With the best pizza, pasta and coffee at sea and parties that last late into the night, cruising to exotic locales on Italy’s Costa Cruises is an immersion into European style, tastes and customs.
It’s a line you might not have considered in the past, because it doesn’t sail from North American ports. But Costa is owned by the same company that runs Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises. And you’ll be hearing a lot more about Costa in the future as it targets more American cruisers.
An adventurous week on the line’s newest ship, Costa Toscana, visiting the booming cities of the Arabian Gulf was a rare opportunity for an immersion into Costa’s Euro-style –that’s different in many ways from cruises you might have done in the past. Here’s a guide to translating cruising Italian style:
Oggi a bordo—today on board
Boarding Costa Toscana was a snap. Despite the fact it can attract 5,300 guests double occupancy–and more than 6,000 with families sharing –there were minimal lines at embarkation in Dubai and we could go directly to our cabins once aboard the ship to unpack and start exploring the ship. That’s in part thanks to Costa’s unique scheduling that lets guests choose which port to begin their cruise. Many of the guests had boarded earlier in Abu Dhabi or Qatar and would be end their round trips before we have to head home, which avoids the typical disembarkation bustle.
Meet the world on a floating world
Now to explore. Think of a cruise on Costa as a visit to a space station where folks from around the galaxy gather for a journey out of the usual orbit. Obviously, a large number of guests are Italian, but Costa attracts a cross section of the world. On this cruise, there was a huge convention group from an Indian insurance company on board and another big conference group from Korea.
North Americans are in the minority, but Costa is hoping to rectify that, particularly since two of their ships are about to be transferred to Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet and sailing from American ports. That’s another story, you can read about here.
That’s Amore: Modern Italian Style
The ship is named for Tuscany, home of the Renaissance, but the décor of Toscana is ultra-contemporary. The slick and stylish minimalist décor includes features like deck chairs that are transparent and some canopies that look more like giant lamp shades. An aerial walkway called Volare swoops around the very top deck and another deck features a glass floor with dizzying views of the deck several stories below.
Many of the venues are showcases of Italian brands. A coffee shop and the furnishings around it on Deck 8 are sponsored by Kartell, a Milanese maker of contemporary furniture and kitchen gadgets, which has a showroom of high-style gear you can order for delivery to your home. Other themed bars are sponsored by makers of Italian liquors Campari and Aperol, and Ferrari wines (while not connected to the race car maker, their sparking wines are the official bubblies on the Formula One circuit). Caffè Vergnano, the oldest coffee roastery in Italy, provides all the coffee and Nutella has its own exclusive snack bar.
The large Solemio Spa was surprisingly serene for a ship with this many people on board. A highlight is a snow room with a picture window that was so encrusted in frost it was daunting to enter in just flip flops and a bathing suit. But the ritual is designed to shock your system into action after floating in the pool and lounging in the salt, steam and hammam rooms.
Everywhere, the service was gracious and even though Italian is the primary language, English is spoken widely and signs are translated. In fact, most of the crew comes from Indonesia, India and the Philippines and they all have English rather than Italian as their second language. Of course, a week onboard immersed in bilingual announcements and shore excursions is an ideal opportunity to expand your vocabulary in Italian.
When in Rome…settle into an Italian pace
Americans may need to adapt to dining times and entertainment that are geared towards a European audience. That means fixed dining times, with early dinner starting at 7 p.m. sharp, and late seating at 9 p.m. Some specialty restaurants offer more flexible reservation times.
Most dining venues close in mid-afternoon too: lunch at the complimentary La Sagra dei Sapori buffet restaurant ends at 3 p.m. sharp, and with the exception of tea and cakes doesn’t reopen again until 6. The computer help desk closes between noon and 2, even if people are waiting in line.
Shows, that tend to feature music, dance and gymnastics rather than dialogue, are scheduled all through the day. An Aperol spritz party with a DJ takes over a deck at lunch time on a day at sea. A smoke and foam party kicks off at 5 p.m.
And night owls will be at home here because, like clubs in Italy, some parties don’t get rolling until after midnight. Silent headphone disco parties on board start at 11:30 p.m. and run until 3 a.m. Highlight White Nights and Steampunk parties don’t kick off until midnight, but they’re popular and White Nights features VIP booths that include a bottle of Italian bubbly at 110 Euros, about $120 U.S.
What also may come as a surprise to those used to snacking between meals is that the pizza, burgers and even bottled water come at extra prices. There are inclusive packages you can purchase for discounts on everything from water to wi-fi to wine. Barista coffees and delicious gelatos made on board aren’t included in the fare, but they’re at prices that beat prices on the street in Italy. For instance, two big scoops costs the Euro equivalent of $3 U.S. Pizzas, which aren’t available by the slice, start at 9 Euros (about $10) for an authentically forno-baked round that can feed two.
Making pizza Italian style at Pummid’Oro restaurant–Photo by Wallace Immen
Some differences to keep in mind as you plan
There are some practical issues to know when planning what to pack. Our balcony cabin was ample but hanging and shelf space was limited and there were only two shallow drawers in a vanity, one of which was occupied by a hair dryer. And all the electrical connections are 220 -volt with European style two-pin plugs, with no adapters available on the ship for those who didn’t bring their own.
The bath room had only a pump dispenser of soap that is supposed to triple as body wash, shampoo and conditioner. The towels also don’t include wash cloths—Italians don’t expect them–although the room steward was able to supply some. And there are no bath robes provided.
A quirky design feature of the bathroom that might be a Euro fetish is a floor-to-ceiling window between the shower stall and bedroom. Only lightly frosted in the middle, it might suit an exhibitionist who wants a sea view, but the shower curtain that’s on the bedroom side of the glass remained closed during our cruise.
Some things that are easy to translate
The cruise was reflection of the Italian way of vacationing and everyone seemed to be savoring la dolce vita. I found it relatively easy to adjust and get into the spirit of the Euro-style of adventure, particularly with the exotic itinerary were we doing on the Arabian Gulf, which included overnights or late evenings in gleaming modern ports like Dubai and Doha.
A favorite insight I had was in the casino, which here features not only live roulette wheels but digital ones that can be set to call for bets in different languages. The cash window that sells betting chips also features ample displays of Gratta e Vinci (scratch and win) cards. That had me having flashbacks to high school Latin: I came, I scratched, I won!
Ultimately, I felt like a winner after a week on board. Costa Toscana is an experience different from what you’re used to at home, but isn’t that the whole point of travel?
Costa Toscana cruises in the winter in the Arabian Gulf and the rest of the year doing week-long Mediterranean cruises that start from either Civitavecchia, Genoa, Marseille or Barcelona. That makes it handier to arrange round trip air flights. During the winter, Costa Toscana sails in the Arabian Gulf and guests can start their cruise either in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, or Qatar. Week-long cruise fares start at about $600 a person for an inside cabin and about $1,000 a person for a balcony cabin, with air fare extra.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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