The Italians are coming — and just in time for the fast-approaching holidays! Holidaymakers looking to spice things up this year need look no further than an Italian-style Caribbean vacation with Costa Cruises. Costa Deliziosa’s first three cruises roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are perfect for families interested in experiencing special Italian holiday traditions, while also escaping the winter chill on the sun-kissed beaches of the Caribbean.
It’s not too late for families to plan their getaway for the holidays with Costa Deliziosa’s seven-night sailings departing Dec. 20 and 27, 2017, and the 10-night cruise departing Jan. 3, which will be the first full cruise in the new year. Guests will feel the holiday spirit from the moment they step aboard with decorations including a grand Christmas tree and nativity scene in the atrium for Christmas and glamorous parties for New Year’s.
“The holidays are the perfect time to get away from the hustle of everyday life, and with our exceptional fares why not give the gift of a Costa Deliziosa cruise and join us for some tropical fun,” said Scott Knutson, vice president of sales and marketing for Costa Cruises North America. “Guests are not only in for a unique treat in enjoying some of Italy’s most beloved traditions, but they can also experience a Caribbean region that is fully back in business and waiting to welcome them.”
A Merry Christmas Cruise
Costa’s Christmas voyage departs Port Everglades Dec. 20 and includes a call at Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, on Christmas day. Guests will be invited to join the Christmas Tree celebration in the atrium, and they are welcome to bring a little present to exchange with another guest and enjoy an artificial snow show for the event’s finale.
Costa’s Christmas celebrations extend to even the youngest guests with special Christmas gifts, as well as seasonal arts and crafts activities as part of the daily Squok Club schedule. In addition, junior cruisers can wear Christmas colors and sing Christmas carols as they await Santa’s arrival in the atrium. There also will be an exclusive activity for teens called “Secret Santa,” where teens will be randomly assigned to another teen to whom they will give a gift. The identity of the gift giver is a secret and will not be revealed until Christmas Eve, when there will be the gift exchange ritual.
On Christmas Eve guests will return after a day ashore at Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, and indulge in a special seven-course Christmas Eve dinner capped off with pan d’oro, or “golden cake,” a traditional Italian dessert. Following dinner, a special midnight mass will be held in the grand theater.
The seven-night itinerary also calls at Nassau, Bahamas; and Key West, Florida. Rates for the Christmas cruise start at $599 per person, double occupancy.
Ring in the New Year
Costa Deliziosa’s second sailing of the season departing Dec. 27 is another celebratory seven-night itinerary. On New Year’s Eve, the ship arrives at Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, putting guests in the perfect mood to ring out 2017 and ring in 2018. A glamorous party will be organized in the pool and atrium with laser lights and a DJ. A countdown to midnight will be held in all of the lounges and displayed on the pool’s enormous LED screen wall.
Junior cruisers will be able to say “cheers” to the New Year with a nonalcoholic toast and be invited to write their New Year’s resolutions on a massive canvas that will be displayed during the Jan. 1 parade. A teen “Cheers & Chat” party will be organized with nonalcoholic mocktails.
Along with Amber Cove, the sailing will visit Freeport, Bahamas; Grand Turk, Turk and Caicos; and Miami, Florida. Rates for the New Year’s cruise start at $599 per person, double occupancy.
Recharge for the New Year
Costa Deliziosa’s last holiday sailing is a 10-day cruise from Fort Lauderdale to the eastern and western Caribbean, and the celebrations don’t stop after New Year’s. On Epiphany, Jan. 6, guests will visit Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, where a joyful colorful piñata party awaits guests at the pool and traditional Epiphany socks will be available to be filled with sweets.
In addition to Grand Cayman, the 10-night sailing includes calls at Freeport, Bahamas; Roatán, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. Rates start at $599 per person, double occupancy.
For the remainder of the Caribbean season, Costa Deliziosa will offer on a series of 10-night cruises following the same eastern and western Caribbean path as the Jan. 3 departure. The ship sails from Port Everglades Jan. 13 and 23; and Feb. 2 and 12. The Feb. 2 cruise also includes stops at Coxen Hole, Honduras; and Progreso, Mexico; and the Feb. 12 sailing includes calls at Nassau, Bahamas; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
To learn more about Costa Cruises, visit www.costacruise.com. For reservations, call a travel agent or 800-GO-COSTA. Connect directly with Costa socially on the line’s official Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.
