Costa Cruises – Cruises From Mauritius

Costa Becomes First Cruise Company to Offer Regularly Scheduled Routes from Mauritius

Costa Marina to Sail Indian Ocean Itineraries from Mauritius to Seychelles, Kenya, Madagascar and Reunion Beginning in December 2007

Beginning in December 2007, Costa, Europe and South America’s Number One Cruise Line, will become the first cruise operator worldwide to offer Indian Ocean cruises departing from Mauritius. The news was officially announced Monday in the beautiful island locale during a press conference co-hosted by Costa Crociere SpA Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi and Xavier Luc Duval, Mauritius’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications.

“In 2008 we will confirm our role as leaders in innovation by offering our customers a truly unique holiday destination, never before marketed by a cruise operator,” said Pier Luigi Foschi, Chairman & CEO of Costa Crociere SpA. “Following the opening of new routes in Asia and Dubai last year, next winter we will also offer cruises from Mauritius, itineraries which are already proving to be popular judging from the advance bookings. I would like to thank the authorities of Mauritius for their cooperation and commitment, which have enabled us to be the first to offer cruise departures from this splendid island.”

“We are proud to have such a prestigious partner bringing quality visitors to our island,” said Xavier Luc Duval, Mauritius’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications. “Thanks to the high standard of the tourist facilities and the wide range of excursions, Mauritius is the ideal base for this operation, which will reveal to an international clientele not only our turquoise sea, but also the rich heritage of our culture and our traditions. We are sure this operation will have beneficial effects on our tourist industry and on other sectors of our economy.”

In the course of the 2007/2008 winter season, the 25,600-ton Costa Marina, which features a total guest capacity of 1,000, will set sail from Mauritius every Saturday on six 14-day cruises in the Indian Ocean. The first departure is scheduled for December 22, 2007, with the last one on March 1, 2008. The itinerary includes two day stopovers in Mauritius and Mahe (Seychelles), and one-day calls at Mombasa (Kenya), Mayotte, Nosy Be (Madagascar), Toamasina (Madagascar) and Reunion.