Costa Cruises has announced the arrival in the Costa fleet of a new ship:  the Costa Voyager, 24,400 tons and 927 passengers,.

The ship entered service in 2000 and recently sailed for Iberocruceros and the Grand Voyager.

Costa Voyager will offer Guests 416 cabins in total, including 16 panoramic suites and 12 suites with private balcony. Relaxation and fun will be guaranteed by 3 restaurants, 4 bars, a theatre, wellness centre with gym, treatment rooms, sauna and Turkish bath, swimming pool, disco, shopping centre and Squok club (children’s club).

The arrival of the Costa Voyager is in line with the Italian Company’s policy of having a versatile fleet of ships with a range of dimensions and differing characteristics, so as to be able to offer its customers a series of brand new itineraries.  More specifically, the technical characteristics of the Costa Voyager make her especially suitable for cruises to the Red Sea, a new destination that Costa Cruises added to its range of itineraries last winter and will be offering throughout 2012.

Costa Voyager’s first cruise will be a 15-day journey from Savona, leaving on 20 November 2011 and travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh in the Red Sea. From 5th December 2011 to the end of 2012, Costa Voyager will be offering week-long cruises in the Red Sea, departing on Mondays from Sharm el-Sheikh, where the ship stops for 2 days, and calling at Eilat (Israel), Aqaba (Jordan), Safaga (Egypt), Sokhna (Egypt).

The Costa Voyager itinerary combines relaxation and culture in one holiday and in the best possible way, from one side of the Red Sea to the other, from an extraordinarily beautiful sea to cultural and archaeological treasures of inestimable value. From Eilat, excursions organised by Costa Cruises will take you to a natural oasis in the Negev desert, the fortress of Masada and the wonderful landscapes of the Dead Sea. From Aqaba, visit the pink city of Petra, carved into the mountain. From Safaga there are excursions to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, visiting the tombs of the Pharaohs or enjoying the natural beauty of Hurghada and the crystal waters of the island of Mahamya. From Sokhna you can travel to beautiful beaches.

The Costa Voyager, which was built by the German yard Blohm & Voss and entered service in 2000, previously operated as Grand Voyager in the fleet owned by Iberocruceros.  Before entering into service for the Costa fleet, the ship will be undergoing renovation work, from 9th to 19th November 2011, costing around 2.5 million euros, at the San Giorgio shipyard in the Port of Genoa. The work includes the repainting of the current funnel with the traditional yellow color with the blue “C”, a feature of all Costa Cruises ships; works and operations of customization, according to Costa’s standards, in the public areas and cabins. Once the work has been completed, Costa Voyager will begin to operate for the Costa Cruises fleet, offering the excellent Italian service that is a distinctive feature of Costa cruises.

The Costa Voyager will not be the only member of the Costa fleet in the Genoese shipyards.  From October 29, 2011 through mid-February 2012, work is being carried out at the San Giorgio del Porto and T. Mariotti yards on the radical refurbishment of the Costa Romantica.  The 90 million euro restyling will basically turn her into a completely new ship; she will also be changing name to the “Costa neoRomantica”.