Mauritius – the new cruise destination

During the 2007/2008 winter season the Costa Marina will depart from Mauritius on a 14-day Indian Ocean cruise, a global first for the industry. A total of approximately 11,000 passenger movements are forecast. The itinerary also includes the Seychelles, Kenya, Mayotte, Madagascar and Reunion.

Mauritius, the beautiful island in the Indian Ocean renowned for its endless white beaches and lush vegetation, is set to become a new international cruise destination. In December 2007 Costa Cruises, the Italian company and market leader in Europe and South America, will become the first operator worldwide to offer Indian Ocean cruises departing from Mauritius.

The news was officially announced in the Republic during a press conference co-hosted by Costa Cruises SpA Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi and Xavier Luc Duval, Mauritius’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications.

“In 2008 we will confirm our role as leaders in innovation,” commented Costa Cruises SpA Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi, “and we will be able to offer our customers a truly unique holiday destination, never before marketed by a cruise operator. Following the opening of new routes in Asia and out of Dubai last year, next winter there will also be cruises from Mauritius, which are already proving to be popular judging from the advance bookings.

“For these cruises we’re aiming in particular at customers in our main markets of reference in Europe, but we also have an eye on Asia, where Mauritius and the other stopovers on the itinerary are more and more in demand as holiday destinations. I wish to thank the authorities of Mauritius for their cooperation and commitment, which have enabled us to be the first to offer cruise departures from this splendid island.”

“We are proud to have such a prestigious partner bringing quality visitors to our island,” said Mauritius’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications Xavier Luc Duval.

“Thanks to the high standard of the tourist facilities and the wide range of excursions, Mauritius is the ideal base for this operation, which will reveal to an international clientele not only our turquoise sea, but also the rich heritage of our hinterland, our culture and our traditions. We are sure that this operation will have beneficial effects on our tourist industry and on other sectors of our economy. In 2006 we had over 510,000 tourists coming from Europe, of which 69,407 were Italians.”

Over the course of the 2007/2008 winter season the Costa Marina, a 25,600 gross tonnage member of the Costa fleet with total Guest capacity of 1000, will set sail from Mauritius every Saturday on six 14-day cruises (16 days counting the flights to and from Italy and elsewhere in Europe) in the Indian Ocean.
The first departure is scheduled for December 21, 2007, with the last one on February 29, 2008.

The itinerary includes 2-day stopovers in Mauritius and Mahè (Seychelles), and one-day calls at Mombasa (Kenya), Mayotte, Nosy Be (Madagascar), Toamasina (Madagascar) and Reunion.

In addition, there will be two exciting 27-day positioning cruises (including the flights): one from Savona to Mauritius, leaving November 26, 2007 and taking in Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, the Seychelles, Kenya, Mayotte and Madagascar, while the other will sail from Mauritius to Savona, departing on March 14, 2008 and the same route in the opposite direction.

The Costa Marina will bring a total of around 11,000 passengers to Mauritius, mainly Europeans, in particular from Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the UK. They will fly from Europe (Milan, London and Paris) to Mauritius to embark the ship.

Guests are also expected to arrive from Asia and China, where since March 2006 Costa Cruises has had two representative offices – one in Shanghai and the other in Hong Kong – promoting and marketing all its cruises.

The cruises out of Mauritius on the Costa Marina will feature guided shore excursions in each port of call, with the chance to visit some of the local highlights. The main attraction is represented by the superb beaches – Mauritius, Mahè in the Seychelles, Mayotte and Reunion – but there are no shortage of sightseeing excursions, such as the Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens, which first opened in 1735, Tsavo East National Park safaris in Kenya, in one of the world’s largest game sanctuaries and daytrips to see the wildlife at Parc Ivoloina in Madagascar.

There is also a tour of Mombasa Old Town with a spectacular ‘son et lumière’ presentation portraying the historical struggles between the Arabs and the Portuguese for control of the city, as well as dolphin-watching trips at Mayotte or the blue safari in Mauritius, exploring the superb barrier reef and coral gardens.

To find out more about the excursion possibilities, visit the website Costacruises.co.uk.

Costa Cruises SpA is an Italian cruise company and the market leader in Europe and South America. In 2006 Costa carried a total of 880,000 cruise guests and this figure is expected to hit the one million mark in 2007. Its fleet, Europe’s largest and most advanced, has a total of 12 ships in service and three under construction. By 2010 the Costa fleet will be 15 strong with total Guest capacity of approximately 30,800. All of the vessels fly the Italian flag and are deployed in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, South America, the Arabian Gulf, the Far East, Indian Ocean.

Costa Cuises has been certified by RINA (Italian Shipping Register) with the BEST4, an integrated system of voluntary certification of corporate compliance with the highest standards governing social accountability (SA 8000, issued in 2001), environment (UNI EN ISO 14001, 2004), safety (OHSAS 18001, 1999) and quality (UNI EN ISO 9001, 2000). Costa Cruises is also an official partner of the WWF for the protection of the marine ecoregions of the Mediterranean, the Greater Antilles and Brazil.

Costa Cruises SpA also operates the brand AIDA Cruises, which is the number one cruise company for the German market with four ships in service and three under construction. Costa Cruises SpA is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise operator.

The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) is run by the local Ministry of Tourism, under the Minister Xavier Luc Duval. The aim of the agency, which is directed by A. Karl Mootoosamy, is to promote Mauritius and its numerous assets as a tourist destination abroad, by participating in tourism fairs and workshops and conducting promotional campaigns in collaboration with partners in the local tourism industry.

The island, in the heart of the Indian Ocean, is a paradise for those who want to enjoy the sea or just soak up the sun and relax, and the ideal destination for honeymooners, family holidays and golfers. Mauritius is not just white beaches – it also has a splendid hinterland and offers a blend of diverse cultures, traditions and cuisine. Why Mauritius? Direct flights from Italy, no jet lag (+ 2 hours), a mild climate all year round, no vaccinations required, luxurious accommodation and world class amenities.

For more information or to book go to Costacruises.co.uk.