On March 31, 1948, the motor ship Anna C left Genoa for Buenos Aires with 768 guests on board. This is how the story of Costa Crociere began. Since then, the Italian shipping company has had a major impact on cruising and turned it into the modern form of vacation it is today – with traveling “smart cities” such as the Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda. Costa has a rich heritage of experience and tradition.

The real history of Costa began in 1854 when Giacomo Costa founded Giacomo Costa fu Andrea in Genoa, a small company for the purchase and sale of olive oil and textiles. The shipping company only switched to passenger transport after the Second World War: Giacomo Costa fu Andrea became Linea C. The new passenger service offered accommodation in first and second class. The first ship, the Anna C, left Genoa on March 31, 1948 and was also the first ship to cross the South Atlantic since the end of the war. She reached Buenos Aires 16 days after departure.

Start of the holiday cruise

The concept of "holiday cruise" evolved from the growing demand for first class travel on the traditional transatlantic routes. From the 1950s, Linea C began cruising the Mediterranean and South America. The fact that the seasons do not coincide in the northern and southern hemispheres was used by Costa to reallocate the fleet during off-peak times.

In early 1959, the motor ship Franca C was converted into a cruise ship. The 552 bunks all had private bathrooms and air conditioning. After her Mediterranean debut, Franca C embarked on a series of "holiday cruises" in the Caribbean in the winter of 1959, departing from Fort Lauderdale.

In the 1960s and 70s, demand for scheduled services fell sharply due to the end of mass migration and the advent of air travel. Costa reacted to this not only by marketing cruises, but also by building a fleet that was specially geared to the growing tourist demand: The first new addition was the Eugenio C in 1964 - baptized as the "ship of the future", which was no longer in fashion was divided into classes. In 1968, the Franca C launched the "Flight & Cruise" package for the Caribbean, a formula that would revolutionize the concept of vacation.

In the 1970s and 80s, the idea of ​​the ship as a holiday destination caught on. The cabins became more uniform, the entertainment options increased: bars, theaters, casinos, discos - everything was now available to everyone.

The leap to holiday product for everyone

These conditions laid the basis for the next big leap - the creation of Costa Cruises in 1986. The beginning of mass communication, combined with modern marketing and the search for routes that better suit the new audience, formed the characteristics of the further development of the company. In just a few years, Costa Cruises has transformed its offering into a product for a wider audience on an international scale, with more affordable prices, new ships and cruise programs for families and children. This evolution continued with Costa's integration into Carnival Corporation in 1997, which strengthened the company's investment capacity.

The modern cruise

Costa has set the latest milestone with the commissioning of two of the world's first technologically advanced, LNG-capable ships in the Helios class: the flagship Costa Toscana and the sister ship Costa Smeralda. With the two “Smart Cities”, Costa is revolutionizing the way people travel at sea, creating a quality holiday experience that is fun and sustainable. Because the ship is not a separate world from the destination, but an integral part of the destination.

Today, Costa Cruises is a holding company – Costa Crociere SpA (Costa Group), which owns the historic Costa Cruises brand and the German brand AIDA Cruises. With a fleet of 22 ships, all flying the Italian flag, and a total capacity of around 70.000 underbeds, the company is number 1 in Europe. It is part of Carnival Corporation & plc, which is listed on the London and New York Stock Exchanges and is a world leader in its sector.