Inspired by the Renaissance and built by Fincantieri in Marghera, Costa's new ship arrived today, September 17, in Barcelona, marking its first docking in a Spanish port.
Designed and built by Fincantieri at the Marghera shipyard, the Costa Firenze is inspired by the Florentine Renaissance. It is the fourth Costa ship to return to service in 2021, following the Costa Smeralda, Costa Luminosa, and Costa Deliziosa, after the company's gradual resumption of operations.
The Costa Firenze's week-long itinerary consists of six different destinations: Barcelona,
Marseille, Savona, Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples and Ibiza (which will be replaced by Palma from October 21).
“The Costa Firenze is the perfect ambassador of Italian style, which we have combined with a series of product innovations designed especially for families and couples,” said Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Cruises. “This is the fourth Costa ship to resume service this summer, confirming the gradual return to normalcy for our company and the cruise sector, which is of great economic and employment importance to our country.”.
The interior design of the Costa Firenze draws inspiration from the Tuscan city, the cradle of Renaissance art and culture. The public areas reflect the harmony of a stroll through a Florentine street or square, beginning with the choice of colors, geometries, and shapes in the interior design. The charming Piazza della Signoria atrium is symbolic and pays homage to the Florentine square.
A very novel element is the gastronomic variety: with 13 restaurants and eight bars, the culinary offer is the widest in the fleet and will delight gourmets and foodies.
New additions related to Tuscany include the Fiorentina Steak House, where guests will enjoy the finest Italian meats, such as T-bone steak and Piedmontese Fassona fillet, as well as Irish Black Angus and organic chicken. They will also have the opportunity to experience the Frescobaldi wine tasting, where they can enjoy tastings and pairings with tapas featuring Marchesi Frescobaldi wines. The refined restaurants Palazzo Vecchio and Ristorante dei Medici offer the finest haute cuisine.
At the Teppanyaki restaurant, guests can enjoy watching the chefs at work. The Dim Sum restaurant offers the finest Chinese noodles and dumplings, with a choice of meat, fish, or vegetarian options. Or savor the freshest nigiri, maki, and sashimi at Sushino at Costa, or become a chef for the evening, cooking meats, fish, and vegetables in the Hot Pot for a unique and exotic experience. The Lanai BBQ and the Steak House both offer exceptional grilled meats.
In addition, each night, the menu includes a delicious Destination Dish, always different, created exclusively for Costa by Bruno Barbieri, a chef with 7 stars in his career.
All the restaurants have a terrace area open to the sea. And throughout the ship there are numerous spacious outdoor areas, so you can fully enjoy the sailing experience.
Families with children will find plenty to do on board, including a water park and an adventure park, while couples will enjoy a private spa, swimming pools, and space for intimate moments.
And to ensure that your vacation is not only memorable but also safe, Costa Cruises rigorously follows the procedures established in the Costa Safety Protocol, whose measures include reducing the number of guests to guarantee social distancing; conducting swab tests on all guests before embarkation, mid-cruise, and before disembarkation; conducting swab tests on the crew before embarkation and periodically during their time on board; daily temperature checks; visiting destinations only with protected excursions; physical separation on board and in terminals; new ways of using onboard services; improved
health and medical services; and the use of protective masks.
During the winter of 2021-22, Costa Firenze will be based in Dubai. The week-long cruises will visit the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman, with stops in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, and a multi-day stop in Dubai. Special packages will be available for visits to Expo 2020 Dubai, as Costa Cruises is the Gold Sponsor of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.
