Costa Cruises has taken delivery of new ship Costa Firenze from Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Italy in a virtual ceremony.
The 5,200-passenger vessel is the fourth of seven to be delivered before 2023 as part of a €6 billion investment by the line.
It has 13 bars and seven restaurants and, according to Costa, Firenze’s interior design is “a celebration of the Tuscan city, cradle of Renaissance art and culture”.
Next year, Firenze will sail in the western Mediterranean, offering two different week-long itineraries. The first is available from February 28 and calls at Genoa, Naples, both Italy; and Valencia, Barcelona and Marseille.
The second runs from May to October 2021.
After October 2021, the vessel will join Costa Venezia in Asia.
Michael Thamm, Costa Group chief executive, said: “The handover of the new Costa Firenze is a sign of hope and restart for the whole cruise and tourism ecosystems.
“This ship represents the most tangible evidence of the will of our group to restart. Our hope is that people will soon be able to travel again and that more ships will set sail and contribute to the revitalization of tourism in Italy, Europe and globally.
“Looking beyond the pandemic, Costa’s goal is to design the future of sustainable and zero emission cruising and we hope that our long-lasting partnership with Fincantieri can bring our companies to work together on a roadmap that can lead to this ambitious yet essential objective.”