Costa orders two more ships

[% 10816 | | Costa %] is in a ship-building frenzy. Just last week, the cruise line laid the keel for the [% 2447381 | | Costa Luminosa %], which will debut in spring 2009. This week, Costa announced plans for two more ships to launch in 2011 and 2012.

The new ships will be sisters to the Costa Concordia, Costa Serena, and Costa Pacifica. They’ll carry a total of 3,780 passengers (including upper berths) and offer all of Costa’s signature amenities—enormous spas, pools with retractable roofs, and race-car driving simulators.

When the unnamed ships launch, they will increase Costa’s passenger capacity by 20 percent. By 2012, Costa will own 17 cruise ships, 13 of which will have joined the fleet since 2000.