By
Rebecca Gibson |
Costa Cruises’ newest LNG-powered cruise ship, Costa Toscana, floated out of the building dock at Meyer Turku’s yard in Turku, Finland on 15 January 2021.
The construction milestone was marked by a traditional float-out ceremony to commemorate the first time the 185,000gt Costa Toscana touched water.
“The float out is always a very special occasion for us shipbuilders, as the ship is finally set to her natural environment,” said Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku. “As this is also the start of the final stage of shipbuilding, all the exciting colours, venues and features will start taking their final form. In the coming months she will be finalised at the pier and then tested and commissioned in the autumn for delivery.”
Costa Toscana is a sister ship to Costa Smeralda, which was delivered by Meyer Turku in 2019. Like her sister, the newbuild will be powered by LNG fuel to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide emissions by 100 per cent, particulate matter by 95-100 per cent, nitrogen oxides by 85 per cent, and carbon dioxide by up to 20 per cent. The ship has also been designed with the circular economy in mind, so it has an intelligent energy efficiency system and onboard desalinisation plants to process seawater directly to meet daily water supply requirements. In addition, materials such as plastic, paper, glass and aluminium will be separated and recycled onboard the ship.
Designed as a “tribute to Tuscany”, the new Costa Toscana will feature itineraries curated by Adam D. Tihany, who is working with a pool of 15 international firms to create different areas of the ship, including Dordoni Architetti, Jeffrey Beers International and Partner Ship Design. All the furnishings, lighting, fabrics and accessories will be made in Italy.
Some of the onboard highlights will include the Solemio Spa, 16 restaurants, themed bars, an open-air balcony with a crystal floor on the top deck, three outdoor pools, an indoor salt-water pool, a new beach club, and the Colosseo, which spans three decks at the centre of the ship. There will also be more than 2,600 guest cabins.
"Despite the current challenging scenario, Costa Group is confirming its investment in fleet expansion,” said Mario Zanetti, chief commercial officer of Costa Cruises and president of Costa Group Asia. “We are confident in the recovery of our industry, and we are excited about the arrival of new ships like Costa Toscana, which embodies the elements we want to focus on for the future. First of all, it is an excellent and innovative ship, attractive for new customers, which is going to be fundamental, especially when people will be able to freely travel again and will have a great desire for holidays. Looking beyond the pandemic, the second element we are focusing on is to complete the transformation of our fleet and operations into a sustainable model. In addition to LNG technology, we are developing other innovative solutions, such as shore power and batteries, as we continue to work towards achieving zero emissions over time.”
Costa Toscana is scheduled be delivered in December 2021 and debut with an inaugural New Year's Eve cruise from Santos, Brazil to Salvador and Ilhéus on 26 December. Between 2 January and 10 April 2022, Costa Toscana will offer another 15 cruises with the same itinerary, embarking in both Santos and Salvador. After this, the vessel will reposition to Italy.