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

Trieste will be hosting the naming ceremony on 2 July 2011 for the Costa Favolosa, the new flagship of Costa Cruises - the largest Italian travel group and Europe’s no.1 cruise company.

The naming ceremony, which will be open to the public, is supported by Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Administration, the Trieste Provincial Administration, the Municipality of Trieste, the local Port Authority and the Prefecture.

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.

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.

He added: “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, 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 (114,500 gross tonnage and 3,800 total guests) 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 Cruises’ 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 9am to 6pm every Saturday from 19 May until 24 November 2012, on eight 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 15th member is scheduled to depart on her vernissage cruise from Venice on 4 July.  The three day cruise calls at Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Koper (Slovenia).  This will be followed by her grand inaugural cruise, which leaves Venice on 7 July:  an 11-day itinerary taking in Greece, Turkey and Croatia with stopovers in Bari, Izmir, Istanbul (Turkey), Mykonos, Athens, Olympia (Greece) and Dubrovnik (Croatia).  Throughout the 2011 summer season the Costa Favolosa will be offering eight day cruises from Venice and Bari to Olympia (Greece), Izmir and Istanbul (Turkey), and Dubrovnik (Croatia). In Winter 2011/21012, she will be positioned in Dubai for eight day Arabian Nights cruises in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai (two days), Muscat (Oman), Fujairah (UAE), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Bahrain and Dubai (two days).

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 labour 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 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 programme, which began in 2000 and provides for the entry of 13 ships into service by 2013, including nine built in Italy by Fincantieri.