Costa Cruises: latest flagship Costa Favolosa, to arrive in the region next winter. Ship will be biggest, most advanced cruise ship in UAE
In winter 2011/12 Costa Cruises plans to make 58 port calls with 233,000 passenger movements in UAE
At the opening session of the Seatrade Middle East Cruise Convention in Dubai, the biggest event of the year for cruise operators in the Middle East, the President of Costa Cruises (www.costacruise.com) Giovanni Onorato confirmed further consolidation in the region for the largest Italian travel group and Europe's no.1 cruise company.
Next winter Costa Cruises will be reinforcing its presence in the UAE - a cruise destination offered by Costa for the first time in the world back in 2006 - with a great debut: the deployment in the region, for the first time, of the Costa Favolosa (114,500 gross tonnage and 3,800 total guests), the latest flagship of the Italian-flagged Costa fleet, built by Fincantieri at its Marghera yard and named in Trieste on July 2 this year.
"The Costa Favolosa will be the largest and most advanced ship ever deployed in the region," announced Costa Cruises President Giovanni Onorato, "She will offer our guests the truly unique opportunity to visit the most intriguing destinations in the UAE and Oman on board an Italian cruise ship providing superb comfort, exclusive services and state-of-the-art hi-tech entertainment: suites and cabins with private balconies, the Samsara Spa, spacious lidos, plus golf and Grand Prix simulators. There'll be fun for all the family with the Favolosa's Aqua Park water playground, 4D cinema and PlayStation World."
Thanks to the positioning of the Costa Favolosa, Costa will make 58 port calls in the UAE in winter 2011/12 and expects to clock up approximately 233,000 passenger movements. From December 16, 2011 through April 6, 2012, the Costa Favolosa will be sailing in the exotic seas of the Arabian Gulf on 7-night cruises with 2 days in Dubai, one-day stopovers in Muscat, Oman; Fujairah, UAE; Abu Dhabi, UAE and Khasab, Oman and ending with a further overnight stay in Dubai.
This "Jewels of the Emirates" cruise with an itinerary reminiscent of 'A Thousand and One Nights' offers a tantalizing mix of past and future, unspoiled oases and stunning futuristic architecture, dune surfing, mosques and skyscrapers. This year's route features the additional port call of Khasab, Oman, which boasts towering cliffs and deep blue water.
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About Costa Favolosa
Weighing in at 114,500 gross tonnage and with accommodation for up to 3,800 guests, the Costa Favolosa is the largest cruise ship afloat flying the Italian flag. She is conceived to stun the onlooker with her spacious outside areas, state-of-the-art technology, impeccable service, and "modern marvels" of art and design: the end result is the perfect setting for a fairy-tale holiday (in Italian favolosa means not only "fabulous" but also related to a favola, or "fairy tale").
The main innovations include 6 new veranda Suites with their own Jacuzzis, and a new entertainment area parading the marvels of virtual reality in the 4D Cinema and PlayStation World. There's also a new children's open-air Aqua Park water playground with its own pirate galleon. Facilities combine the very best of the Costa product: the Samsara Spa, one of the largest wellness centers ever built on a cruise ship - 6,000 m2 of wellness, with dedicated cabins and restaurant; a large central lido extending over two decks, with a sliding glass roof for all-year round relaxation and a giant 18 m2 movie screen, showing music videos and other entertainment; for thrill seekers, the Grand Prix driving simulator 60 meters above the sea, produced from an original GP car, reproduces the excitement of the world's best racing circuits; and, last but not least, the world's most advanced golf simulator.
The brand new design aft pool area is particularly large and inviting: 1,000 m2 of space dedicated to relaxation and entertainment with 160 sun loungers, "suspended" whirlpool tubs and an invigorating waterfall. The shipboard gym offers all the latest Technogym equipment, which allows users to browse the Internet, watch TV and listen to their iPods while they train. The culinary experiences on board are a feast for the palate and have something for everyone: from the à la carte Club to the "wellness" restaurant, the self-service buffet with dishes typical of the places visited during the cruise, and the traditional Mediterranean delicacies in the two main restaurants.
Meanwhile, culture vultures will revel in the Costa Favolosa's exclusive specially commissioned art collection: this is a voyage within the voyage taking in over 6,000 works (comprising original works and copies) that enhance the interior decoration of the ship and her cabins. The Costa Favolosa's position at the cutting edge of cruise ship building technology also extends to environmental compliance, which has always been a Costa hallmark. Like other fleet members, the Italian Company's new flagship is equipped for "cold ironing", namely a system whereby the ship is plugged into shore-side electrical power, enabling generators to be shut down during stopovers in port.
For further information, please contact:
Orient Planet PR & Marketing Communications
P.O. Box 23345, Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971 43988901
Fax: +971 43988941
Email: media@orientplanet.com
Website: www.orientplanet.com
© Press Release 2011
