Costa Cruises and Sony Computer Entertainment Italia have announced a partnership which, for the first time in the world, will take the PlayStation to sea. Under the agreement, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 will be coming on board the ships of the Italian Company and Europe’s favorite cruise line. The main innovation is “PlayStation World”, an area on the ships dedicated exclusively to PS3. However, there will also be PlayStations available in the cabins, on the lido deck with the big screen and in the children’s and teens’ clubs. What’s more, the 1 million-plus Guests who come cruising with Costa each year will be able to try out the very latest releases of the best known PlayStation video games. And for Guests who would like the entertainment to continue after the cruise ends, the latest PlayStation products and releases will be available for purchase on board.
The fun starts in May and June 2009, with the entry into service of the new ships Costa Luminosa (on Northern European cruises) and Costa Pacifica (deployed in the Mediterranean), and will be gradually extended to the other 12 ships of the Italian fleet. In addition to the PS3 and PS2 consoles available on board the Costa fleet, four PS3 touch screen cabinets will be set up in the Savona Palacrociere, the cruise terminal managed directly by Costa Cruises.
“The PlayStation has been preempting the demands of our clientele for over 13 years now. With PS2 and PS3 we have brought innovation and entertainment into people’s homes,” said Sony Computer Entertainment Italia Marketing Director Andrea Cuneo. “Now, thanks to Costa Cruises, we’re going to take the dynamism and cutting-edge technology of our brand around the seas of the world.”
“Costa Cruises was the first company in Italy and across Europe – said Fabrizia Greppi, Costa Cruises Vice President Corporate Marketing & Communication – to turn the cruise into a fun, accessible holiday and continues to build increasingly innovative ships at the cutting edge, offering amenities, entertainment activities and services designed to satisfy the demands of a modern international customer base. After the Grand Prix driving simulator, the golf simulator and the 4D cinema, this partnership will bring to our Guests another exciting innovation and another world exclusive feature – the PlayStation, a veritable cult object for all video gamers.”
“PlayStation World”, available on the Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica, is a first for the global cruise industry, and will be totally dedicated to latest generation PS3-exclusive video gaming, PlayStation 3 being Sony’s multimedia entertainment system.
Guests on the Costa Luminosa will be able to enjoy PlayStation 3 from the comfort of their own cabins, thanks to the “PlayStation on demand” service, which will enable PS3 availability for the entire cruise.
Onboard the whole fleet young Guests will have fun with PlayStation 2 in the children’s Squok Club and in the Teen Club. These areas will be outfitted with the ultimate in interactive entertainment in the form of “Social Games” like Buzz! ™, the crazy general knowledge quiz, and SingStar®, the competitive music videogame, which unite friends & family around the console for fun and challenging games.
The fun is set to continue after dark as well, with “PlayStation Nights” on the giant 18 m² screens installed on the lido decks of four of Costa’s fleet members (Costa Concordia, Costa Serena, Costa Luminosa, Costa Pacifica); these facilities can be used all year round and in any weather thanks to a retractable glass roof. Guests here will also be able to enjoy SingStar® and Buzz!™.
All this in a perfect blend of technology and entertainment at the service of the most discerning clientele, introducing an innovation that will excite the imagination of video gamers of all ages.
