December 7, 2009.

Costa’s Newest Ship to Make Her Debut in February

The Costa Deliziosa, Costa’s newest flagship, completed her official technical trials in the open sea successfully. She will be inaugurated on February 23, 2010 in Dubai, which marks the first time the international locale has hosted a cruise ship naming ceremony.

The stunning ship, Costa’s 15th fleet member, built at Fincantieri’s Marghera (Venice) shipyard, was put through her paces in the open sea for the first time, with a series of running tests on the ship’s systems, machinery and engines. During the official trials performed at sea, the Costa Deliziosa sailed at maximum speed (in excess of 23 knots = 40 km/h), for eight hours non-stop during the endurance test.  A crash stop was also carried out. This maneuver involves the total shutdown of propulsion with full ahead movement to see the distance required to bring the vessel to a total stop in the event of an emergency.  During the UMS trial, the Costa Deliziosa sailed for six hours non-stop using only her automatic control systems for power generation and propulsion. Lastly, the blackout test was conducted whereby all the ship’s control equipment is shut down and reactivated automatically.

After the trials, the Costa Deliziosa returned to the yard in Marghera for her final touches before entering service. The Costa Deliziosa will be ready for delivery on January 29, 2010, while her inauguration will take place in Dubai on February 23, 2010 during her Grand Maiden Cruise, which departs from Savona on February 5. The inaugural event promises to be an unforgettable occasion combining traditional Arabian enchantment, reminiscent of “A Thousand and One Nights,” with Costa’s traditional Italian style.
The Costa Deliziosa is part of the Italian Company’s fleet expansion program, presently the largest of its kind in the world, with five new ships launched between 2009 and 2012, for a total investment worth 2.4 billion euros. The Costa Luminosa, Costa Pacifica and the Costa Deliziosa will be followed by the Costa Favolosa, due for delivery in summer 2011, and the Costa Fascinosa, which will make her debut in spring 2012. All five ships are Italian builds commissioned from Fincantieri, each one requiring the labor of nearly 3,000 people, comprising both the shipyard’s own employees and those of about 500 contracted suppliers, most of which are Italian firms.

Costa Deliziosa

Along with her sister ship, the Costa Luminosa, the Costa Deliziosa will be the fleet’s “flagship,” offering the most exclusive and innovative elements in the fleet and designed for Costa’s most discerning clientele. These innovations include the ship’s avant-garde design and the use of premium materials, such as various type of marbles, granite, mother-of-pearl and Murano glass, stucco applied by spatula using the technique known as “spatolato veneziano” and other decorative interior finishes including “parchment scroll” lamé, refined Zebrano wood, Wenge timber and stylish polished and glazed steel. The stunning atrium features fine works of art, including “Sphere” by Arnaldo Pomodoro, and “Delizia fisica e Delizia intellettuale” (Physical Delight and Intellectual Delight), a piece by leading contemporary Italian painter Mario Donizetti. In addition, there are a variety of entertainment options onboard including a 4D cinema; roller skating track; the latest generation golf simulator with an outdoor putting green, a Grand Prix race car driving simulator with the same software and technology used by the F1 champion drivers in training; the exclusive “Samsara Spa,” “PlayStation World,”an area on board dedicated exclusively to PlayStation3, as well as the “PlayStation on demand” cabin service.

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