Margareth Madè, the Italian actress who became a household name as the star of Baarìa, the Golden Globe nominated film, will be the godmother of Costa Favolosa. The naming ceremony for the flagship of Costa Cruises, Italy’s largest tourism group and Europe’s no. 1 cruise company, will take place on 2 July in the magnificent setting of the Piazza Unità d’Italia in Trieste.

The star will cut the ribbon to break the bottle of Aneri Prosecco against the bow of Costa Favolosa, sealing the ship’s naming.

Costa Favolosa, weighing 114,500 gross tonnage and carrying a total of 3,800 guests, will be the largest ship flying the Italian flag and a symbol of Italian pride that will sail the seven seas. The naming event was included in the official celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Italian Unification.

Margareth Madè is one of Italy’s most elegant Mediterranean beauties and a new icon of the great Italian cinema. With her grace and elegance, this dark haired green-eyed actress reflects the style and values of Costa Favolosa and the naming event.

“Margareth Madè and Costa Cruises share the values that represent Italian style: beauty, refinement and a strong personality. It could only have been this fabulous actress, who rose to the international elite of Italian icons, to become the muse of our flagship and Costa’s unmistakable world-renowned style,” says Pier Luigi Foschi, Chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere S.p.A.

Special guests of the christening event will include the famous pianist Ludovico Einaudi, the voice of Alessandro Rossi (Italian famous voice-over artist) and the Ballet School of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala. The Master of Ceremony at the inaugural event will be the Italian journalist Cristina Parodi. A huge fireworks display over the sea will close the event.
Margareth Tamara Maccarone, on stage Madè, born in the Catania Province and raised in Adrano and Pachino, began her modelling career at the age of 15. After studying acting and diction, she was selected in 2008 by Giuseppe Tornatore to play Mannina in Baarìa, a film that the following year opened the 66th Venice International Film Festival, an event for which Madè was acclaimed as one of its greatest revelations. With its box office success, the movie was the Italian entry for the 2010 Oscar Awards and was also nominated to the Golden Globes.

Margareth just finished shooting the first work by Nikolay Pennestri. This full-length thriller, filmed in English, is divided into 4 episodes and each with a different main character: Kasia Smutniak, Valentina Cervi, Andrea Osvart and Margareth. She will also soon have a role in a comedy una donna per la vita, the first film by Maurizio Casagrande with Maurizio Casagrande, Neri Marcorè and Sabrina Impacciatore.

Costa Favolosa will make her debut with a 3-day mini vernissage cruise, departing from Venice on 4 July, with calls to Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Koper (Slovenia), followed by a grand inaugural cruise departing from Venice on 7 July: 11 days to discover Greece, Turkey and Croatia, with calls to Bari, Smyrna and Istanbul (Turkey), Mykonos, Piraeus and Olympia (Greece) and Dubrovnik (Croatia). For the entire 2011 summer season Costa Favolosa will sail 7-day cruises from Venice and Bari to Olympia (Greece), Smyrna and Istanbul (Turkey) and Dubrovnik (Croatia). Throughout the winter 2011/12 Costa Favolosa will offer 8-day cruises from Dubai.

Costa Cruises was the first company in the world to offer regular cruises in the area, back in 2006. From 16 December 2011 to 6 April 2012, the flagship will be offering the Jewels of the Emirates itinerary, including Dubai (2 days), Muscat (Oman), Fujairah (UAE), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Khasab (Oman) and Dubai (2 days).

Costa Favolosa, weighing 114,500 gross tonnage and carrying 3,800 guests, was built by Fincantieri at the Marghera shipyard (Italy) and is the largest cruiser flying the Italian flag. All her features have been designed to be absolutely amazing: with spacious outdoor areas, avant-garde technology, impeccable service and the modern wonders of design and art, Costa Favolosa is a real modern castle where guests can experience a dream vacation. As the name suggests, Costa Favolosa interprets the emotions of those seeking a cruise with all the magic and charm of a modern castle, the perfect combination of an enchanting magical atmosphere and ultramodern technological fun and entertainment. Some of the ship’s main innovative features will be 6 new Suites with veranda and private Jacuzzi; a new entertainment area, for teenagers and adults alike, with 4D Cinema, Playstation World, and a bar with ice-cream, drinks and popcorn. There will also be innovations for children, with a new outdoor Aqua Park, with water games and a pirate galleon. On board, guests will find the best of all the latest innovations proposed by 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, with a retractable glass roof, equipped with a giant screen; a Grand Prix race car simulator plus a golf simulator. The completely renovated stern swimming pool area will be particularly spacious: 1,000 m² dedicated to relaxation and fun, with 160 chaise lounge chairs, waterfront Jacuzzis and a refreshing waterfall. The ship’s gym will allow guests to use all the most modern Technogym equipment, including machines with web, tv and iPod access. Shopaholics will delight the stores of the new flagship. Costa Collection will offer an exclusive selection of souvenirs specially selected for Costa Cruises by Emilio Robba. Costa collection also includes Costa’s new and exclusive Perfume Atelier, where you can create your own custom perfume choosing between different fragrances. Do not miss the fabulous culinary experiences: the restaurant a la carte; the wellness restaurant; the self-service buffet with culinary specialties of the destinations visited; the delights of Mediterranean cuisine offered in the 2 main restaurants. Culture vultures can admire the art collection of Costa Favolosa: a journey through more than 6,000 art works that enrich the ship and its cabins. The Italian company’s new flagship will be set up for cold ironing, a system that allows ships at the dockside to receive power from the shore without having to run the engines to feed the onboard generators.