GENOA — The launch date for Costa Cruises’ Costa Smeralda has been pushed back again due to ongoing delays in construction.

Originally set to debut on Oct. 20, the ship was forced to announce last month that it will be postponing its inaugural voyage until Nov. 30. Now, after Costa Cruises was notified by the Finnish Meyer shipyard in Turku of further construction delays, Costa Smeralda’s new launch date is scheduled for Dec. 21, at which point it will depart from Savona for Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma de Majorca, Rome and La Spezia. This itinerary will be repeated until May 16, 2020.

In an official statement, the cruise line expressed its remorse for the continued delays. “Costa Cruises is sincerely sorry for what has happened and is informing the travel agencies and guests booked on the Costa Smeralda cruises from Nov. 30 to Dec. 20, 2019, which can no longer take place.”