Discovering the Mediterranean: Costa Cruises offered accessible tours to low-mobility tourists
The Italian company Costa Cruises - the largest cruise ship operator in Europe, introduced programs for tourists with disabilities. From January 2019 on the Mediterranean routes of the Costa Diadema, the company's flagship, special Adagio Tours will be offered to passengers with impaired mobility. Excursion programs are developed with the help of the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association (AISM).
“For the first time in the world in the cruise sector, guests with disabilities will be able to participate in group shore excursions, at no extra cost, with accessibility verified by AISM, in accordance with the most advanced international good practices” - Costa Cruises informed.
At every port of call, at least one group excursion will be offered that is accessible to everyone, and this is available at no extra cost.
Parents with strollers, elderly guests or people with permanent or temporary mobility impairments will be able to visit iconic sights at a convenient pace, leisurely strolling through the streets of the coastal cities of Europe. Adagio Tours has now been developed for Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, Palermo, Rome, Palma de Mallorca and Cagliari (Sardinia).
The planning of barrier-free excursions was carried out by 15 women with multiple sclerosis who participated in the charitable educational program of AISM and the Costa Crociere Foundation, together with travel experts from Costa Cruises. They attended a specific 160-hour training course on land and on board Costa ships. Following this training, starting with a few excursions already included in the Costa offer, they contributed to planning the tours, testing them first hand and taking into consideration every detail relating to accessibility, route mapping, tourism experiences, making the most of local attractions.
Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises said: “This project, which is a real innovation in the world of cruises, is an important step forward towards including people with disabilities and ensuring that there are no more differences and that everyone can share the same experiences when on vacation. I hope our initiative can be extended to the whole sector in the future. We certainly undertake to extend it to the other ships in our fleet.”
_(cropped).jpg)
for Mediterranean cruises on the flagship Costa Diadema (Source)
The Adagio Tours supplement the other services Costa already offers guests with disabilities on board its fleet. All company ships include appropriately fitted cabins with all the comforts required and free of any architectural barriers. Guests who need special assistance can also benefit from free travel for an accompanying person staying in the cabin with them. Priority boarding and landing services and reserved seats at the theatre, on the pool decks and in the buffet restaurants are also guaranteed.