Costa Cruises has announced it is almost sold out on its 27 holiday cruises, with over 80,000 berths available on 14 ships covering the Mediterranean, Caribbean, South America, the Emirates, Indian Ocean, India, the Maldives and the Far East.

The most popular itineraries for the holiday season are the seven-day cruises, Costa said.

The most popular destination for Italian, Spanish, German and Swiss passengers is the Mediterranean, with the company citing proximity of ports that make getting to the ships easy. 

“The French and Austrians prefer to escape the winter chill  for a totally relaxing vacation in the warm Caribbean sun, travelling on cruises like the one departing from Guadeloupe, which visits a different island every day,” Costa said, in a statement.

Also popular are Dubai and Far East sailings for the Italian and Spanish markets, while the French also book in good numbers to Mauritius, Madagascar and the Seychelles. 

After the New Year, the Costa Luminosa will depart Venice on Jan 5. for a 112-day five-continent world cruise, calling at 43 ports and returning to Venice on April 27. 

It is Costa’s 12th world cruise, with the grand voyage being an annual occurrence since 2011.