By
Rebecca Gibson |
Costa Cruises’ first LNG ship Costa Smeralda will be a ‘tribute to Italy’ by offering venues and piazzas named after the country’s popular landmarks and destinations, as well as accommodation, furniture, lighting and accessories by Italian companies.
Currently under construction at Meyer Turku’s shipyard in Finland, Costa Smeralda is named in honour of Sardinia’s Emerald Coast and will have a central three-level entertainment space called Colosseo. A replica of a traditional Italian square, Colesseo will be lined with themed lounge bars that have large glass windows and ocean views. It will also have a dome and wall-mounted screens that will display changing stories about different ports of call throughout the day and evening.
Elsewhere at the stern of the ship will be the three-deck Piazza di Spagna stairway, which will be connected to an outdoor balcony on the top deck that has a glass floor. Meanwhile at the ship’s bow, Trastevere will provide another piazza with Venice-style bars, a gelateria, shops and musical entertainment. Guests will also be able to get panoramic views from the ship’s highest point (65 metres) by taking the Passeggiata Volare walkway.
One innovative feature is Costa’s first-ever onboard museum: CoDe. Curated by Matteo Vercelloni,the 400-metre-square museum will be dedicated to Italian design and feature many of the names that have contributed to the ship's construction.Other onboard highlights will include 11 restaurants, multiple indoor and outdoor bars, a Nutella Cafe and the Laboratorio del Gusto (Taste Lab) where guests can make their dinner before dining. Guests will also benefit from four swimming pools (including one with a roof), a gym with Technogym equipment, a multi-sports pitch, a water park with slides, a theatre, disco, casino, jazz club piano bar, and games room in a children’s area. There will also be an extensive spa with 16 treatment rooms, a beauty salon, a hammam, a thalassotherapy pool, and snow, salt and relaxation rooms.
Costa Smeralda’s 2,612 guest rooms have all been designed by Milan-based studio Dordoni Architetti and will be decorated with the colours and the geometric patterns of the city that each deck is named after. In total there will be 28 suites, 788 inside rooms, 168 outside rooms, 1,522 balcony cabins and 106 of the line’s first rooms with a ‘terrace over the sea’ annexe.
All furniture, lighting, fabrics and accessories will be provided by Italian companies. For example, the sofas and seats will be provided by Molteni&C, while Roda will supply balcony furniture, Flos will deliver decorative lights and Dedar and Rubelli will both provide fabrics and upholstery.
"In 2018 we are celebrating our 70th anniversary, but as we always have, we are constantly looking towards the future, to innovate and to constantly improve,” said Neil Palomba, president of Costa Cruises. “This is why I am particularly delighted to unveil a preview of our new flagship, Costa Smeralda, a next-generation ship that will bring even more opportunities to take new target guests on cruises, offering them an unforgettable holiday experience. With this ship, we wanted to celebrate our country once again: from its design to the food and wine, everything onboard Costa Smeralda will reflect the best of Italy, a country that has always been a byword for hospitality and quality around the world.”