"FALL IN LOVE" WITH EUROPE FOR A FRACTION OF THE PRICE WITH A COSTA CRUISE THIS AUTUMN

7-Night Sailings beginning at only $449 from Venice, Rome and Barcelona
MIAMI (August 20, 2009) — Fall in love with Europe and Cruising Italian Style this autumn on a cruise with Costa, Europe’s Number One Cruise Line. Incredible fares for 7-night sailings beginning at just $449 per person come complete with visits to some of the old world’s most celebrated destinations including Venice, Rome, Barcelona and Naples. Travelers may choose from sailings on the Costa Pacifica, recently inaugurated in June; new sister ships Costa Serena and Costa Concordia; Costa Fortuna, Costa Victoria and Costa Romantica. Attractive fares are available throughout September, October and November.

Seven-night sailings aboard the Costa Fortuna, feature fares as low as $449 on November 9 from Venice with stops in Bari, Katakolon (Olympia), Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Dubrovnik. Costa’s newest ship, the Costa Pacifica features fares as low as $779 departing on September 27 from Civitavecchia (Rome) with stops in Savona, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Tunisia, Valletta and Palermo. This innovative new ship is inspired by music and features its own recording studio as well as an exclusive soundtrack created for it by one of Italy’s most famed composers.

“In-the-know travelers have long realized that fall is one of the best times for European travel with its lower airfares, fewer crowds and mild temperatures,” said Maurice Zarmati, president and ceo of Costa Cruise Lines—North America. “To top it off, these cruises average around $56 per day per person and come complete with accommodations, meals and entertainment. You simply can’t find a land-based vacation that comes near the value.”

Costa offers a “true European experience” to travelers, combining the charm of the old world with incredible innovations of today. This special brand of Italian warmth and European sophistication makes cruising with Costa much more than a voyage to a new and exciting destination – it’s an experience that creates lifetime memories that linger and make guests smile at unexpected moments. From delectable fresh pastas, warm cappuccinos, international guests who become friends from around the world and charming Italian greetings travelers hear such as “buongiorno” and “buonasera,” sailing with Costa brings the passion and vitality of Italy to sea.

For complete information regarding Costa’s autumn European cruise specials, guests may contact a travel agent, call (800) GO-COSTA or visit www.costacruises.com. Guests in North America may also find Costa on facebook at www.facebook.com/costacruises.na.

Costa Cruises is Italy and Europe’s Number One Cruise Line.  For the past 60 years its ships have sailed the world, offering the best in Italian style, hospitality and cuisine and providing dream vacations with the best in fun and relaxation. In 2008, 1.2 million guests chose to cruise with Costa, a record for the European cruise industry. The company’s 14 fleet members, each with her own distinctive characteristics and unique style, all fly the Italian flag and sail each year to 250 destinations in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, South America, the United Arab Emirates, the Far East and the Indian Ocean. Three additional ships are on order through 2012.

Costa Cruises 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). All ships in the Costa fleet have been assigned RINA’s Green Star notation certifying that they are operated in compliance with the highest environmental protection standards. Costa Cruises is an official partner of the WWF for the protection of the marine ecoregions of the Mediterranean, the Greater Antilles and Brazil.  In Mediobanca’s 2008 survey of over 3,700 Italian enterprises that recorded revenue of at least 50 million euros the previous fiscal year, Costa Crociere S.p.A. ranks 72nd in terms of sales and in 12th place in regards to profitability.