On 7th July 2006, the port of Rome (Civitavecchia) will play host to the christening of the Costa Concordia, the largest European passenger ship.This is currently in the final stages of fitting-out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente (Genoa).

Costa Cruises’ new flagship - 112,000 gross tonnage, 290 metres in length and total guest capacity of 3780 - will be christened at quay 25 in Civitavecchia, Italy’s number one port.

Exciting innovations on the ship include a 2,100 m2, two deck Samsara Spa - the largest spa to ever grace a vessel, with gym, Thalasso pool, treatment rooms, sauna and steam room, a Formula 1 driving simulator and two swimming pools with sliding glass roofs, one of which will have a giant 18 m2 video screen. Other features on the Costa Concordia include 1,430 cabins - 55 with direct access to the spa, 505 with private balcony, 58 suites, all with private balcony and 12 suites with direct access to the spa, 5 restaurants, including the à la carte Club Concordia, by reservation only, 3 bars, including a Cognac & Cigar bar and a theatre on three decks.

“The choice of the port of Rome as the place for the christening of our latest jewel Costa Concordia,” explained Costa Cruises Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi, “is our way of paying tribute to our capital, and is a concrete expression of our desire to provide our Italian and foreign guests with an increasingly broad and innovative offer, as they visit Rome for the first time or come back to discover little known attractions of the eternal city.”

After the christening ceremony on 7th July, the Costa Concordia will be officially presented to Italian and European travel agents; on 9th July she will depart on her 5-day premiere, to be followed on 14th July by her 9-day Grand Maiden Cruise. Throughout the summer, from 23rd July - 19th November, the Costa Concordia will sail from Civitavecchia every Sunday, on a total of eighteen 7-day cruises.

Costa Cruises Announces Agreement With Latium Regional Administration To Promote Rome And Latium To Costa Guests
As part of a concerted campaign to consolidate its leadership in the industry and strengthen its operations in Central and Southern Italy, Costa Cruises is currently defining an agreement with the Latium Regional Government for a series of initiatives to promote both Rome, and Latium as a whole, to the guests on Costa’s cruise vessels calling at Civitavecchia, including the brand new Costa Concordia. The initiatives include new themed excursions capitalising on the historical and artistic attractions of Latium, such as the Tuscia archeological site, and the fine food & wine highlights, such as in the Castelli Romani area. Other ideas include two-day stays in Rome before and after the cruise and possibly even a private beach exclusively for use by Costa Guests. In addition, a project has been launched to produce a video promoting Latium as a tourist destination, including footage of the ships in the Costa Cruises fleet. Clips from the video will be broadcast on Costa’s shipboard television system in order to publicise the region and inform Guests about Costa’s excursions from Civitavecchia.

President of the Latium Regional Administration Piero Marrazzo said, “The sea-based economy plays a vital role in the plan to revitalise tourism in Latium. Our aim is not just to increase the flow of tourists, but also to enhance the quality of the offer. By virtue of this agreement, Latium is taking a great step forward in its plan to expand its offer of tourist facilities and strengthen its historical role as a bridge between Europe and the Mediterranean.”

“The agreement that we’re finalizing with the Latium Regional Administration,” said Costa Cruises President Gianni Onorato, “is aimed at further increasing our operations in Rome and Latium, while offering our guests the chance to become more familiar with the extraordinarily beautiful and varied region of Latium. We’ve been a key player in the port of Rome since 2004; over the last couple of years we’ve more than doubled the number of our stopovers and passengers.”

Costa Cruises Signs Deal With Cinecittà Entertainment Promising A Packed New Season Of Shows On Board The Costa Ships

Costa Cruises and Cinecittà Entertainment have signed an agreement for their joint collaboration on the production of shows to be performed on the ships in the Costa fleet, as well as on general shipboard entertainment, with a series of special initiatives. Highlights of the partnership include two musicals in the theatre onboard the Costa Romantica, “CINECITTA’ OSCAR” and “ITALIANS DO IT BETTER”. “CINCETTA’S OSCAR” turns the ship’s guest into Hollywood stars. For one week a professional film crew will work with the guests as they act out several famous scenes from cult movies. At the end of shooting the scenes will be edited and screened before the audience on “Oscar Night”. The “Guest Stars” will take to the stage to collect awards including Best Actress, Best Actor and Best sex scene, all accompanied by various dance numbers based on the movies “Flash Dance” (What a Feeling) and “Dirty Dancing” (The Time of my Life) as well as on a medley of Madonna’s greatest hits! “ITALIANS DO IT BETTER” is musical about “Italianness”: A gauche American girl arrives in Italy and finds herself plunged into the enchanting atmosphere of 1950s Italy. She meets a young barman and during her adventures with him, transforms into a beautiful self-assured woman.

Costa ships have always been synonymous with entertainment: all 11 members of the Costa fleet, Europe’s largest and most advanced, have their own theatres with top quality shows on offer. Costa’s shipboard auditoriums rival the best shoreside theatres in both size and cutting-edge technology: the “Teatro Urbino” on board the Costa Magica, for example, can seat up to 1350.
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