The leading cruise line in continental Europe will receive the largest cruise ships ever built, based on passenger capacity. They will be the first powered by liquefied natural gas.
Costa Crociere today announced an order for two next-generation cruise ships, boasting the world's largest passenger capacity. Featuring a revolutionary 'green design', both will be the industry's first cruise ships (along with the two vessels previously announced for Aida Cruises, the German brand of the Costa Group) powered by Liquefied Natural Gas, the world's cleanest fossil fuel, representing a major environmental breakthrough.
The two ships will be built at Meyer's shipyards in Turku, Finland, with deliveries scheduled for 2019 and 2020. Each will weigh over 180,000 tons, offering more than 2,600 passenger cabins and a total capacity of 6,600 passengers on board.
This order from Costa is part of a multi-million dollar contract with two Meyer shipyards in Turku, Finland, and Papenburg, Germany, which also includes two new ships for Aida Cruises. The contract with Meyer is the result of the major agreement announced between Carnival Corporation & plc, parent company of the Costa Group, and leading shipyards Meyer Werft, Meyer Turku, and Fincantieri SpA for nine new ships between 2019 and 2022.
“These ships will reinforce the Costa Group’s leading position in all major continental European markets,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of the Costa Group. “The multi-million-pound contract with Meyer reflects our strategy of constantly innovating our holiday offerings and providing an unparalleled cruise experience for our guests.”
“The two Costa ships are true innovations in the market, setting new standards for the entire industry: they will be the first 'green' ships, powered by Liquefied Natural Gas, and will offer a host of distinctive features for our passengers. Furthermore, they will embody the new positioning of ' The Best of Italy,'” explains Neil Palomba, CEO of Costa Crociere. “This order also confirms that the Costa brand will continue to grow, becoming even stronger and generating a positive economic impact in the key countries where it operates.”
Pioneering a new era of sustainable fuels, Costa's new ships will be the first in the industry to use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in dual-power hybrid engines that propel the vessel, both in port and at sea. The LNG will be stored onboard and used to generate 100% of the power at sea – also an industry innovation for Costa. Using LNG to power the ships will significantly reduce exhaust emissions, helping to protect the environment and support the company's ambitious sustainability goals.
“We are very honored that the Costa Group has entrusted us with the technical design and construction of its new generation of ships for Europe, which will feature a revolutionary 'green cruise' design implemented to meet the group's specific needs,” commented Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku Oy, adding: “We are building these ships thanks to the strong team in Turku and the support of many leading European suppliers. Among these suppliers are also a large number of Italian companies, with whom we have worked very well in both Germany and Finland. Our goal is to continue building on this successful legacy.”
The new order also represents a great opportunity for Italy. According to Costa's forecasts, approximately 750 Italian crew members will be hired to work on the ships. Furthermore, Italy will also be present in the onboard passenger experience: the new vessels will be ambassadors of the best of Italy at sea, allowing thousands of international passengers to discover the excellence of the Bel Paese in terms of style, hospitality, food and wine specialties, and entertainment.
These new ships will allow the Costa Group to continue building on its leading position in the continental European cruise market, a market in which five out of ten passengers in 2014 sailed on board a Costa Group ship.
