# Costa Classica



## julian anstis

COSTA CLASSICA built 1991 at Venice Italy. 52,926tns sister to the COSTA ROMANTICA.
photo courtesy P.W.Hobday.


----------



## Santos

Hi Julian, (Wave) 

I think this thread's name should be changed to ' Costa Alot of Jobs ' as this ship is a dirty word to the ex Camel Laird shipyard workers at Birkenhead.

Chris.


----------



## julian anstis

Tell me more Chris.......as this is something I am not familiar with.....was she originally to have been built there...?


----------



## Santos

Hi Julian,

Costa Classica's owners wanted her lengthening and possibly other vessels too. They ordered a new section from Camel Lairds. Lairds built the new section,and launched it. It was huge, you could see it in the wet basin when you passed the yard. 

All the arrangements were made for Costa Classica to come to Birkenhead for the lengthening and she was actually at sea on her way, when the owners pulled out of the deal,stating some contractual problem, turned her around and she sailed back to Europe, where strangly she was laid up.

Camel Lairds had borrowed and invested very large ammounts of money on the deal, however Costa Classica's owners did not pay for the completed section and as a result Lairds could not carry on and went into receivership. They were wound up and the shipyard sold off in pieces. The Costa Classica section was subsequently towed out of the Mersey for scrapping. A lot of people lost their jobs and I mean a lot. Hence my post.

Chris.


----------



## michael james

I seem to remember Costa Classicas` owners ( was their name "Carnival" ? ) virtually invited Camel Laird to contractually invest £40 million in the lengthening section , a total of £60 million in all, and then pulled the plug. Does not leave a very pleasant taste in the mouth, and a lot of people will never forget. As you say John the truth may never come out over that contract but something was very "iffy" about the whole set up.


----------



## julian anstis

Thanks Guys for that info.... Did'nt realise that posting would be such a bone of contention......I can see where your coming from now..


----------



## Doug Rogers

Costa is very definitely part of the Carnival empire these days. The company started in 1924 but didnt have its first pax vessel until some 24 years later (Anna C).
I guess that most of the passenger shipping world now is pretty much alligned into two camps although there a few smaller "independent" operators around....thank heavens.
And Julian dont worry about throwing bones of contention...you should know us dogs have had enough of them around to all be experts in their handling. I have said it before and I will again....its part of the strength of this site.
Doug


----------



## Santos

Hi Everyone, (Wave)

I have got a picture of the mid section of the Costa Classica ( see below )
as it was towed out of the Mersey.

It went to the Scheepssloperij yard in the Netherlands in October 2002 ( the same yard the bits of the Tricolor were taken to be scrapped ) where it was totally scrapped. It is believed the receivers for Cammel Laird were paid in the region of £750,000 for the section which contained 15 decks and 350 cabins.( it cost £52 million apparently) 

According to sources, the Receivers are still persuing Carnival through the courts.

Chris.


----------



## john g

*costa classica*

I think Carnival were something to do with the cancellation. Had they not recently taken over Costa....Carnivals philosophy was big new ships not modificatons with all those problems. At the time Lairds were trying to aquire goverment money to build 2 cruise ships for a Florida based company........all very mysterious at the time and still is. The yard still operates as a ship repair facility under another name...john g


----------



## john g

*costa classica*



john g said:


> I think Carnival were something to do with the cancellation. Had they not recently taken over Costa....Carnivals philosophy was big new ships not modificatons with all those problems. At the time Lairds were trying to aquire goverment money to build 2 cruise ships for a Florida based company........all very mysterious at the time and still is. The yard still operates as a ship repair facility under another name...john g


However talking to a guy who new one of the welders on the job, the deck levels were seriously out of alignment ........say no more......true or not I don't know


----------

