Costa Serena Completes Sea Trials

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 new cruise liner will depart from Venice on her maiden cruise on 26 May, with an 8-day itinerary to Turkey and Greece via Bari (May 27). Every Sunday from June through November 2007 the Costa Serena will depart from the port of the city of canals on 7-day cruises calling at Bari, Olympia (Greece), Smirne and Istanbul (Turkey), and Dubrovnik (Croatia). In winter 2007/2008 she will offer 10- and 11-day cruise vacations to the Canary Islands.

Like her sister ship Costa Concordia, the Costa Serena will be the largest vessel flying the Italian flag: 112,000 gross tonnage and 290 meters in length, 1500 cabins and total guest capacity of 3780. She will also feature all the main innovations offered by her sister ship Costa Concordia, such as the Samsara Spa, one of the largest wellness centers ever built on a cruise ship (2154 m²), 2 swimming pools with a sliding glass roof, the totally authentic Grand Prix driving simulator, the most accurate representation of F1 ever, and menus devised by the Italian culinary innovator Ettore Bocchia at the “Club Bacco”, Costa Serena’s à la carte restaurant. The interiors of the Costa Serena are designed by the ingenious American architect Joe Farcus, their central theme being Greek and Roman mythology. This is also the leitmotiv running through her many works of art.

In addition to the Costa Serena, Costa Crociere has commissioned 3 more ships – all from Fincantieri – for a total investment of 2 billion euros.