New Costa ship takes a different tack
Cruise operator Costa Crociere has taken delivery of a new flagship liner which it hopes will launch a new era for a company whose reputation was dented by the Costa Concordia disaster.
The 114,500-tonne Costa Fascinosa has space for 3500 passengers and cost €510 million.
"We can’t ignore the January accident. It hit us hard. We are working on safety issues," said Costa CEO and chairman Pier Luigi Foschi.
In January, the Costa Concordia hit a reef near the island of Giglio off the Tuscan coast, capsizing and killing at least 30 people.
"Despite the economic downturn and the impact on consumption Costa has bounced back and booking volumes are back to the same levels recorded this time last year," Foschi told Reuters.
Costa has promised to introduce a real-time route-monitoring system, which will be later adopted by parent group Carnival Corporation & Plc, and a system to increase sharing of the ship’s navigation plan between the captain and the officers.
Carnival has dismissed claims that the new ship is simply too big.
"It’s true some people go for smaller ships for premium and luxury cruises but the bigger liners create additional amenities and they are the preference. They’re here to stay for quite some time," said Carnival’s COO Howard Frank.
Ian Jarrett
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