On 28th July Costa Cruises ordered the world’s largest passenger ships by passenger capacity. Both ships will feature a revolutionary ‘green design’, representing a major environmental breakthrough for the cruise industry. The vessels will be the first in the cruise industry to be powered by Liquefied Natural gas (LNG), the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel.

The sisterships will be built by the Meyer Shipyard in Turku, Finland, with delivery expected in 2019 and 2020. Each will exceed 180,000gt, offering more than 2,600 passenger cabins for a total of 6,600 passengers. Costa’s order is part of a multibillion Dollar contract with the Meyer shipyards in Turku (Finland) and Papenburg (Germany) that also includes two new ships for Aida Cruises, the German brand of Costa group. The contract with Meyer is the result of a larger previously announced deal between Carnival Corporation & plc, the home company of Costa group, and leading shipbuilders Meyer Werft, Meyer Turku and Fincantieri S.p.A. for nine new ships between 2019 and 2022.

The new order represents a remarkable employment opportunity for Italy. According to Costa Cruises’ forecast, approximately 750 Italian crewmembers are expected to be hired to work on the two ships. Furthermore Italy will be featured strongly in the onboard experience, the new ships will represent the finest of all things Italian at sea.