COSTA confirms Fincantieri option

The Genoa-based cruise operator Costa Crociere has confirmed an option with Fincantieri for a 92,700 gt cruiseship for delivery in March 2010. This newbuilding will be the second of two sister ships commissioned from Fincantieri by the Italian cruise line and brings to four the number of cruise vessels ordered by Costa from Fincantieri.

By 2010 Costa will have 15 ships and about 30,800 berths, confirming its leadership as the cruise operator with Europe?s largest and most advanced fleet.

The new ship will be built at Fincantieri?s Marghera shipyard, at an all-in cost of approximately 420 million euros. The vessel will have 2,260 lower passenger berths and a total of 1,130 cabins, 772 (68%) of which with private verandas, this being the highest percentage of veranda cabins in the whole Costa fleet. She will be the sister ship of another 92,700-tonner, already under construction in Marghera and scheduled to enter service in spring 2009.

In addition to the two 92,700 gt running mates to be built in Marghera, two more 112,000 gt vessels ? sister ships of the flagship ?Costa Concordia?, are under construction in the Genoa-Sestri Ponente yard: the first is the?Costa Serena?, due in May 2007, while the second will be ready by the summer of 2009.