Costa neoRomantica is the new name to be given to Costa Romantica, the latest cruise ship being refurbished and refitted by Costa Cruises. Costa Romantica is a sister ship to Costa Classica.
Costa Romantica was built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. She was launched in November 1992 and officially christened on 22 September 1993. She commenced her maiden voyage from Genoa on 7 October 1993. Features of the ship include 11 decks, all named after popular European cities.
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The ship has an overall length of 220m, beam of 30.8m and draft of 8.2m. She can complement a crew of 596.
The vessel was added with new furnishings, carpets, curtains and fabrics in November 2001. The public areas such as Piazza Italia Grand Bar, Diva Disco and Giulietta Patisserie were revamped to create a new appearance.
The vessel entered the dry docks in Genoa shipyard in November 2003 to undergo maintenance work and minor modifications. The propellers, rudder and main engines were overhauled and the hull was cleaned and repaired. The external flooring of the lido and open-air buffet areas was also replaced.
Refurbishment
In August 2011, Costa Cruises signed a contract with San Giorgio del Porto shipyard for a major renovation of Costa Romantica. The vessel entered dry dock of the shipyard in October 2011 for the €90m renovation and restyling. The work is scheduled to be completed in February 2012.
The refurbishment will add two half-deck extensions, 111 new standard staterooms and private balconies for 120 rooms and suites.
The passenger capacity will increase from 1,697 to 1,800 as the number of cabins will rise from 678 to 789. The renovation will raise the displacement of the ship from 53,000GT to about 56,000GT.
The cruise ship will also be fitted with ballast water management systems supplied by OceanGuard. About 40 Genoa-based companies are contributing to the project.
The refurbishment is expected to employ about 1,000 personnel including naval architects, marine engineers, managers and skilled workers.
Costa neoRomantica facilities
The refurbished ship will have 789 cabins available as private balcony staterooms, suites and samsara cabins. Each cabin features wide spaces and wardrobes, a Lavazza coffee machine and high definition LCD television.
The new wine and cheese bar onboard will offer 100 vintner labels and cheeses. The newly added dining options will include a coffee and chocolate bar, an Italian pizzeria, a cabaret lounge and a nightclub. The entertainment venues will include Casino, Salone Disco Tango, Show Lounge Bar "Cabaret Vienna" with dance floor, Virtual World, Internet Point and Squok Club. The Club Restaurant offering à-la-carte menu will have an open view kitchen.
The neoRomantica will also feature an Samsara Spa in an area of 45,200ft2. The spa will include a gym, thalassotherapy pool, UVA-ray solarium, treatment rooms, aromatic steam room, sauna, Turkish bath, spa cabins, six spa suites and a dedicated spa restaurant. The integral VisioWeb screen fitted on gym equipment allows the users to connect to the Internet, TVs and iPod during workout sessions.
Propulsion and itineraries
Costa neoRomantica will be powered by four Sulzer 8ZAL40S diesel engines driving two controllable pitch propellers.
The engines deliver a total power output of total output 22,800kW. The propulsion system provides a maximum speed of 20kt.
The newly refurbished Costa neoRomantica will start her voyage on 20 February 2012 from Savona, Italy, on a series of 11-day itineraries to Spain, Morocco, the Canary Islands, and Madeira.
Costa neoRomantica will then offer 15-day voyages to the Atlantic capitals of Spain, France, Portugal and UK. During the summer, Costa neoRomantica will sail in northern Europe, on a series of 15-day itineraries to the fjords and Baltic capitals, as well as the Spitsbergen Archipelago.
