Costa Cruises One Millionth Customer

Costa Cruises are having a record-breaking 2008, topping the record figure of one million customer bookings for the year’s cruises some five weeks earlier than in 2007.

This historic moment happened on 10 June 2008, 37 days earlier than in 2007 when Costa Cruises passed the one million guest mark for that year. This was a first for the popular Italian cruise company in 2007, as in their 60 year history they had never before carried so many passengers in a 12 month period. It was also a first for the European cruise industry as a whole, confirming Costa Cruises is the most popular cruise line in Italy and across Europe.

“Thanks to the healthy trend in our global sales, reflecting the increasing popularity of our product,” commented Costa Crociere S.p.A. Group Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi, “we have done even better than last year, when we celebrated the record of one million customers, set in mid July, for the first time in Europe. This is a truly excellent performance, which consolidates and confirms our position as Europe’s number one cruise line and rewards the efforts of the 15,000 plus people who work for Costa Cruises”.

By the end of 2008, Costa Cruises expect an increase in total guests of 6% compared to 1,100,000 guests who travelled with Costa Cruises in 2007. The rise is indicative of the extra capacity offered on cruises this year and the year long availability of the flagship, Costa Serena that entered service in May 2007.

Costa Cruises are not being complacent however and aim to reach 1.5 million total guests by 2010, which would be a growth in excess of 35% in just three years. This impressive goal is supported by a huge fleet wide over-haul programme – the biggest in the world at present – which will include five new ships due for delivery by 2012, all built by Fincantieri in Italy and totalling an investment of €2.4 billion. The inclusion of the new ships will create a 50% increase in Costa Cruises fleet capacity, which will be 17 strong by 2012, with enough berths for 46,400 guests at any one time.

In conjunction with the expansion plans, Costa Cruises are continuing to add exclusive new itineraries and are the first cruise line in the world to offer cruises in the Far East with departures from China, in the Arabian Gulf with departures from Dubai and in the Indian Ocean with departures from Mauritius.