Costa neoRiviera

300px Costa neoRiviera in Genova, Italy, April 2015
History
Name:	1999–2003: Mistral 2003–2013: Grand Mistral 2013–: Costa neoRiviera
Owner:	Carnival Corporation & plc
Operator:	1999–2003: Festival Cruises 2003–2013: Iberocruceros 2013 onwards: Costa Crociere
Port of registry:	France, Mata Utu Marshall Islands , Majuro Italy, Genova Portugal, Madeira Italy, Genova
Builder:	Chantiers de l'Atlantique, France
Completed:	1999
Identification:	Callsign: IBDU IMO number: 9172777 MMSI number: 247325300
Status:	In service
General characteristics
Class & type:	Mistral-class cruise ship
Tonnage:	48,200 GT
Length:	216 m (709 ft)
Beam:	28.8 m (94 ft)
Depth:	5 meters
Decks:	8 passenger decks
Speed:	19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph)
Capacity:	1,700 Passengers
Crew:	670

MS Costa neoRiviera is a cruise ship currently sailing for Costa Crociere and formerly operated by Ibero Cruises.

History

File:Mistral Kiel2003.jpg

Costa neoRiviera as Mistral in Kiel Harbour, May 2003

In 1999 Festival Cruises delivered their first new build MS Mistral which was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Her maiden cruise started on 17 July 1999, from Venice to the Greek islands.

File:Grand Mistral dreht vor Tallinn am 11. Juni 2012.jpg

Costa neoRiviera as Grand Mistral In Tallinn, June 2012

But following the collapse of Festival Cruises in 2004 most of its fleet was sold off including Mistral that was sold to Viajes Iberojet which was sometimes called Iberojet and the cruise line was owned by a company also named Iberojet. Mistral was renamed Grand Mistral. In 2007 Viajes Iberojet was sold to Carnival Corporation & plc and was renamed Ibero Cruises, the next year the Grand Mistral received the new Ibero Cruises livery and continued sailing for Ibero Cruises.

In 2013 Costa Crociere announced to transfer the Grand Mistral in late 2013, that ment that her 2013/2014 winter season had to be cancelled and passengers who booked on her future cruises were refunded.

Grand Mistral was retired from Ibero Cruises in November 2013. She was transferred to Costa Crociere and renamed to Costa neoRiviera, she was also given new voyages. Her itineraries will feature more overnight and unusual calls to ports, as a part of Costa's new project featuring their smaller ships. Costa Crociere invested 10 million euros into refurbishing Costa neoRiviera and into maintenance checkup of Costa neoClassica and Costa Voyager.

External links

• http://www.costacruise.com/usa/costa_neoriviera.html