This article should start with its end: My conclusion – there is no antisemitism in Costa Cruises company. And after this opening/closing, it should be clarified what is behind it.
Well, in July 2024, reports surfaced regarding issues on kosher cruises. 3 Jewish tour operators were notified that Costa refused to provide kosher services. David Cruise canceled a cruise at the last minute. Other operators, 'Kosher Cruises' and 'Destinations 613' showed up anyway, and their customers received food of lower quality than expected. Some passengers even sent me photos via WhatsApp showing meals served on disposable cardboard plates.
'Destinations 613' CEO, Yossi Zablouki launched a campaign accusing Costa of mistreating Jewish passengers due to antisemitism. This sparked anger among Jewish tourism professionals, including myself. Believing the reports, I shared the information after a superficial check, assuming thorough verification by American media colleagues. Consequently, I published an article detailing these incidents and tourists' claims of antisemitism, alongside Costa's response: "We are very familiar with Kosher meal requirements, and we have successfully supported Kosher meal requests onboard Costa ships multiple times per year for decades and will continue to do so in the future. Unfortunately, last July, Destination 631 Tours failed to reach the minimum cabin booking thresholds (50 cabins) necessary for us to provide Kosher meal service. Costa was fully transparent with the tour operator, communicating them well in advance of departure that if the tour did not meet the required minimum cabin reservations, it would be impossible for us to provide Kosher meals".
Jewish tourism companies asserted they were informed just two weeks before departure that fewer than 100 passengers would forfeit kosher meals. When questioned, Costa's spokesperson explained: "We share the guests’ disappointment that more notice was not provided by the tour operator. While we cannot speculate why the tour operator did not notify the tour group of the situation, as guests arrived on board the ship and we learned they had not been notified by the tour operator."
Dissatisfied with Costa's response, I embarked on a kosher cruise aboard the Costa Toscana ship from Barcelona to Rome to investigate firsthand. From personal experience, now I can attest to the absence of antisemitism onboard Costa's cruises. Passengers freely wore kippahs and tzitzits, dining on tasty, varied meals served respectfully, without disposable plates. Costa provided us with a spacious hall for prayer. Costa even taught its waiters to greet us "Shabbat Shalom" in Hebrew. Actually, I find Costa Jewish friendly.
Captain Valestra (Left), Hotel manager Miguel Munir, and owners of David cruise, Levi Itzhak Yifrach & David Braka.
Captain Giulio Valestra clarified that the alleged incident of barring a rabbi from the kitchen was misconstrued: "I instructed the rabbi and Israeli manager to enter the kitchen not alone, but with our staff, due to new safety guidelines." When pressed about the late notice to Israeli agents, he deferred responsibility to Costa's marketing department.
Miguel Munir, the ship's hotel manager, explained that recent restrictions on kitchen access stemmed from safety concerns after an incident in another Costa ship last year, involving a visitor almost causing a fire.
The ship's kitchen manager, Eugenio Diano, initially refused to speak with me. After his manager Miguel approved, he said: "I was there, and I forbade the rabbi and his team from entering the kitchen. Why? According to our strict health regulations, every kitchen worker must present a medical certificate that they do not have contagious diseases that could pass on to passengers. All kosher operators also know this. But this time two operators came without medical approvals. I politely asked them to hurry to a city doctor since there are still a few hours until departure, or to bring another team like they did in the past. Because without a medical certificate, I cannot allow them to enter the kitchen, I fulfilled my duty. After a week, I see your articles and others, accusing Costa of antisemitism because of me. I just did my job". He argues and elaborates further: "It's also about interpersonal relations. When a tourism operator makes requests politely, like Yitzhak Levy, we make an effort to accommodate them. However, when others approach us with aggression, threats, and insults, they receive a different response from us to meet their demands."
After my research at sea onboard Toscana, I confidently affirm: there is no antisemitism in Costa Cruises. It appears that financial disagreements and disputes, not antisemitism, prompted the public scandal allegations from Destinations 613, leading to Costa terminating its business relationship with Yossi Zablouki.
Reflecting on my earlier accusations in the Jewish Traveler Online magazine, I realize my error, and apologize to Costa for implying antisemitic intent where none existed.