Construction on Costa Cruises’ newest ship, the Costa Smeralda, officially began last week after a steel-cutting ceremony in Turku, Finland, kicked off the production.
The Costa Smeralda will be the Italian cruise line’s first ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), and is set to enter service in October 2019. A sibling ship to the Costa Smeralda, also to be run by LNG, has been announced as well, which will be finished by 2021.
The new vessel will exceed 180,000 gross tons and will offer more than 2,600 passenger cabins, allowing for a total of 6,600 passengers to board. It will offer cruises in the western Mediterranean, and will be marketed to consumers from all over Europe, including Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Switzerland, according to Neil Palomba, the president of Costa Cruises.
“The two new Costa Cruises ships are a true global innovation and set new standards for the entire sector,” said Palomba. “They will be among the first cruise ships powered by LNG, spurring the development of this green technology, especially in the Mediterranean area.”
The construction of the Costa Smeralda and its sister ship are part of a multibillion dollar contract signed with the two Meyer Werft shipyards in Finland and Germany. On a larger sale, the two new vessels are part of a plan from Costa Cruises’ parent company Carnival Corporation to build seven LNG-powered cruises for its fleet.
By using liquefied natural gas- considered to be one of the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuels- Carnival will try to limit its environmental impact by reducing exhaust emissions, which will reduce the amount of Sulphur, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Costa Cruises is part of Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company with 10 brands and a fleet of over 100 ships. To learn more about Carnival, visit https://www.carnival.com/.
To learn more about Costa Cruises, visit http://www.costacruise.com/.
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