LINEA " C" and COSTA USA

[Ship's Agent]

Hello Friends

I will start this thread as a tribute to one of my favourite shipping companies ever...LINEA " C ", which we all now saild today under Costa Crociere banner....

I believe that the correst images for this section will be the liners till the 90's....

So, I will start with some rare postcards images from LINEA " C" / COSTA USA division produced postcards, staring her 6 months chartered cruise ship T/N " LEONARDO DA VINCI" the only Costa ship that never had an original yellow " C" funnel, but instead a white hull with a C logo from Costa's USA division...

Second pair of postcards will be WORLD RENAISSANCE postcards issued by this division for USA for American pax...a fine example of marketing in USA by the time...

Finally as fifth image, the postcard of the ill-fated FULVIA which sunk in Madeira waters....

Now, I wait for your posts...enjoy! ;)

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[Ellinis]

Costa is (or should I say was...) a great company. It is still alive and strong today but I do'nt feel that it stands for what it was back then.
For me, Costa was the Chandris of Italy. It started as an emmigrant carrier and later diversified into cruising -just like Chandris. Until the late80s they owned converted liners, usually old but always charming -just like Chandris.

It seems that in the late70s/early 80s there was a strong connection between Costa and Greece: World Rennaisance, Amerikanis, Daphne and Danae were Greek ships that Costa was chartering back then.

But of all the Costa ships, I think the most interesting had to be Eugenio C. Her bow was in the lines of Oceanic and Galileo Galilei. Her stern was similart to Raffaello and Michelangelo and her funnels followed the trend set by Canberra.
And speaking of it, I recently found that initially she was supposed to be fitted with a larger single funnel. Check this design:
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Source (http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/ubb-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=3&hardset=1000&start_point=4050)

[britanis]

yes is true this companys are the best at this time

[starce]

Refering the logo of Leonardo da Vinci, for your info never existed a Costa USA division for the menagement of ships. As Costa Armatori with Italia di Navigazione and the Greek shipowner Maglieviras formed the I.C.I. ITALIA CROCIERE INTERNAZIONALI on the funnel of the Leonardo only, appear the symbols of the three Companies Costa-Finmare (the State Company which include the Italia) and Maglieviras For the other three ships (Ausonia, Galileo Galilei and Guglielmo Marconi logo was changed. The colors of the funnel of the Italia di Navigazione with a blue diamond with a dolphin inside.
Regards

[Ship's Agent]

Good day Starce

Many thanks for your info, however to clarify this query I spoke yesterday with a friend who lives in USA and was envolved in the business by the time.

He says that you are partially correct, however the cruise division in USA advertised as COSTA USA existed indeed as a branch, and during 1977 in the first months of this year, this liner was chartered a couple of voyages bound to Latin America, mainly Brasil and sailed briefly with their colours on the funnel, which you can side on the reverse of the postcard.

I am enclosing the image from reverse side of the postcard to clarify, also I am enclosing a larger scan of the logo itself, which I believe can be self explanatory.

Please note that no dolphin logo is seen on it ( like on Italia Crociere Internazionale) but instead the C logo and flag from their division as COSTA LINE INC, USA.

I hope this info may be useful....;)

[Ship's Agent]

Dear Friends...

Enjoy this postcards selection....

It seems that all paitings have been made by the same artist...as an example of the Franca C postcard we can see the name ANDEL....does somebody have a clue who was the author?

1) GIOVANNA C
2) ANNA C
3) ANDREA C
4) FRANCA C
5) BIANCA C

Kind regards ;)

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[Ship's Agent]

"
But of all the Costa ships, I think the most interesting had to be Eugenio C. Her bow was in the lines of Oceanic and Galileo Galilei. Her stern was similart to Raffaello and Michelangelo and her funnels followed the trend set by Canberra.
And speaking of it, I recently found that initially she was supposed to be fitted with a larger single funnel. Check this design: "
33752
Source (http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/ubb-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=3&hardset=1000&start_point=4050)[/quote]


Ellinis....

If you see carefully the EUGENIO C with this funnel resembles....SS OCEANIC of Home lines....just compare!

[starce]

The two ships were built at the same shipyard in Monfalcone and the project man was the same.