Costa Cruises, the Italian brand of Carnival Corporation & plc celebrated on March 15 the official float-out ceremony of its new ship, Costa Smeralda, at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, one of the biggest shipbuilding complexes in the world.
The new Costa flagship officially reached the sea for the first time. The celebration, hosted by the senior management of Costa Cruises and Meyer Turku, followed the seafaring tradition of flooding the basin where the ship’s construction took shape in recent months.
Entering into service in October 2019, upon completion of the interiors, Costa Smeralda will be the first Costa ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel. She will represent an environmental breakthrough that will improve air quality by preventing emissions of particulate matter and sulfur oxides almost entirely at sea and in port. It also significantly reduces the emission of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. Costa Smeralda and its sister ship, to be launched in 2021, will contribute to the ambitious sustainability goals, such as reducing its carbon footprint of 25 percent by 2020, set by Costa and Carnival Corporation.
The ship’s name, Costa Smeralda, recalls one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Sardinia (Emerald Coast), as well as the names of the decks and public areas dedicated to famous places and squares of Italy. The ship will feature 2,600 staterooms, 11 restaurants, 19 bars, an amazing spa area with 16 treatment rooms, a water park with slides, four swimming pools and an area fully dedicated to kids. Costa Smeralda will also have her very own Costa Desing Museum, “The CoDe,” dedicated to the excellence of Italian design.
