Costa will once again show off its signature style of hosting some of the most celebrated inaugurals with the naming of the Costa Deliziosa today in Dubaia. This unique and innovative ceremony will be held by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) together with Costa, Europe’s Number One Cruise Line. The Costa Deliziosa, which was built in Italy by Fincantieri and delivered in Venice on Jan 30 of this year, recently set sail from Savona on Feb 5 for her Grand Inaugural Cruise. The voyage includes stops in the Mediterranean, Suez Canal, Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. The ship will stopover in Dubai from Feb 23 through the 26. This 15th member of the Costa fleet is the first cruise ship to be named in an Arabian city. Over 3,000 guests are expected to witness the event, including approximately 2,200 Costa guests traveling on the first sector of the maiden cruise.En route to Dubai, the Costa Deliziosa, a floating ambassador of Italian-made excellence, celebrated with two first calls. The first of these was on Febr 20 in Muscat, the capital of Oman, where a new cruise terminal was inaugurated as well. The second, on Feb 22, was in Abu Dhabi. Tuesday, Feb 23 in Dubai marks the occasion for the grand inaugural event, involving not only the ship but also the new cruise terminal in Port Rashid. Part of the quay will feature a stage and grandstand with seating for 3,000 and will be set up specially to celebrate the Costa Deliziosa.
The inaugural show is set to be a memorable occasion and will highlight the links between Italian and Arab culture. The first part of the show will take guests on an artistic journey into the history and culture of Dubai and the Emirates with traditional dance and music. The second part will be dedicated to Italian culture, music and art. Khalid Ahmed Bin Sulayem, director general of the DTCM, and Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and ceo of Costa Crociere S.p.A., will both make speeches. There will also be an exchange of greetings between local dignitaries and their counterparts from the Italian government. In keeping with tradition, the ceremony will climax with the arrival of the godmother, who will cut the ribbon that will send a bottle of Champagne to break against the bow of the ship. The event will end with a fireworks display and a gala dinner in traditional Arab style.
The naming ceremony of the Costa Deliziosa in Dubai will be broadcast live at CostaDeliziosa.com. While the site says the starting time is 9 (CET), we assume that's 9pm in Rome (Central European Time). So, if like me you are in the US Eastern Standard Time zone, that would be 3pm.
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