Cruise line also revealed that the newbuild would be named Costa Toscana and be delivered in 2021
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku has cut the first piece of steel for Costa Cruises’ second LNG-powered ship, which will be named Costa Toscana and be delivered in October 2021.
Using its new plasma cutter line, Meyer Turku marked the start of the ship production project during a traditional ceremony at its yard in Turku. Once complete, Costa Toscana will have dual-fuel hybrid engines and onboard LNG tanks to enable her to operate using LNG in port and at sea. This will eliminate her sulphur dioxide emissions and reduce particulate matter by 95-100%, nitrogen oxides by 85% and carbon dioxide by up to 20%.
“The steel-cutting ceremony for Costa Toscana is another step forward in our sustainable development plan,” said Neil Palomba, president of Costa Cruises. “LNG propulsion for cruise ships is a major innovation, pioneering a new era in the use of low-carbon fuels that will significantly reduce exhaust emissions to help protect the environment without compromising on safety, in line with our top priorities. Once again, Costa Cruises is paving the way for the industry as a whole: in accordance with our global vision aimed at sustainable development, we were the first to invest in this technology, which is now really starting to take hold.”
Costa’s first LNG-powered ship, Costa Smeralda, is also being built by Meyer Turku and is undergoing final interior fit-out ahead of her delivery this October.
“With the first Costa ship, Costa Smeralda, being delivered in October, both of these ships will have lots of beautiful design and interesting features – and of course very high-quality work and best-in-industry engineering,” said Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku. “We are very proud to build these ships for Costa.”
Designed to pay homage to ‘Italy’s finest’, Costa Smeralda bears the same name as Sardinia’s most famous coastal strip, while Costa Toscana is named in honour of Tuscany. Both vessels will have more than 2,600 guest rooms.
Costa Smeralda will offer Italy-inspired piazzas, 11 restaurants, 19 bars, a water park with slides, a multi-sport field, four swimming pools, theatre, disco, casino, jazz club piano bar, a games room and a spa, which has a beauty salon, hammam, thalasso therapy pool and 16 treatment rooms. The vessel will also have her own onboard museum called CoDe - Costa Design Museum, which will be designed by Adam D. Tihany and curated by Matteo Vercelloni to showcase the ‘excellence of Italian design’. It will feature many of the people who have contributed to the ship's construction.
“Costa Toscana and her sister ship Costa Smeralda may be highly innovative products, but they will retain that inimitable Italian hospitality that has been Costa Cruises’ hallmark since the brand’s inception, conveying the exhilaration of ocean travel and providing enhanced guest experiences for repeat and first-time cruisers alike,” said Palomba.