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Costa Cruises Holds Coin Ceremony for Costa Smeralda
Costa Smeralda will enter service in 2019 as the first cruise ship to bemarketed globally that will be fully powered by LNG, the world's cleanestburning fossil fuel
Through fleet enhancement and development of new ships, Costa Cruises continuesto implement its strategy of innovating guest experience, environmentalresponsibility and sustainable growth
Genoa, July4, 2018 – CostaCruises, the Italian brand of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK), the world's largestleisure travel company and cruise operator, today celebrated thetraditional coin ceremony for its new ship, Costa Smeralda, at the Meyershipyard in Turku, one of the biggest shipbuilding complexes in theworld.
Entering into servicein 2019, Costa Smeralda will be the first cruise ship to be marketedbroadly to consumers around the globe, particularly in Europe and Italy, thatwill be fully powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the world's cleanestburning fossil fuel.
With dual-fuel engines, Costa Smeralda will be fullypowered by LNG while in port and at sea – an environmental breakthrough thatwill improve air quality as LNGprevents emissions of particulate matter and sulfur oxides almost entirely atsea and in port. It also significantly reduces the emission of nitrogen oxidesand CO2.
The Costa Smeralda represents further evidence ofthe pioneering and innovative spirit that characterizes the Costa Group, themarket leader in Europe and Asia for cruising with AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruisesand Costa Asia.
During the ceremony, some commemorative coins werepositioned along the keel of the ship as a symbol of good fortune for membersof the crew, passengers and future voyages. This symbolic moment, which is partof shipbuilding tradition, was celebrated with an event attended by the seniormanagement of Costa Cruises and the Meyer Turku shipyard. Elisabetta Moraci, a 28-year-oldItalian from Messina, Second Deck Officer in the Costa fleet, served as godmotherof the event.
"We celebrate thissymbolic moment for our new ship with great enthusiasm," said Neil Palomba,President of Costa Cruises. "With LNG abreakthrough in fuel technology, Costa Smeraldarepresents a major innovation for the international marketand an important step toward setting new standards for the entire sector. Costa Group is themarket leader in Europe and Asia, and we continue to make sustainable tourism akey part of our industry leadership. Our strategy of ongoing innovation andcontinuous improvement will provide a significant boost to the development of LNGas an alternative fuel technology in the cruise industry."
Costa Group, alongwith its sister brands within Carnival Corporation's global portfolio, has beenan industry leader in promoting and developing sustainable and environmental solutions.In addition to the use of LNG for cruise ships, Costa Group and CarnivalCorporation's global cruise brands have been industry leaders in pioneering theuse of exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) in the smallconfines of a cruise ship. Considered an environmental breakthrough, EGCS is installed on about 60 percent ofships in the Costa Group and Carnival Corporation fleet. The use of LNGand EGCS will both play an important role in further improving the impact ofCosta Group's marine operations.
"The coin ceremony marks the beginning of the hull assembly for theship. From here our design and steel construction efforts will start to turninto an actual ship, so a very exciting time for us shipbuilders. We are veryhappy that Costa Cruises has entrusted with the design and the construction ofthis sophisticated LNG powered ship with a unique architectural design thattruly expresses the Costa spirit. Now we are bringing our designs and plans tolife", said CEO of MeyerTurku Jan Meyer.
Added Palomba: "In addition tobeing a ship that represents the latest advancements in fuel technology andenvironmental impact, Costa Smeralda and its to-be-named sister ship expectedin 2021, will be unique in terms of the services offered on board and thedesign. She will represent the best expression to date of our brand promise todeliver ‘Italy's finest' to our guests, which characterizes and differentiates CostaCruises internationally. Costa Smeralda will create further opportunities to welcomenew and existing guests into the exciting and immersive environment of anext-generation cruise ship, offering them an unforgettable vacationexperience."
In total, the Costa Group has 26 ships in service,which equates to 74,000 beds. Seven new ships, will be coming into servicebetween 2018 and 2023, including two for Costa Cruises, two for Costa Asia and threefor AIDA Cruises, representing a total investment of over six billion euros.Once these seven new ships have entered service, the Costa Group's capacitywill have increased by over 50 percent to meet rising consumer demand forcruising over the next several years.
With a gross tonnage of over 180,000 tons, Costa Smeralda will offer over 2,600rooms and will enter service in October 2019. Delivery of a second vessel,the sister ship of Costa Smeralda, also built by Meyer-Turku, is expected in2021.
Costa Smeralda and itssistership will be the first ships to be marketed broadly to global consumersthat will use LNG to generate 100 percent of their energy, both in ports and atsea, contributing to environmental protection and to achieving the ambitioussustainability goals set by Costa Cruises and its parent company CarnivalCorporation & plc.
Costa Smeralda's débutis expected on October 20, 2019, with a 15-day maiden cruise from Hamburg toSavona. The itinerary includes two-day stopovers in some of the cities with therichest history and culture in Europe, including Hamburg, Rotterdam, Lisbon,Barcelona and Marseille.
The Costa Smeralda christeningceremony will be celebrated in grand style in Savona on November 3, 2019. The six-dayinaugural cruise will depart from Savona on November 4, 2019, and sail toBarcelona, Marseilles and Civitavecchia (Rome). Costa Smeralda will thencontinue to sail around the Western Mediterranean until April 2020, offering one-weekcruises including Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca,Civitavecchia and La Spezia.
Cruises on CostaSmeralda are available for immediate booking.
For further information:
CostaCruises
Gabriele Baroni –Communication Director – M +39 349 7668013 - baroni@costa.it
Davide Barbano – MediaRelations Manager – M +39 334 6525216 - barbano@costa.it
Cristiano de Musso – Head ofCorporate Communication – M +39 334 6805095 demusso@costa.it
Press releases and photosavailable at www.costapresscenter.com
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