Costa Crociere is the first company in Europe to have implemented a cruise terminal direct management development policy. The purpose of such a commitment is to guarantee excellent welcoming, embarkation and disembarkation services so that cruise passengers can start to enjoy their vacation from the moment they board the ship. The company currently directly manages cruise terminals in some of the main ports in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
In addition to the Palacrucerso in Barcelona, Costa Crociere is also directly involved in managing the following ports:
Palacrociere Savona
The Palacrociere cruise terminal in Savona, co-financed by Costa Crociere with an investment of nearly €3.6 million, became operational on 24 November 2003. It is directly managed by Costa Crociere under a concession that expires in 2023.
The Palacrociere was specifically designed and built to welcome cruise ship passengers. Thanks to its unique architectural design, created by the Catalan architect Bofill, and extremely functional distribution of the interior spaces, developed by the Roman architect Censasorte, and furnishings created by the Genoa-based Studio Vicini, the Palacrociere offers cruise passengers high-quality services, guaranteeing the greatest possible comfort, efficiency and safety. The three-level terminal has a total covered surface area of 8,000 m², including 5,000 for departing passengers and 1,600 for luggage handling service. Capable of handling two cruise vessels at the same, this structure includes a bar-restaurant, VIP lounge, children & teen club, Internet Cafe, conference room, newsstand, interactive spaces plus an area for live music.
The expansion planned for 2008 includes the construction of a third berth, in addition to the two presently available, and a subsequent modification and extension of the maritime station and shore services.
Costa ships have been calling on Savona since November 1996, with the arrival of the Costa Riviera, the first cruise ship to berth in the Ligurian port. Since then, Costa Crociere has grown and consolidated both its operations and leadership in the port of Savona, year after year, becoming one of the Mediterranean cruise industry’s most important ports. In 2006, Costa ships made more than 170 calls, carrying a total of about 500,000 passengers. A significant increase is expected in 2007, calls by Costa ships will increase to around 210 (+24%), while the number of passengers is expected to increase to 700,000 (+32%).
Naples
In 2004, Costa Crociere reached an agreement with the local Port Authority to modernise and manage, along with other companies, the Naples cruise terminal that, with 1,250,000 cruise passengers expected in 2007, is Italy’s second and the Mediterranean’s third largest port. The agreement includes major operations to modernise the present Maritime Station, concentrating technical activities on the ground floor with the commercial and conference section on the first level. Naples is a historical port for Costa, where the company has been operating since the 1950s. In 2006, 7 of Costa’s vessels called on Naples, for a total of about 90 visits, which is equivalent to about 200,000 guests. In 2007, Costa will consolidate its leadership by operating 8 ships for a total of about 90 calls and 210,000 guests (about 20% of the port’s total).
Civitavecchia – Port of Rome
In 2004, Costa Crociere reached an agreement with the local Port Authority to build and manage, along with other companies, the cruise terminal of Civitavecchia, the port of Rome. With 1,600,000 cruise passengers expected in 2007, Civitavecchia is Italy’s leading port and the second busiest in the Mediterranean.
The agreement calls for the construction of a new terminal, which can host 2 ships at the same time for a total of 4,500 passengers, to be utilised by all companies, and the development of all necessary cruise passenger welcoming services. Plans also call for the construction of a second terminal.
Italy’s leading cruise port for the second year in a row, Civitavecchia, the port of Rome, is one of Costa Crociere’s major home ports. In 2006, Costa Crociere made 70 calls to the port of Civitavecchia, for a total of approximately 200,000 guests. In 2007, the Italian company expects to increase the number of guests in the port of Rome by 50%, reaching a figure of 300,000 (about 20% of the port’s total), for a total of 76 calls.
La Romana (Dominican Republic)
The new port of La Romana, known as “Muelle Turistico International Casa de Campo”, was inaugurated in December 2002. This project was developed based on a 10-year agreement between the Genoese company and the Central Romana Corporation, the Dominican’s largest tour operator.
The agreement with the Central Romana Corporation called for an investment by the Genoese company of $6.5 million to renovate the existing wharf, and to construct a second wharf plus a new passenger terminal. Based on the agreement, Costa Crociere will manage the port services and will have berthing priority for its vessels up to 2012.
