Costa Cruises, the largest Italian travel group and Europe’s no.1 cruise company, is once again a pioneer in the tourism sector.

One-week cruises in the Red Sea are departing from Sharm el Sheik (Egypt) for the entire 2010/2011 winter season. The Red Sea, along with the Far East, the Arab Emirates and the Indian Ocean, becomes another of the destinations that Costa was the first to offer with regular cruises.

The Costa Marina (25,600 gross tonnage and a capacity of 1,000 total Guests) and the Costa Allegra (28,400 gross tonnage and 1,000 total Guests) will depart, respectively, from 25 November 2010 to 17 February 2011 and from 29 November 2010 to 21 March 2011, for a unique itinerary that includes Egypt, Israel and Jordan, with calls to Sharm el Sheik, Eliath (Israel), Aqaba (Jordan), Luxor-Safaga (Egypt), Cairo-Sokhna (Egypt), returning to Sharm el Sheik.

On 26 November, the Costa Marina and the Costa Allegra both called at Sharm el Sheik: the Costa Marina on its first cruise in the Red Sea and the Costa Allegra during its positioning cruise from Italy.

Costa ships will make a total of 38 calls to Sharm el Sheik, with a total of 60,000 passenger movements.

The itinerary of the Costa Marina and the Costa Allegra effectively combines both relaxation and culture, from one shore to the other of the Red Sea, between an incredibly beautiful sea and cultural and archaeological treasures of inestimable value. From Eilat Guests can take Costa excursions to a natural oasis in the Negev Desert, the fortress of Masada and the incredible landscapes of the Dead Sea; at Aqaba, visits to the pink city of Petra, carved in the mountain; at Safaga excursions to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, to visit the tombs of the Pharaohs or experience the natural wonders of Hurghada and the crystalline waters of the island of Mahamya; from Sokhna to Cairo, to visit the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.

The architecture of the Costa Marina and the Costa Allegra is spectacular, with a beautiful, panoramic circular glass wall at the stern. The ships have lots to offer including restaurants, buffets, bars, wellness center and gym, treatment rooms and saunas, swimming pools, outdoor jogging track, theatre, casino, discotheque, shopping center and an Internet point.

Costa Allegra

Costa Marina