Costa Favolosa

Background

In october of 2007, Costa Favolosa was ordered by Carnival Corporation as a part of the five-ship expansion for the Costa Cruises brand. She was ordered together with her sistership Costa Fascinosa and Costa Pacifica, as well as two ships from another design, Costa Luminosa and Costa Deliziosa. When all of those ships came in service, the Costa fleet was extended by 50%. It was clear that Carnival was investing heavily in the European brand, making it still more the counterpart of the mothercompany in Europe. Exept for the Costa Deliziosa and Costa Luminosa, that were based on the Spirit/ Vista classes and would be 93.000-tonners, the three other new ships were based on the design of the Costa Concordia and Costa Serena and were going to be measured at over 114.000 tons. With those five ships, the Costa brand was seeing it's largest extension in history. All designs have also been used in the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet for the North-American market.

Below, Costa Favolosa shows herself docked at the Amsterdam terminal during her first visit to the port at the 5th of september 2016.

Construction and general statistics

At the 5th of november of 2009, the first block for the soon to be Costa Favolosa was lowered into the buildingdock at the Fincantieri yards at Marghera near Venice in Italy. The ship was going to be built under yardnumber 6188 and she was to be the fifteenth ship in the Costa fleet. Less then a year had passed when the ship left the drydock at the 6th of august of 2010. She measured 113.216 tons and was designed for a maximum passengernumber of 3617, the other number used is 3014 passengers, based on a two-per-cabin measurement. For them, some 1110 crewmembers are present and they all can enjoy themselves at 13 decks.

The ship has a lenght of 290,20 meters, is 35,50 meters wide and she has a draught of 8,50 meters. Driven by two fixed pitch propellers, the ship can sail up to a maximum of 24 knots. The propellers are driven by six 12-cylinder diesel engines of Wärtsilë design and her energy comes from six generators connected to two electric motors. Of course the new Costa ship was going to fly the Italian flag with her official homeport being the traditional Genoa.

On june the 30th 2011, the ship was delivered as sceduled to Costa Crociere and afterwards set sail for Venice, that was to be her first homeport.

Design

Her Italian name has double meanings, Favolosa can be translated to 'fabulous' as well as the Italian word for fairytale, 'favola'. Her name was chosen out of a competition held at the Costa Crociere website out of suggestions made by 42.000 visitors. Her sistership was also getting her name from this competition, and she later became Costa Fascinosa, meaning 'fascinating' of 'glamerous.' Of course, the design of the interiours was overseen by the house-designer of Carnival as well as Costa, Joe Farcus. As all modern-day Costa liners, the ship has her own style and theme, in the Costa Favolosa the chosen theme is fairytales. New aboard are six verandasuites with their own jacuzzi's and a new virtual-reality entertainment area including a 4D-cinema and a PlayStation World. Also a large open-air aquapark was new to the fleet, including a very cool pirate galleon.

I like to call the next one 'Reflections'.

Returning is the large Samsara Spa and wellnessarea, covering some 6000 square meters, making it one of the largest of such spaces ever to go to sea. Of course, an original Grand Prix racingcar was rebuilt into the line's signature simulator and an 18 square meter moviescreen makes it hard to see where you are swimming at the two-deck high lidoarea, that can be covered by a sliding glass roof. Inside the ship, there are also some 6000 works of art to admire, that were specially designed for the Costa Favolosa.

The aft poolarea is also re-designed from earlier ships, 1000 square meters of space that includes 160 sunloungers, waterfront whirlpool tubs and an invigorating waterfall. In the ships shopping arcade, Emilio Robba was the exclusive designer for the Costa Concept Store, creating products and souvenirs especially made for Costa Cruises. Also, you are able to create your own perfume in the Atelier du Perfume, where you are able to mix and match fragrances to your own taste.

Environmentfriendlyness is also not forgotten, as the ship can be plugged into shoreside electrical power so her generators can be swiched off during stays in port. This of course saves a lot of onboard produced energy.

Below, Costa Favolosa can be spotted sailing past Velsen Zuid at the 15th of may in 2018. 

Delivery and naming ceremony

Before her naming ceremony, the ship undertook a special voyage departing Venice on the first of july for Triest, where she was going to be named. During this voyage, the ship was the protagonist of Notte Rosa 2011, or the celebrations of the Summer's New Year's Eve. Fully lit in gala, the ship sailed down the coast of the region of Emilia Romagna recreating the scenic majesty of the legendary oceanliner Rex in Amarcord, and she stopped briefly before the town of Cattolica for an extended fireworks display.

The ship was named at Triest at the Piazza Unitá d'Italia by Italian actess Margareth Madé as the largest Italian cruiseship to date during a ceremony held the next day at the 2nd of july. The whole ceremony was a tribute to Italian identity, including homages to Italian art, history, personages and music. For this, the whole square was used, as well as the sky and the buildings surrounding it making it a very extravagant happening. The show was featuring the famous pianist Ludovico Einaudi, singer Alessandro Rossi and the Ballet School of the Accademia Teatro Alla Scala. Of course, all ended with a large fireworks display. In fact, the whole thing was a part of the official celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the unity of Italy and it sure was the largest cruiseship namingceremony in Italian history. The ship itself was named with the cutting of a ribbon after which she traditionally was blessed by the breaking of a bottle of Aneri prosecco instead of the French champagne. Why use French things on such an Italian occation.

Carreer

After the festivities eased, the ship prepared herself for a three day preview-cruise, departing Venice at july the 4th, when she sailed for the Croatian port of Dubrovnik and the Slovenian town of Koper. Arriving back at Venice at the 7th, she then departed for her inaugural cruise in the Mediterranean for her first summerseason. For the wintermonths, the ship repositioned to Dubai for a series of 7-day cruises in the Persian Gulf, returning to the Eastern Mediterranean for the summer of 2012.