Pictured is Micky Arison, Chairman and CEO Carnival Corporation & plc and Pier Luigi Foschi,Chairman & CEO Costa Crociere.
The latest addition to the Costa Crociere fleet, is
Costa Serena, a ship inspired by the gods of Classical Mythology. Costa Serena was delivered by Fincantieri at its Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa.
Like her sister ship Costa Concordia, which entered service in July 2006, the Costa Serena is the largest passenger ship flying the Italian flag and the largest European liner in terms of capacity: 114,000 gross tonnage, 292 meters in length and accommodation for up to 3780 Guests in 1500 cabins.
“The delivery of the Costa Serena,” announced Costa Crociere SpA Group Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi, “fills us with great pride and satisfaction. She is an innovative ship, a showcase of cutting-edge technology that will set Costa even further apart from other tour operators. Also, with the arrival of the Costa Serena the Costa Crociere fleet is now 12 strong, enabling us to consolidate our brand leadership in the rapidly expanding European market. We’re now nearing the one million mark, which was our set objective for the end of this year: in just 5 months in 2007 we have already clocked up about 880,000 bookings, equaling the entire volume of Guests carried in 2006. With three more ships already ordered and all due for delivery by 2010, another record-breaking milestone for the Costa Crociere brand is already taking shape: 1.5 million Guest reservations in 2010.”
"Our relationship with Costa Crociere goes far beyond that of a customer and supplier – commented Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri’s Chief Executive Officer – it is a true partnership. I am confident that this alliance will last over the course of time and will enable our companies to further strengthen the leading positions we have reached within our respective markets."
The interiors of the Costa Serena are designed by the Joe Farcus, their central theme being Greek and Roman mythology. This is also the leitmotiv running through the many artworks on board (5990 works, including 440 originals), contributed by 34 international artists (Omar Galliani, Aldo Spoldi, Nicola Salvatore, Stefano Pizzi, Fernando De Filippi and Wal, among many others). Starting from “L’Olimpo Spattacoloso” (Spectacular Olympus), a monumental artwork including 16 “Sculpture Costumes” by Alberto Nodolini (made using Rubelli-Lisio materials from the Sartoria Fiore), inspired by Roman Mythology, and installed in the Pantheon Atrium in a stunning visual scene.