Dubai Hotel Travel

Costa Deliziosa is the first cruise ship ever to be inaugurated in an Arab city

A unique event staged in collaboration with the DTCM

Costa Deliziosa operating on regular Gulf cruises with forecasts of 150,000 passenger movements in winter 2010/2011

Theinauguration ceremony for the Costa Deliziosa, the new jewel of the Costa Cruises fleet and the first cruise ship ever to be named in an Arab city was held in Dubai on February 23.

It was attended by Dubai Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates Airlines Group, His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, DTCM Director General Mr. Khalid A bin Sulayem, Mr. Pier Luigi Foschi, Chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere, Mr. Paolo Dionisi, Italian ambassador to the UAE, Mr. Corrado Antonini, Chairman Fincantieri and Mr. Gianni Onorato, President of Costa Cruises.

Together with her sister ship Costa Luminosa, the Costa Deliziosa represents the most exclusive and innovative member of the fleet; weighing in at 92,600 gross tonnage and with total Guest capacity of 2,826, the new ship is an emblem of Italian-made excellence. During winter 2009/10 and 2010/11, the 450 million euros-Costa Deliziosa and Costa Luminosa – Costa’s top of the range offer – will be offering 7-day cruises in the Arabian Gulf with departure from Dubai and stopovers in Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

The inauguration of the Costa Deliziosa, which constitutes another milestone in the development of the cruise industry not only in Dubai but also in the region as a whole, is the result of an a partnership between Costa Cruises, the first operator in the world to market regular cruises in the Gulf back in 2006, and the Government of Dubai, through the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing: this solid co-operation has contributed to the development of local tourism and will allow Italy’s no. 1 cruise line to clock up 150,000 passenger movements in Dubai in winter 2010/11 (compared to 44,000 in 2006/2007) with 31 port calls, generating revenue for the local economy estimated at 14 million euros* in 2009/2010.

“The decision to hold the inaugural event – the highlight of any ship’s early life – for the Costa Deliziosa in Dubai has dual significance,” commented Costa Crociere S.p.A. Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi.

“On the one hand it is testimony to our active engagement in the region, where we have more than tripled our passenger traffic in just 5 years, and on the other it expresses Costa Cruises’ pioneering spirit, which combines continuous innovation and ongoing promotion of Italian tradition, for which we are global ambassadors, thanks to our ships and our style. It means constant commitment, entailing major investments in renewal of the fleet and the continuous pursuit of ways of improving our product. It is this commitment that enabled us in 2009 – a year characterized by marked falls in consumption in virtually all areas – to carry about 1.3 million Guests on board our ships, an increase of 8 per cent compared to the year before, in line with the increase in our capacity.”

Mr. Hamad bin Mejren, DTCM Executive Director Business Tourism, said: “We welcome Costa’s decision to operate out of Dubai and also perform the naming ceremony of Costa Deliziosa here on the opening day of our new cruise terminal. We hope that it will give a major boost to the regional cruise industry. Costa’s decision reconfirms the potential of Dubai as the regional cruise industry hub. We are delighted with their decision and assure of our whole hearted cooperation and support to make the initiative successful. We are confident that this will help expand the cruise tourism industry in the region and stimulate other cruise operators to use the emirate as a cruise hub. At the DTCM, we look forward to a period of tremendous growth in high-yielding cruise tourism segment. ”

The extraordinary inaugural ceremony for the Costa Deliziosa took place during her Grand Maiden Cruise, which left from Savona on February 5. Over 3,000 guests witnessed the event, including about 2200 Costa Guests traveling on the first sector of the maiden cruise.

The inauguration ceremony, designed and produced by the DTCM together with Costa Cruises, features a grand inauguration event, involving not only the ship but also the new cruise terminal at Port Rashid and part of the quay where a stage and grandstand were set up specially to celebrate the Costa Deliziosa.

The event was both spectacular and memorable, stressing the links between Italian and Arab culture. It kicked off with an air show packed with aerial acrobatics and parachute jumps, then an artistic journey into the history and culture of Dubai and the Emirates, with traditional dance and music; one of the highlights is a performance of Ayallah – 20 dancers in costume and holding sticks that are used to enhance the stylish movements and dance steps that characterize this distinctive performing art.

The second part of the inauguration is dedicated to Italian culture, music and art, to Costa’s history and role as a roving ambassador taking “the very best of Italian-made excellence” around the world. It ends with a speech by Costa Crociere S.p.A. Chairman & CEO Pier Luigi Foschi, followed by an exchange of greetings between local dignitaries and their counterparts from the Italian government.

The naming ceremony of the Costa Deliziosa in Dubai is broadcasted live on www.costadeliziosa.com. Costa Cruises’ fans can share their emotions and report on the event through the social channels of the company (facebook, blog, twitter, youtube).

The inaugural event for the Costa Deliziosa is taking place in Dubai under the patronage of the Italian Embassy to the United Arab Emirates, the Consulate General of Italy in Dubai and the ICE (Istituto Italiano per il Commercio Estero, or Italian Institute of Foreign Trade). It is being staged in partnership with Alpha Tours, Dnata, Emirates, Grand Hyatt, Gulf Venture, Jumeirah, Maserati and RHS (Raiss Hassan Saadi Group).

In summer this year and next, the Costa Deliziosa will be deployed on cruises to the Norwegian fjords and Baltic cities; another highlight will be on December 28, 2011, when she sets sail from Savona on an exceptional 100-day round-the-world cruise, which can also be broken down into three stand-alone segments: Savona-Los Angeles; Los Angeles-Singapore; Singapore-Savona.

The new cruise terminal in Dubai extends over an area of 3450 m2 and can handle up to 4 cruise liners at a time. Facilities include a bureau de change, post office, ATM, duty free shop, souvenirs, business center and VIP lounges.

Costa Cruises is Italy’s largest tourism group and Europe’s no. 1 cruise company. For more than 60 years its ships have plied the seas of the world, offering the best in Italian style, hospitality and cuisine and providing dream holidays with the utmost in terms of fun and relaxation. In 2009 about 1.3 million guests chose to go cruising with Costa, a record for the European cruise industry.

Its fleet has a total of 15 ships, all flying the Italian flag, each with her own distinctive characteristics and unique style; together each year, they offer the chance to visit some 250 separate destinations in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, South America, the United Arab Emirates, the Far East and the Indian Ocean.

Two more new ships are due to enter service by 2012.

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