The Italian company Costa Cruises, which belongs to the American Carnival Group, will be taking the longest-serving ship in its fleet out of service at the end of 2026.
The “Costa Fortuna” from the so-called “Destiny class”, which was built in 2003, is to be sold to an as yet undisclosed interested party. Costa’s fleet has already been reduced by three ships in the last three years.
Costa is also completing an extensive fleet modernization programme in November, with the “Costa Serena” returning to the Mediterranean in 2027 after its deployment in Asia.
As the Italian shipping company announced, a multi-year program for the comprehensive renewal of the entire fleet will be completed by November. According to the company, over €200 million has been invested since the start of 2021 to improve the equipment, design and quality of experience on board.
Extensive work on the “Costa Serena”
With the Costa Serena’s stay at the shipyard, the project is now entering its final phase. During the shipyard period, the “Costa Serena” will be given a new gastronomic concept with a central food court, restaurants by star chefs, a pizzeria and a sushi bar. The main restaurants and pool areas will also be revamped. The suites will also be renovated.
The work should be completed by November. After the shipyard period, the “Costa Serena” will leave the Asian market again in October 2026. The 3,000-passenger ship will first embark on a round-the-world voyage from Tokyo to Buenos Aires. In winter 2027, the ship will then take on cruises in South America before returning to the Mediterranean in spring of the same year.
The “Costa Fortuna” will also be sold and handed over to a new owner in September 2026. Until then, the 2,700-passenger ship will remain in service, sailing to Greece and Turkey in the summer and to the Canary Islands the following winter as planned. According to the company, the aim of reducing the size of the fleet to include the ship is to “concentrate resources on modernized products that are in greater demand”. The focus is on quality, innovative route concepts and more sustainable operations”. In addition, the return of the “Costa Serena” to the Mediterranean will strengthen the offer in the European core markets.
The “Costa Fortuna”, with a gross tonnage of 102,200 and a capacity for around 2,700 passengers, is not only currently the oldest but also the smallest in the Costa fleet. When the “Costa Fortuna” is retired, Costa will operate a fleet of eight cruise ships with a maximum capacity of around 28,000 passengers, whereby the “Costa Serena”, built in 2007, will be the oldest ship. Carnival has not yet announced any newbuilds for Costa in the foreseeable future.
“Costa Fortuna” was the largest cruise ship from Italy
The “Costa Fortuna” was delivered by the Italian Fincantieri shipyard and was the largest cruise ship built in Italy at the time. The ship was used on the Chinese market for many years before being refitted for the European market in Singapore in 2018. Since 2019, her home port has been Genoa again and she sails under the Italian flag. The “Costa Fortuna” is 272 m long, 35.5 m wide and, together with her sister ship “Costa Magica”, which has already been sold, belongs to the so-called Destiny class. Two ships from this class sail for the American Carnival Cruise Line. Around 1,000 crew members look after the well-being of the guests. The “Costa Fortuna” has a total of 1,358 cabins, 464 of which are equipped with a balcony. 27 cabins for people with reduced mobility and 58 suites round off the offer.
In the 2022 summer season, after a two-year break due to the pandemic, the “Costa Fortuna” also called at the cruise terminal in Bremerhaven for 13 Nordland voyages. (CE)
