Costa To Air World Cup Matches

When a cruise line's newest ship launches during the World Cup hoopla, what can it do, particularly if it has a hefty international clientele? In Costa Cruises' case, the line has inked a deal with SKY to offer passengers the chance to watch all the matches of the 2006 World Cup on every ship in the fleet. The opening game is June 9, with a total of 48 matches planned during the Stage 1 competition, which concludes June 23. A series of elimination matches continues through July 5, with the consolation game on July 8 and the World Cup final on July 9. Costa will air the matches on its 11 ships, including the new Costa Concordia, whose July 9 inaugural cruise coincides exactly with the World Cup final. Guests will be able to watch all the World Cup action on Costa Concordia's giant poolside screen and on other televisions throughout the fleet. The five-night roundtrip Costa Concordia voyage visits Tunis, Tunisia; Valletta, Malta; and Tripoli, Libya.