Costa Cruises' Costa Diadema Begins Construction

The first block of the Costa Diadema's hull was laid at Fincantieri's Marghera, Italy, shipyard forming the central part of Costa Diadema, the future flagship of Costa Cruises. The ceremony was attended by Costa Crociere S.p.A. CEO Michael Thamm and president Gianni Onorato, with Fincantieri represented by its CEO Giuseppe Bono.

During the ceremony, the block -- weighing approximately 496 tons, measuring 51.5 feet wide by 95 feet long -- was lifted by a crane and laid in the dry dock where the ship will be built. 

Construction and fitting out will continue until Oct. 30, 2014, the scheduled date of delivery. Construction of Costa Diadema will employ approximately 1,000 shipyard workers plus another 2,500 employees of allied industries. About 400 contracted suppliers, most of which are Italian firms, will be involved in the project, especially regarding fitting out the ship's interiors. 

Costa will invest around $711 million in the new flagship. Costa Diadema will be the largest cruise ship flying the Italian flag, at 132,500 gross tons, 1,004 feet long, 122 feet in the beam, carrying 4,947 total guests and 1,253 crewmembers, with 1,854 guest cabins.

For more information, visit www.costacruises.com.