On 5 December Costa Cruises, the Italian brand of Carnival Corporation officially took delivery of its first powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship, known as Costa Smeralda. The handover ceremony was held in the place where the company’s vessel was build, at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland.
Specifically, this is the 4th new ship of the Carnival Corporation for 2019, while “Costa Smeralda” comes second in LNG-powered cruise ships’ list, following the AIDAnova.
For the records, Costa cruises plans to establish another LNG-fueled vessel until 2021, the “Costa Toscsana“, which is already under construction at Meyer Turku. Meaning that “Costa Smeralda” is the first of the two new LNG-fueled company’s sister ships.
As the company reported, both vessels will be a further boost to the use of LNG in cruise ships, as LNG is the marine industry’s most advanced fuel technology.
It is an exciting evolution in maritime transport, as it guarantees a significant reduction in our environmental impact. Costa Smeralda is a significant product innovation as well, with Italian hospitality remaining a fundamental and distinctive element of our brand, able to enchant and excite not only new cruise passengers but also more experienced ones.
…said Neil Palomba, president of Costa Cruises.
Concluding, after the green-ship successfully established sea trials powered by LNG , it is now planed to depart for the Mediterranean, today on December 6, where it will be then powered with LNG in Barcelona on December 18.
