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Costa Cruises Puts Liguria in the Spotlight: In 2019 Costa Fortuna will be in Genoa and the New Flagship Costa Smeralda in Savona and La Spezia

From March 2019Costa Fortuna will call at Genoa every Friday. From November 2019 CostaSmeralda, the new flagship currently under construction, will offer one-weekcruises that includes both Savona and La Spezia. Work is scheduled to becarried out in the port and cruise terminal in Savona to host Costa Smeralda.

Genoa, 23 March 2018 – CostaCruises is strengthening its presence in Liguria with the announcement of three important items of news for 2019concerning the region's main ports.

Over thecourse of the next year, Costa Fortunawill make regular calls at Genoa,while the new flagship Costa Smeraldawill offer an itinerary that includes both Savonaand La Spezia. Cruises forboth ships will go on sale in the coming weeks. Important work to becarried out by both the Port Authority and CostaCruises is scheduled to take place in Savona in the port and in thecruise terminal, so that it can host the Italiancompany's new flagship.

"Liguriahas always been Costa Cruises' home throughout its seventy years in existence,which is why we are especially happy to strengthen our presence in all thethree main ports of our region," said Neil Palomba,Costa Cruises President. "Thesenew investments have become a reality thanks in part to the constant dialoguewe have with local institutions, including the Liguria Region, the three citycouncils and the Port Authorities. In particular, the support of the mayor ofGenoa Marco Bucci and the President of the Liguria Region Giovanni Toti haveplayed a decisive role in finally bringing back a Costa ship to Genoa after allthese years."

Giovanni Toti, President of the Liguria Region, said: "After almost fifteen years a Costa ship iscoming back to Genoa, reflecting the success of the work the institutions haveachieved together with the cruise company, with initiatives that will showLiguria in an even better light. The new Costa Fortuna will call at Genoa,while the Costa Smeralda, currently under construction, will expand Costa'spresence in the port of Savona, on a cruise itinerary that will also take in LaSpezia. The collaboration between the Liguria Region and Costa Cruises beganwhen the new regional council took over with the opening of a new trainingcentre of excellence, opened in the wonderful Villa Figoli in Arenzano, wherethe company and the Italian Merchant Marine Academy provide high qualitytraining and new job opportunities for young people and the unemployed in theseafaring job market, in particular in the on-board hotel sector. The excellentteamwork between the institutions and this private company has proven to be agreat success and the benefits to our region are tangible. The fact that we areall here today tells us that Costa Cruises' contribution continues and grows evenstronger, with important consequences for employment: Costa's activitiesgenerate more than 700 jobs in Savona every year and have an economic impact ofalmost 40 million euro on the city. The cruise company calls at Savonaapproximately 200 times a year, bringing with it 300,000 tourists who embarkand disembark ships in the city, and over 350,000 guests in transit arrivingfrom other ports. These flows of people generate an average spend per year ofalmost 100 euros for each guest and 1,020 euros from related industries andactivities for each inhabitant of Savona. The presence of Costa in Savona hasalso led to significant investments in its port and in the Terminal, both bythe Port Authority and by the company itself. Today we are all showing our eagernessto carry on creating value in our region by strengthening the cruise sectoreven further, not only in Genoa, but also in the region's other two main ports,Savona and La Spezia. This demonstrates how crucially important the maritimeeconomy is for Liguria and is proof of Costa's devotion to our region, and itwill allow us to capitalise on all the wonderful things our region and ourhistory have to offer."

The Mayor ofGenoa, Marco Bucci, said: "I'm extremely pleased that Costa Cruises ismaking this important return to Genoa. Costa Cruises is not just a shippingcompany for us: it is an important part of our city's history. Seeing Costaships in our port again will be a source of great pride. But it also means thatthousands of tourists will be coming to Genoa: the council and the city willprovide accommodation, entertainment and cultural solutions that will meet allthe expectations of Costa Cruises guests. We are looking forward to working infull synergy with the Costa group to make sure that tourists have theopportunity to explore and discover all Genoa's treasures."

From the end of March to November 2019, Genoawill be the home port of Costa Fortuna, a ship with a gross of tonnage of103,000 and a total capacity for 3,470 guests that is currently in service inAsia. Its debut in the Ligurian capital is scheduledfor 26 March 2019, with a three-daymini-cruise in the Mediterranean. From 29March until 8 November, the ship will be in Genoa every Friday, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., on two different itineraries. In the spring and autumn, the ship will call at Genoa, aswell as Marseille, Barcelona, Valencia, Civitavecchia and La Spezia; and in the summer, Marseille, Tarragona, Palma deMallorca, and a long stopover in Ibiza and Olbia are scheduled. Costa Fortunawill call at Genoa a total of 34 times. Theship was built just in Genoa, at Fincantieri shipyard, and named on 22 November2003.

Starting from November 2019, the new flagship Costa Smeralda (180,000 gross tons and 6,600 total guests),currently under construction at the Meyer shipyard in Turku (Finland), willcall at Savona and La Spezia every week for the wholewinter season. The first call in Savona is scheduled on 3 November 2019, for amini cruise. After that, from 9 November, Costa Smeralda will be in Savonaevery Saturday and La Spezia every Friday, on a one-week itinerary that willalso call at Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Civitavecchia.

Inanticipation of the arrival of Costa Smeralda, important work will be carriedout over the coming months in Savona, which will not compromise port operationsanyway. The Authority Port System of Western Ligurian Sea will work on makingthe port basin deeper, while Costa Cruises will invest a total of 4.5 million euros for two new passengerboarding fingers and for upgrades work on the Palacrociere buildings.

In La Spezia, Costa Cruises has obtained the adjudication of theconcession for the management of theport's cruise areas and services in 2018.

The newflagship Costa Smeralda, powered both in port and at sea by LNG, will perfectlyembody the concept of "Italy's finest" that is the distinguishingfeature of the Costa brand around the world. It willoffer brand new innovations, as well as new developments in terms of featuresfor the most successful products on the ships already in service. For theinteriors, four internationally renowned design companies have been chosen –Dordoni Architetti, Jeffrey Beers International,Partner Ship Design and Rockwell Group – under the guidance of creativedirector Adam D. Tihany.

For further information:

Costa Cruises

Press Office - Tel. 0105483523 / 010 5483068 - costapressoffice@costa.it

Gabriele Baroni – CommunicationDirector – mob. 3497668013 - baroni@costa.it

Davide Barbano - MediaRelations Manager – Tel. 010.5483523 – Mob. 334.6525216 - barbano@costa.it

Press releases and photos areavailable at www.costapresscenter.com

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