Costa neoRiviera, a ship currently in service under the Costa Cruises brand, will be transformed in Genoa into the new AIDAmira, destined for the German brand AIDA Cruises, with a total investment of 50 million euros and over 1000 workers involved.
Agreement signed with the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard, which will carry out a significant part of the work from October 30 to November 28, 2019.
The Costa Group is relying on Genoa’s technical skills, announcing its decision to bring to Genoa an important restyling project on a ship in its fleet, for a total investment of 50 million euros.
The order also involves the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard, whose contribution was made official today with the signing of an agreement, at the Italian company’s Genoa headquarters, by Michael Thamm, Group CEO Costa Group and Carnival Asia, and Ferdinando Garrè, CEO of San Giorgio del Porto, in the presence of the President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Paolo Emilio Signorini and the Councilor for City Planning, Public Property and Urban Renewal of the Municipality of Genoa, Simonetta Cenci.
The restyling work, which will last about a month, will lead to the transformation of the Costa neoRiviera, a ship currently in service for the Costa Cruises brand, into the new AIDAmira, destined for the German brand AIDA Cruises. Both brands are part of the Costa Group, a market leader in Europe and China. A total of about 1000 workers will be involved, 150 of them working directly for the shipyard.
“This new investment in the city of Genoa, with a local partner like San Giorgio del Porto, is a further tangible sign of our link with Genoa and Liguria and of the positive impact that our Group can have locally. We have carried out a study on this subject, which has given very impressive results: in just one year, the Costa Group has generated an economic impact in Europe of 12.6 billion euros and over 63,000 jobs. It is precisely the shipbuilding industry that accounts for the largest part of this impact, thanks to the plan to expand and renew our fleet, but also the contribution that comes directly from each guest, amounting on average to 74.60 euros in every port visited, is particularly significant. Italy is among the top destinations for our guests, with 3.2 million passenger movements, a figure that is going to grow also thanks to AIDAmira, which will be calling at three ports in Southern Italy next summer” – said Michael Thamm, Group CEO Costa Group and Carnival Asia.
“We are honored that the Costa Group continues to give us confidence and to believe in the know-how and technical skills of the Genoese shipbuilding industry and of San Giorgio del Porto in particular, despite the many infrastructure-related difficulties that continue to prevent the full development of ship repair and refitting activities. Costa’s decision to bring a job of this magnitude to Genoa could not be taken for granted and for this we are grateful to the company” – said Ferdinando Garrè, CEO of San Giorgio del Porto.
Costa neoRiviera will complete its last eleven-night cruise in the Mediterranean on October 29, 2019 in Savona. The next day the ship will arrive in Genoa to start the work, which will last until November 28. At the end of the operations, a completely renewed ship will leave the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard and arrive in Palma de Mallorca on November 29 to be renamed AIDAmira.
This will be the fourth ship in the “AIDA Selection” family, the German brand’s offer designed for travelers who want to discover new destinations in a unique way, with long stops on land and an intimate atmosphere on board. AIDAmira will have large outdoor spaces, 5 different restaurants, 7 bars, a wellness area measuring 1,100 m² and about 700 cabins, including 125 with balcony or private sun terrace. After a 4-night vernissage cruise in the Western Mediterranean, the ship will be positioned to South Africa, offering 14-day cruises from Cape Town. From May to September 2020, she will offer two different one-week itineraries, which can be combined into a single 14-day cruise, departing from Corfu: one to Athens, Santorini, Crete and Brindisi, and the other to Malta, Catania, Crotone, Olympia and Kefalonia.
Source: Carnival Cruise Lines
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