Italian line Costa Cruises has revised its plans for a restart, and is now aiming to return to sailing in May.
The Carnival Corporation-owned line said its decision was taken in consideration of the restrictions still in place in Italy and Europe to contain Covid-19.
It said: “Such measures do not allow the Company to offer the best cruise vacations to its guests, especially for what concerns the experience ashore.”
Costa Smeralda’s first departure in Italy is now planned for May 1, with cruises planned before then cancelled. It had been due to resume sailings on March 27.
The itinerary is unchanged from the one already scheduled to depart on May 1, with three- and four-day mini-cruises, or seven-day cruise, available with calls at Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina and Cagliari.
From June 12, Costa Smeralda will return to sailing one-week cruises in the western Mediterranean, with visits to Italy (Savona, Civitavecchia and Palermo), France (Marseille) and Spain (Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca).
Costa Luminosa, the second Costa ship scheduled to resume service, has been postponed to May 16. It will sail from Trieste and Bari on a programme of one-week cruises in Greece and Croatia.
Costa said it is in the process of informing travel agents and customers affected by changes.