Like her sister ship Costa Concordia christened in Italy in July 2006, the Costa Serena will be the largest vessel flying the Italian flag. She will be 112,000 gross tonnage and 290 meters in length, with 1500 cabins and total guest capacity of 3780. Currently under construction at Fincantieri’s yard in Genoa Sestri Ponente (Italy), the Costa Serena is due to enter service at the end of May 2007.

The Costa Serena will feature all the main innovations offered by her sister ship Costa Concordia:

Samsara Spa, the largest wellness center ever built on a cruise ship (over 2100 m²). The number of Samsara cabins, i.e. those with direct access to the Spa, will increase to 99 (there are 67 on the Costa Concordia), comprising 87 staterooms and 12 suites, thus offering even more cruises dedicated to wellness;

two swimming pools with a sliding glass roof, one astern and the other amidships on the same deck. In addition, the central pool area will be fitted with a giant 18 m2 movie screen, which can be used for daytime projection of video clips as well as nighttime film screenings;

totally authentic Grand Prix driving simulator, the most accurate representation of F1 ever;

the menus in the Costa Serena’s à la carte restaurant will be devised by the Italian culinary innovator Ettore Bocchia, executive chef at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio and a Michelin restaurateur.

The interiors of the ship will be designed by the American architect Joe Farcus, their central theme being Greek and Roman mythology; this will be readily apparent either in the numerous works of art onboard.

Costa’s new flagship will set sail from Venice on her maiden cruise on May 26, 2007. Every Sunday from June through November 2007 the Costa Serena will depart from the port of the city of canals on 7-day cruises calling at Bari, Olympia (Greece), Izmir and Istanbul (Turkey), and Dubrovnik (Croatia). In winter 2007/2008 the Costa Serena will offer 10- and 11-day cruise vacations to the Canary Islands.

In addition to the Costa Serena, Costa Crociere has commissioned 3 more ships – all from Fincantieri – which will enhance its fleet, Europe’s largest and most advanced, currently 11-strong with total capacity of approximately 20,500 lower berths in dual occupancy cabins. The Sestri Ponente yard will build a third sister ship of the Costa Concordia and Costa Serena, whose name is yet to be announced, due for delivery in summer 2009. Meanwhile, two 92,700 gross tonnage running mates will be built in Marghera, one due to enter service in spring 2009 and the other in March 2010. These 4 new orders amount to a total investment of almost 2 billion euros by Costa Crociere, as part of a fleet expansion and upgrading program worth almost 4.5 billion euros which was launched by the Italian Company in 2000. By 2010, when the last of the new buildings ordered so far is delivered, the Costa Crociere fleet will be 15 strong and have total capacity of over 30,800 passengers (in dual occupancy cabins).

Costa Crociere SpA is an Italian cruise company and the market leader in Europe and South America. In 2006 Costa carried a total of 880,000 cruise Guests and this figure is expected to hit the one million mark in 2007. Its fleet, Europe’s largest and most advanced, has a total of 11 ships in service and 4 under construction. By 2010 the Costa fleet will be 15 strong with total Guest capacity of approximately 30,800.

All of the vessels fly the Italian flag and are deployed in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, South America, the United Arab Emirates, the Arabian Gulf and the Far East. Costa Crociere has been certified by RINA (Italian Shipping Register) with the BEST4, an integrated system of voluntary certification of corporate compliance with the highest standards governing social accountability (SA 8000, issued in 2001), environment (UNI EN ISO 14001, 1996), safety (OHSAS 18001, 1999) and quality (UNI EN ISO 9001, 2000). Costa Crociere is also an official partner of the WWF for the protection of the marine ecoregions of the Mediterranean, the Greater Antilles and Brazil. Costa Crociere SpA also operates the brand AIDA Cruises, which is the number one cruise company for the German market with 4 ships in service and 4 under construction. Costa Crociere SpA is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise operator.

With a symbolic name that connotes concord and peace, the Costa Concordia-the largest ship built for an Italian company-entered service in July 2006 and currently sails the Mediterranean year-round. Ordered in January 2004 and valued at 450 million euros, the Costa Concordia was constructed at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente (Genoa) Italy.

The ship's Samsara Spa makes history as the largest spa at sea, extending over two decks and featuring panoramic views of the ocean. The 20,500 square-foot haven of relaxation and rejuvenation offers travelers the ultimate wellness experience at sea, including a full menu of treatments based on Ayurvedic principles, a state-of-the-art fitness center, exclusive spa accommodations and a specialty restaurant. Elements of the spa's invigorating treatments and stunning design are inspired by the meaning of "Samsara," which is associated with the path to spiritual enlightenment, bliss and balancing of life energies. Guests who reserve one of the exclusive 55 cabins and 12 suites situated in the center of the spa have special privileges including flat screen televisions, Elemis bath amenities, and exclusive access to the signature Ristorante Samsara, featuring a full menu of wellness cuisine.

New features on the Costa Concordia include the "Ponte Francia" pool deck-spanning two floors and including two swimming pools with retractable glass roofs. It is the largest enclosable pool area on any cruise ship. An expansive cinema screen on the deck allows guests to watch movies day and night (it also features a multilingual audio system). Race car aficionados can drive like the pros on the Grand Prix race car driving simulator, identical to the cars in which real champions train. Guests even have the option of recording their performance.

The ship's specialty restaurant, the Club Concordia, features cuisine by renowned chef and creator of Italian molecular cuisine, Ettore Bocchia. By studying the physical and chemical properties of food, Bocchia focuses on enhancing the true flavor of ingredients while creating new textures for his cuisine. Bocchia is the executive chef of the Michelin-star restaurant of the renowned Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, Italy.

The interiors and furnishings are designed based on the creative genius of architect Joseph Farcus, whose innovative ideas have already been applied to four other Costa ships. He designed the various public areas drawing inspiration from European architectural styles up to the 1900s including Irish gothic, Belgian Art Deco, Austrian baroque and Italian post-modern, among others. The public areas onboard are named after some of Europe's most beautiful cities such as Paris, Dublin, London, Prague, Vienna, Lisbon, Stockholm, Helsinki, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Athens and Budapest. The Costa Concordia will offer a total of 1,500 cabins, including almost half fitted with verandas.

Guests aboard the new Costa flagship will also have access to the following facilities:

• Grand Prix Driving Simulator
• 13 bars, including one cognac and one cigar bar
• Five restaurants, including the specialty "Costa Concordia" restaurant, available only by reservation and featuring á la carte selections only
• Three pools, two with retractable magrodomes
• Five Jacuzzis
• One theater spanning three decks
• Outdoor jogging track
• Casino and nightclub
• Internet Café and Library
• Shopping Area
• Giant Video Screen on Central Pool Deck
• Squok Club (Children's Club, with its own Splash pool for kids)
• Mondovirtuale (Computer game area for teenagers)

Quick Facts
Gross Registered Tons 112,000
Length 951 ft
Width 116 ft
Draft 171 ft
Crew 1,068
Maximum Guest Capacity 3,780
Lower Berths 3,000
Crew 1,110
Number of Decks 13 Passenger
Maximum Speed 23.2 knots
Service Speed 20.5
Number of Guest Cabins 1,500
Oceanview with Verandas 501
Oceanview 343
Inside Cabins 586

Costa, Europe's Number One Cruise Line, offers an experience that is delightfully different in service and cuisine, in an atmosphere filled with love, laughter and la dolce vita. It's called "Cruising Italian Style" and true to its heritage, no detail has been overlooked in bringing the beauty and hospitality of Italy to the sea. Cruising Italian Style…that's Amore!

The ships of Costa range in size from 30,000-tons to 112,000-tons, and provide an ambience that is distinctly Italian - from the progressive architecture and stylish design to the unforgettable cuisine and gracious hospitality. With eleven ships in service and three on order, Costa offers cruises that span the globe on itineraries of three nights and longer throughout the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, South America, Transatlantic, Dubai, and the Far East.