Construction work for the first of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered Costa Cruises ships has commenced at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

The ship has been tentatively named Costa Smeralda and will be owned by Costa Cruises’ parent company Carnival.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

It is currently scheduled to enter service by October 2019.

The vessel will feature a capacity greater than 180,000t and will be equipped with more than 2,600 passenger cabins to allow it to carry roughly 6,600 passengers on-board.

The development of Costa Smeralda forms part of Carnival’s strategic plan to build seven LNG-powered ships for inclusion within its current fleet of 103 vessels.

See Also:

Costa Smeralda's sister ship is expected to be delivered by Meyer Turku in 2021.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.
"The two new Costa Cruises ships are a true global innovation and set new standards for the entire sector."

Costa Cruises president Neil Palomba said: “The two new Costa Cruises ships are a true global innovation and set new standards for the entire sector.

“They will be among the first cruise ships powered by LNG, spurring the development of this green technology, especially in the Mediterranean area, and they will be the world's first LNG-powered ships that will be marketed to consumers from multiple countries, including Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Switzerland.

“The new ships will also offer unique services and present a state-of-the-art interior design, serving as the perfect expression of our 'Italy's Finest' concept, which is a distinguishing feature of the Costa Cruises brand around the world for providing guests with a truly immersive Italian experience.”

Costa Smeralda will offer cruise services in the western Mediterranean region upon completion.

Shell Western LNG is expected to provide LNG bunkering for the ship as part of an agreement that was initially announced last year.