Costa Concordia

Costa Concordia at Piraeus, Greece
Career
Name:	Costa Concordia
Owner:	Carnival Corporation & plc
Operator:	Costa Cruises
Port of registry:	Italy, Genoa
Ordered:	19 January 2004
Builder:	Fincantieri Sestri Ponente, Italy
Cost:	₢450 Million
Launched:	2 September 2005
Acquired:	30 June 2006
In service:	July 2006
Identification:	Call sign: IBHD IMO number: 9320544 MMSI no.: 247158500
Status:	In Service
Notes:	[1][2]
General characteristics
Class and type:	Concordia class cruise ship
Tonnage:	114,500 GT
Length:	950 ft (290 m)
Beam:	118 ft (36 m)
Speed:	service: 21.5 knots (39.8 km/h; 24.7 mph) maximum: 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
Capacity:	3,700 passengers
Crew:	1,100
Notes:	[2][3]

Costa Concordia is a Concordia-class cruise ship owned and operated by Costa Cruises. She was built at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente yards in Italy. The name Concordia was intended to express the wish for continuing harmony, unity and peace between European nations.

She is the namesake of Concordia-class, with sisters, Costa Serena, Carnival Splendor which was built for Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Pacifica, Costa Favolosa, and Costa Fascinosa. Costa Concordia entered service in July 2006 and was the largest ship to be built in Italy, at 114,500 tons.

Concept and construction

The then unnamed Costa Concordia was ordered in 19 January 2004 in Fincantieri and will be built in their Sestri Ponente yard in Genoa.^[1] Costa Concordia was then launched at Sestri Ponente in 2 September 2005.^[4] At the time of her construction, she was the largest Italian cruise ship ever built in history. She was then delivered to Costa on June 30, 2006.^[5]

Amenities

Costa Concordia has 1,500 staterooms; 505 have private balconies and 55 with direct access to Samsara Spa; 58 suites with private balconies and 12 with direct access to spa. Costa Concordia has one of the world's largest wellness centers at sea, the Samsara Spa, a two-level, 6,000 m (20,000 ft) wellness area, with gym, a thalassotherapy pool, sauna, Turkish bath and a solarium.^[2] The ship also has four swimming pools, two with retractable covers, five spas and a poolside screen on the Pool deck.^[2]

There are five on-board restaurants, with Club Concordia and Samsara taking reservations-only dining. There are thirteen bars including a cigar and cognac bar and a coffee and chocolate bar.

Entertainment options are a three-level Theater, casino and a discotheque. There is also a children's area equipped with PlayStation products. There is also the Grand Prix motor racing simulator and an internet cafe.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Costa Crociere Orders A New Ship From Fincantieri With An Investment Of Around 450 Million Euros" (Press release). Fincantieri. 19 January 2004. http://www.fincantieri.it/cms/data/browse/news/000161.aspx. Retrieved 2 September 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Company Profile". Costa Cruises. 2011. http://www.costacruisesasia.com/B2C/PAO/Corporate/The+company/aboutourselves/aboutourselves.htm. Retrieved 2 September 2011. 
3. ^ "Advanced Masterdata for the Vessel Carnival Concordia". VesselTracker. 2011. http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Ships/Costa-Concordia-9320544.html. Retrieved 1 September 2011. 
4. ^ "Costa Concordia, The Largest Italian Cruise Ship, is Launched in Genoa" (Press release). Fincantieri. 2 September 2005. http://www.fincantieri.it/cms/data/browse/news/000193.aspx. Retrieved 2 September 2011. 
5. ^ "Costa Crociere Takes Delivery From Fincantieri Of The New Flagship Costa Concordia" (Press release). Fincantieri. 30 June 2006. http://www.fincantieri.it/cms/data/browse/news/000065.aspx. Retrieved 2 September 2011. 

External links

• Costa Cruises