The 16th ship of Costa Cruises’ fleet has touched water for the first time in a successful technical launch

Costa Fascinosa, the latest ship to join the fleet of Costa Cruises (www.costacruise.co.uk), Europe’s no. 1 cruise company, touched the water for the first time during her technical launch ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera today (29 July 2011).

Once her interiors have been fitted out, Costa Fascinosa (114,500 gross tonnage and a capacity of 3,800 total guests) will depart on her first cruise on 2 May 2012.

About 10,000 workers are contributing to the construction of the ship, and most of the companies involved in the shipbuilding activities, about 500, are Italian. Costa Cruises’ total investment to build the Costa Fascinosa amounts to approximately 510 million Euros.

Costa Fascinosa’s technical launch ceremony was carried out according to seafaring tradition. The shipyard director invited the godmother, Mirca Pizzato, an employee of Marghera shipyards, to cut the ribbon and break a bottle of champagne against the bow of the Costa Fascinosa. Once the dry-dock basin where the ship took shape over the last few months had been filled with water, the hull finally had the chance to touch the sea for the first time. The launch ended with the welding of a coin at the base of what was once the mainmast, a custom considered to bring good luck.

“The launch of Costa Fascinosa, less than a month after the delivery of the Costa Favolosa, named in Trieste on 2 July, confirms the soundness and commitment of our company, says Pier Luigi Foschi, Chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere S.p.A.

Since 2000, at a group level, Costa Crociere S.p.A. (including AIDA Cruises, a leader in German-speaking markets, and Iberocruceros, which operates in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking markets) has developed a challenging investment plan to strengthen the fleet, involving 22 ships delivered from 2000 to 2013, with a total investment of 9.6 billion Euros.

Costa Fascinosa (www.costacruise.com/fascinosa), as her name suggests (in Italian “fascinosa” means “charming”), was conceived as a tribute to charm in all its forms. The interiors are inspired by the atmospheres of great historic films, the protagonists who made them famous and the works that brought success to the most celebrated theatres in the world.

The new flagship will offer a breathtaking holiday experience, brimming with wonderful atmosphere and authentic cinematic locations. Interiors are designed to be works of art themselves: from fine furnishings, where the dominant colours are silver, gold and purple, to the sculptures and lights. With services that remain true to its name, some of the ship’s main innovative features will include six suites with verandas and private Jacuzzis; an entertainment area for teenagers and adults, containing the latest technology in the virtual world, including a 4D Cinema and Playstation World. There will also be innovations for children, with a real outdoor water park, including a pirate galleon and castle. Onboard, guests will find the best of all the latest innovations onboard Costa ships: the Samsara Spa, one of the largest wellness areas ever built on a cruise ship; a central swimming pool area extending over two decks, equipped with a retractable glass roof and a giant screen and a Grand Prix racing car simulator and a golf simulator. The completely renovated stern swimming pool area will be particularly spacious: 1,000 m² dedicated to relaxation and fun, with new Jacuzzis facing the sea and a refreshing waterfall.

The Costa Fascinosa, like her sister ship the Costa Favolosa, will be on the cutting edge of cruise ship building technology, extending particularly 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.

Costa Fascinosa will make her debut with two mini vernissage cruises and an inaugural cruise. The first mini vernissage cruise, departing from Venice on 2 May 2012, will be calling at Dubrovnik (Croatia), Capri (Italy), Savona (Italy); the second one will depart from Savona on 7 May 2012, calling at Corfu (Greece), Kotor (Montenegro), Venice. They will be followed by an 11-day inaugural cruise departing from Venice on 11 May 2012 to visit Israel, Greece and Turkey, with calls at Bari, Corfu (Greece), Haifa (Israel), Smyrna (Turkey) and Dubrovnik (Croatia). For the entire 2012 spring/summer/autumn season (up to November 2012), the Costa Fascinosa will sail eight-day cruises from Venice and Bari to Olympia (Greece), Santorini and Rhodes (Greece) and Dubrovnik (Croatia).