Meyer Turku delays delivery of Costa Smeralda

Costa Smeralda

Carnival Corporation’s Costa Cruises brand has pushed back its inaugural program of Mediterranean cruises on its first LNG-fueled cruise ship, Costa Smeralda, due to construction delays at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

The ship was set for delivery in mid-October but Meyer says delivery will now be in mid-November.

Costa says the ship will now commence her inaugural program of cruises on November 30, 2019, noting that the postponement “unfortunately entails the cancelation of all the new flagship’s initial cruises and the inaugural activities previously scheduled.”

Carrying 6,522 passengers and with a crew of 1,678, the 180,000 gt Costa Smeralda has a length of 337 meters. Features include the Colosseum, the heart of the Costa Smeralda, spanning three decks at the center of the ship, dedicated to the finest in entertainment. The Piazza di Spagna: a grand open air staircase overlooking the stern. The “Volare” walkway that reaches the highest point on the ship at 65 meters and Trastevere: a square in the centre of the ship that combines bars, shops and entertainment in one place.

Meyer Turku says that with its LNG propulsion system and many sophisticated rooms with stage and audio/video equipment “the complexity and sophistication of the ship is very high and that its its size of 180 000 GTis impressive and much larger than the recently built ships at the Turku shipyard.”

“In getting this all to work together with many involved persons and companies, Meyer Turku had a slower progress speed than needed, despite counter-actions,” says the shipbuilder, adding that “with the new time frame, Meyer Turku is going to deliver a highly sophisticated cruise ship in the usual high Meyer Turku quality.”

Commenting on the news, Costa Cruises President Neil Palomba said: “Our priority is always to offer our guests a unique vacation experience that exceeds their expectations. Unfortunately, the Meyer Turku yard needs more time to ensure that Costa Smeralda will do just that and this is absolutely crucial as far as we’re concerned. At the same time, I would stress that Costa Smeralda is a totally innovative project in terms of both technology and product.”