Costa Diadema leaves drydock

Coin welding ceremony marks technical launch of Costa newbuild
Costa Diadema leaves drydock

By Rebecca Gibson |


Costa Cruises has celebrated the technical launch of its future flagship Costa Diadema at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy.

Performed according to maritime tradition, the launch ceremony began when a coin was welded to the base of what was once the mainmast, a custom considered to bring good luck. The welding was presided over by three CostaClub guests acting as ‘bridesmaids’. Costa Diadema’s godmother Franca Grasso, also a CostaClub member, then broke a bottle of champagne against the ship’s bow.

“Costa Diadema will be our new flagship and our tangible commitment to the future success and growth of our company,” said Costa Cruises’ CEO Michael Thamm. “She is the tenth cruise ship built in Italy by Fincantieri for Costa since 2000, with a total investment worth almost €5 billion. This investment creates wealth and employment for the country as a whole – not only during the building, but also when the ships are in service. She will open up new horizons for Costa.”

The 132,500 gt ship will now enter the final outfitting stages, where she will receive a range of new dining and entertainment venues including Teppanyaki, Country Rock Club, an arcade with interactive games, Portobello Market Piazza, a three-level Samsara Spa and a 500 m open-air promenade with cabanas. Guests will be accommodated in large, interconnected, split-level rooms.

More than 3,500 shipyard and associated workers are involved in the project, while around 400 suppliers have been contracted to outfit the ship’s interior.

“We've been applying Italian know-how to form a winning team with Costa for many years,” said Fincantieri's CEO, Giuseppe Bono. “We're convinced that Costa Diadema, the largest ship ever built for Costa Crociere, bodes very well for the future development of our companies and the entire industry.”

Costa Diadema is scheduled for delivery on 30 October 2014 and will be deployed on a one-week itinerary, calling at ports in Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Civitavecchia and La Spezia, in winter 2014-2015.

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