Costa Cruises

MS Costa Magica

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Operator: Costa Cruises
Year Built / Last Refurbished: 2004 / 2004
Length / Tonnage: 893 / 105,000
Number of Cabins / Passengers: 1,358 / 3,470
Officers / Crew: Italian / International
Operating Area: Year-round Mediterranean

Costa Magica is a sister ship to Costa Crociere's Costa Fortuna which entered service in 2003. At 105,000 gross tonnage she and her sister are the largest cruise ships in the history of Italian seafaring. She is built on the same hull design that sister company Carnival Cruise Line has used for the Destiny-class series of ships.

She and her sister are the first large passenger ships to emerge from the shipyards in Sestri Ponente since the Michelangelo in 1965 – the same yard that built the legendary "Rex" (1932), "Andrea Doria" (1951), "Cristoforo Colombo" (1953), "Federico C" (1957) and "Leonardo da Vinci" (1958). Costa Magica is 105,000 gross tonnage, 272 metres in length, 38 metres in breadth and 66 metres high.

Her maximum capacity is 3,470 passengers, including 2,716 in lower berths: she is the largest cruise ship built by an Italian yard for an Italian company ever to fly the Italian flag. The ship offers guests a wide array of facilities for relaxation and entertainment: 11 bars, 4 restaurants, a theatre on three floors, 2 swimming pools, casino, disco, and a ballroom.

Acording to Costa, the Costa Magica is dedicated to the magical places in Italy. Like her sister, her interiors were designed by Joe Farcus who is the principal designer for the Carnival Cruises fleet.

According to Farcus, the interiors were patterned after the most beautiful and well-known areas of Italy: from the Emerald Coast to Ostia Antica; from Positano to Portofino; from Capri to Grado; and then Bellagio, Salento, Maratea, Capo Colonna, Palinuro, Sicily, Spoleto, Urbino, Vicenza, Bressanone, and so on. Each of these Italian sites is the source of inspiration for defining the styles and colours of each public ambience on the ship.

Farcus included Italian architects as part of the design team and they were involved in fitting out the interiors along with many of the artists whose 360 original works enhance the ship's decor

Like the other new additions to the Costa fleet, the Costa Magica also offers a wide variety of interior ambiences including 2, two-deck restaurants, a self-service buffet, Club (à la carte) restaurant, and pizzeria. Other popular public rooms include the three-deck theatre, a two-deck discotheque, ballrooms, and 11 bars. She also has a modern Internet Café, standard shipboard casino, and a well equipped fitness area and beauty centre. She offers passenger a choice of four swimming pools, including one just for children.

The Grand Bar Salento is one of the largest and most popular lounges on the ship. It is a great meeting place before and after dinner and also serves as an entertainment venue, dance hall bar and cafe. It is furnished in baroque style and it ceiling was inspired by the frescoes of churches of Lecce.

Other notable public rooms include the Urbino Theatre, which spans three decks and it's decor was is based Renaissance themes and includes a golden dome and inlaid wood paneling in the form of a variety of musical instruments. There is also a two deck high Discotheque inspired by the Italian beach resort Grado. There is good sized conference center and Internet Cafe on board.

The Capo Colonna Piano Bar is another of the 11 bars and lounges on board and offers passengers a more intimate setting than some of the other rooms. Other bars on board include the Ballo Spoleto Bar and Classico L'Aquila Bar, which are both located on Leonardo Deck and are nice places to wind down at the end of the day.

The Sicily Casino is your typical gaming room gone to sea although it is a bit smaller than you might find on the ships of Carnival or Royal Caribbean. If you want to hear live music, you might want to check out the Capo Colonna Piano Bar of the Conte Verde Dance Hall.

If you are looking for exercise or outdoor activities make sure you check out the Saturnia Spa which overlooks the ships bow and the two swimming pools located on the Giorgione and Tiziano Sun Decks. One of Costa Magica's 2 swimming pools has a retractable cover so you can use it even if the weather is not cooperating.

The Squok Club is the place to be if you are one of the younger passengers on board and it has plenty to keep them occupied and happy.

The Costa Smeralda Restaurant is located at the ships stern and spans two decks. The room is spacious and elegant and has a ceiling that is decorated with frescoes inspired by the wondors of the Sardinian Coast.

The Portofino Restaurant, which is named after the town on the Italian Riviera, is located amidships and also spans two decks. The ceiling here is inspired by the view you would see if you were sitting at an outdoor table in Portofino.

The Vincenza Tavernetta Club, which is located high up on the ship's aft decks is the extra tariff, alternative restaurant and offers a more intimate dining experience. The menu here is devised by Zeffirino, a Genoese culinary establishment with a worldwide reputation, and offers patrons Italian and Ligurian cuisine. Dinner guests can select their hors d'oeuvres, fresh pasta first courses and desserts straight from a trolley. It is inspired by Venetian and Renaissance architecture and the glass ceiling which lets in the moonlight is a nice touch.

For those looking for something more casual, the Bellagio Buffet restaurant serves breakfast and lunch in a cafeteria-style setting. Pizza and tea are also available here during the late afternoon.

She has a total of 1,358 cabins of which 857 oceanview (63%), including 58 suites, 458 with a large balcony and 335 with a porthole.

All cabins are equipped with satellite TV, air conditioning, cable radio, hairdryer, safe, and mini bar. The voltage in the cains is 220V / 60 Hz - 110V / 60 Hz. Each of the suites is equied with a Jacuzzi.

Few ships cater for so nationally and linguistically varied a passenger list as does a Costa ship, yet few ships come near handling different language groups in the same ship nearly as well.

On most cruises in and around Europe expect small groups of Americans and plenty of Italians. Germans, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese and British passengers often choose a cruise for Costa's "Cruising Italian Style". They come because the Costa fleet has earned an enviable reputation among European passengers for classy interiors and high standards of catering and service.

In the Caribbean, expect the number of Americans to increase significantly plus a fair number of people from South America.

Costa Magica offers extended cruises to the eastern and western Mediterranean from Savona, Italy year round. A typical 11-day itinerary includes calls at Naples, Alessandria in Egypt, Limassol (Cyprus), Rhodes (Greece), Marmaris (Turkey), Pireus and Katakolon (Greece).

If you're an "English-only" kind of guy or gal, this ship is NOT for you. If you are uncomfortable in the presence of foreigners, stay away because this welcoming ship is not specifically geared to the English speaking North American market and the five language announcements alone will drive you batty! However, if meeting people from other countries and cultures and making friends with people who don't live down the block is your then by all means consider the Costa Magica.