Costa Cruises launched its latest flagship over the weekend, with officials hoping the 3,800-passenger Costa Fascinosa will mark a new chapter for the line following the Concordia disaster.
"The delivery of Costa Fascinosa is an important stepping stone on our company's road to recovery," said Costa Chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi.
He added the Italian line's future is already looking brighter.
"Despite the economic downturn and the impact on consumption Costa has bounced back and booking volumes are back to the same levels recorded this time last year," Foschi said.
At least 30 people died when the Concordia hit a reef near the Italian island of Giglio in January.
The Fascinosa debuts as Italy's largest cruise ship. The christening at the Fincantieri shipyard in Venice was attended by a crowd that included Italy's Minister of Tourism Piero Gnudi, whose daughter, Elisa, served as godmother.
Costa separately unveiled new safety measures on Saturday, including a plan to increase sharing of navigation information between the captain and officers.
"We can't ignore the January accident. It hit us hard. We are working on safety issues," Foschi also told reporters gathered in a spacious bar on Fascinosa, reports Reuters.
The $668.8 million Fascinosa has 13 bars and five restaurants. Other features of note include an Amarcord Atrium, designed as a Fellini-esque theatrical space with diamond-shaped chandeliers; an aft Lido with raised whirlpools, dedicated to the movie Gone With the Wind; and a 4D Cinema.
Costa has an even larger, 4,900-passenger ship scheduled for debut in 2014.
This item was written by Fran Golden, a cruise expert and Trip Coach for Budget Travel magazine. Golden is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is away.