Costa Cruises, the Italian brand of Carnival Corporation & plc, officially took delivery of Costa Smeralda, the brand’s first ship powered by LNG, the marine industry’s most advanced fuel technology. The handover ceremony was held at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland, where the brand’s new flagship was built. Costa Smeralda becomes Carnival Corporation’s fourth new ship of 2019 and its second LNG-powered ship.
Costa Smeralda is the first of two new sister ships for Costa Cruises that can be powered in port and at sea by LNG. The second vessel, Costa Toscana, is currently under construction at Meyer Turku and scheduled to be delivered in 2021.
In total, following the delivery of Costa Smeralda today and the launch of AIDAnova at the end of 2018 as the world’s first cruise vessel to be powered by LNG, Carnival Corporation has an additional nine next-generation LNG-powered cruise ships on order using the company’s innovative environmental design, with expected delivery dates for these new ships between 2020 and 2025.
The introduction of LNG to power cruise ships is a major development that supports the company’s environmental goals and significantly improves overall air emissions. “Costa Smeralda will be a further boost to the use of LNG in cruise ships, a technology our company has pioneered in the cruise sector,” said Neil Palomba, president of Costa Cruises, which has represented Italian style and hospitality for more than 70 years. “It is an exciting evolution in maritime transport, as it guarantees a significant reduction in our environmental impact.”
Costa Smeralda will depart Turku shipyard in Finland for the Mediterranean, where it will be refueled with LNG in Barcelona on December 18, followed by calls to Marseille on December 19 and Savona on December 20, as part of three presentations with travel agents. On December 21, Costa Smeralda will depart Savona for its maiden voyage, a weeklong cruise calling on Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Civitavecchia and La Spezia.
Costa Smeralda is an integral part of the strategic plan for carbon footprint reduction, defined by Carnival Corporation’s 2020 sustainability goals. In 2017, the company achieved its 25% carbon reduction goal three years ahead of schedule, and is on track with its nine other 2020 sustainability targets for reducing its environmental footprint while enhancing the health, safety and security of its guests and crew members, and ensuring sustainable business practices among its nine brands, business partners and suppliers.
The company and its nine global cruise line brands are committed to developing innovative solutions that support sustainability and environmentally friendly operations. In addition to leading the cruise industry’s use of LNG to power cruise ships, the company is also pioneering the use of Advanced Air Quality Systems on board its ships and promoting the use of shore power.
Costa Smeralda builds on the success of Carnival Corporation’s additional three ships that debuted in 2019, which include Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Panorama, Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess and Costa Cruises’ Costa Venezia – the brand’s first ship designed and built specifically for the China market.
Source: Carnival Corporation
