
Costa Diadema will be the second ship from Costa Cruises to return to service and will sail a cruise to the Western Caribbean. On October 10, it will be the turn of the flagship Costa Smeralda to set sail again while December 27 sees the debut of the new fleet member Costa Firenze.
The embarkation of guests on Costa Diadema for today’s first departure from Genova has been carried out in accordance with the procedures set out in the Costa Safety Protocol, which contains new operational measures in response to the COVID-19 situation, dealing with all aspects of the cruise experience both on and off the ship.
The procedures, devised with the support of independent public health experts, are in line with – and in some cases even stricter than – the health protocols defined by the relevant Italian and European authorities. On arrival at the Stazione Marittima in Genoa, with staggered entrance times by virtue of online check-in, each guest had their temperature scanned, submitted a health questionnaire and was subjected to an antigen rapid swab test, with the possibility of an additional molecular swab test for any suspected cases.
Prior to embarking, crew members were also subjected to a molecular swab test at intervals and were quarantined for 14 days. In addition, each member of crew will have a monthly test.
Starting with the first call at Civitavecchia/Roma, the destinations on Costa Diadema’s itinerary can be visited only by joining the protected excursions organized by the cruise line for small groups of people on sanitized means of transport, and subject to temperature measurement before leaving and rejoining the ship.
The shipboard amenities and entertainment have been redesigned based on the procedures in the Safety Protocol but still retain the distinguishing features of a Costa cruise holiday, thanks partly to the physical distancing enabled by the ship’s reduced capacity.
For example: repeat performances of the live shows for smaller audiences; a switch from buffet restaurants to seated dining; reduced capacity and minimum distance between tables in the theater, show lounge, bars and restaurants; staggered entrance for some facilities such as the spa, pools and kids’ miniclub with a limited number of people allowed in at any one time.
Also, there is enhanced cleaning and sanitization in all areas on board, including cabins, while the shipboard health services have been expanded. Other health & safety measures are the use of face masks whenever necessary, hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the ship and the introduction of self-service clinical thermometer kiosks.
