Luigi Stefanelli, Costa Cruises

General Manager for Spain, France and Portugal

Luigi Stefanelli, Managing Director of Costa Cruises for Spain, France and Portugal.  He has recently been appointed CEO of Costa Cruises France and three markets are under his responsibility, Spain, Portugal and France.

The main difference between the three, he says, is that France is one of the company’s most important markets by passenger volume. It is very different from the Spanish market in many aspects such as, for example, there is no summer weight as strong as in Spain; there is also a very different distribution model with a higher weight of OTAs and fewer vertical networks; and the average duration of a cruise is higher than that of the Spanish market.

The objective in both markets focuses on developing a close relationship with travel agents, customer loyalty, collaborating with authorities and strategic partners while maintaining the company’s high reputation and strengthening the brand and its product.

Costa Cruises has reinforced the product for Spaniards including gastronomy with Spanish flavor, In 2021 they launched “Sabor Español“. A product with which in 2022 consiguiwere satisfaction rates even higher than in 2019. In 2023 they have even reinforced this bet in 2023, extending it to five ships in their fleet: Tuscan Coast, Smeralda Coast in the Western Mediterranean, Deliziosa Coast and Pacific Coast in Greek Islands, and Firenze Coast in Northern Europe.

The commitment is based on three main axes: gastronomy, entertainment and attention in our language. In this way, cruise passengers will be able to find more Spanish-speaking crew members on their cruises; to an extension of the hours of restaurants and buffets for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner; a new gastronomic offer with flavors and national recipes thanks to the inclusion of typical dishes such as churros with chocolate or gazpacho and exclusive comedy shows starring renowned comedians of our country, said Luigi Stefanelli.

Costa has even strived with an uninterrupted television campaign to generate confidence in the hiring of your cruise by giving consumers with their All Inclusive, in which the only thing that should occupy you is to enjoy the cruise, the experiences on board and in the destinations, with your partner, family and friends.

Your company has had to make many adjustments and itinerary changes after the pandemic Last year sawan increase in booking volume similar to pre-pandemic periods. That Spaniards once again want to live the experience of traveling by cruise is a visible reality in the trend of recent months. We can say that the industry is recovering month after month, and they are prepared to take advantage of this opportunity with their best offer and their fantastic product in which they have invested a lot over the last 2 years.

In fact, they have decided to add one more ship to their operations in the Mediterranean from April 2023. The newly renovated Costa Fortuna, in which we have invested 8 million euros, will make fifteen-day cruises from Barcelona or Malaga to the Canary Islands, from Barcelona to Istanbul, from Barcelona to the Greek Islands and towards the end of the year mini-cruises also from Barcelona. A new offer that is complementary to that of its other boats, and that manages – due to its diversity – to be attractive to all types of public.

This 2023, the best itineraries of Costa Cruises are those that are accompanied by the Spanish Flavor. Thus, guests can enjoy the warmth and colors of the Mediterranean and the Greek Islands, to immerse themselves in the most beautiful and eclectic landscapes of Northern Europe.

From spring to summer, Costa Deliziosa and Costa Pacifica will sail through the Greek Islands with calls at the wonderful Mykonos and Santorini, and also stopping at other of the most beautiful ports in the Mediterranean such as Venice or Valletta, among others.

In addition, from April to November 2023, Costa Toscana will sail through Italy and France with calls in Cagliari, Naples, Rome, Genoa and Marseille, while Costa Diadema will delve into the charm of France, Italy and Spain through Marseille, Savona, Rome, Ajaccio and Palma de Mallorca, from May to October.

The long list of exciting destinations that Costa offers this 2023 is completed by cruises through Northern Europe aboard the Costa Firenze, which, from May to September, will sail between the icy peaks, silent forests and ancient kingdoms of Denmark and Norway.

On the other hand, while the Costa Firenze will sail from September to November through France, Italy, the Canary Islands, Madeira and Portugal starting from Barcelona and passing, among other Spanish ports, through Lanzarote and Tenerife; the Costa Favolosa will be the ship that touches more different Spanish ports this year. Thus, departing from Barcelona, it will make cruises through France, Italy and Morocco, also calling at the ports of Malaga, Cádiz and Valencia.

The newly added Costa Fortuna will touch the ports of Barcelona, Malaga, Palma and several ports of the Canary Islands.

They will continue betting on themed cruises such as golf. They are sponsors of the Ryder Cup, the most important competition worldwide, which in its 2023 edition will be played in Rome. Our “Cruise & Golf” formula, very well received among cruise passengers and fans of this sport in the last year, combines a unique golf experience in some of the best clubs and golf courses in Europe, with the relaxation and fun of a Costa cruise. This yearthey will continue to take their cruise passengers to the best Golf Clubs in Italy, France and Spain, and we have also added this package in the United Arab Emirates on board the Tuscan Coast, offering its passengers, among many other benefits, special attention on board and a personalized transfer service from the boat to the golf courses.

The main proposal of winter cruises for this year will be in the winter when cruise passengers can find a very varied offer to know all kinds of exotic destinations both in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

From April 2023 to March 2024, Costa Smeralda will sail from Barcelona to discover with 8-day cruises some of the most historic and beautiful enclaves of the Mediterranean such as Palermo, Rome, Savona and Marseille. In addition, from December to January 2024, Costa Firenze will carry out a similar itinerary of 15 or 17 days, also calling at the Canary Islands, Portugal and Cádiz.

On the other hand, from October to December 2023, Costa Deliziosa will take cruise passengers to discover first-hand the climate and color of Croatia, Italy and the Greek Islands. 8-day itineraries that will allow you to explore a deep blue sea formed by vertiginous cliffs and breathtaking beaches.

And if the above were not enough, while in December Costa Pacifica, will sail through the crystal clear waters of Jamaica, the Turks Islands and the Dominican Republic, and the Costa Fortuna will submerge in the islands of the Antilles; from December to March 2024, Costa Toscana will make a circular route Dubai, a destination that combines modern architecture and traditions, with 8-day cruises that will allow you to delve into the land of a thousand and one nights through cities such as Abu Dhabi, Doha or Muscat.

They chose Barcelona to celebrate the most important ceremony for a ship, and the response from authorities, institutions, partners, travel agents and the local community was spectacular. It was really special as it was also a boost towards recovery after the return to activity that was paralyzed due to the pandemic. He is very proud of his ability to adapt and the desire of the entire Costa Cruises team to emerge strengthened from an extraordinary situation with new proposals such as “Sabor Español” or unprecedented itineraries.

From interview conducted by Virginia López Valiente.