Costa - Cruise Emporium

Costa Cruises, which began as a fleet of freighters transporting fabrics and olive oil between Genoa and Sardinia in the mid-1800's, became a fully owned subsidiary of Carnival Corp. in 2000. And while it's an Italian company with a modern fleet of ships, worldwide itineraries and a distinct Italian personality, its fortunes took a tragic turn in January 2012 with the capsizing of Costa Concordia, which claimed 32 lives and quite possibly forever changed the line.

The Costa fleet sails under the "Cruising Italian Style" banner; its international family of ships spans the globe offering cruises of seven days and longer throughout the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Arabian Gulf, Asia, the Indian Ocean and trans-Atlantic.

"Cruising Italian Style" can be interpreted two different ways. Some passengers have disliked Costa because of the extensive smoking aboard their ships, but following Italian government regulations ashore, Costa has severely limited smoking to designated areas in lounges. Dining venues are now smoke-free. Other travellers overlook these factors and enjoy the European atmosphere -- after all, Mediterranean-influenced cuisine, regional wines and warm, rich decor are all part of the Italian tradition.

Alas, Italian stewards, part of the line's heritage, are no more. Cabin and dining room stewards are now as multi-national as the passengers, with Filipinos, South Americans and Indians in the mix. As they speak English, the former criticism of English-speakers that they were not understood has been ameliorated.

Costa is easily Europe's most innovative cruise line, with an aggressive building program. In July 2006, the line launched Costa Concordia, which was followed in May 2007 by sister ship Costa Serena. Sister ship Costa Pacifica debuted in June 2009.

In an exciting move, Costa designed a prototype ship that actually is smaller -- Panamax sized -- than its Costa Concordia class. The 92,700-ton Costa Luminosa, which was unveiled in May 2009, was the first to launch, followed by Costa Deliziosa, its sister, in January 2010. These twins represented a more upmarket cruise experience. In July 2011, the line welcomed the 114,000-ton Costa Favolosa, complete with pirate galleon and waterpark; its twin, Costa Fascinosa, will follow in spring 2012.

In August 2011, Carnival Corp. announced that it had signed an agreement to build a new 132,500-ton, 3,700--passenger flagship for Costa, which will debut in 2014.
Onboard

Costa Cruises, which gained worldwide attention after the tragic capsizing of Costa Concordia in January 2012, offers voyages with port-intensive itineraries and an onboard emphasis on evening entertainment.

The line launched its first passenger ship in 1948, and soon placed an emphasis on its fleet's furnishings and architecture, traits that continue today (indeed, its newest ships feature millions of dollars in original artwork and hand-crafted flourishes). In addition, the line's most recent additions -- from Costa Atlantica onward -- offer the most diverse nightlife and alternative eating options. Otherwise, a Costa cruise is a traditional style experience -- albeit with an Italian flavor.

The specialty and Samsara restaurants on Costa Serena, Costa Pacifica and Costa Favolosa are home to Michelin-starred Italian chef Ettore Bocchia's innovative "molecular cuisine." Bocchia made a name for himself by studying the physical and chemical properties of food, and using science to devise new ways of preparing dishes -- for example, cooking with liquid nitrogen, which freezes food at minus 196 degrees, but by some miracle of science doesn't make the item unbearably cold in the mouth. The cover charge for this experience is $25.

Dining options for smaller cruisers include a Kids Menu and Beverage Card, and ice cream, Nutella and chocolate evening parties. Investment in the "Club Squok" kids program has helped Costa attract more and more families, particularly in its newer ships. The Costa Kids Program includes arts and crafts, sports tournaments, parties in the evening and two themed dinners per cruise just for kids. Other family friendly features include Italian language lessons, and free babysitting. July and August are the most popular travel months for families with children.
Fellow Passengers

On European itineraries, Costa attracts mostly European passengers from Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the U.K.. On an average winter sailing in Europe there are 60 to 80 English-speaking passengers. During the summer in Europe, about 20 percent of passengers will be North Americans. On South American and Caribbean cruises, the demographics flip-flop, with Costa attracting about 80 percent North American passengers (vs. 20 percent from Europe).

Costa's ships also appeal to a wide range of ages, from 20-something first-time cruisers to retirees.