Page 10: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2011)

10Maritime Reporter & Engineering News NEWSCosta Favolosa, the new flagship of Costa Cruises, completed official sea tri- als, and the naming ceremony is sched- uled for July 2 in Trieste, with an event dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. The ship, the 15th in Costas fleet, built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera (Venice), com- pleted her first crossing during which tests were conducted to verify the correct operation of the various systems, equip- ment and engines. During the tests at sea,the Costa Favolosa was brought up to her maximum speed (more than 23 knots)which was maintained for 8 consecutive hours to test the ships endurance. There was also a crash stop,? meaning a com- plete stop at maximum speed to deter- mine in how many meters the ship comes to a stop during an emergency. During the test known as the UMS,? the Costa Favolosa sailed for 6 straight hours only using the automatic energy and propul- sion system controls. Finally, with the black out? test, the electric power was cut off to check that all ship functions au- tomatically returned to normal when thepower was restored. After completing her trials, CostaFavolosa returned to the shipyard in Marghera to complete the fitting out of the interiors prior to being placed into ac-tive service. The Costa Favolosa will be ready for delivery on June 30, 2011. The 114,500 gt, 420m euro CostaFavolosa has accommodation for up to 3,800 guests and will be the largest ship flying the Italian flag. The sister ship of the Costa Favolosa, the Costa Fascinosa, currently under construction in theMarghera shipyard, is scheduled for de- livery in the spring of 2012. These two ships are part of the Costa group fleets expansion plan, which began in 2000, a plan worth $13.9b. As her name suggests (Favola is Italian for fairy tale?), the Costa Favolosa (www.costafavolosa.com), is a veritable fairy tale ship,? a contemporary en- chanted castle? with a combination of at-mosphere and state-of-the-art hi-tech fun.The main innovations on board include six new veranda Suites with their own jacuzzis and a new entertainment area for teenagers (but other age groups will enjoy it too), with 4D Cinema, PlaySta- tion World, and a bar with ice-cream, drinks and popcorn. There will also be a new childrens open-air Aqua Park water playground with its own pirate galleon. Facilities will combine the very best of the Costa product: the Samsara Spa, one of the largest and most exclusive wellness centers ever built on a cruise ship; a large central lido extending over two decks, with a sliding glass roof and giant movie screen; a Grand Prix driving simulator; and a golf simulator. The brand new de- sign aft pool area will be particularlylarge and inviting: 1,000 sq. m. of space dedicated to relaxation and entertainmentwith 160 sun loungers, whirlpool tubsand an invigorating waterfall. The ship- board gym will offer all the latest state- of-the-art Technogym equipment, including machines with Internet access,so you can surf the Internet while youwork out. On board there is also a Costa Concept Store conceived by Emilio Robba, a designer with an internationalreputation, where you can find an exclu- sive collection of products and souvenirs selected specially for Costa Cruises. The Costa Favolosas position at the cutting-edge of cruise ship building tech- nology also extends to environmental compliance, which has always been a Costa hallmark. Like other fleet mem- bers, the Italian companys new flagship will be equipped for cold ironing,? namely a system whereby the ship isplugged into shoreside electrical power, enabling generators to be shut down dur- ing stopovers in port. Costa Favolosa Set for Delivery