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The Costa Pacifica, the 14th ship in the Costa
fleet, was delivered May 29 at the Genova-Sestri Ponente shipyard by
Fincantieri. The sister ship of the Costa Concordia and Costa
Serena, the 114,500-ton Costa Pacifica has a double occupancy
capacity of 3,000 and a total capacity of 3,704. The ship cost about
500 euros million to build.
The Costa Pacifica is the second of three Costa
ships to be delivered by Fincantieri to the Italian company in less
than one year. The 92,600-ton, 2,260-passenger Costa Luminosa 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 in late January. Two other sister
ships of the Costa Pacifica will be delivered in the spring of 2011
and 2012.
“The delivery of the Costa Pacifica is part of the world’s biggest
expansion plan, with five new ships to be delivered by 2012, and all
built in Italy by Fincantieri, for a total investment of 2.4 billion
euros,” said Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and CEO of the Costa
Crociere. “While this plan is tangible proof of the soundness of our
company, it is only a part of the economic benefits generated by
Costa Cruises in the countries where it operates.
Last year, we generated 1.1 billion euros in
linked industry revenues in Italy not only from the construction of
new ships but also from general expenses, transport and other linked
activities involving airports and ports. Such benefits are
distributed from north to south in all the main regions of the
country, creating economic resources and employment, and making
Costa Cruises a leading economic player.”
The Costa Pacifica, designed by architect and interior designer
Joseph Farcus, has a music theme. Music is represented in the
interior design and artwork (308 originals and 5,929 reproductions).
Each area of the ship is distinguished by a song that is also the
inspiration for the name of the area.
The ship also has a sophisticated recording studio
where guests can sing from a repertoire of 400 Italian and
international songs and record it on a CD. The ship has a Samsara
spa, which includes a wellness center, cabins with direct access to
the area and a spa restaurant; a Grand Prix race car simulator; and
a central swimming pool area with a retractable glass roof and a
giant screen. There’s also a new “Playstation World” equipped
exclusively with Playstation 3.
For the 2009 summer season, the ship will sail seven-night Western
Mediterranean voyages to Rome, Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma
de Mallorca, Tunis, Malta and Palermo. During the 2009-10 winter
season, the Costa Pacifica will depart from Rome and Savona on 10-
and 11-night cruises to Egypt, Israel and Turkey. In summer 2010 it
will again offer seven-night Western Mediterranean cruises to Rome,
Savona, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Tunis, Malta and Catania.
The Costa Pacifica’s eight-night maiden voyage
will depart from Savona on June 6. The Costa Pacifica will be
christened with the Costa Luminosa on June 5 in Genoa. |
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