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| COSTA LUMINOSA AND COSTA PACIFICA READY FOR THEIR RECORD-BREAKING DEBUT |
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Prior to their record-breaking double christening in Genoa on 5 June 2009, Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica successfully completed the official sea trials that confirmed the operating efficiency of plants, equipment and engines.
The thirteenth and fourteenth members of the Costa Cruises fleet, both were built by Fincantieri for a total investment of approximately €900 million, departed from the Marghera (Venice) and Genova-Sestri Ponente yards to make their first sea crossing to carry out the tests. During the sea trials, Costa Pacifica and Costa Luminosa sailed at their maximum speed (more than 23 knots/40 km/h) for eight consecutive hours to test ship resistance. Tests also included a “crash stop”, a total stop from top speed, to determine how many metres the ship travels before coming to a stop during an emergency. During the “UMS” test, Costa Pacifica and Costa Luminosa sailed for six consecutive hours under the automatic control of the power and propulsion systems. Finally, during the “black out” test, electric power was completely cut-off to check that all ship functions would automatically restart. After completing the tests, the two Costa ships returned to the yards, Costa Luminosa to Marghera and Costa Pacifica to Genoa, to complete the fitting out of operations prior to entering service. Costa Luminosa will be ready at the end of April 2009, while Costa Pacifica will be delivered one month later. With the world’s biggest fleet expansion plan, Costa Cruises has five new ships (including Costa Luminosa, Costa Pacifica and Costa Deliziosa) to be delivered by 2012 for a total investment of €2.4 billion; with three of these ships to be delivered in less than one year. Costa Deliziosa, the sister ship of Costa Luminosa, will be delivered at the end of January 2010, following the launch of Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica. All five ships are built in Italy by Fincantieri, with each one requiring the professional expertise of roughly 3,000 workers from Fincantieri and a further 500 linked industry companies, the majority of which are Italian. The five new cruisers represent a 50% increase in the capacity of the Costa fleet, ranked fifth in the world and Europe’s largest. In 2012, the fleet will consist of seventeen vessels with a total capacity of 46,400 passengers. Costa Luminosa: the ship of lights Costa Luminosa will weigh 92,700 dwt with a capacity of 2,828 guests. This unique ship will showcase contemporary design trends by perfectly combining service excellence with amazing and extremely comfortable ambiences, avant-garde technology and environmental protection. She will be the fleet’s most exclusive and innovative ship, tailored for customers who seek nothing but the best. Featuring a multitude of innovative ideas, all based on the use of cutting edge technology: 4D cinema with multi-sensorial effects; theatre with a spectacular interplay of lights and colours; a golf simulator with 37 virtual courses and a 90m² outdoor area with “putting green”; Playstation World, an area equipped with Playstation 3; jogging and roller skating track; Samsara Spa wellness centre with Kinesis room, 772 cabins with private balcony out of a total of 1,130 cabins, the highest percentage of cabins with private balcony in Costa’s fleet (68%). During the summer season of 2009, Costa Luminosa will offer cruises in North Europe to the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic capitals. In the autumn, she will offer 11-day cruises to the Canary Islands, while in winter 2009-2010 she will be deployed in Dubai for seven day cruises to the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain. On board the Costa Luminosa, even the cuisine will play an outstanding role with one of her four restaurants, the Club restaurant, including an “open” kitchen directed by Ettore Bocchia, Michelin star and Executive Chef of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio. The Costa Luminosa will also offer a special selection of Aneri Amarone from 2003. Each of the 133 bottles (750 ml), numbered and identified by a personalised label with the name of the ship, will include a product quality certificate. Costa Pacifica: the ship of music Costa Pacifica, 114,500 dwt with a capacity of 3,780 guests, will be the ship of music. For the first time ever, cruise ship passengers will enjoy a complete, unique and once-in-a-lifetime musical experience. Music will be the inspiration for the interior design and works of art, but will also be “experienced” in each area of the ship. During this prestigious musical voyage, guests will be accompanied by a brand new sound track, created exclusively for Costa Cruises, consisting of 29 songs by the maestro Mauro Pagani, including eight original pieces composed specifically for the Costa Pacifica. Each area on the ship will be distinctly identified by one of these songs, inspired by the name of that area. Costa’s new flagship will also be the world’s first ship with a real recording studio fitted out with all the most sophisticated equipment, where guests can sing their favourite song with a musical base and record a CD as a cruise memento. On board the Costa Pacifica, guests will be treated to the best of the latest innovations in the Costa fleet: the Samsara spa wellness area, one of the biggest ever on board a ship (extending over more than 6,000 m²), including the wellness centre, cabins with convenient direct access to the area and a special restaurant; a real GP race car simulator; a central swimming pool area, extending over two decks, with a retractable glass roof and a giant 18 m² screen. During the summer season 2009, she will offer seven-day cruises in the western Mediterranean, while in winter 2009-2010 she will sail cruises to Egypt and Israel. On board the Costa Pacifica, even the cuisine will play an outstanding role. One of her five restaurants, the Club restaurant, has an “open” kitchen directed by Ettore Bocchia, Michelin star and Executive Chef of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio. The Costa Pacifica will also offer a special selection of Aneri Amarone from 2003: each of the 133 bottles (750 ml), numbered and identified by a personalised label with the name of the ship, will include a product quality certificate.
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