The Costa Smeralda will be ready for delivery to Costa Cruises in mid-October 2019.
Article from CruisesNews magazine, issue 48 – March 2019
The launch of the Costa Smeralda, the first ship in the Costa fleet powered by Liquefied Natural Gas, took place on March 15 at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland.
Neil Palomba, CEO of Costa Crociere SPA, along with several executives from the shipping company, staff from the Meyer Turku shipyard, and dozens of special guests, witnessed the ceremony, which opened with a resounding cannon salute and the subsequent flooding of the dock where, to date, the ship's construction work had been carried out, which began in September 2017 and involved more than 10,000 people.
The ceremony marked the beginning of the final phase of construction for this 180,000-ton ship, which will run on the world's cleanest fossil fuel and will be a landmark in terms of environmental impact. It will significantly improve air quality by virtually eliminating particulate matter and sulfur oxide emissions, both at sea and in port. Furthermore, it will considerably reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide, thus contributing to the ambitious environmental responsibility and sustainable growth goals set by Costa and Carnival Corporation, such as reducing their carbon footprint by 25% by 2020.
With more than 2,600 cabins, the Costa Smeralda will transport its customers through a true journey through Italy, with numerous areas dedicated to fun, partying and the flavors of the Mediterranean country.
Costa Smeralda will have a total of 2,612 welcoming and bright cabins, including 28 suites, 106 cabins with a terrace, 1,522 with a balcony, 168 outside cabins and 788 inside cabins.
The name pays homage to one of Sardinia's most beautiful tourist destinations: the Costa Smeralda. The names of the different decks and public areas also recall famous Italian landmarks and squares. The ship will feature 11 restaurants, 19 bars, an incredible spa area, a water park with slides, four swimming pools, and a dedicated children's area.
The Costa Smeralda is scheduled to make its debut on October 20th with a 15-day vernissage cruise departing from Hamburg to Savona, Italy, where the christening ceremony will take place on November 3rd, 2019. The following day, it will begin its inaugural cruise from Savona, with stops in Barcelona, Marseille, and Civitavecchia (Rome). The ship will continue sailing the Western Mediterranean until April 2021, offering week-long cruises that include stops in Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, La Spezia, Palma de Mallorca, and Civitavecchia.
Neil Palomba declared during the launching ceremony, “We are thrilled to celebrate this symbolic moment for our ship. The Costa Smeralda represents a major innovation for the international market and is an important step towards setting new standards for the entire sector. LNG is a major advancement in fuel technology, and with its use, the Costa Group, a leader in Europe and China, continues to work towards making sustainable tourism a fundamental part of its leadership in the industry.”.
Jan Mayer, CEO of Meyer Turku, added: “It has been a thrilling experience designing and building the Costa Smeralda together with our colleagues at Costa Cruises. I believe the Smeralda will be a truly unique and innovative ship, both in terms of its engineering and design, and I am confident that passengers will enjoy all the attractions they will find on board. For us shipbuilders, the launching of a ship is always a very special occasion, as the vessel will finally be in its element at the outfitting quay, where we will begin the final phase of its construction.”.
The Costa Smeralda represents a major innovation for the international market and is an important step towards establishing new standards for the entire sector.
Neil Palomba concluded with these words: “I am especially proud of the Costa Smeralda, as it will be a unique ship in terms of innovative design and onboard services. It will pay homage to all those aspects of Italy that are loved and appreciated by people all over the world. The ship has been designed with passion and attention to detail, with the aim of fulfilling our brand promise to provide our guests with an unforgettable holiday experience. For this reason, we hope that the Costa Smeralda will inspire and welcome both seasoned cruisers and new guests to embark on the captivating atmosphere of a state-of-the-art cruise.”.
Construction work on the Costa Smeralda's sister ship has already begun at the Meyer Turku shipyard. The new Costa vessel will enter service in 2021.
In total, the Costa Group has 28 ships in service, representing more than 85,000 berths. The fleet will be strengthened by five new ships by 2023, including two for Costa Cruises, one for Costa Asia, and two for AIDA Cruises. Once the new ships have entered service, the Group's capacity will have increased by more than 50 percent to meet the growing demand for cruises in the coming years.
The group's fleet will be reinforced by 5 new ships between now and 2023, including two for Costa Cruises, one for Costa Asia and two for AIDA Cruises.
The Costa Group, together with its sister brands at Carnival Corporation, has been an industry leader in promoting and developing environmentally sustainable solutions. In addition to using LNG, the Costa Group and Carnival Corporation have pioneered the use of the Advanced Air Quality System. This system has already been installed on more than 70% of the Costa Group and Carnival Corporation fleet. The use of this system, and now the new LNG-powered ships, plays a crucial role in reducing the environmental impact of the Group's operations.
