The Carnival Corporation-owned Italian company Costa Cruises is reshaping its shipping operations with the planned transfer of the 22-year-old Costa Fortuna (the fleet's oldest vessel) to a new owner in September 2026.
This development is part of an ongoing downsizing effort that began following the global suspension of cruise operations in 2020 and the industry's gradual return to service thereafter.
Costa confirmed that the 103,000-GT-ton Fortuna will leave the fleet in late 2026. While the identity of the future owner/operator has not been disclosed, the vessel is currently sailing Mediterranean itineraries, visiting ports in Greece and Turkey.
For the winter 2025–2026 season, Fortuna is scheduled for homeporting in the Canary Islands, operating roundtrips from Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The Fincantieri-built and 2003-delivered Costa Fortuna was designed on the Carnival Destiny (now Carnival Sunshine) platform. At 272 meters in length, she accommodates approximately 3,500 passengers and was among the early large-capacity vessels to operate under the Costa brand in the European market.
With this transfer, Costa Cruises will have retired or reassigned 6 vessels from its fleet.
Two newer ships, Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze, have already been reassigned to CCL-Carnival Cruise Line as part of the “Costa by Carnival” - a sub-brand tailored to the North American market with an Italian theme.
Another vessel, Costa Luminosa, also transitioned to Carnival, now operating as Carnival Luminosa between Australia and Alaska.
Earlier in the restructuring, Costa disposed of Costa Victoria, which was sold for scrap, and Costa Romantica, which was sold to Celestyal Cruises before also being scrapped. Costa Magica, a sister ship to Costa Fortuna, was never reactivated after the pandemic. She was sold to Seajets, who intended to relaunch her as Goddess of the Night for a new brand, Neonyx Cruises. However, due to poor vessel condition and unfavorable inspection outcomes, the planned 2024 debut was abandoned, with the company deferring operations to 2025—though no formal update has been provided.
Costa Cruises, founded over 7 decades ago by the Costa family to serve immigrant routes to South America, transitioned into cruising during the 1950s. Under Carnival Corporation ownership, the brand grew rapidly, particularly in the European market. Recently, however, Carnival has stated its intention to prioritize brands with stronger financial performance, leading to the continued reduction of Costa's fleet.
Despite the downsizing, Costa emphasizes that its current strategy includes targeted investments in fleet modernization. Over the past 5 years, more than EUR 200 million has been allocated to upgrades. Following the sale of Costa Fortuna, the brand will operate 8 cruise ships, including two powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), delivered in 2019 and 2021.
Fleet modernization efforts will culminate in November with the completion of a significant refurbishment of Costa Serena, the company’s second-oldest ship at 114,500 gross tons. Enhancements include the creation of a new food court with updated dining concepts, redesigned pool and bar areas, and fully renovated suites and main restaurant spaces.
Previously operating in the Asian market and serving as Costa’s flagship in China before the pandemic, Costa Serena is scheduled to depart Tokyo in October 2026. She will sail to Buenos Aires, where she will assume Costa Fortuna’s former itineraries in South America during the 2027 winter season. Thereafter, she is expected to return to the Mediterranean for the summer of 2027.
Note: There is a possibility that Costa Serena was purchased by Cordelia Cruises (India).