Costa Cruises To Reduce Fleet as Costa Fortuna Departs in 2026

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Costa Cruises, a Carnival Corporation brand focused mainly on the European market, will further downsize its fleet by 2026, as the cruise line plans to part ways with one of its longstanding vessels. The Costa Fortuna, a ship with a storied history, will be transferred to a new (as yet unnamed) owner in September 2026, the company confirmed in a May 9, 2025, update.

The 2,700-passenger Costa Fortuna, launched in 2003 as part of the Destiny class, holds the distinction of being the line’s longest-serving ship. It will continue to serve Mediterranean routes throughout the summer and fall of 2025, departing from major ports such as Barcelona, Marseille and Savona.

Later, the ship will relocate to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands for Winter 2025, offering a series of island-focused voyages before returning to the Mediterranean in April 2026 for cruises to the Western and Eastern Mediterranean.

Before its departure from the fleet, Costa Fortuna is set to embark on cruises from Athens and Istanbul during the summer of 2026, stopping at ports in Greece and Turkey. Costa Cruises did not disclose the reasoning behind the decision to retire the ship from its fleet, which has already seen a reduction of three vessels over the past three years.

This latest departure adds to a series of ships previously transferred to sister brand Carnival Cruise Line. Costa Luminosa, Costa Venezia and Costa Firenze all made the transition to Carnival, with the latter two adopting the brand’s "Fun Italian Style" theme. These ships now sail as Carnival Luminosa, Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze, having joined the Carnival fleet in 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Since 2001, Costa Cruises has poured approximately €200 million ($225 million) into fleet enhancements as part of its five-year Strategic Path initiative, which will wrap up in November 2025 with the refurbishment of Costa Serena. The Concordia-class ship, launched in 2007, is scheduled for a major overhaul this year, which will include renovated suites, pools, main dining rooms, and a new food court featuring fresh dining options, such as Pizzeria Pummid’Oro and Sushino@Costa.

Following this extensive upgrade, Costa Serena will embark on a world cruise in 2026, departing from Tokyo and traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The ship will then focus on South American voyages throughout the winter of 2026, before returning to the Mediterranean in the spring of 2027.

“Our goal is to provide unmatched experiences for our guests while embracing innovation, sustainability, and exceptional value for money,” said Costa Cruises’ president Mario Zanetti, according to Cruise Hive. “We are also investing in our fleet to enhance onboard experience and introducing new itineraries, including Costa Serena’s new deployment for 2026-2027. The strategy path that we started a few years ago is strengthening our offer in our key markets with a portfolio of unique vacations.”

With no new ship orders currently in place, Costa Cruises is expected to maintain a fleet of eight ships for the foreseeable future.

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