Twin of the Costa Smeralda, the Costa Toscana arrives full of elegance without abandoning the classic Italian roots of Costa Cruises, and is also committed to sustainability and the environment.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 60 – March 2022
Built at the Meyer Turku shipyards in Finland, the Costa Toscana boasts over 2,600 cabins, 21 restaurants, 19 bars, 4 swimming pools, a theater, a spa, children's facilities and several new attractions on its 182,700 gross registered tons and 17 passenger decks.
Like its sister ship, the Costa Toscana uses liquefied natural gas as fuel, which means a near-complete elimination of sulfur oxide and particulate emissions (95-100% reduction), while also reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by 85% and CO2 emissions by up to 20%. But the environmental innovations don't stop there; the ship features energy-efficient management software to reduce waste, and even its interior design incorporates recycled materials, such as driftwood, collected from the sea, used to create the interiors of the new Archipelago restaurant.
More attractive destinations, longer excursions, and star cuisine with 3 internationally renowned chefs.
Taking its name from the stunning region of central Italy, the Costa Toscana has been inspired by the natural beauty of Tuscany, its wonderful gastronomy, its wines and of course the wonderful hospitality for which Italy is well known.
The ship's interiors were designed by Adam D. Tihany and an international group of architectural studios, Dordoni Architetti, Jeffrey Beers International, Partner Ship Design and Rockwell Group, and many Italian-made materials were used in its construction, such as furniture, lighting, fabrics and accessories.
Delivered in 2021 at the height of the pandemic, the ship was presented by Costa Cruises as the first major step towards a return to normalcy in cruise travel. It was the only ship delivered by Carnival Corporation that year, as all others experienced delays of at least a year.
Dining:
Delicious food is a given on board the Costa Toscana, and with a wide variety of places to eat and drink to choose from, there's no need to eat in the same place twice during your onboard vacation. Enjoy authentic Italian pizza, savory Teppanyaki, or create your own masterpiece at the innovative specialty restaurant, Laboratorio Del Gusto.
The ship boasts 21 restaurants, featuring dishes from high-profile chefs such as Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze, and Ángel León. The onboard menus showcase authentic local recipes from the destinations visited by the cruise line and will be offered in the restaurants as "destination dishes" and on the menus of the Archipelago restaurant.
The "Destination Dishes" are influenced by the traditions and flavors of the port the ship will visit the following day. They will be available in the ship's main restaurants and are included for all passengers. Examples include "Ratatouille with sea bass meatballs, potatoes, and aioli sauce," Bruno Barbieri's tribute to Marseille, and "Spaghetti di Gragnano with prawn cream, buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and pine nuts," Hélen Darroze's tribute to Naples.
Archipelago is a new restaurant concept in which Barbieri, Darroze, and León have collaborated to create three menus of five refined courses, designed to explore the cuisine of the region they are sailing through. Both the chefs' menus and the "destination dishes" are designed with local producers in mind, and while not as region-specific as the destination dishes, they are locally sourced whenever possible.
Archipelago offers a more intimate dining experience. The design incorporates unique pieces of driftwood reclaimed from the Italian coast. This is part of the restaurant's focus on sustainability. Every meal is prepared with food waste in mind, and a portion of the restaurant's proceeds will be donated to Guardians of the Coast, the Costa Crociere Foundation's environmental education program for the protection of the Italian coastline.
Kartell Cafè and Heineken Star Club & Bistro debut at the Costa Toscana.
On board the Costa Toscana, there is also a full-service restaurant dedicated to families with children. Squok Restaurant is named after the company's kids' club and has been conceived and designed to meet their needs.
At the Food Lab, guests can test their culinary skills under the guidance of the company's chefs. Other featured specialty restaurants include Pizzeria Pummid'Oro, Sushino, and Teppanyaki.
Entertainment:
The Costa Toscana offers a wide range of entertainment options. From enjoying live music with a glass of champagne to trying your luck at the casino, there are countless ways to spend your time on board. With multiple swimming pools, a gym, a spa, and more.
No matter your age or interests, all cruisers will find entertainment options, including the youngest passengers. Children and teenagers can splash around in the water park, make new friends in the games room, or enjoy the activities in the playground. It's a very family-friendly ship. For sports enthusiasts, there's a large gym and an outdoor multi-sports court.
When it comes to finding a place to have a drink, the ship offers plenty of options. There are 19 bars, including themed bars in collaboration with leading Italian and international partners, such as Caffè Vergnano 1882, Campari Bar, two Aperol Spritz Bars, the Ferrari Spazio Bollicine, and the new Kartell Cafè and Heineken Star Club & Bistro.
The social “heart” of the Costa Toscana is the Colosseo, an atrium in the middle of the ship spread over three decks, around which many of the main bars and lounges are located. Huge LED screens on the walls and dome tell a different story at each port of call throughout the day.
The routes feature longer layovers than ever before, such as 11 hours in Naples, or 8 and a half hours in Ibiza.
At the top, the Piazza del Campo is a large, three-level sunbathing area facing the stern, where billiards and other entertainment take place day and night. There is also an open-air balcony on the upper deck with a glass floor that hangs over the sea.
At the bow of the ship, the Piazza dei Miracoli is the center of shopping, dining and entertainment, where many of its specialty restaurants are located and intersect with the shopping area and the multi-deck theater.
The Passeggiata Volare lounge is located at the ship's highest point, 65 meters above sea level, offering panoramic ocean views, while the new Poltrona Frau Arena is a multifunctional space that can be transformed into a theater for shows during the day and a nightclub at night. Children are also catered for with the Splash AcquaPark, featuring a water slide on the top deck, as well as a new video game room and the Squok Club.
Spa and wellness
The Costa Toscana is also full of relaxation and pampering options, starting with the Sole Mio wellness area, which features a beauty salon, sauna, hammam, thalassotherapy pool, 16 treatment rooms and snow, salt and relaxation rooms.
Upstairs, on the pool deck, there are also four swimming pools, one of which is a saltwater pool. There is also a large, fully equipped gym and a sports complex with sea views.
Cabins
There are a total of 2,663 cabins, including 28 suites, 106 veranda cabins, and 1,534 balcony cabins. Only 168 of the cabins are "outside" cabins (with only one porthole), and 827 are single cabins.
On board the Costa Toscana, there is also a full restaurant dedicated to families with children.
All cabins are designed by the Milanese studio Dordoni Architetti and reflect the colors and landscapes of the Italian regions from which each deck takes its name. Therefore, no two cabins are alike on different decks. A new cabin category introduced aboard the Costa Toscana is the “sea terrace.” These corner cabins offer a cabana on the enormous balcony where guests can have breakfast, enjoy an aperitif, or simply listen to the sound of the ship's wake.
Services tailored to Spanish tastes:
Costa has enhanced its offerings to provide a customized experience for Spanish customers, following feedback from travel agencies and clients. This "Spanish Product" includes more personalized onboard customer service in Spanish; an expanded culinary selection featuring traditional Spanish dishes and new meal times adapted to Spanish customs; and onboard entertainment with Spanish comedy artists.
According to Luigi Stefanelli, Managing Director for Spain and Portugal at Costa Cruises, “Spanish customers have felt comfortable and perfectly cared for and understood on all Costa ships, and our product is capable of fully satisfying their needs. But there is a market niche, such as seniors and those who have never been on a cruise, who are more likely to value a product that 'speaks their language,' not only in an linguistic sense but also by reinforcing other aspects of the onboard experience. We want to continue offering an innovative product and a unique vacation experience, just as we have always done. In this context, Costa's commitment to the 'Spanish Product' is based on placing the tastes and preferences of our Spanish guests even more at the heart of product design through a product that has been designed around three of the main pillars of Spanish culture and customs: gastronomy, entertainment, and language.”
Super All Inclusive, Costa Cruises' Value Proposition.
Costa Cruises' 2022 early booking campaign offers consumers the opportunity to book their cruise with various extras included in the price. From January 17th to March 18th, this fare can be booked for cruises departing until November 30th, 2022, which includes, in addition to the usual full board:
• Beverage package
• Service fee
• Port taxes
• Package of 3 excursions
• Free cancellation up to 15 days before departure
The reservation can be made with just €50.
Inaugural Itineraries
The first Costa Toscana cruise will depart from Savona on March 5, 2022. The itinerary includes a week in the Western Mediterranean to discover Spain, Italy and France, with stops in Marseille, Barcelona, Valencia, Palermo and Civitavecchia/Rome.
From May until mid-October 2022, the itinerary will incorporate more coastal destinations, such as Savona, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples, Ibiza, Valencia and Marseille, while from mid-October Palma de Mallorca will replace Ibiza.
