The first steel cutting for the Costa Toscana took place today at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the future new ship of Costa Cruises, the Italian brand of Carnival Corporation, the world's largest leisure travel company.
Costa Toscana will be the second sister ship ordered by Costa Cruises powered both in port and at sea by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the world's cleanest fossil fuel. The first, Costa Smeralda, is nearing completion at the same shipyard before entering service this October. Meanwhile, Costa Toscana will be delivered in 2021.
The introduction of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel is an innovation that will minimize environmental impact. It means improved air quality with the complete elimination of sulfur dioxide emissions (zero emissions) and particulate matter (95-100% reduction). The use of LNG also guarantees lower emissions of nitrogen oxides (85% reduction) and CO2 (up to 20% reduction). The gas will be stored in special tanks on board and used to generate the energy required for navigation and onboard services, thanks to dual-fuel hybrid engines. Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana are an integral part of the strategic plan to reduce the carbon footprint, defined by Carnival Corporation and fully implemented by Costa Cruises. In fact, the measures adopted through a dedicated investment plan allowed Carnival Corporation to meet its target of a 25% reduction in its carbon footprint by 2020, three years ahead of schedule, with a 27.6% reduction in emissions already achieved since 2018.
With a gross tonnage of over 180,000 and more than 2,600 cabins each, the Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana are part of the Costa Group's expansion (which includes Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises), with seven new ships scheduled to enter service by 2023 and a total investment of €6 billion. The first of these ships was the AIDAnova, delivered last December, followed by the Costa Venezia at the end of February 2019.
The two new ships from the Italian company Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda will pay tribute to the best of Italy, and accordingly, each has been named after some of the country's most popular regions. The ships will feature 11 different restaurants, 19 bars, a large spa area with 16 treatment rooms, a water park with slides, four swimming pools, and dedicated facilities for children to play with other children their age. Costa Smeralda will even have its own museum: the CoDe – Costa Design Museum, showcasing the excellence of Italian design.
