Costa Crociere, the Italian unit in the Carnival Corp & plc group, and the Trieste region are to develop cruise business in the Italian city on the basis of a wide reaching agreement signed last week, the cruise line said in a statement.
It has the dual aim of developing Trieste as a port of embarkation and as a travel destination for cruises in the Adriatic. “The associated activities include a commitment to improve transport to and from the city, in particular the rail link with Northern and Central Italy, to promote Trieste as a cruise destination and natural gateway port for tourists from Eastern Europe, to add Trieste as regular port of call for latest generation Costa ships in 2015, and to reinforce Costa’s presence in the Trieste Passenger Terminal,” Costa said.
Thanks to a strategic partnership with Italian state railway operator Trenitalia, in 2015 Costa’s guests will benefit from high-speed train transport links to Trieste. Using the new “Rail&Cruise” formula, cruise passengers will be able to purchase rail tickets on the Frecciabianca high-speed train service between Turin and Trieste stopping in Novara, Vercelli, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padua and Venice.
“Costa’s guests will travel in reserved carriages and will also be offered a series of additional services included in the fare including transportation of their baggage from their doorstep to their cabin, transfers from the station to the port and vice versa, assistance from Costa ground staff at their station of departure and on the train, and baggage insurance,’ the company said.