Costa Spends 55 Million Refurbishing The Holiday

Costa Crociere is spending 66 million euros on ship upgrades, including refurbishing the former Holiday of Carnival Cruise Lines for its new service as the Grand Holiday for Iberocruceros starting in May. The work, estimated at 55 million euros, is being done at the S. Giorgio yard in Genoa.

 In addition to completely restyling the cabins and public areas, four new suites with balconies and a new wellness center will be built. The hull will be treated with  a silicone-based paint that also increases the vessel’s hydrodynamic performance while reducing the environmental impact thanks to reduced fuel consumption, according to a prepared statement from Costa.

The Grand Holiday will be the fourth ship of Iberocruceros. The first cruise will depart from Barcelona on May 18, 2010, calling at Villafranche-sur-Mer, Leghorn, Civitavecchia and Porto Torres. The ship will sail seven-day cruises in the western Mediterranean during the summer season, departing from Barcelona on Sundays, calling at Villafranche, Leghorn, Civitavecchia, Naples and La Goulette.

The other three Costa ships having undergone routine maintenance work are the Magica (Nov. 4 to 18); the Mediterranea (Nov. 21 to Dec. 5) in Palermo; and  the Marina (Nov. 4o to 18) in Genoa.