Hi Everyone,
I received this press release from Costa and thought it would be of
interest.
--
Ray Goldenberg 800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
Lighthouse Travel http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/lighthousetravl
Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ray.goldenberg
Costa Cruises Unveils Names of Newest Fleet Members: Costa Favolosa &
Costa Fascinosa
Names Chosen by Travel Agents and Guests from Around the World
MIAMI, Nov. 3
After more than 16,000 suggestions from more than 40,000 travel agents
and fans around the world, the names of the 16th and 17th ships in the
Costa fleet have been selected. The two sister ships, set to debut in
2011 and 2012, will be named the Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa.
The selections were chosen as a result of Costa's "Send Us a Sea of
Names" project whereby travel agents and fans sent in name suggestions
for the two ships. The final selections were chosen based on their
definition of the all-encompassing magic, glamour, emotion and passion
reflected on all of Costa's ships.
The Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa, (114,500 gross tons with a
double occupancy of 3,000 each) will be delivered in summer 2011 and
spring 2012 respectively. The two new sister ships, built by
Fincantieri at its Marghera shipyard, are part of a major fleet
expansion plan for Costa with five new ships due for delivery between
2009 and 2012. This plan includes the launch of the Costa Luminosa the
Costa Pacifica (June 2009) and the Costa Deliziosa (set to debut in
January 2010) for a total investment worth 2.4 billion Euros. The
Costa Favolosa will be the first of the two new vessels to enter
service. The laying of the first "building block" is set to take place
on Thursday, November 5 at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard.
The choice of names was guided by 40,000 travel agents in over 40
countries who submitted more than 16,000 pairs of names as part of the
"Send Us a Sea of Names" project. The initiative encouraged travel
agents, customers and web users all over the world to take part in the
search for the names for the two new Costa flagships. The submissions
were summarized in a list of 25 pairs of names posted on
www.worldofcosta.com . All web site visitors were invited to choose
their favorite pairing. More than 42,000 votes were received.
Magic, glamour, emotion and passion are elements that have always
inspired Costa Cruises in the design of its ships and the creation of
a unique and unforgettable cruise experience. The Costa Favolosa is
intended to be the epitome of ship interior design, interpreting the
excitement and emotion of people who see cruises as a magical voyage
in a "contemporary enchanted castle." The Costa Fascinosa is designed
to express the special glamour of a cruise ship and her capacity to
ignite strong emotion and passion.
All Costa Cruises can be booked by contacting your travel
professional.
Costa Cruises is Italy and Europe's Number One Cruise Line. For the
past 60 years its ships have sailed the world, offering the best in
Italian style, hospitality and cuisine and providing dream vacations
with the best in fun and relaxation. In 2008, 1.2 million guests chose
to cruise with Costa, a record for the European cruise industry. The
company's 14 fleet members, each with her own distinctive
characteristics and unique style, all fly the Italian flag and sail
each year to 250 destinations in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe,
the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, South America, the United Arab
Emirates, the Far East and the Indian Ocean. Three additional ships
are on order through 2012.
Costa Cruises has been certified by RINA (Italian Shipping Register)
with the BEST4, an integrated system of voluntary certification of
corporate compliance with the highest standards governing social
accountability (SA 8000, issued in 2001), environment (UNI EN ISO
14001, 2004), safety (OHSAS 18001, 1999) and quality (UNI EN ISO 9001,
2000). All ships in the Costa fleet have been assigned RINA's Green
Star notation certifying that they are operated in compliance with the
highest environmental protection standards. Costa Cruises is an
official partner of the WWF for the protection of the marine
ecoregions of the Mediterranean, the Greater Antilles and Brazil. In
Mediobanca's 2008 survey of over 3,700 Italian enterprises that
recorded revenue of at least 50 million euros the previous fiscal
year, Costa Crociere S.p.A. ranks 72nd in terms of sales and in 12th
place in regards to profitability.
|