The Italian government gave the green light to cruising companies to resume their sailings last month.
MSC Cruises was the first to return to the Mediterranean with its MSC Grandiosa cruise liner in August, with around 2500 passengers and staff on board, no longer at full capacity.
Costa Cruises followed on Sunday when its Costa Deliziosa set sail for a week-long cruise in Italy from the Adriatic port of Trieste.
The ship is heading for southern Italy and will dock at Bari, Brindisi, Corigliano-Rossano, Siracusa and Catania, according to a press release.
Carrying only Italian residents as part of its new safety measures, its weeklong outing will follow an all-Italy itinerary of Adriatic and Mediterranean ports.
All passengers had their temperatures taken, were tested for coronavirus and completed a health questionnaire before being allowed on board.
The crew had been tested for the virus and spent 14 days in quarantine before the departure.
Social distancing rules also led to the banning of the traditional dinner buffet, and the use of restaurants, bars and swimming pools will be carefully scheduled to limit numbers.
Posters now explain the health requirements, including hand-sanitizing and temperature checks.
New safety measures on the ships also require wearing protective masks in all indoor spaces and outdoors where social distancing is not possible.
After five months of closure, cruise lines are hoping that tighter protocols will allow them to control the still-lingering threat of coronavirus aboard their ships while still offering travellers a worthwhile cruise experience.
Italy represents the bulk of Europe’s cruise industry, reaping €14.5 billion of revenue per year and supporting nearly 53,000 jobs, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
The financial impact and job losses on the industry is expected to be huge.
