Costa Cruises has begun its first season in Taranto, marking a new addition to the company's program in Italy. The inaugural call occurred on June 3rd with the arrival of Costa Pacifica, an Italy-flagged ship carrying 5000+ tourists for embarkation, disembarkation, and transit.
On June 10th, the official start of the season was celebrated aboard the ship with another 5000 passenger movements through a traditional maritime "crest" exchange ceremony. The event was attended by Rinaldo Melucci, Mayor of Taranto, Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises, Sergio Prete, President of the Ionian Sea Port System Authority, and Raffaella Del Prete, General Manager of Italian Cruise Ports of Global Ports Holding.
From now until October 7th, Costa Pacifica will visit Taranto every Saturday from 8 am to 5:30 pm, totaling 19 calls and handling an estimated 80,000+ tourists.
The 7-day itinerary includes Taranto, Catania Sicily, Valletta Malta, and Greece's islands Mykonos and Santorini. This allows guests to experience the best of the Greek islands, along with two popular destinations in Puglia and Sicily, and the island of Malta.
Taranto serves as both a homeport (port of embarkation and disembarkation) as well as a call/transit port for guests embarking from other ports, particularly Catania. Visitors to Taranto will have the opportunity to explore the city and the surrounding area through organized tours arranged by the company in collaboration with local institutions and operators.
Several tours are dedicated to Taranto itself, including visits to Taranto's National Archaeological Museum (MarTa) and the old city, as well as a walking tour of the old city with stops at the Aragonese Castle and the cathedral of San Cataldo. Boat tours departing from Taranto are also available, with options such as a family-friendly tour showcasing the Gulf of Taranto's spectacular seabed through a boat with a transparent bottom, and a tour allowing participants to meet researchers from the Jonian Dolphin Conservation Association and learn about dolphins' lives and habitats in the Gulf of Taranto. These activities contribute to the observation and preservation of the marine and coastal heritage of the Ionian Sea.
Additionally, there are tours focused on destinations near Taranto, including Locorotondo, Alberobello, Matera, Ostuni, Castellana, Polignano, and Manduria.
Costa Pacifica, with a volume of 114500 GT-tons, and max capacity 3780 passengers (plus 1100 crew) underwent major renovations in 2022 to enhance the onboard vacation experience. Notably, the Archipelago restaurant was introduced, offering menus from renowned international chefs such as Bruno Barbieri, Helene Darroze, and Angel Leon.
During the summer, Costa Pacifica will also host a special guest, Italian comedian Angelo Pintus, who will perform his new show "Bau" in the ship's theater on selected dates.
In 2024, Costa Fascinosa, a ship accommodating 3,800 guests, will arrive in Taranto and call every Sunday from June 9th to September 22nd, offering the same destinations as Costa Pacifica in 2023.