Genoa, May 25, 2018.Costa Cruises continues the expansion and renewal of its fleet, which now comprises 14 ships flying the Italian flag. Construction of a new 135,500-ton ship with 2,116 cabins has begun at the Fincantieri shipyard in Margherita, Italy, with delivery scheduled for 2020. Like its sister ship, the Costa Venezia, this vessel will be specifically designed for the Chinese market.
Between 2019 and 2021, four new Costa ships will enter service, increasing the company's fleet capacity by 43% . The Costa Venezia , currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, will be delivered in February 2019, while the company's new flagship, the Costa Smeralda , the world's first LNG-powered cruise ship built by the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland, will also be ready next year. These two new ships will be joined by two more: a sister ship to the Costa Venezia, scheduled for delivery in 2020, and a sister ship to the Costa Smeralda , which will begin operations in 2021.
The company's fleet renewal program, which will begin in March 2019, also includes the return of the Costa Fortuna to the Mediterranean. This ship, currently operating in Asia, will begin offering week-long itineraries departing from Genoa. At the end of 2019, the Costa neoRiviera will be transferred to AIDA Cruises, the German cruise line belonging to the Costa Group. After undergoing a complete refurbishment and refurbishment, the ship, which will be renamed AIDAmira, will depart from Palma on December 4, 2019, for its maiden voyage.
Furthermore, since March 30th, the Costa Victoria has been operating regularly in the Mediterranean following an €11 million refurbishment carried out at the Marseille shipyards. Much of the renovation work focused on the cabins, the public areas (both inside and out), and the creation of a new tapas and paella bar. In fact, this summer season, the ship will offer a week-long itinerary dedicated to beaches and entertainment, departing from Tarragona and calling at the Balearic Islands, Savona, and Olbia on Italy's Emerald Coast.
Thanks to this growth program, in 2021 the Costa will consist of 17 ships, three more than the 14 it currently has. The Costa Group currently has seven orders for new ships, with a projected investment exceeding €6 billion. In addition to these four new ships for Costa Cruises, three LNG-powered vessels will join the AIDA Cruises and will be delivered between autumn 2018 and 2023.
