When Costa Fortuna took to the open sea for the first time in August 2003, she was the largest cruise ship in the history of Italian seafaring.
She left Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyards, where her fitting was nearing completion, bound for the builder's Palermo yard to be given a final coat of paint prior to official sea trials and speed tests.
Said Pier Luigi Foschi, Costa chairman: "Costa Fortuna marks the latest development in our fleet expansion programme, which is going exceedingly smoothly."
Costa Fortuna entered service in mid-November 2003 becoming the first large passenger ship to emerge from the shipyards in Sestri Ponente since the Michelangelo in 1965 - the same yard that built the legendary "Rex" (1932), "Andrea Doria" (1951), "Cristoforo Colombo" (1953), "Federico C" (1957) and "Leonardo da Vinci" (1958).
The 105,000-ton ship offers guests a stunning array of facilities for relaxation and entertainment: 11 bars, four restaurants, a theatre on three floors, three swimming pools, casino, disco, and ballroom.
Costa Fortuna's sister ship Costa Magica entered into service at the end of 2004.
