During the next winter Costa's flagship, Costa Smeralda, will be positioned in the Canary Islands and will be operating a brand-new 7-day itinerary between the Canaries and Madeira. With Costa Smeralda operating this program, Costa will significantly increase guest capacity and elevate the experience offered in the region.

After her planned dry dock period Costa Pacifica (previously planned in the Canary Islands and Madeira) will be instead positioned in the West Med offering both 7-day cruises towards Western mediterranean destinations and longer cruises towards South Europe & North Africa, also with new exclusive long itineraries. This new program will offer a selection of fascinating destinations that are particularly attractive to visit in the winter season, offering guests inspiring new opportunities for discovery.

With this decision, Costa intends to provide clarity and planning certainty for all guests and travel partners at an early stage. As the outlook in the Middle East remains uncertain for the winter season 2026/2027, Costa will not operate itineraries in the area for the upcoming season (Costa also does not currently have any ship operating in the Middle East).

As a result of this redeployment, the previously scheduled positioning voyages of Costa Smeralda to and from Emirates will not take place. Guests booked on the positioning cruise to/from the Emirates, as well as guests with a booking in the Emirates, may choose any other cruise immediately, with €200 onboard credit per cabin (€100 per person). Guests with a booking on the previously scheduled winter cruises of Costa Pacifica in the Canary Islands will be protected under the same conditions on the Costa Smeralda Canary itineraries.

The new itineraries for Costa Smeralda in the Canary Islands and Costa Pacifica towards West Med & North Africa will be available for booking through all the booking channels by the end of March.