Costa Smeralda successfully passed her technical sea trials carried out with LNG (liquefied natural gas), the world's cleanest fossil fuel, which represents an innovation in the cruise industry.
Smeralda is the second cruise ship in the world, following AIDAnova, which is also part of Costa Group's fleet, to use the fuel, both at sea and in port, which guarantees the low environmental impact.
Liquefied natural gas enables the virtual elimination of sulfur dioxide emissions and particulate matter as well as a significant reduction of CO2 and nitrogen oxide. During the sea trials, which started on November 16, the cruise ship carried out a series of tests in order to verify the correct operation of engines, systems, and equipment with LNG propulsion.
Once the sea trials had been completed, the cruise ship returned to Meyer shipyard in Turku to complete the interior layout.
Costa Smeralda's first voyage is scheduled to depart from Savona on December 21, 2019. The itinerary, which is due to be repeated through May 16, 2020, includes Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Civitavecchia (Rome), and La Spezia.