Costa Pacifica is delivered in Italy, becomes fourteenth ship in Costa fleet

The Costa Pacifica, the fourteenth ship in the Costa fleet, was delivered May 29 at the Genova-Sestri Ponente ship yard by Fincantieri.

The Costa Pacifica, the fourteenth ship in the Costa fleet, was delivered May 29 at the Genova-Sestri Ponente ship yard by Fincantieri. The ship, which is the newest in the Costa fleet, was delivered in the presence of the Deputy Speaker of the Italian Republic Senate Rosa Angelo Mauro.

The exciting news for me is that I will be leaving for Genoa tomorrow and will board the Costa Pacifica on Monday afternoon for a four-night preview cruise of the new ship. Then on June 5, thousands of us will gather at the ship yard in Genoa to watch the christening of the Costa Pacifica and the Costa Luminosa, which Fincantieri delivered to Costa on April 30. This dual christening is a first for the cruise industry and promises to be quite an event.

More Information on the Costa Pacifica

The sister ship of the Costa Concordia and Costa Serena, the Costa Pacifica is the “ship of music”. Weighing in at 114,500 tons with a double occupancy capacity of 3,000, the ship can accommodate a total of 3,704 total guests in 1,504 cabins. The ship is a true “Made in Italy” product, with design, technology, industrialization and construction that required the professional expertise of 3,000 workers from Fincantieri and roughly 500 linked industry companies, for a total investment of approximately โ‚ฌ500 million.

The Costa Pacifica is the second of three new Costa ships to be delivered by Fincantieri to the Italian company in less than one year. As noted above, the Costa Luminosa (92,600-tons; 2,260 dbl occ), the “ship of light”, was delivered on April 30. The Costa Deliziosa, sister ship of the Costa Luminosa, is also under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard and will be delivered at the end of January 2010. Two other sister ships of the Costa Pacifica will be delivered in the spring of 2011 and 2012.

Costa Pacifica: The Ship of Music

The Costa Pacifica, designed by architect and interior designer Joseph Farcus, represents the “Greatest Hits” of Costa Cruises not only because she was built based on the best of the fleet’s vessels but, above all, because music is the inspirational theme.

Music not only provides the inspiration for the interior design and artwork (308 originals and 5,929 reproductions) that enrich the new flagship, but can also be listened to, interpreted and “experienced” in each area of the ship through a brand new sound track, created exclusively for Costa Cruises, consisting of 29 songs by Maestro Mauro Pagani, including 22 of some of the most famous arrangements of all time and seven original compositions.

Each area of the ship is distinguished by one of these songs that is also the inspiration for the name of the area. Costa’s new ship will also have a recording studio fitted out with sophisticated equipment, where guests can sing their favorite tune from among a repertoire of 400 of the most famous Italian and international songs, recording it on a musical base to create a memento CD. The theatre is where the ship’s theme is developed to the highest level.

On board the Costa Pacifica, just like the Costa Luminosa, guests will be treated to the best of the Costa fleet’s latest innovations. These include the Samsara spa wellness area (extending over more than 6,000 square meters), which includes a wellness center, cabins with convenient direct access to the area and a dedicated spa restaurant; a Grand Prix race car simulator; and a central swimming pool area, extending over two decks, with a retractable glass roof and a giant 18 mยฒ screen. In addition, these ships offer a new “Playstation World,” feature, which is an area equipped exclusively with Playstation 3.

For the 2009 summer season, the ship will sail 7-night voyages in the Western Mediterranean with calls to the port of Rome (Civitavecchia), Savona, Marseille (France), Barcelona (Spain), Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Tunis (Tunisia), Malta and Palermo. During the 2009-2010 winter season, the Costa Pacifica will depart from Rome (Civitavecchia) and Savona offering 10 and 11-night cruises to Egypt, Israel and Turkey. In the summer of 2010 she will again offer 7-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean with the following itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia), Savona, Barcelona (Spain), Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Tunis (Tunisia), Malta and Catania.

The Costa Pacifica’s 8-night maiden voyage in the Western Mediterranean will depart from Palacrociere in Savona on June 6, 2009, including a special 2-night stay in Palma de Mallorca.

June 5, 2009: A Record Christening

The Costa Pacifica will be christened together with the Costa Luminosa on June 5 in the Port of Genoa. This is the first time that two new ships, built by the same shipbuilder for the same shipowner, will be christened at the same time, and in the same place.

It should be an extraordinary event, with the official Patronage of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the Republic of Italy, for which Costa Cruises has requested Guinness World Records to verify and that will include an incredible overture with the exhibition of the “Frecce Tricolori” national aerobatic team and the paratroopers of the Italian Army.

The show created for this exceptional event, “Italian Portrait in Music and Light,” will pay tribute to the all-Italian ability for making dreams come true. Starting from the inspirational theme of the ships โ€“ music for the Costa Pacifica and light for the Costa Luminosa โ€“ the show will re-propose a journey through the best Italian talents and artists known around the world. This will include musical and artistic performances by some of the most important figures in the Italian and international scene, including maestro Mauro Pagani, a renowned musician with thirty years of experience who composed the sound track for the Costa Pacifica. The evening will end with a show involving the entire city with lights, music and fireworks. For reservations or more information regarding Costa Cruises, guests may contact a travel agent, call (800) GO-COSTA or visit www.costacruises.com.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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