Costa Pacifica and Luminosa Dual Inaugural Tonight

Costa Cruises welcomes its two newest ships to the fleet during inaugural festivities in Genoa, Italy, tonight at 10 pm local time (4pm US eastern time). In fact, Costa reports that the dual christening, of Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica, represents a Guinness World Record. You might even be able to watch live, except the Webcast seems totally overwhelmed in the hours leading up to the main event.

Both ships feature specialty restaurants with menus created by Ettore Bocchia, executive chef at Michelin-starred Mistral at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, Italy.

Costa Luminosa, the "ship of light," hosts 2,260 guests and is the first in a new class of ships for Costa. In addition to the standard features that are expected from today's newbuilds (like a terrific spa, and a ton of balcony staterooms), the ship offers some surprises:

• A 4D cinema with touch and scent in addition to sight and sound to form a ultra-sensory experience for guests. Plus the seats roll in tandem with action as it unfolds onscreen.
• Costa is also bringing Sony PlayStation onboard with exclusive dedicated areas equipped with PS3 consoles and the latest-generation videogames, plus in-stateroom PS3 access.
• A roller skating track on one of the ship's top decks will allow guests to try roller skating with strap-and-go "Skorpion" skates that attach to your shoes.
• Golf lovers get an 18-hole golf simulator with 37 virtual courses, while a putting green on one of the ship's top decks offers a real-life golf experience--both Costa firsts. For race car fans, the ship features a Grand Prix race car driving simulator.

Costa Pacifica, the "ship of sound," carries 3,000 guests and is a sister ship to the Costa Serena and Costa Concordia. A soundtrack created especially for the ship by the famed Italian composer Mauro Pagani offers a musical treat along with some other goodies:

• A state-of-the-art recording studio allows guests to record their very own CD with the assistance of a special engineer. From what we've heard, it seems that the studio features advanced pitch-correction technology so even novices can end up sounding like a pop-star.
• Each corridor on the ship has its own music by masters from Chopin to Beethoven while each lounge will feature its own international music, chosen by Pagani.
• Similar to the Costa Luminosa, the Costa Pacifica also has Sony PlayStation areas, a Grand Prix race simulator and expansive lido pool area with a retractable dome extending over two decks.

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