The “Send us a sea of names” project “ an unprecedented initiative whereby Travel Agents, customers and web users all over the world are taking part in the search for the names for the two new flagships set to join Costa Cruises, the largest Italian travel group and Europe’s n.1 cruise line “ is coming to a climax.

After having received some 16,000 suggestions submitted by Travel Agencies in over 40 countries, Costa Cruises has come up with a shortlist of 25 pairs of names, from which the winning entry could be chosen and the names of the two new ships announced. All Costa customers and visitors to the website can take part by choosing their favorite pair of names from those listed at www.worldofcosta.com , the site dedicated to the “world of Costa Cruises where all the cruise line’s latest news is posted.

The ships to be named are the 16th and 17th Costa fleet members: two 114,500 gross tonnage sister ships with total Guest capacity of 3,780 each, built by Fincantieri in Marghera (Venice) and scheduled to enter service in spring 2011 and 2012, respectively. They are part of a major fleet expansion program which, with 5 new ships due for delivery between 2009 and 2012 entailing a total investment worth some 2.4 billion euros, is presently the largest of its kind in the world.