The Marghera shipyard (Venice) is where Fincantieri delivered to Costa Cruises its newest flagship, the Costa Favolosa (114,500 gross tons and a capacity of 3,800 guests): the largest cruise ship flying the Italian flag.
The Costa Favolosa is the 15th vessel comprising Costa’s fleet, the only fleet flying the Italian flag, is a symbol of Italian pride that will sail the seven seas. About 3,000 employees and 7,000 workers from linked industries contributed to the construction of the ship.
Most of the companies involved in the shipbuilding activities, about 500, are Italian. The total cost of the investment in the new building undertaken by Costa Cruises is worth approximately 510 million euros.
“For us, the delivery of the Costa Favolosa is a twofold source of pride. She’s a wonderful ship, a real “contemporary enchanted castle” with incredible technological features where our Guests will experience a “fairy-tale holiday”. But it also confirms the soundness of our company. Despite what is not the most favourable worldwide economic situation, our expansion plan continues, with major investments in Italy, thanks to the strength of our brand, guaranteed by more than 60 years of experience, the quality of our product and customer satisfaction.” Said Pier Luigi Foschi, Chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere S.p.A.
“The Costa Favolosa, the largest ship built to date for Costa Cruises, is living proof of how far we have come together and the results achieved by two great Italian companies who help spread a positive image of Made in Italy round the world”, commented Fincantieri’s CEO Giuseppe Bono.
“We are most pleased to have contributed to the success of Costa, an Italian company which proudly flies the Italian flag and which has grown to become the first in its sector in Europe, step-in-step with Fincantieri as we strengthened our leadership in this sector. Cooperation between our companies shows that Italian industry is capable of creating and working as a system and thereby of reaching unrivalled levels of quality.”
The Costa Favolosa will depart from Venice on July 4 2011 on her first voyage, a 3-day vernissage mini-cruise. Throughout the summer of 2011, Costa’s flagship will sail 8-day cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean, following the old routes of the “Serenissima”, calling on Turkey, Greece and Croatia. Instead, next winter, the Costa Favolosa will sail to the exotic seas of the Arab Emirates and Oman, offering her Guests “dream” vacations in the mythical and fabulous area of the Arabian Nights.
The Costa Favolosa, the next to last of 9 new ships that Costa Cruises ordered from Fincantieri in Italy that have been or will be delivered from 2003 to 2012. The next ship to enter service will be the Costa Fascinosa, the sister ship of the Costa Favolosa, also under construction in Marghera, to be delivered in the spring of 2012. Costa’s new ships are part of a fleet expansion plan developed by Costa Crociere S.p.A. (that also includes AIDA Cruises and Iberocruceros), involving 22 ships for a total investment of €€9.6 billion from 2000 to 2013.
Following delivery, the Costa Favolosa will depart from the Venice Maritime Station on July 1 to kick off her naming festivities. During the night, the ship will be the protagonist of “Notte Rosa 2011”, or Summer’s New Year’s Eve, when the Adriatic Riviera in Emilia Romagna region turns pink: with her gala lighting on display, the ship will sail along the Romagna coast, recreating the scenic majesty of the legendary “Rex” in Amarcord, stopping in front of the town of Cattolica for an incredible fireworks show on the sea.
