Construction of the Costa Smeralda, Costa Cruises’ new flagship, is continuing at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland.
The yellow funnel with the blue “C”, has now been installed, Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Italy-based Costa Cruises, said.
As explained, the funnel is directly connected to one of the main technological innovations in the ship. Costa Smeralda will be the first cruise ship for the world market, specifically the European one, to be fueled, both in port and while at sea, by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
This is an environmental transformation that will improve air quality as LNG almost entirely prevents particulate and sulfur oxide emissions at sea and in port. It also significantly reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides and CO2.
With a gross tonnage of over 180,000 tons and a capacity for 6,600 passengers, Costa Smeralda is scheduled to enter service in October 2019. The newbuild will feature a length of 337 meters and a width of 42 meters.
Delivery of a second ship, the twin to Costa Smeralda, also being built by Meyer-Turku, is planned for 2021.
Costa Smeralda and its twin ship are part of an expansion plan for the Costa Group fleet under which seven new ships will be delivered by 2023, for a total investment of over EUR 6 billion (USD 6.8 billion).
The Panama-flagged Costa Smeralda debut is scheduled for October 20, 2019, with a 15-day inaugural cruise from Hamburg to Savona. The naming ceremony will take place in Savona on November 3, 2019.
On November 4, 2019, a 6-day inaugural cruise will depart from Savona for Barcelona, Marseilles and Civitavecchia. Costa Smeralda will then continue to sail in the Western Mediterranean until April 2021, according to the company.