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The thirteenth ship in the Costa fleet, the Costa
Luminosa, was delivered yesterday by Fincantieri at the Marghera
(Venice) shipyard. Built as the most exclusive and innovative
ship in the Costa fleet, the Costa Luminosa (92,700-tons; 2,828
dbl occ) is the first in a new class of ships for Costa and is
the company’s flagship. She features the largest percentage of
balcony cabins on a Costa ship (772 of 1,130 total). The ship is
a true symbol of “Made in Italy” – her construction required the
professional expertise of 3,000 workers from Fincantieri and
roughly 500 linked industry companies, the majority of which are
Italian, for a total investment of 450 million Euros.
The Costa Luminosa is the first of three new ships to be
delivered by Fincantieri to the Italian company in less than one
year. The Costa Pacifica (114,500 tons; 3,000 dbl occ) is
currently being completed at the Genova Sestri Ponente shipyard
and will be delivered on May 29. The Costa Deliziosa, a sister
ship of the Costa Luminosa, is also under construction at the
Marghera shipyard, and will be delivered at the end of January
2010. Costa’s fleet expansion plan, the biggest in the world,
includes two additional new ships to be delivered by 2012. These
five new ships represent a 50% capacity increase of the Costa
fleet, Europe’s largest. In 2012, the fleet will consist of 17
vessels with a total capacity of 46,400 passengers.
The Costa Luminosa is the first ship in Italy and one of the
first in the world to be fitted for “cold ironing.” This special
system allows ships berthed at a dock to receive power from
shore without having to keep their engines running to feed the
onboard generators.
The style of the interiors, designed by the ingenious architect
and interior designer Joseph Farcus, is inspired by the concept
of light in all its forms. The Costa Luminosa features
contemporary design trends in a distinctive avant-garde style,
including interiors decorated with premium materials. These
include 20 different types of marble, wood, mother-of-pearl, and
granite. It also features 120 Murano glass lamps and chandeliers
and the use of LED lights. The ship boasts a sculpture
commissioned by renowned artist Fernando Botero, entitled
“Reclining Woman 2004,” which will be on display in the ship’s
Supernova atrium. Beyond Botero, guests will find 288 original
works of art and more than 4,700 reproductions throughout the
ship.
There are numerous fun and entertaining activities for guests to
participate in onboard, beginning with a new 4D cinema where
sight, sound, touch and scent come together to form a
multisensory experience. This Costa “first” also features seats
that roll in tandem with action as it unfolds onscreen. Costa is
also bringing Sony PlayStation onboard with exclusive dedicated
areas equipped with PS3 consoles and the latest-generation
videogames as well as on-demand PS3 games available in cabins. A
roller skating track on one of the ship’s top decks will allow
guests to try roller skating with strap-and-go “Skorpion” skates
that attach to one’s shoes. For sports aficionados, an 18-hole
golf simulator lets guests “hit the links at sea” on 37 virtual
courses, while a putting green on one of the ship’s top decks
offers a real-life golf experience—both are Costa firsts. For
race car fans, the ship features a Grand Prix race car driving
simulator, one of the most accurate representations of Formula
One racing available.
Spa-goers will enjoy Costa’s renowned Samsara Spa which features
special spa cabins (52 cabins and 4 suites), with direct access
to the spa via private elevator and stairway. This spectacular
wellness haven will also feature a new Kinesis circuit by
Technogym, a unique system based on natural movements through a
patented system of pulleys for resistance training. The ship
will also feature a specialty restaurant with menus created by
the revered Ettore Bocchia, Executive Chef at the Michelin-star
restaurant Mistral at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in
Bellagio, Italy. His exceptional creations explore the
relationship of how temperature and the molecular structure of
food and taste comes together, creating rich cuisine that feels
light.
The Costa Luminosa will be christened together with the Costa
Pacifica on June 5 in the Port of Genoa. This is the first time
that two ships built by the same ship yard for one company and
brand will be christened in the same place at the same time.
Costa Cruises has applied to Guinness World Records for
verification of the extraordinary event, which will include an
incredible overture with the exhibition of the “Frecce Tricolori”
Italian national acrobatic team. The show created for this
exceptional event, “Italian Portrait in Music and Light,” will
pay tribute to the all-Italian ability for making dreams come
true. Starting from the inspirational theme of the ships – music
for the Costa Pacifica and light for the Costa Luminosa – the
show will be a journey through the best Italian talents and
artists known around the world. This will include musical and
artistic performances by some of the most important figures in
the Italian and international scene, accompanied by maestro
Mauro Pagani, a renowned musician with thirty years of
experience who composed the soundtrack for the Costa Pacifica,
the “ship of music.” The evening will end with a show involving
the entire city with lights, music and fireworks.
The Costa Luminosa’s first vernissage cruise departs from Venice
on May 5, 2009. This new 10-night itinerary in the Eastern
Mediterranean will include two days in Istanbul and daily calls
to Bari, Olympia (Greece), Rhodes (Greece), Izmir (Turkey),
Mykonos (Greece) and Athens (Greece). This will be followed by
mini cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean, departing from Venice
on May 15, and a second vernissage cruise on May 19. The Costa
Luminosa will then be deployed in Northern Europe with a
spectacular maiden voyage from Civitavecchia to Amsterdam, which
also includes the christening ceremony. During the summer of
2009 the ship will offer fantastic 11 and 14-night cruises to
the Baltic capitals, the Norwegian fjords and the North Cape.
During the 2009-2010 winter season the ship will operate in
Dubai, offering 7-night cruises from Dubai with stops in other
UAE countries.
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