▁cru ise ▁ship , ▁last ▁owned ▁by ▁Pol aris ▁Sh ipping ▁and ▁operated ▁by ▁Harm ony ▁Cru ises . ▁She ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁by ▁the ▁W är ts il ä ▁Tur ku ▁Sh ip yard ▁in ▁Tur ku , ▁Finland ▁as ▁the ▁container ▁ship ▁Ax el ▁Johnson ▁for ▁the ▁Sweden - based ▁R eder i ▁AB ▁Nord st j ern an ▁and ▁operated ▁on ▁their ▁Johnson ▁Line ▁services . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁she ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁Reg ency ▁Cru ises ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁being ▁converted ▁into ▁a ▁cru ise ▁ship ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁Reg ent ▁Sun , ▁but ▁she ▁was ▁laid ▁up ▁instead . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁she ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁ ▁and ▁renamed ▁Italia ▁but ▁continued ▁laid ▁up . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁Costa ▁Cru ises , ▁renamed ▁Costa ▁Marina ▁and ▁re built ▁into ▁a ▁cru ise ▁ship ▁at ▁the ▁T . ▁Mari otti ▁ship yard ▁in ▁Gen oa , ▁Italy . ▁She ▁entered ▁service ▁as ▁the ▁Costa ▁Marina ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁she ▁was ▁market ed ▁more ▁towards ▁German ▁passengers . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁by ▁parent ▁company ▁Car n ival ▁that ▁new ▁ships ▁would ▁be ▁built ▁for ▁Costa ▁to ▁replace ▁their ▁older ▁ships , ▁starting ▁with ▁the ▁Costa ▁Marina . ▁ ▁The ▁Costa ▁Marina ▁left ▁the ▁fleet ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0