The Viareggio Carnival Cruises With Costa
An agreement between the Italian cruise company and the Viareggio Carnival was presented on board Costa Diadema: excursions to Viareggio during carnival season and two themed cruises in Spring and Autumn.
La Spezia, 3 February 2017 – A special partnership was presented today in La Spezia on board Costa Diadema between Costa Cruises and the Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio, that will bring all the skills and talent of the Viareggio Carnival – now 144 years old – on board the flagship of the Costa fleet.
The partnership was signed two days before the Viareggio Carnival officially starts and as part of the agreement Costa will have its own special stand at the carnival in the Tuscan town. And for the carnival season, during Costa Diadema's stopovers in La Spezia on 10, 17 and 24 February, guests will have the chance to head for Viareggio on an excursion to the Cittadella del Carnevale, a complex of buildings entirely devoted to creating and preserving the carnival, and the place where the master craftsmen build their famous floats – genuine travelling theatres. Guests will be able to see how these spectacularly colourful floats are made and can take part in an exclusive workshop where they'll learn how the craftsmen make papier-mâché. Moreover the excursion includes some free time to have lunch and visit the town.
When the Viareggio Carnival ends, the fun continues on board Costa Diadema on two cruises, departing on 13 May and 21 October 2017 from Savona (with embarkation at Civitavecchia on 11 May and 19 October respectively), with special events on the theme of the Viareggio Carnival.
"A synergistic partnership between two Italian centres of excellence whose common goal is to create experiences that are emotionally involving, each one with its own specific role. Every year the Viareggio Carnival puts on a spectacular show for thousands of spectators, with the help of the skill, creativity and imagination of its artists, just as Costa Cruises offers its guests beauty and wellness experiences," said Maria Lina Marcucci, President of the Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio. "So we are certain that this partnership with Costa Cruises that combines these aspects of excellence, quality and fun is the best recipe to create something thrilling for everyone. Our hope is that this partnership will grow even stronger in the years to come and become a chance to promote and put to good use what we both offer, in Italy and beyond."
"This important partnership reflects Costa Cruises' desire to offer truly unique experiences to its guests, in a way that shows how we put the best of what Italy has to offer to good use. The Viareggio Carnival is a typically Italian celebration, famous around the world for being fun and creative, making it the perfect pairing with our cruises. We are delighted to be the first to offer an opportunity of this kind, not only bringing our guests to Viareggio during Carnival season, but also bringing the Carnival on board our flagship, Costa Diadema," said Marco Paolucci, Costa Cruises Central Italy Area Manager.
The two Costa Diadema cruises will include a host of activities that everyone on board can enjoy, to celebrate the real spirit of the Italian carnival. The traditional papier-mâché masks from Viareggio will be featured in a special exhibition on board the ship, and there will be a not-to-be-missed masked evening event, at the end of which the best and most original mask will be announced.
But that's not all: real carnival enthusiasts can book a "Carnival Special" package together with their cruise. The package will give guests the chance to take part in a total of 4 classroom courses, each lasting 90 minutes: two of the courses will look at the history of the carnival's papier-mâché and how it is made, while the other two will investigate the origins of the costumes and how they are made, with practical demonstrations by a teacher from the Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio. The package also includes exclusive, reserved entry to an "after night" event on board, with music and entertainment dedicated to the traditions of this quintessential Italian celebration.
For further information:
Costa Cruises
Press Office - Tel. +39 010 5483523 / 010 5483068 - costapressoffice@costa.it
Gabriele Baroni – Communication Director – mob. +39 3497668013 - baroni@costa.it
Davide Barbano - Media Relations Manager - +39 010.5483523 +39 334.6525216 – barbano@costa.it
Press releases and photos are available at www.costapresscenter.com
Viareggio Carnival Foundation
Alessandra Delle Fave - Communication and External Relations Manager
tel. + 39 0584 580756-57 - mob. + 39 348 3859089
a.dellefave@ilcarnevale.com
