A 'low-profile' unveiling for flagship Costa Fascinosa

The Costa Fascinosa was christened in Venice last week, but without the hoopla that would typically have attended the introduction of a flagship vessel.

Costa Cruises President Gianni Onorato said the line "decided to keep a low profile with the Fascinosa's christening" out of respect for the victims of the Costa Concordia grounding in January.

The few hundred christening attendees seemed swallowed by the ship's 1,282-seat theater. Early in the ceremony the ship's cruise director asked for a minute of silence for the victims. The only music was a single song by a pair of vocalists accompanied by a guitarist.

But brief speeches by top executives of Costa, shipbuilder Fincantieri and the Italian tourism minister pointed to the launch of the Fascinosa as a positive step forward for all concerned.

The 3,800-passenger Fascinosa at times twinkles, at times gleams. It draws the attention away from being a floating hotel through use of imaginative displays of art; an impressive fitness area and salon; and gadgetry such as a "4-D" movie theater and a Formula 1 racing car simulator.

Colors are from the quiet side of the artist's palette: rust and medium brown, beige and muted blues. The larger public areas

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