With the ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Thursday, November 14, the “renovated” Calata Delle Vele cruise quay and Palacrociere terminal 1 were officially inaugurated in the port of Savona.
The ceremony was attended by the city mayor, Ilaria Caprioglio, Liguria Region president, Giovanni Toti, the president of Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Paolo Emilio Signorini, the president of Costa Cruises Neil Palomba, and blessed by Mons. Angelo Monaco.
The investment made by Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority for the renovation of the quay, and by Costa on the terminal, amounts to about EUR 22 million.
The work was completed within the timescale and has adapted the major cruise ship quay to the new requirements of the latest generation of vessels. Costa Cruises has therefore regained access to the historic quay, where millions of travelers have regularly disembarked over the last 15 years or so, making Savona one of the busiest cruise ports in Europe.
Allowing the cruise quay to accommodate the most recently built vessels required the sea bed to be deepened from the initial 9 meters to 11, which involved reinforcing quays 9 & 10 as well as the installation of scaffolding supported by pillars on the front of quay 8. The EUR 17 million investment made by Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority respected the project timetable for the arrival of Costa Diadema.
Costa Cruises has invested almost EUR 5 million in the adaptation work on Palacrociere terminal 1. After a competitive tender process, the works carried out were entrusted to 6 companies from the Savona area.
The works on the quay and Palacrociere terminal 1 were carried out ahead of Costa Smeralda's arrival. The new flagship will be calling at the port every Saturday from December 21.