COSTA CAREFREE: COSTA NORTH AMERICA OFFERS NEW JOB LOSS PROTECTION PROGRAM

MIAMI (July 29, 2009) — Costa, Europe’s Number One Cruise Line, is offering guests an added protection for job loss under its “Costa Carefree” Job Loss Protection Plan. The program provides coverage for cruise guests who involuntarily lose their job and covers cruise and air fares.

The plan is part of “Costa Carefree,” a recently renamed program that also features Costa’s existing Guest Protection Plan. Both plans must be purchased separately. Job Loss Protection Plan prices range from $19 to $69, depending on the cruise itinerary and may be purchased up to the final cruise payment. The plan allows for reimbursement of cruise fare (and air fare if purchased through Costa) should an individual be involuntarily terminated from their job and has worked for their employer for three years or longer.

“We wanted to offer a guest protection program that allowed our guests to customize based on their needs and that provided assurances that would allow them to truly be more carefree about their cruise purchase,” said Ruben Perez, senior vice president of guest services and revenue management for Costa North America. “The plans in our ‘Costa Carefree’ programs do just that by allowing guests to chose our already existing Guest Protection Plan, our Job Loss Protection Plan, or both.”

Costa’s Guest Protection Plan, administered by BerkelyCare, covers trip cancellations/interruptions, travel delays, emergency medical expenses, evacuations, baggage delays and loss, and emergency worldwide assistance among a variety of other benefits. Plans are commissionable for travel agents at 10%.  Complete information on “Costa Carefree” is available at www.costacruises.com.

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 atleast 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.

For reservations or more information regarding Costa Cruises, guests may contact a travel agent, call (800) GO-COSTA or visit  http://www.costacruises.com.