Finland’s Meyer Turku shipyard floated out the LNG-powered Costa Smeralda cruise ship, marking the beginning of the final stage of construction of the Costa Cruises’ vessel.
The float-out marks the start of the outfitting phase in the ship’s construction. It will be finalized at the outfitting pier of Meyer Turku and be ready for delivery for Costa Cruises in October 2019, Meyer Turku said in a statement on Friday.
Costa Smeralda will be the first LNG-powered cruise ship in the Costa fleet and one of the first ones to sail the seas.
With a gross tonnage of over 180,000 tons, Costa Smeralda will offer over 2,600 rooms.
Costa Cruises also expects the delivery of a second vessel, the sister ship of Costa Smeralda, also built by Meyer-Turku, in 2021.
Costa Smeralda’s début is expected on October 20, 2019, with a 15-day maiden cruise from Hamburg to Savona.
The Costa Smeralda christening ceremony will be held in Savona on November 3, 2019. The six-day inaugural cruise will depart from Savona on November 4, 2019, and sail to Barcelona, Marseilles and Civitavecchia (Rome).
Costa Smeralda will then continue to sail around the Western Mediterranean until April 2020.