Costa Cruises’ LNG-powered flagship Costa Smeralda will be sailing from Savona on May 1 on an itinerary exclusively dedicated to Italy.

According to Costa’s press release, the Costa Smeralda’s week-long itinerary includes Savona, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, Messina, Cagliari and La Spezia. The voyage can also be divided into two mini-cruises of three or four days for those who prefer a shorter holiday.

The cruises will follow the procedures set out in the Costa Safety Protocol developed by Costa together with scientific experts and Italian authorities. This includes enhanced health and safety measures for all aspects of the holiday experience, both onboard and ashore.

The protocol includes, for example, swabbing all guests before embarkation and after half of the cruise, visiting destinations with protected excursions, new ways of using onboard services, and wearing a mask when necessary, Costa said.

To celebrate the restart of Costa Smeralda, local and port authorities will be present at the port of Savona, along with Costa Cruises President Mario Zanetti.

The cruise line noted that pre-COVID-19 it generated in Italy an economic impact of €3.5 billion per year and over 17,000 direct and indirect jobs and, therefore, its restart will mark “an important economic recovery for the entire territory.”

Costa Smeralda will be the first of a total of four Costa ships to operate during the summer of 2021, offering cruises in the Mediterranean.