Costa Cruises christens its new LNG-powered flagship in Barcelona

Costa Cruises today celebrated in the port of Barcelona, Spain, the christening ceremony of Costa Toscana, the newest Italian-flagged ship in the Costa Cruises fleet, with the theme of “The Art of Living the Sea.”

Godmother of Costa Toscana is Chanel, a young singer, actress and dancer who enjoyed great success in Spain and across Europe after her performance during the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. She joined Captain Pietro Sinisi for the ribbon-cutting ceremony where a bottle of Italian sparkling wine was broken on the ship’s hull in a time-honored maritime tradition.

The event was hosted by two exceptional masters of ceremonies — Carlos Sobera and Flora Gonzalez — well-loved stars of Spanish television. The ceremony closed with a performance by the Italian artist Andrea Casta, a violinist who has performed all over the world with his electric violin and unique luminous bow. The party then moved to the Piazza del Campo terraces at the aft of the ship, where guests enjoyed the “Molecule Show,” a stunning spectacle featuring a cluster of 300 helium-filled spheres that lifted an acrobat over a trapeze, enabling her to fly through the sky across Barcelona’s skyline to create an ethereal, magical effect.

The christening party also was attended by other Spanish celebrities, including actor and singer “El Sevilla.” During the ship’s passage from Barcelona to Valencia, Spain, Meduza, the world’s most famous Italian trio of house music producers, hosted an exclusive DJ set. The aperitif and gala dinner was designed by Spanish Chef Ángel León, known as the “chef of the sea,” whose restaurant Aponiente has received three Michelin stars. Leòn is a partner of Costa Cruises, together with other two world famous chefs, Bruno Barbieri and Hélène Darroze.

“It is a great thrill to celebrate the christening of our Costa Toscana in Barcelona, a city to which we are particularly attached and where we have been at home since the beginning of our history,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises. “For this occasion, we have organized an event to celebrate the start of a summer that marks the serene resumption of travel and vacations. The event also features the excellence of Costa’s offerings in all aspects, from high gastronomy to high-quality entertainment to unique experiences ashore. According to recent market research, nearly 14 million Europeans are dreaming of taking a cruise in the next 12 months, and cruises are among the trips with the highest potential to meet the needs of destinations exploration. We must take advantage of this upswing to promote a more sustainable tourism that respects the environment and values local communities. Our commitment is expressed not only through technologically advanced ships such as the LNG-powered Costa Toscana, but also by supporting innovative projects whose scope goes beyond the tourism sector, such as Chef Ángel León’s project.”

Costa and the ‘Chef of the Sea’ Together for the ‘Food of the Future’

Costa Cruises and Ángel León are further strengthening their collaboration, addressing a theme that both have long been committed to, which is environmental sustainability. Through its charitable foundation, Costa Cruises is supporting a worldwide pioneering project — the development of “marine grain.” Restaurant Aponiente’s research center has started the cultivation of the Zostera marina species of sea grass in Spain’s Bay of Cadiz. Zostera marina helps generate greater marine biodiversity, enriching the ecosystem. It also contributes to mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon and produces seeds considered a nutritional “superfood” that could represent a future solution to the problems of hunger and malnutrition. With the support of Costa Cruises’ Foundation, the cultivated area of the ocean garden, which is currently about 3,000 square meters, can be expanded to promote the project and export Zostera marina to new coastal areas.

Summer 2022: The Desire for Cruising Grows

Costa Toscana represents the restart of Costa Cruises’ fleet, which will operate 10 ships this summer. Summer 2022 appears to be heading toward a significant upswing in travel. According to research commissioned by Costa Cruises from Human Highway in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, nearly 14 million Europeans dream of taking a cruise in the next 12 months. The sea seems to be the favorite place in all countries, while ingredients of the ideal vacation include rest, entertainment, gastronomy and discovering new destinations.

Costa Toscana — A Traveling ‘Smart City’

Costa Toscana is a true traveling “smart city.” Through the use of liquefied natural gas, the emission of sulfur oxides and particulates into the atmosphere is almost completely eliminated (95-100% reduction), while also significantly lowering emissions of nitrogen oxide (direct reduction of 85%) and carbon dioxide (up to 20%). The Costa Group, which includes the Italian brand Costa Cruises and the German brand AIDA Cruises, was the first in the cruise industry to use LNG and currently counts four ships powered by this technology: AIDAnova, Costa Smeralda, Costa Toscana and AIDACosma. In addition, Costa Toscana features several cutting-edge technological innovations designed to further reduce its environmental impact. All daily freshwater needs are met by transforming seawater through the use of desalinators. Energy consumption is minimized through an intelligent energy efficiency system. In addition, 100% of separated collection and recycling of materials such as plastic, paper, glass and aluminum are carried out on board.

Costa Toscana: Italian Design, a Unique Onboard Offer and the Best of the Mediterranean

Costa Toscana’s interiors are the result of an extraordinary creative project curated by designer Adam D. Tihany to enhance and bring to life the colors and atmosphere of the Italian region of Tuscany. Furniture, lighting, fabrics and accessories are all “Made in Italy,” created by 15 partners who represent Italian excellence. The onboard atmosphere is perfectly integrated in this extraordinary context: from the Solemio Spa to the areas dedicated to entertainment; from the thematic bars, in collaboration with great Italian and international brands, to the 21 restaurants and areas dedicated to the “food experience,” including the new Archipelago Restaurant, which offers menus conceived to explore cruise destinations created for Costa by three chefs — Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze and Ángel León. For the enjoyment of the little ones there is the Splash AcquaPark with its slide positioned on the highest deck, a new area dedicated to video games and the Squok Club.

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