Video: New Cruise Ship Costa Toscana Completes Construction

Costa Cruises, the Italian cruise line brand for Carnival Corporation, took delivery on December 2 of its newest ship, the second one to be fueled with LNG. The delivery of the Costa Toscana marked the completion of more than 20 months of assembly and a total of 30 months of construction for the 185,000 gross ton cruise ship.

The third LNG-fueled cruise ship built by Meyer Turku in Finland, the Costa Toscana is built from a platform developed by Carnival and Meyer that is being used to create similar cruise ships for its AIDA, P&O, Costa, and Carnival Cruise Line brands. The ships share a common platform and technical specifications with some customization of the passenger areas for the individual brands. 

To mark the completion of the cruise ship, Meyer Turku released a time-lapse video that highlights the complexities of building a 1,106-foot cruise ship able to accommodate 6,730 passengers and 1,846 in crew. Work on the Costa Toscana begin with a ceremonial steel cutting on July 30, 2019, although much of the early work is actually done hundreds of miles away at Meyer Neptune in Germany where the engine room blocks are built before being transferred to Finland. The assembly of the cruise ship began in Finland on February 11, 2020. The float out from the dry dock took place on January 15, 2021.

 

 

Like the other cruise ships of the class, the Costa Toscana has four dual-fuel main engines that produce 61,760 kW of power. She operates with two Azipod motors for a service speed of 17 knots along with four thrusters for increased maneuverability. 

In addition to the LNG power plant, Costa and Meyer called the cruise ships “a veritable traveling smart city." Incorporated into the design is a series of cutting-edge technological innovations designed to further reduce environmental impact. The entire daily water requirement is met by transforming seawater using desalination plants. Energy consumption is minimized with an intelligent energy efficiency system and waste recycling is conducted for materials such as plastic, paper, glass, and aluminum. 

Passengers will have a broad range of amenities with the interior design of the ship created as a tribute to Tuscany by designer Adam Tihany who oversaw the project working with four design firms. The furnishings, lighting, fabrics, and accessories are all made in Italy and have been designed specifically for the Costa Toscana by 15 companies. The cruise ship features 21 restaurants, 19 bars, four swimming pools along with over 2,660 cabins.

The Costa Toscana is scheduled to enter service in March 2022 sailing weekly cruises from Savona, Italy. 

 

 

MAIN TECHNICAL DATA

Length overall:                    1,106 feet
Beam:                                 138 feet
Maximum draught:              28 feet
Gross Tonnage:                  185,000
Total Passenger cabins:      2,663
Total Passengers:               6,730
Total Staff:                           1,646
Main engines:                      4 x 15440
Total Main Engine Power:   61760 Kw
Propulsion:                          Azipod 2 x 18.500
Max. Power Propulsion:      37 MW
Service speed:                    17 knots
Bow Thrusters:                    4 x 3.500
LNG                                     3.350 m³
MGO                                    2.100 m³

 

 

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(photos courtesy of Costa Cruises)