COSTA Magica sold?

[CretaMed88]

There has been a lot of rumour the last 1-2 days that she is sold to Greek Interests?Does anyone have any clue?It would be a suprise for me even being Greek to see her being bought by Seajets like the otherships.It is totaly differently oriented than the ones that they have already bought. I would wait to see a company  more like Ambassador to buy her than Seajets. Also I don;t see any greek to have the clients to run her,even she was located for a lot of years in our area.

[foodsvcmgr]

Seems far too large for Celestyal, I’m surprised they have not picked up anything from Seajets idle fleet yet as they are in desperate need of newer tonnage.

Who else could utilize a ship of this size?

[sealynx]

I can't imagine Carnival Corp. selling off one of these relatively new vessels, while still having two Fantasy-class-ships in their fleet. I can imagine them transferring more Costa-ships though.

[CarnivalShips480]

Magica should be transferred to Carnival, lots of demand in the US market.

 

There is a problem though. There is already a Carnival Magic so for Magica they can't switch out the Costa like they did with Carnival Luminosa. The problem with it getting a Carnival name is that they would also have to do a Sunshine class type refurbishment, and right now Carnival doesn't have that money.

 

Fortuna doesn't have cruises scheduled at some point so they could put Magica in wherever they need. This would allow Fortuna to be transferred to Carnival with a Luminosa type refurbishment and become Carnival Fortuna

[CretaMed88]

I think this is the time Carnival to close Costa as it is seems they dont want them and rebrand as Carnival Europe with funships

[CarnivalShips480]

@CretaMed88I definitely agree, I hope it happens soon

[sealynx]

18 hours ago, CretaMed88 said:

I think this is the time Carnival to close Costa as it is seems they dont want them and rebrand as Carnival Europe with funships

I agree that they don't seem to make an effort with this cruise line, but instead of rebranding, they might as well just up their game again. Rebranding seems a bit exorbitantly to me.

[At7Seas]

I have no recent information about the Magica, which hasn’t been in use since covid. Carnival indeed claimed her, but this was cancelled later. In opposite to the Magica the Fortuna can be booked. Just let’s have a look on some facts:
 
A third of the Costa fleet used to be in East Asia, two of their new vessels were built for the Chinese market and should have replaced older, smaller ships, the neoRomantica (sold) and the Fortuna (returned to Europe). China is still not open for cruising and no end of the ban in sight. Not to forget the joint venture closed with a Chinese state-owned company to sail on China-only routes. Based on Costa’s experience of the Chinese market two Costa ships, the Atlantica (transferred to the joint venture) and Mediterranea (transfer to the joint venture not completed), should be used additionally to Venezia, Firenze, Serena and perhaps another European ship sailing at least temporarily in the Far East. It is easy to understand that just waiting for China is economically the worst option.
 
The new Costa by Carnival is obviously a solution to replace Costa’s Chinese market partially. Costa is an established brand in Europe and China, but not so much in the US, where Carnival has its home market, while Carnival is rarely seen in Europe, according to their sales office in Munich they have for 2023 one ship based in the UK for a few cruises. If demand in America is high it is a just a good economic decision to use that market as an alternative for the Costa ships originally planned to sail on the Chinese market. There is no sign at all that the brand Costa should be replaced in Europe, since the only the Costa ships sailing on the American market are announced to be co-branded. Besides this co-branding is not promoted here in Europe at all, while Costa is increasingly promoting their product in Europe, completely without using the expressions Carnival or Funship. Pictures show the Venezia on the Carnival website in a combined layout showing both names Carnival and Costa and with the big blue C on the yellow chimney. The blue bow reminds to Carnival design. It would have been very easy to use full Carnival design instead for easy acceptance in the USA. If all this would have happened on the European market it would be a sign that the name Costa could disappear. Doing this in America it looks like introduction of Costa as something new to that market. Obviously the Serena, another exclusively in China bookable Costa ship, will undergo a refit to return to the European market when the Firenze will leave for the US market.
 
To make it worse Costa lost the Russian cruisers. Although Russians are allowed to enter Turkey visa free the EU ports are closed for them - if they don’t get visa under restrictive rules, a lot of EU countries don’t even hand out tourist visa to Russians at all. I am not surprised that the cruises from Istanbul have been cancelled. And this in times the renewed fleet resulted in a massive growth in capacity.
 
That there could occur confusions about Magic and Magica is logical of course. But there is no reason not to rename the Magica. The neoRiviera was, when replaced in the Costa branded fleet and before being phased out used for Aida, while also new Aida vessels were built. She was repainted and sailed as AIDAmira, although through covid she was laid-up most of that time. And this wasn’t the first vessel with another name after a transfer from one brand or Carnival owned company to the other.
 
So I can’t see any signs of Costa being taken from the European market, the opposite is true, the brand Costa is brought closer to the American market by combining it with Carnival.

 

[CarnivalShips480]

Serena is on the booking engine for Caribbean in 2023-2024.

 

I think Firenze was supposed to do South America in 2023-24, of course now will be transferred then. Only two other ships are scheduled in that season (Fortuna +Favolosa), I don't if they need to send another ship so there are 3 like all the other years.

Edited November 29, 2022 by CarnivalShips480

[At7Seas]

I far as I can see on the EU site of Costa the Firenze can be booked for cruises until January 7th, 2024, at that time sailing from the Mediterranean Sea to the Canary Islands. The first Serena cruise leaves on December 22nd, 2023. So both will be only for a short time together in service for Costa Europe. This is why I stated that Serena will return to the European fleet, when the Firenze leaves as co-branded ship to Carnival. That matches the officially announced plans of the Firenze entering service in America as well, from the press information regarding Costa by Carnival: “Costa Venezia will be followed by Costa Firenze arriving in the spring of 2024.” That winter Diadema, Fascinosa, and Favolosa will sail in South America, the Fortuna is right now there.

[tidecat]

On 11/28/2022 at 2:45 AM, sealynx said:

I can't imagine Carnival Corp. selling off one of these relatively new vessels, while still having two Fantasy-class-ships in their fleet. I can imagine them transferring more Costa-ships though.

The 1998-built Fantasy class ships play a role in Carnival's strategy of serving large markets that have low bridge clearances: Tampa and Jacksonville. While Baltimore has the Spirit class, it has similar bridge clearance issues to Tampa and Jacksonville. Costa Deliziosa (Spirit/Vista hybrid), built 2010, is the only ship in the Costa fleet that is a suitable replacement. Even if Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea are available, they were built in 2000 and 2003, respectively, so they do little to extend the life of Tampa, Jacksonville, or Baltimore as a homeport.

[Ocean_Liner_Traveller]

On 11/26/2022 at 5:39 PM, CretaMed88 said:

It would be a suprise for me even being Greek to see her being bought by Seajets like the otherships.It is totaly differently oriented than the ones that they have already bought. 

 

Off point, but is there any rumour about the ships that Seajets bought? CMV Columbus for example went to the breakers and it is said that Seajets ask exorbitant sums for the other ships. Is there any news about them?

[foodsvcmgr]

Seajets sold one of the Holland America ships to an upstart French firm for about a $20M profit and they are holding the mortgage supposedly.

No news on any of the others, not even rumors, silence.

[CretaMed88]

Costa MAgica reflagged to Madeira-Portugal

[wildbill437]

Could have been sold to Mystic Invest,owner of NICKO Cruises whih own Vasco da

Gama

[foodsvcmgr]

Let’s be glad the reflagging is Madeira not St. Kitt’s and Nevis…….

[CretaMed88]

Finally sold to Seajets , Article in Greek.

 

As far i saw in forum.crocieristi she is renamed Magic.

 

https://www.newmoney.gr/roh/palmos-oikonomias/nautilia/marios-iliopoulos-agorase-to-emvlimatiko-krouazieroplio-costa-magica/?fbclid=IwAR1CLAeTkXk4tduEZrVZAKJ5XcwT5M6kr6DvCYBZ6B-z-DzeHMKJcmhii5M

[CruiseAdict218]

Trade Wind News reporting it as well 
 

https://www.tradewindsnews.com/cruise-and-ferry/carnival-corp-sells-costa-brand-cruise-ship-to-greece-s-seajets/2-1-1401260?fbclid=IwAR0uQn_Luhbq8k6gJgLusmjO8imnBTD_yMR3cgCnpbUtMUBXMcb2-HUldCk

[CretaMed88]

New name finaly MYKONOS MAGIC

[foodsvcmgr]

Curious if Seajets will actually create a cruise brand with this or any of their other ships or if they are strictly an investment buyer for resale to others?

[CarnivalShips480]

Seem to just resell