Costa Favolosa To Be Named In Trieste On July 2

Costa Cruises set to return to Trieste in 2012 with 28 calls and an estimated 65,000 passenger movements.


Trieste – April 8, 2011 – Trieste will be hosting the naming ceremony on July 2 for the Costa Favolosa, the new flagship of Costa Cruises, which is the largest Italian travel group, Europe’s no.1 cruise company and also the only cruise operator whose fleet flies the Italian flag.

The Costa Favolosa, weighing in at 114,500 gross tonnage and with accommodation for up to 3,800 total Guests, will be the largest vessel flying the Italian flag and a symbol of Italian-made excellence plying the seas of the world.  Her naming event will be a tribute to Italy, and for this reason it is being put on with the support and assistance of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Administration, the Trieste Provincial Administration, the Municipality of Trieste, the local Port Authority and the Prefecture.

Thanks to the involvement of the local authorities, the inaugural event will be open to the public and the whole city, which will take center stage in Italy on July 2.

The show accompanying the christening will be staged as a celebration of the unique features of Italian identity:  the country’s art, beauty, music, history and historical figures portrayed in an extraordinary spectacle embracing the Piazza and taking in the sea, the surrounding buildings and the sky.

The choice of Trieste as host city for the christening was announced this morning at a press conference by Costa Crociere S.p.A. Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi.  Also present was the Chair of Trieste Port Authority Marina Monassi, the Mayor of Trieste Roberto Dipiazza, the President of the Trieste Provincial Administration Maria Teresa Bassa Poropat and the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Administration Renzo Tondo.

Costa Crociere S.p.A. Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi expressed his gratitude to the local authorities:  “The christening of the Costa Favolosa in Italy, in Trieste, is intended as a tribute to Italian excellence and the history of our beautiful nation, which is celebrating the 150th anniversary of unification this year; I am delighted that the local institutions have appreciated the significance of our decision to come here so that we can work closely together and stage an inaugural show that will be memorable for both the city and the region.  The debut of a new ship is a momentous occasion for us, reflecting our Company’s success and international leadership.  It is also the result of our ongoing commitment to innovation and to rethinking the concepts of travel and hospitality, combining more than 60 years of worldwide cruising experience with the innate Italian knack of fostering homegrown excellence.”

The naming event for the Costa Favolosa further strengthens the links between Costa Cruises and Trieste.  Costa was the first cruise company to appreciate the city’s potential as a tourist destination and operated a ship based in the city as early as 2006.  In 2012 Costa will once again be using Trieste as the homeport for one of its cruise ships.  The Costa Classica, which was the last ship owned by the Italian Company to be deployed out of Italy’s most “central European” city back in 2008, will be making her return from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm every Saturday from May 19 through November 24, 2012, on 8-day cruises to Greece and Croatia.  The season will be longer than in 2008, Costa’s last year of full operations in Trieste:  there will be a total of 28 port calls (+75% compared to 2008) with some 65,000 passenger movements (again, an increase of 75%).  Costa Cruises has a stake in Tami, the company that recently obtained the license to manage the Trieste Passenger Terminal.

The Costa Favolosa is the 15th member of the Costa Cruises fleet, which is Europe’s largest.  She is scheduled to depart on her vernissage cruise from Venice on July 4.  The Costa Favolosa is a floating ambassador for the “Made in Italy” label.  This display of Italian-made excellence starts with Fincantieri, the leading cruise ship builder globally, which has built the Costa Favolosa in its yard in Marghera (Venice).  Her construction has involved the labor of around 3,000 yard workers plus a further 7,000 people employed by about 500 contracted suppliers, most of which are Italian firms.  The fittings and furnishings on the Costa Favolosa also owe much of their appeal and elegance to the intrinsic value of the genuine 100% “Made in Italy” trademark:  featuring are prestigious brands such as Moroso, Tino Sana, Rossi d’Albizzate and La Murrina.

The total cost of the investment in the new building undertaken by Costa Cruises is worth approximately 420 million euros.  After the entry into service of the Costa Favolosa, her sister ship Costa Fascinosa – also under construction in Marghera – is due for delivery in spring 2012.  These two liners are part of the Costa Group’s 9.6 billion euro fleet expansion program, which began in 2000 and provides for the entry into service by 2013 of 13 ships, including 9 built in Italy by Fincantieri.

The ship

As her name suggests (Favola is Italian for “fairy tale”), the Costa Favolosa (www.favolosa.costacruise.com), is intended to interpret the excitement and emotion of people who view the cruise as a magical voyage in a “contemporary enchanted castle”, a perfect combination of fabulous atmosphere and state-of-the-art hi-tech fun with a truly amazing range of amenities.  The main innovations on board include:  6 new veranda Suites with their own jacuzzis; a new entertainment area for teenagers (but other age groups will enjoy it too), with 4D Cinema, PlayStation World, and a bar with ice-cream, drinks and popcorn.  There will also be a new children’s open-air Aqua Park water playground with its own pirate galleon.  Facilities will combine the very best of the Costa product:  the Samsara Spa, one of the largest and most exclusive wellness centers ever built on a cruise ship; a large central lido extending over two decks, with a sliding glass roof and giant movie screen; a Grand Prix driving simulator; and a golf simulator. The brand new design aft pool area will be particularly large and inviting:  1,000 m2 of space dedicated to relaxation and entertainment with 160 sun loungers, whirlpool tubs and an invigorating waterfall.  The shipboard gym will offer all the latest state-of-the-art Technogym equipment, including machines with Internet access, so you can surf Internet update while you work out.  On board there is also a Costa Concept Store conceived by Emilio Robba, a designer with an international reputation, where you can find an exclusive collection of products and souvenirs selected specially for Costa Cruises.  The Costa Favolosa’s position at the cutting-edge of cruise ship building technology also extends to environmental compliance, which has always been a Costa hallmark.  Like other fleet members, the Italian Company’s new flagship will be equipped for “cold ironing”, namely a system whereby the ship is plugged into shoreside electrical power, enabling generators to be shut down during stopovers in port.

The Costa Favolosa is set to make her debut on a 3-day vernissage cruise departing from Venice on July 4, 2011, and calling at Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Koper (Slovenia).  This will be followed by her grand inaugural cruise, which leaves Venice on July 7:  an 11-day itinerary taking in Greece, Turkey and Croatia with stopovers in Bari, Izmir, Istanbul (Turkey), Mykonos, Athens, Olimpia (Greece) and Dubrovnik (Croatia).  Throughout the 2011 summer season the Costa Favolosa will be offering 7-day cruises from Venice and Bari to Olympia (Greece), Izmir and Istanbul (Turkey), and Dubrovnik (Croatia).
 

Source: Costa Cruises