Due to construction delays at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, Costa Cruises has announced that Costa Smeralda will now be starting her program of 7-day Mediterranean cruises sailing from Savona on November 30, 2019.
With its new cruise ship LNG propulsion system and many sophisticated rooms with stage and audio/video equipment the complexity and sophistication of the ship is very high in order to create a unique Costa-style passenger experience. Aside from its unique design features also its size of 180 000 GT is impressive and much larger than the recently built ships at Turku shipyard.
In getting this all to work together with many involved persons and companies, Meyer Turku had a slower progress speed than needed and is forced to move the delivery of Costa Smeralda from mid-October to mid-November.
Consequently, Costa Smeralda’s first cruise will now be departing from Savona on November 30, 2019. The itinerary, which will apply to all her cruises through April 2021, is unchanged: a week in the Western Mediterranean calling at Savona (Saturday), Marseille (Sunday), Barcelona (Monday), Palma de Mallorca (Tuesday), Civitavecchia (Thursday) and La Spezia (Friday).
Commenting on the news, Costa Cruises President Neil Palomba said: “Our priority is always to offer our guests a unique vacation experience that exceeds their expectations. Unfortunately, the Meyer Turku yard needs more time to ensure that Costa Smeralda will do just that and this is absolutely crucial as far as we’re concerned. At the same time, I would stress that Costa Smeralda is a totally innovative project in terms of both technology and product. In particular, the use of LNG propulsion, which we were the first to invest in, epitomizes Costa’s vocation for ground-breaking, responsible innovation by greatly reducing emissions, thus laying down a marker for the cruise industry as a whole. We deeply regret this delay and apologize for the inconvenience caused to all our guests who’ve already booked a cruise on Costa Smeralda sailing prior to November 30. In any case, we trust that we’ll be able to welcome them on board our new flagship and we’ve already made the necessary arrangements so as to offer them a new choice of departure dates.”
Like her sister ship Costa Toscana due for delivery in 2021, Costa Smeralda will be powered both in port and at sea by LNG, the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel, thereby minimizing environmental impact. The introduction of LNG-fueling enables the virtual total elimination of sulfur dioxide emissions and particulate matter.
Costa Smeralda will be a showcase for and a tribute to the very best of Italy. All her decks and public areas are named after – and designed based on – iconic Italian places. The food & wine offerings on board will feature the finest Italian culinary traditions, with the collaboration of prestigious partner suppliers. The ship will have 11 different restaurants (including one specifically conceived for casual family dining), 19 bars, a splendid spa area with 16 treatment rooms, an onboard waterpark with waterslides, 4 pools and a dedicated facility where kids can hang out and make new friends their age. Costa Smeralda will also have her very own museum: the CoDe – Costa Design Museum, displaying the excellence of Italian design.