Celebrations were held earlier in Savona for the naming ceremony of Costa Smeralda, Costa Cruises’ new flagship. The ship’s godmother and star of the event was international celebrity Penélope Cruz, who performed the ribbon-cutting duties with the traditional breaking of the bottle against the bow of the ship.

Carnival Corporation will launch four new cruise ships in 2020 across four of its global cruise line brands. On the slipway are Iona for P&O Cruises UK; Enchanted Princess for Princess Cruises; Mardi Gras for Carnival Cruise Line; and Costa Firenze for Italian brand Costa Cruises.

Costa Cruises and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri have celebrated the official float-out ceremony of Costa Firenze. The ship is the second for the brand designed and built specifically for the Chinese market.

The three-year tripartite partnership will leverage Costa’s global presence, Singapore’s cruise hub status and Changi Airport’s air hub connectivity to further enhance south-east Asia’s appeal as a cruise destination.

Costa Cruises has held the traditional coin ceremony for its newest ship, the Costa Venezia, named in honour of the city of Venice. As the first Vista-class ship specifically designed and built for China, Costa Venezia in 2019 will bring the rich culture, history and romance of Venice to its Chinese guests.

Costa Cruises has announced the Costa neoRomantica will be based in Asia. She will be deployed regularly in the region and operated by the Costa Asia brand, offering cruises designed for local guests.