MIAMI -- European specialist Costa Cruises and Britain's Cammell
Laird shipyard have "different assessments" of the yard's ability
to complete a lengthening of the 1,308-passenger CostaClassica in
time for the ship's next scheduled Europe cruise on April 25, 2001,
said Dino Schibuola, president of Costa' North American division.
Schibuola said Costa was unwilling to jeopardize the ship's
availability for the upcoming season.
"We're not prepared to give the ship to anybody until we know
when we're going to get it back," he said.
Cammell Laird had a $72 million contract to lengthen
CostaClassica by cutting the ship in half and inserting a 146-foot
section that would add some 300 berths.
Work was scheduled to begin Nov. 26, but
on Nov. 23, Costa rerouted CostaClassica, which had been headed to
the yard, to the its homeport of Genoa.
Costa later filed an application with a U.K. Board of
Arbitrators to determine whether Costa has the right to postpone
delivery of CostaClassica or terminate the contract to lengthen the
vessel.
"We don't want to create problems for Cammell Laird and we have
a good relationship with the yard," said Schibuola. "But we are not
going to change our schedule."