Costa Cruises announced on Friday that it will voluntary put on hold the global operations of ships, impacting voyages until April 3.

“As an industry leader, we feel it is our responsibility to be ready to make hard choices when times require it,” said Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises. “At Costa, we always have the health and safety of our guests and crew members at heart. Now that these unprecedented circumstances require unprecedented actions to make sure that people across the world stay healthy, we are ready to play our role”.

“Travelling the world o board a Costa Cruises cruise ship and explore new destinations and cultures is an enriching experience. We have been making this dream come true for millions of people in over 70 years of history, and we will be ready to share these happy experiences with all our guests again soon.”

The company issued a statement that said: “In the past months Costa Cruises had further strengthened the precautionary measures on its fleet and has strictly followed the guidelines from the World Health Organization, however the logistics of travelling around the world are today more challenging than ever and with increased restrictions adopted by several countries carrying out safe and smooth operations has become significantly complex. In an effort to contain the health emergency, Costa Cruises already had reviewed the itineraries of its ships calling at Italian ports up to April 3, while Costa operations in China were already suspended on January 25.”

Cruises currently underway will end their current cruise only to allow guests to disembark and return to their home.

Costa Cruises is promptly informing travel agents and customers who were looking forward to boarding one of Costa ships, who will receive a voucher for full refund.