Thread: First Call: Costa Serena's christening exhibits French flair

From Travel Weekly
Ship's design to evoke 'a different world'

By Ana Figueroa

MARSEILLE, France -- "Cruising Italian Style" may be Costa Cruises' slogan, but the May 19 naming ceremony for the Costa Serena was all about France.

Known for over-the-top inaugural festivities, Costa outdid itself with a light, sound and fireworks spectacular on the Bay of Marseille that it called "Mediterranean Serenade."

The Marseille Opera performed, and ethereal French actress Marion Cotillard served as godmother and master of ceremonies.

French TV journalist Gerard Holtz coined a catchphrase for the entire weekend: "C'est wow!"

Holtz's enthusiastic response to the 12th and latest ship in the Costa fleet was understandable. At 114,000 gross tons, the Costa Serena, along with sister ship the Costa Concordia, is the largest vessel to fly the Italian flag.

It also shares the Concordia's marquee features, such as a 23,000-square-foot

Samsara Spa; 99 Samsara Suites (30 more than the Concordia) with private access to spa facilities; a Samsara restaurant serving spa cuisine; an alternative restaurant featuring menus by Michelin-starred chef Ettore Bocchia; a Grand Prix race car simulator; and two pool areas with retractable domes.

Those domes on the Costa Serena and the Costa Concordia provide the largest enclosable area on any ship.

"You can take a swim, then walk across to the Lido and have something to eat, even if the weather is bad," said Carnival Corp. Chairman and CEO Micky Arison during a pre-inaugural meeting with journalists. "You don't have to wait until you get to a warm-weather port to enjoy all the ship has to offer, and that's a pretty unique feature. Both the Concordia and the Serena were designed with winter in mind."

Just because the Costa Serena shares structural design features with its sister ship, it is no clone of the Costa Concordia. In fact, when it comes to decor, you might say, "Vive le difference."

Carnival Corp. interior architect Joe Farcus has given the Costa Serena a unique design scheme.

"Since the ship was going to be sailing in the Mediterranean, I thought I'd pay tribute to that region and the classical origins of Western civilization," said Farcus during a ship tour.

With classical mythology in mind, Farcus named and decorated rooms in a tribute to an appropriate god, goddess or demigod.

The main restaurant is named Vesta, for the Roman goddess of the hearth. The disco is named for Pan, the Greek god of shepherds and flocks, and features bar stools with legs in the shape of goat legs. Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory, inspires the sports bar. And who else but Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, would be the namesake for the beauty salon?

Public areas feature the ubiquitous Greek key symbol, or Meandros, and elevator doors bear the visage of a handsome gent, said to represent the Roman father of the gods, Jupiter.

The boldest design concept presides over the nine-deck Pantheon Atrium. A dozen or so mannequin-like sculptures suspend from the ceiling, reposing on banks of clouds. They are attired in elaborate, richly textiled costumes that appear to be a cross between Cirque du Soleil and the Renaissance Fair.

"Is this part of the ship supposed to have a Mardi Gras theme?" asked my guest.

Not quite.

"The atrium is my version of Mount Olympus, a pantheon of the gods," said Farcus. "I decided that all the gods and goddesses should be represented, but we wanted to have them attired in a more contemporary way. You know, even though they were gods, they all had some human frailties and human elements to them."

Some observers found it a bit jarring to see gods and goddesses clad in something other than the traditional toga. Nonetheless, there was strong agreement that Farcus had accomplished his stated objective with the Costa Serena design.

"I am trying to bring guests into a different world, a world different from what they have at home," Farcus said. "That's what a holiday is all about. I wanted to encourage fantasy and design a place where people could get away from it all."

From June to November, passengers on the Costa Serena can get away from it all on seven-day Mediterranean cruises from Venice, calling in Bari, Italy; Olympia, Greece; Izmir and Istanbul, Turkey; and Dubrovnik, Croatia. This winter, the Costa Serena will offer 10- and 11-day cruises to the Canary Islands, departing from Savona, Italy.


Ana Figueroa is a senior editor for Travel Age West, which is owned by Travel Weekly parent company Northstar Travel Media. To contact Ana Figueroa, send e-mail to afigueroa@ntmllc.com.