Italian cruise ship operator announces strategic partnership to serve Caffè Vergnano coffee across its fleet and open two on-board branded cafeterias
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The Caffè Vergnano 1882-branded cafeteria on board Costa Cruise's Costa Smeralda flagship | Photo credit: Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises has announced it will begin serving Caffè Vergnano 1882 coffee across its operational fleet of 12 cruise ships. The Italian cruise operator has also unveiled a Caffè Vergnano 1882-branded cafeteria on board its Costa Smeralda flagship, with plans to open a further site onboard its sister ship, Costa Toscana, which is currently under construction.
‘The agreement confirms the two companies’ desire to work together to promote Italian excellence and attention to sustainability, a fundamental value of both companies,’ stated a joint press release.
“As a cruise company flying the Italian flag, our mission has always been to be ambassadors of Made in Italy in the world, and we are pleased to follow this path by bringing the quality of Caffè Vergnano’s Italian espresso on board all our ships,” said Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises.
Costa Cruises restarted operations in May 2021 after cancelling all voyages in late 2020 due to the rising Covid-19 cases globally. In August, the operator launched a ‘back to sea sale’ in a bid to woo passengers back on board as worldwide vaccination rates have increased, allowing international tourism to regain pace.
Caffè Vergnano is a family-owned Italian coffee company headquartered in Santena, Italy. It is one of the oldest coffee roasters in Italy with roots dating back to 1882. The company reports it sold around 7,000 tons of coffee in more than 90 countries worldwide during 2020 and operates around 100 branded coffee shops worldwide.
In June 2021, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (HBC)
acquired a 30% stake in Caffè Vergnano.