Costa Cruises

Line: Costa Cruises
Established: 1948
Vessels: 14
Star rating: 2 - 4 star
Tonnage: 26,000 - 114,500 GRT
Passengers: 963 - 3780

What's included in the price:

• Accommodation
• Meals
• Water, ice, coffee, tea and ice cream dispensers in the buffet restaurants at mealtimes.
• Cocktail reception with the Captain, gala evenings with special menus
• Entertainment during day and night
• Entertainment for children and teenagers with qualified staff supervision

What's new?

Costa are a very old shipping line. They started life in the mid-1880s as a fleet of freighters carrying fabrics and olive oil around the Mediterranean. Today they are Europe’s biggest and most modern line of cruise operators. The company is proud of its Italian heritage and  this is very evident not only in the food that is served on board each of its ships, but the artwork and décor that are a signature of every Costa ship.

The line are considered to be the most innovative cruise line in the market and are constantly researching new ideas to make the cruising experience with them even better. The line are involved in an aggressive building program and are building new ships to fir all market niches. The ship to be launched in 2014 is smaller than those recently launched in order to take advantage of visiting smaller ports than is possible with the line’s largest ships. Another advantage of this ship is that it will be able to transit the Panama Canal.

The line enjoys a loyal following. So much so that the diminishing presence of genuine Italian stewards is being bemoaned by some veteran cruisers. On the other side of the coin, English speakers now have a much better chance of being understood by the more cosmopolitan crews that are now found on the ships.

Costa operate cruises in many parts of the world. They are the only cruise line to operate ships in the Mediterranean all year round. They run cruises in China and South East Asia with Hong Kong and Singapore being major venues. They also run cruises in the Caribbean and along the South American coast with some cruises out of Buenos Aires or Punta del Este in Uruguay.

The food offering on Costa ships reflects the line’s Italian heritage. Despite the move away to more casual dining arrangements in most of the cruise industry, Costa are sticking with more traditional formal dining. However, there is a wide range of eating venues to choose from. Each ship has a candle lit pizzeria open late with hours being something like 9pm to 2am – very European! Each ship also has a top-of-the-range restaurant complete with live piano player and is absolutely the best venue on the ship for a romantic dinner for two. Food is available somewhere on the ship on a 24/7 basis. As is usual for European ships, room service is somewhat limited but it is available.

As can be reasonably expected, there is a very wide range of cabins on every Costa ship. There are suites with magnificent ocean views, staterooms with balconies and fairly basic cabins with no view at all. The point to take note of is that there is a wide range and prices do not vary a great deal. If when joining the ship, space is available, upgrades are often possible.

Costa are a very innovative company and this is shown nowhere better than in the range of activities that are available. A distinctive point about the line is that they provide many small intimate lounges that are redolent of the sophistication of times gone by. There are all of the modern cruise ship entertainments but Australian cruisers should note that the currency on board is the Euro and this is what the casino deals in. There are always plenty of shops and beauty salons to visit and there is also a well-equipped fitness suite on each ship. Each ship has a choice of swimming pools and spas. There are all of the usual cruise director’s games running throughout the day and some of the bigger ships even have a running track.

Even though Costa is now part of the Carnival Cruises family, it has retained its distinctive Italian heritage. There is always plenty to see and do and food is of a very high standard but the atmosphere on a Costa ship is very different from those that are obviously themed on the USA way of life.

Onboard Experience
	Entertainment Activities are constantly available for guests of all ages. Up on deck, our activity leaders run dancing classes and organise team games as well as basketball, tennis and volleyball tournaments. For children, the Fun@Sea programme runs countless activities: themed meals, tea-parties, treasure hunts, disco evenings in fancy dress, nature and sea-life days, and lots more!
	Dining In the mornings, you will find freshly baked croissants and traditional Italian coffee. At lunch you can enjoy delicious dishes in the restaurant, at the buffet or beside the pool. In the evenings, relax and enjoy good food in the ship's restaurants or don your evening dress to take part in the more exclusive gala dinners.
	Facilities On Costa ships there are restaurants, bars, Jacuzzis, a jogging track, fitness centre, sauna and steam room, theatre, casino, disco, internet, library and a shopping centre as well as an outdoor swimming pool with retractable sunroof.
Accomodation
	Accommodation Costa provides a wide range of cabins to satisfy your each and every need. With modern furnishings and the latest amenities, there is everything to keep you in the holiday mood. To always give you the best quality and latest designs, we constantly update the cabin bedding and our beds are chosen to meet the highest standards of quality, comfort and ergonomics so that you can enjoy a perfect night's sleep.