Costa Cruises has announced the names for its next two ships - they will be Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa, and are due for delivery in summer 2011 and spring 2012 respectively.
In fact, the first building block for Favolosa is being laid today - remember, remember the fifth of November - at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Italy.
The names were the favourites from a shortlist of 25 pairs of names posted on the website. Apparently 42,000 visitors to the website voted.
So how unfortunate - and indeed coincidental! - is it that they picked one of the names arch-rival MSC Cruises had chosen for one of its next new-builds? Interestingly the website shows Costa Emozione and Costa Passione in the lead at 6,347 votes, with Fascinosa and Favolosa is languishing well behind with just 562.
Here are some of the other results. Note that my favourite is at number two!
01 COSTA EMOZIONE COSTA PASSIONE 6347
02 COSTA PERLA COSTA CRISTALLO 4887
03 COSTA SOLARE COSTA LUNARE 3637
20 COSTA FASCINOSA COSTA FAVOLOSA 562
21 COSTA ARGENTEA COSTA DORATA 528
Apparently Favolosa is supposed to evoke thoughts of a magical voyage in a "contemporary enchanted castle", while Fascinosa is designed to express the glamour of a cruise ship and its capacity to bring out strong emotions and passions.
Maybe you have to be Italian.
Jane Archer
Comments (3)
Remember, remember the fifth of November. Yeah, the Italians will get that. Maybe you have to be british
Posted by Guy Fawkes | November 5, 2009 1:07 PM
Posted on November 5, 2009 13:07
I'm sure it would help to be British. Or maybe just well educated.
Posted by Jane Archer | November 5, 2009 1:13 PM
Posted on November 5, 2009 13:13
If Costa Favolosa & MSC Favolosa are in a port such as Civitavecchia or Barcelona at the same time...(knowing how the Spanish & Italian taxi drivers get upset very quickly when confuzzled)...it won't be a pretty sight!
Not to mention the poor passengers who don't tend to notice cosmetic differences tween their ships, they go for the name...and usually it will be 'Favolosa' scribbled onto that scrap of paper without the prefix...
Not a pleasant experience at all...someone will have to back down and change a name & since MSC have already changed a name, it should be Costa's turn this time, I think.
Posted by Ally Jones | November 7, 2009 7:02 AM
Posted on November 7, 2009 07:02