Special celebrations were held on Saturday, February 22, in Savona for the christening ceremony of Costa Smeralda, Costa Cruises’ new flagship, powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas).
The godmother of the ship and star of the event was international celebrity Penelope Cruz. She performed the ribbon-cutting duties via the traditional breaking of the bottle against the vessel's bow in the presence of Paolo Benini, Master of Smeralda. Also starring was the Italian multi-starred chef Bruno Barbieri.
The event continued with an extraordinary acrobatic show named “Dream” produced by Viktor Klee and staged in the Colosseo, the innovative theatre located at the center of the cruise ship. The celebrations ended with a fireworks display launched from a barge in the stretch of sea in front of the Priamar Fortress.
Costa Smeralda represents an exceptional combination of smart technologies, environmental innovation, and Italian excellence in food, experiences, and design.
The liner is operating on a week-long itinerary in the Western Mediterranean with ports of call including Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Civitavecchia, and La Spezia. The new flagship will be calling at Cagliari during the summer, while a stopover in Palermo is scheduled to start in winter 2021-2022.