Pier Luigi Foschi, chief executive Costa Crociere, hinted at the move a week ago, noting that ‘we want to continue to grow and by the autumn we expect to make a very important announcement for the Italian shipbuilding industry.’

On Saturday at the delivery ceremony for Costa’s latest flagship, the 114,500gt, 3,800-passenger Costa Fascinosa, insiders confirmed that, while negotiations on the financial terms of the deal were still ongoing, the cruise line was intent on a second Super Costa.

There was also talk of further growth ahead. AIDA Cruises chief executive Michael Thamm, who will take over from Foschi as Costa’s chief executive starting July 1, declined to share his plans for the brand, remarking that he must first discuss them with Costa management.

‘But I believe it can be a pathfinder as Costa was in the past,’ he said, adding: ‘Of course, we do need more capacity.’ Beyond this a second 132,500gt vessel  is also under discussion with Fincantieri.

Howard Frank, Carnival’s vice chairman and coo, said that ‘we are also working on a prototype (for a new vessel), but this would be beyond 2016.’

He declined comment on the likely configuration of this prototype, but denied that Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi, currently building two AIDA vessels that are advanced in terms of economic and environmental sustainability, had the inside track. He said most of the technology involved in the AIDA newbuildings is proprietary to Carnival and could be deployed at other shipbuilders.

Separately, Frank confirmed that Carnival would push ahead with its programme for major refittings of the entire Destiny class in the wake of its contract with Fincantieri for Carnival Destiny.

The long-running partnership between Carnival and Fincantieri was one of the major themes of Saturday’s event, with executives from each of the two companies stressing its importance to the other.

Costa’s Foschi, still smarting from criticism of the company in the wake of the Concordia disaster, noted that it is a major employer in Italy, and a major investor having built or ordered 14 ships in 12 years at Italian yards at a cost of €5.8bn. He suggested strongly that Italy had a lot to lose should Costa’s fortunes flag.

Frank also spoke of Carnival’s contribution to the Italian economy, citing the roughly $24bn spent by the group on new ships in Italy over the last 24 years, ‘probably the largest investment made in Italy by virtually any company. We have 10 new ships being built and delivered over the next several years. Most are being built in Italy.’

Fincantieri chief executive Giuseppe Bono was even more blunt, expressing bafflement at the criticism of Costa over the Concordia disaster, and casting both Costa and Fincantieri as victims.

He railed at what he insisted were descriptions of Fincantieri ‘in all the papers of the world as a company that was going bust,’ when in fact, he said, it had become more efficient and competitive over the last two years through targeted productivity improvements and reductions to the workforce.

He added that, after a period of retrenchment, Fincantieri must now look outside the narrow confines of Italy for growth, all but confirming the company’s pursuit of STX Europe’s offshore division. Cruise shipbuilding aside, Fincantieri has long seen the offshore energy sector and the defence market as potential core businesses for the future.