Costa Crociere has boosted its presence in Grand Harbour with the launch of its new flagship Costa Concordia, a 112,000-tonne liner that will start using Malta as one of its home ports later this month.

With the Costa Concordia and Costa Romantica entering the harbour every week - amounting to 63 calls and 115,000 passengers in a year - the Italian company has confirmed its leadership in this sector in Malta. The 290-metre-long Costa Concordia will be sailing into the Grand Harbour every Friday starting on July 28, allowing people to embark and disembark on the island.

Costa Crociere, which has been represented by SMS Travel for over 15 years, plans to step up these figures to 72 calls with 160,000 passengers next year.

Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said Malta's participation in the itinerary of cruise liners provided a unique window of opportunity to day visitors who could taste a morsel of what the island had to offer, and be lured back.

Speaking on board the Costa Concordia, which made its inaugural call at the Grand Harbour yesterday, Dr Zammit Dimech spoke of the economic advantages of home porting as a result of cruise/fly/stay concepts.

Costa Crociere president Gianni Onorata said the visit of its latest flagship consolidated the strong relationships that existed between the company and Malta. The Costa Concordia, which cost €450 million and can take 3,780 passengers, brings the total number of ships in the Costa fleet to 11, with another four on order.

The Sestri Ponente yard will build two sister ships of the Costa Concordia: the Costa Serena, due to enter service in May next year, and a second vessel which will be named and delivered in summer 2009. Meanwhile, an order has been placed at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard for a 92,700 gross tonnage cruise vessel, with an option for a sister ship. They are expected to enter service in spring 2009 and autumn 2010.

The total outlay for these four new orders amounts to almost €2 billion, which is part of a total investment of almost €4.5 billion by Costa Crociere since 2000 for its fleet expansion and upgrading programme. The latest flagship was christened in the Port of Civitavecchia, Rome on July 7 by its godmother supermodel Eva Herzigova. The Costa Concordia has a large wellness centre covering a space of 2,104 square metres - 55 cabins and 12 suites have direct access to the spa and are linked to a package heralding a new style of wellness vacation. The Costa Concordia is also the first ship to have two swimming pools under a retractable glass roof, which allows guests to still use the pool on winter cruises. The pool area is also fitted with a giant 18-square-metre big screen.

Another exclusive innovation on board is the authentic Grand Prix driving simulator, which is the most accurate representation of Formula 1. Built by the Italian company Fincantieri, the ship's interior features works by top Italian artists.

In keeping with Costa's most recent ships, the interior decoration, designed by Miami architect Joe Farcus, is based on the central theme of the architectural styles of some of Europe's loveliest cities.

Costa Concordia trivia

¤ The vessel is almost 30 times longer than Rex, the legendary liner which was 290.2 metres long.

¤ The height of the keel is the same as a 23-storey skyscraper (69.4 metres).

¤ The ship has the same volume as about 3,900 buses.

¤ When not laden, the Costa Concordia weighs about the same as 110 Boeing 747 jumbo jets.

¤ The weight of steel used is almost three times more than what was required to build the Eiffel Tower (about 43,000 tons).

¤ The total installed power is equal to that used by a city with a population of 50,000.

¤ The bars and lounges cover a surface area equal to five football pitches.

¤ The weight of the anchor is equal to two African elephants (12 tons).

¤ The amount of drinking water produced using evaporators/desalination plants is equal to 1.2 million bottles.

¤ About 24,000 household washing machine loads are handled on the Costa Concordia every week.

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