Thread: Costa Fascinosa to Debut May 2, 2012, at Savona, Italy

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (Nov. 29, 2011) Costa Fascinosa
(www.costacruise.com/fascinosa), the 16th ship in the Costa Cruises fleet, which is currently being fitted out in Italy at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard, is set to debut May 2, 2012, on the first of two mini cruises taking the new flagship to Savona, Italy, for a naming event May 6.

As the ship's name suggests (fascinosa is Italian for fascinating), Costa Fascinosa (114,500 gross tons and 3,800 total guests) has been designed as a tribute to all things that fascinate celebrities, movie stars and exotic places synonymous with allure and seduction. The interior designs central theme was conceived by architect Joseph Farcus and inspired by famous films.

The most seductive member of the Costa fleet Costa Fascinosa will surprise guests with public areas that are works of art in themselves, with plush furnishings and superb decoration. The Amarcord Atrium will be very much center stage with its theatrical grandeur, warm
colors and a series of diamond-shaped chandeliers.

A cruise on Costa Fascinosa will be the ideal vacation for families, with lots of opportunities for fun and relaxation for people of all ages. The aft Lido, which is dedicated to the classic movie Gone With the Wind, features 3,280 square feet devoted to relaxation and entertainment, with raised whirlpool tubs overlooking the sea, waterfalls and other attractions. Meanwhile, the al fresco Blue Moon Lido has a sliding glass roof and a giant 60-square-foot movie screen showing films and videos.

In the Playground, the Nuovomondo 4D Cinema is a guaranteed crowd pleaser for children and adults with screenings that arouse all five senses. Video gamers will head for the virtual reality of PlayStation with the latest product releases. There also is high-tech fun for adults: an authentic Grand Prix Simulator on the highest deck of the ship, modeled on an original Gran Prix car, reproduces the excitement of the world's best racing circuits. Golf fanatics or beginners will enjoy the professional golf simulator where they can play on 37 of the world's most famous courses.

The little ones will simply love the open-air Acqua Park water park playground with its pirate galleon, castle and waterslide.

Costa Fascinosa also will have bow-to-stern broadband Wi-Fi, guaranteeing connectivity for laptops, tablets and mobile phones. The new Digi Mobile platform also will enable guests to use their smartphones and tablets to access the shipboard interactive TV system in their cabins, to book programs and services directly.

Guests will be able to see shows worthy of the Belle Epoque in the Bel Ami show lounge, socialize in any one of 13 bars, strut their stuff in the Babylon Disco, check out the live music in the Blue Velvet piano bar or try their luck at the the Millionaire Casino, named after the Italian title of the multi-Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire.

Costa Fascinosa also will feature the finest Italian and international cuisine at five restaurants: the Ã* la carte Club restaurant, the Samsara wellness eatery, the self-service buffet with dishes typical of the places visited during the cruise and traditional Mediterranean delicacies in the two main restaurants.

“Timeless appeal� is an apt description of Fascinosa’s art collection. The permanent display will feature specially commissioned original works and copies by contemporary artists, whose starting point was the concept of“ appeal� and the world of movies.

A Sea of Wellness

Costa’s newest ship is ideal for lovers of wellness, with the Samsara Spa, one of the largest wellness centers ever built on a cruise ship, extending over 19,680 square feet, and offering a range of exclusive services and treatments. For guests wishing to fully immerse themselves in a wellness cruise, the facility includes Samsara cabins and suites with direct spa access, including six veranda suites with their own Jacuzzi and spacious balconies, plus relaxation
amenities. The gym on Costa Fascinosa will be equipped with the latest Technogym machinery incorporating the “Visioweb� digital platform to provide access to the Internet, TV and iPods. The Samsara experience also includes a wellness restaurant serving light tasty dishes.

The itineraries: Lands Of Legends

Costa Fascinosa will debut on two mini cruises and one grand inaugural cruise. The first of the two short cruises is scheduled to leave Venice May 2, 2012, with port calls in Dubrovnik, Croatia; Capri and Savona, Italy. The second premiere cruise will depart Savona May 7 with stopovers at Corfu, Greece; Cattaro, Montenegro, and Venice, Italy.

Fascinosa’s 11-night inaugural cruise sails from Venice May 11, bound for Bari, Italy; Corfu; Haifa, Israel; Izmir, Turkey, and Dubrovnik. From May 21 through Nov. 30, 2012, Costa Fascinosa will operate seven-night cruises departing from Venice on Mondays and Bari on Tuesdays to Olympia, Santorini and Rhodes, Greece, and Dubrovnik.

The strictest environmental standards

Costa Fascinosa is at the cutting edge with regard to safety and environmental protection standards, which has always been a hallmark of Costa Cruises. Like other ships in the fleet, the new flagship will be equipped for “cold ironing,� enabling the ship to plug into shoreside electrical power. On Costa Fascinosa — and this already applies fleetwide — 100 percent of solid waste will be collected separately for recycling and no waste will ever be discharged overboard. Also, most of the water used on the new flagship will be produced on board using
desalination plants.

The Costa fleet: investments

Construction of Costa Fascinosa cost nearly $682.4 million. Another Costa ship under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera yard will be 132,500 gross tons and carry 4,928 total guests, and is scheduled for delivery in October 2014. Since 2000, Costa Cruises has ordered 10 new ships from Fincantieri shipyards, with a total investment of more than $6.7 billion.

February 2012 will see the debut of Costa neoRomantica, the result of the $124 million makeover of the Costa Romantica; this radical refurbishment is being carried out at the San Giorgio del Porto and T. Mariotti yards in Genoa.