Joe Farcus News

Costa Costa Fortuna has taken to the open sea for the first time. Costa Crociere’s new flagship which, with her 105,000 gross tonnage, is the largest cruise ship in the history of Italian seafaring, today left Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyards, where her fitting out is nearing completion, bound for the builder’s Palermo yard. This crossing will be used to carry out sea trials. On the way from Genoa to Palermo Costa Fortuna will be subjected to various preliminary operational tests on her systems, equipment and engines.

Kvaerner Masa-Yards has delivered the $375 million, 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle, to Carnival Cruise Lines - its 20th Fun Ship - in the traditional handover ceremonies in Helsinki. For anyone who has ever had the privilege to attend such a delivery, seeing a new cruise ship rolled out in the middle of the Finnish winter is truly an awe-inspiring, if not one of the most ironic, sights. However, it is a testament to accrued cruise industry expertise and a stable infrastructure of equipment and system suppliers that keeps the shipyard at the forefront. Carnival Miracle is the sixth cruise ship in the Spirit class series of new Panamax-size cruise ships for Carnival Cruise Lines (four ships) and Costa Crociere (two ships).

Joe Farcus has been in the ship design discipline of architecture for more than 28 years, starting from the refitting of old tonnage and leading up to being involved in the design of six different prototype cruise ships. Here he shares with MR some of his thoughts on Cruise Ship Interior Design. How do you start the design process? In this sense I am a traditionalist. My belief is that people are booking cruises for the same basic reason they did 25 or more years ago. In one way or another those who are doing so are buying into the concept of the romance inherent with the sea. For those of us who are not sailors, being at sea is a most pleasant change of physical point of view. The view from a ship is all horizon, with occasional terra firma drifting by.

Italian prowess in the field of passenger vessel design, outfitting and technology is near legendary status in the international marine community. Even as the grip on these high-value, niche vessels loosens — largely due to cost-cutting competition from the Far East — a quick peak a the world orderbook and recent deliveries of cruise ships quickly tells who currently reigns supreme in the cruise shipping market. Evidence of Italian influence in the passenger vessel segment is undeniable, and over the years the country's shipbuilders have catered to some of the world's most discerning and quality demanding customers, such as U.S.-based Disney Cruise Line.

Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. for the construction of a new 110,000-ton "Conquest-class" vessel for its Carnival Cruise Lines unit. fall 2005, approximately 14 months after the delivery of the third "Conquest-class" vessel, Carnival Valor. just days after Carnival Corporation Chairman and CEO Micky Arison toured the Carnival Conquest, currently in the final stages of construction at the Italian shipyard and slated to debut from New Orleans in November 2002. The attractive price offered by Fincantieri played a key role in the decision to add a fourth vessel to the series. "The Carnival Conquest is simply stunning. interiors and there…

Costa Crociere’s expansion program continued recently when a ceremony was held in Fincantieri’s Marghera yard for the keel-laying of the Costa Luminosa, which will be the 13th fleet member and is due for delivery in spring 2009. The Costa Luminosa will be 92,700 gross tonnage and 292 meters in length with accommodation for 2260 Guests in dual occupancy cabins. The ship will have 772 veranda cabins out of a total of 1130 staterooms. The vessel’s interiors, conceived by architect Joe Farcus, will be designed to offer settings that are refined and elegant, comfortable and user-friendly. The Italian Company will also build a sister ship for the Costa Luminosa in Marghera; the running mate is scheduled to enter service in March 2010.

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.

The Costa Serena, the new Costa Crociere flagship, has come back to Fincantieri’s yard in Sestri Ponente (Genoa) at the end of her sea trials. The running tests on the ship’s systems, machinery and engines, which were performed during the first open sea navigation of the ship, were completed successfully. The delivery of the ship is scheduled for May 15, 2007. The new flagship will make her first official “public” appearance on May 19 with the christening event in Marseilles. Also planned is a Mediterranean tour of presentation involving more than 6000 travel agents from all over the world (from Europe to the Americas and the Far East). The tour will include calls in Savona (May 17), Marseilles (May 20), Palermo (May 22 & 23) and Venice (May 25).

The latest testament to Finnish cruise ship building prowess is embodied in the recently delivered Carnival Spirit, a ship that will become well-known not only for what it contains within, but for what it does not let out. Carnival Spirit, newbuilding no. 499, was built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards' Helsinki New Shipyard for Carnival Cruise Lines, and is the second ship in a series of "Panamax-Max" size ship. (The first, Costa Atlantica for Costa Crociere, was delivered in June 2000). Interestingly, the ship is unique because of its similarity to other vessels. The joint development of the Spirit-class series actually started in the mid-1990s, with KMY presenting its "Project 8000" vision to Carnival in 1994.