27 August 2010

Costa Concordia, 27 May 2009

Costa Concordia

IMO 9320544
Built 2006, Fincantieri Sestri Ponente, Genoa, Italy
Tonnage 112 000 GT
Length 290,20 m
Width 35,50 m
Draugth 8,05 m
3 800 passengers
6 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 75 600 kW
2 azipods
3 bow thrusters
1 stern thuster
Speed 19,6 knots

Costa Concordia is another modern mega-ship belonging to a ship class consisting of several different ships. But with Costa Cruises we're entering into muddy waters on how to define a class. Most Costa ships built since the the line was taken over by the Carnival Corporation have been built to a similar or identical design as those built for Carnival Cruise Line, and there are several variations of each design, often indistinguishable from the others. So the Costa Concordia is either the lead ship of the Concordia-class, an extended version of a Fortuna-class ships or an enlarged Triumph-class ship - take your pic. Regardless of the class, she has the angular design that has mostly been a trademark of Carnival Cruise Line, but with Costa's bold-upright funnel (which are often referred to - at least in Finland - as "toilet paper rolls" due to their shape).

[Edit 14. January 2012] The Costa Concordia sunk near the Isola del Giglio on the night between 13 and 14 January 2012. The ship hit a sandbank or a reef shortly after departing Civitavecchia, which tore and 30-meter hole in her hull and the ship begun listing. She eventually capsized and partially sank later during the night, fortunately after evacuation had been completed. At the time of writing three people have been confirmed to have died, but search for possible missing persons is ongoing.

Photographs below show the Costa Concordia shortly after departure from La Goulette, Tunisia on 27 May 2009. Photographed from onboard MSC Sinfonia. Click on the image(s) to view full size.

Passing MSC Sinfonia (no foghorns this time), La Goulette in the background.
Personally I actually rather like the shape of the aft of the ship, even if the front isn't that neat.
Turning further on the shipping lane out of La Goulette.

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