Costa Favolosa to Make Debut on 4 July 2011

The Costa Favolosa, the 15th member of the fleet belonging to Costa Cruises, is set to make her debut on a 3-day vernissage cruise departing from Venice on 4 July 2011.

In Summer 2011 she will be offering 8-day Eastern Mediterranean cruises, while in winter 2011/2012 she will be positioned to Dubai for 8-day cruises in the United Arab Emirates.

The Italian-made flagship (114,500 gross tonnage and 3,800 total guests), is built entirely in Italy by Fincantieri at Marghera (Venice) shipyards.

To enjoy the relaxation of the sea on board, Costa Favolosa offers two outdoor lidos. The stern lido, measuring more than 1,000 square meters, is one of the largest ever built on a cruise ship, with 160 sun beds, Jacuzzi and a refreshing waterfall. The central lido, thanks to a retractable roof in glass, can be used in any weather condition, offering a giant movie screen of 18 square meters - a real open-air cinema - with videos, movies and entertainment.

The “floating contemporary castle” that is Costa Favolosa will be full of state-of-the-art hi-tech fun. In the new “Club Cavallo Bianco”, children and adults alike will be able to enjoy the excitement of the 4D Cinema and PlayStation World with PS3. Guests who like a challenge can head for the heights of the ultrarealistic Grand Prix driving simulator and the cutting-edge golf simulator, both located 60 meters above sea level.

And parents of young children can rest easy, because expert child minders will look after the little ones in dedicated play areas like the Squok Club, offering a brand new open-air Acqua Park water playground with its own pirate galleon.

Other facilities include the a 6,000 sqm Samsara Spa, Six new Spa Suites with their own private jacuzzis and veranda, and a restaurant dedicated to wellness. There is also a state-of-the-art fitness center that features Technogym equipment, including brand new cardio machines with web access, allowing guests to surf internet while training.

The Costa Favolosa will be equipped for “cold ironing”, namely a system whereby the vessel is plugged into shoreside electrical power, enabling generators to be shut down during stopovers in port.

On board the Costa Favolosa, like on all the members of the Costa Cruises fleet, 100% of solid waste will be collected separately for recycling so no special waste is discharged overboard. Also, most of the water used on the ship will be produced directly on board using desalination plants.

The Costa Favolosa is set to make her debut on a 3-day vernissage cruise departing from Venice on July 4, 2011, and calling at Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Koper (Slovenia). This will be followed by her grand inaugural cruise, which leaves Venice on July 7: a 10-day itinerary taking in Greece, Turkey, Croatia with stopovers in Bari, Izmir (Turkey), Istanbul (Turkey - 2 nights), Mykonos (Greece), Athens (Greece), Olympia (Greece) and Dubrovnik (Croatia).

Throughout the 2011 summer season the Costa Favolosa will be offering 8-day cruises from Venice and Bari to Olympia (Greece), Izmir and Istanbul (Turkey), and Dubrovnik (Croatia).

Throughout the winter 2011/12 Costa Favolosa will offer 7-day cruises including Dubai (2 days), Muscat (Oman), Fujairah (UAE), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Bahrain and Dubai (2 days).

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