Costa Cruises will celebrate its new flagship, Costa Diadema, 150 days from today on Nov. 7 during a special christening event in Genoa, Italy, where the company was founded and is headquartered. For the first time, the ship’s godmother will be selected from among participants in a worldwide travel agent competition to be held from July to September.
The christening will celebrate the city of Genoa and Costa Diadema’s guests, as well as its godmother who will join an impressive list of celebrities who have christened other Costa ships, including Claudia Cardinale, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Marion Cotillard and Margareth Madè.
Guests on Costa Diadema, fondly called Regina del Mediterraneo (Queen of the Mediterranean), will have an opportunity to book attendance to the ceremony as well as on the preview cruise departing Trieste, Italy, Nov. 1 or the first inaugural cruise departing Savona, Italy, Nov. 8. In addition, consumers can book an invitation to just the inaugural event and spend the night of Nov. 7 onboard.
The new flagship will be docked at Ponte dei Mille, Genoa’s historic shipping terminal. Guests onboard can attend the ceremony in the ship’s Emerald Theatre or watch it on big screens at the Lido Diana Magrodome Pool.
Following the christening, guests will attend an elegant gala dinner prepared by celebrity chefs featuring a special Mediterranean menu, highlighting Costa’s “Made in Italy” theme.
Costa Diadema’s celebrations will continue with dance performances by professional artists, acrobatic shows and music, with colorful masks given to guests to commemorate the event.
The grand finale will be a light show illuminating the sky over Genoa as Costa Diadema says farewell and sets sail for an overnight journey to Savona for its Nov. 8 inaugural cruise departure.
The 132,500-ton Costa Diadema is being built at Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, and is scheduled for delivery Oct. 30, 2014. Costa Cruises has invested a total of around US$745 million in its construction.
Costa Diadema’s debut will last an entire month, including the preview cruise Nov. 1, the christening Nov. 7 in Genoa and a trio of inaugural cruises Nov. 8, 15 and 22.
Beginning Nov. 29 and for the rest of the 2014-15 winter season and through the 2015 summer season Costa Diadema will depart Savona on seven-night cruises in the western Mediterranean, calling weekly at Marseille, France; Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, Spain; and Naples and La Spezia, Italy.
