Built as a cruise vessel under yard No 5899 by Fincantieri Breda at Marghera, Italy and completed by Nuovi Cantiere Apuania, Marina di Carrara, Italy under yard No 1138 for Costa Crociere, Naples.
23 April 1992 keel laid down.
28 November 1992 floated out as the COSTA ROMANTICA.
Tonnage 53,049 grt, 7,781 dwt., dim.220.52 x 3079 x 7.30m. (draught), length bpp. 181.9m.
Powered by four 8ZAL40S Sulzer diesel engines, 22,800 kW, twin shafts, speed 19.5 knots.
Accommodation for 1697 passengers.
22 September 1993 after christened by Mrs. Maria Alessandra Costa Fantoni in Venice delivered to owners, Italian flag and registry. Homeport Genoa.
At that time she and her sister the COSTA CLASSICA were the largest passenger vessels under the Italian flag.
07 October 1993 she sailed from Genoa for her maiden voyage to the Canary Islands.
21 November 1993 based at Miami and in a service from Miami to the Caribbean.
During the Northern summer season used for cruises from European ports.
From 2000 again based in Genoa.
25 February 2009 she got a small fire in the engine room off the coast of Uruguay, she was for more as 24 hours dead in the water and there was no electricity or running water, after she was partly repaired she steamed near the coast off Punta del Esta where the passengers were evacuated by landing-boats.
From 2000 she sailed during the summer some routes to the Baltic and the Norwegian fjords.
2001 She was freshened up with new furnishings curtains carpets and fabrics.
29 October 2011 she arrived at the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard, Genoa for a refit.
After her refit accommodation for 1800 passengers.
Tonnage 57,150 grt, 7,781 dwt.
February 2012 returned to service and renamed COSTA neoROMANTICA.
2013 In service, owner given as Costa Crociere SPA, who also managed her. Imo no 8821046.
Pitcairn Island 2013 $2.00 sg?, scott?
Source: http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/costa_romantica_1993.htm http://www.equasis.org http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz
The ships depict on the stamp are from the left to the right the La FAVORITE, La BONNE-AIMEE, the frigate La BELLE POULE, L'INDIEN and the brig L’ORESTE.
Built as a wooden hulled corvette at Toulon for the French Navy.
November 1827 keel laid down.
11 June 1829 launched as the La FAVORITE, one of the CREOLE class.
Tonnage 757 ton, dim. 39 x 9.92 x 3.91m.
Sail area 1,573 square feet.
Armament; 20 – 30 pdr. carronades and 4 – 18pdr., when built.
16 June 1829 commissioned.
30 December 1829 she sailed from Toulon under command of Captain Cyrille Pierre Théodore Laplace (1793-1875) and a crew of 177 for a voyage to the Pacific to gather detailed information from the countries there were French traders and settlers could settle.
Via Senegal she sailed to the Island Bourbon where she arrives 01 April 1830, from there she sailed to Pondicherry, India and then via Madras and Yanason to Singapore where she arrived on 17 August.
Via Indo- Chinese ports where cholera and dysentery broke out on board on which many crew dies she set sail to Hobart, Tasmania where she arrived on 11 July 1830.
Via Sydney she sailed to the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, Laplace surveyed the Kawakawa River and a piece of land near the mouth he named Banc de la Favorite.
11 October the La FAVORITE sailed from New Zealand and she returned in Toulon on 21 April 1832.
07 July 1840 together with the frigate La BELLE POULE she sailed from Toulon under command of M. Guyet to St Helena to bring back the body from Napoleon to France.
08 October both ships arrived at St Helena, and after the exhumation of the body of Napoleon the remains were brought on board the BELLE POULE.
18 October both ships sailed from St Helena bound for France where she arrived 30 November 1840 at Cherbourg.
02 September 1844 the FAVORITE was stricken from the French Navy List and broken up.
St Helena 1990 20p sg 583, scott546.
Source: Watercraft Philately. French Explores in the Pacific by John Dunmore.
http://www.shipscribe.com/marvap/index.html
