An elegant, refined setting combined with excellent service levels created to impress even the most discerning guests encompasses the ambience of the new Costa Luminosa, which will enter service in Spring 2009. Conceived by the celebrated architect and interior designer Joseph Farcus, the Costa Luminosa will become a trendsetter in contemporary design thanks to her unique inimitable style, iridescent interiors decorated with superior materials including fine marble, woods and mother of pearl and state-of-the-art technology providing stunning light and color effects.
The new flagship will offer the very best of Costa’s innovative product. From wellness, entertainment, exclusive itineraries, art, fine food and wine and relaxation, guests will find an inviting atmosphere as well as intimate settings throughout the ship, making it perfect for couples and families alike. A host of exciting innovations will be available on board, including a spectacularly entertaining 4D cinemawith sound, lighting, images and special effects that combine to create a multi-sensory experience unlike anything ever found on a ship. It will also feature a Grand Prix race car driving simulator—the most accurate representation of Formula One driving available, a professional Golf Simulatorfeaturing 37 virtual courses and an expansive outdoor area complete with a putting green as well as a jogging and rollerblading track.
The ship’s theatre will expand over three levels and feature a seating capacity of over 800. It will boast superior amenities and technology including advanced “LED” technology thatwill ensure a special effects capability so spectacular it will create a “show within the show.” The ship will also feature a giant movie screen in the central pool area with special technology that can be used for daytime projection of video clips as well as evening film screenings. Guests will be able to enjoy this feature year-round as the lido will feature a sliding glass magrodome.
The Costa Luminosa will also feature the revolutionary Samsara Spa, complete with accommodations that offer direct access to the wellness center as well as exclusive amenities. Costa was the first cruise line to introduce this innovative spa concept when launching the Costa Concordia in 2006. Elements of the spa’s invigorating treatments and stunning design are inspired by the meaning of “Samsara,” which is associated with the path to spiritual enlightenment, bliss and balancing of life energies. A full menu of treatments based on Ayurvedic principles, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a specialty restaurant are just some of the spa’s innovative features. The Costa Luminosa will be the first cruise ship in the world to offer a Kinesis room by Technogym, located inside the gym, with equipment that may be used individually or in groups, specially designed to improve health, fitness and muscle tone.
An à la carte restaurant, Club Luminosa, will combine sophisticated design, attentive service and a layout comparable to the world’s finest restaurants, with gourmet chefs preparing dishes in the “open” kitchen visible to diners, under the supervision of Ettore Bocchia, Costa Cruises’ Corporate Chef and Executive Chef at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, Lake Como. Bocchia, a Michelin-Star restaurateur since 2005, is the founder of Italian molecular cuisine.
The 92,700-ton Costa Luminosa will be able to carry up to 2,828 guests, accommodated in 1,130cabins, including 772 veranda cabins. This makes her the Costa fleet member with the highest percentage of private balconies (68%), allowing numerous guests to enjoy superb views from the comfort of their own staterooms.
Costa Luminosa – Itineraries for 2009
The first vernissage cruise of Costa’s newest flagship will depart from Venice on May 5, 2009. She will sail a new 10-night Eastern Mediterranean itinerary, featuring a two-day stopover in Istanbul and one-day calls in Bari (Italy), Olympia (Greece), Rhodes (Greece), Izmir (Turkey), Mykonos (Greece) and Athens (Greece.) This will be followed by a second vernissage cruise, also departing from Venice, on May 19.
The Costa Luminosa will then be positioned in Northern Europe with a spectacularmaiden cruiseleaving from the port of Rome (Civitavecchia) on June 3 with the following itinerary – Savona (Portofino), Genoa, St. Tropez (France), Barcelona (Spain), Gibraltar (U.K.), Cadiz (Spain), a two-day stopover in Lisbon (Portugal), Vigo (Spain), Le Havre (France), Harwich (U.K.) and Amsterdam.
Guests on the maiden cruise will have the incredible opportunity to witness the Costa Luminosa’schristening ceremony, which will take place in Genoa on June 5, 2009, together with the naming of the Costa Pacifica.
The Costa Luminosa will home port in Amsterdam throughout the 2009 summer season with departures on spectacular cruises, lasting between 11 and 14 nights to the Baltic capitals (Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Bornholm), the Norwegian fjords and North Cape (with stopovers in Flam, Andalsnes, Honningsvag-North Cape, Tromso, Lofoten islands, Trondheim, Hellesylt, Gerainger and Bergen).
Costa Luminosa – Facts & Figures Cabins: Total of 1,130 cabins, including 52 Samsara, 718 veranda cabins, 50 suites (all with private balconies) and four Samsara suites inside the spa area.
Restaurants: Four, including the private à la carte “Club Luminosa,” and the Ristorante Samsara for Samara Spa guests.
Bars: 11, including the Cognac & Cigar Bar and the Coffee & Chocolate Bar
Swimming pools: Three, one of which will feature a retractable magrodome.
Wellness Center: Samsara Spa, extending over two levels, on two levels (3,500 m²) with gym, spa baths, thalassotherapy pool, treatment rooms, sauna, Turkish bath, UVA solarium, cabins and suites.
Entertainment: 4D Cinema
Theater extending over three levels with a seating capacity of 800
Casino
Disco
Dance club and Piano Bar
Internet Point
Library
Shopping Center
Kids’ and teens’ areas: Mondovirtuale (videogame area), Squok Club (for children) with children’s pool
Grand Prix Race Car Driving Simulator
Golf Simulator and Outside Golf Area with Putting Green
Large Movie Screen on the Central pool deck
I got a fantastic deal on a 7 days Dubai & Emirates cruise onboard the Luminosa departing January 2010.
Its very tempting
Ken, what is the Costa smoking policy???
Do you know the prices for the speciality restaurant(s)
Whats the prices of drinks onboard???
What is the onboard currency?? $$$ or Euro??
Does passengers booked with Costa benefit should the price of the cruise go down after booking??
Vision of the Seas - Western Europe - 8 days Lisbon to Oslo - April 19 2010
Brilliance of the Seas in
GONE CRUISING - BRILLIANCE OF THE SEAS
I got a fantastic deal on a 7 days Dubai & Emirates cruise onboard the Luminosa departing January 2010.
Its very tempting
Ken, what is the Costa smoking policy???
Do you know the prices for the speciality restaurant(s)
Whats the prices of drinks onboard???
What is the onboard currency?? $$$ or Euro??
Does passengers booked with Costa benefit should the price of the cruise go down after booking??
Sounds great, Lars. Enjoy and would love to read your review upon your return.
A. Costa's smoking policy is smoking on your balcony and in the casino, same as it's parent company Carnival.
B. Costa's Specialty restaurant no longer has a flat fee. It is now a' la carte. I don't have pricing of the individual items.
C. I'll give you an idea of prices we paid for drinks on the Costa Magica 2 years ago.
Appletini US$7.00,
Mai Tai, US$6.50,
Virgin drinks were US$4.25,
Glass of Chardonay, US$10.00
Glass of Beauola, US$5.75,
Juices by the glass, US$2.00 each,
Mojito, US$6.00. You can convert those US prices to Euros.
D. The Euro is the currency onboard. Dollars when the ships are sailing from the US and S. America.
E. Yes, Costa passengers will benefit from a cruise fare reduction after a deposit held booking has been made, but not after final payment.
I thought smoking was allowed:
Smoking is allowed only in designated areas in most public rooms onboard. However, smoking is prohibited in the main restaurants and in show lounges.
(this is from their web site)
Another site states this:
Smoking is permitted on the open decks, in cabins, including balconies, and in designated smoking areas in most public rooms.
Not a big dealfor us but 3 different answers
Vision of the Seas - Western Europe - 8 days Lisbon to Oslo - April 19 2010
Brilliance of the Seas in
GONE CRUISING - BRILLIANCE OF THE SEAS
I thought smoking was allowed:
Smoking is allowed only in designated areas in most public rooms onboard. However, smoking is prohibited in the main restaurants and in show lounges.
(this is from their web site)
Another site states this:
Smoking is permitted on the open decks, in cabins, including balconies, and in designated smoking areas in most public rooms.
Not a big dealfor us but 3 different answers
You're Welcomed, Lars.
That site actually say "in cabins"? I know about the open decks, but we were told last month while on a ship tour of the Costa Fortuna, that Costa's smoking policy was the same as Carnival's (even in Europe and anywhere else)and I know they(Carnival) don't allow smoking in the cabin.
That site actually say "in cabins"? I know about the open decks, but we were told last month while on a ship tour of the Costa Fortuna, that Costa's smoking policy was the same as Carnival's (even in Europe and anywhere else)and they(Carnival) don't allow smoking in the cabin.
Ken, this is from the Costa web site: Smoking is allowed only in designated areas in most public rooms onboard. However, smoking is prohibited in the main restaurants and in show lounges.
The other statement might be outdated. I cant tell you which site I found it at
Your info must the the correct one as yours is from last month. We all know these policies tend to change very fast
Vision of the Seas - Western Europe - 8 days Lisbon to Oslo - April 19 2010
Brilliance of the Seas in
GONE CRUISING - BRILLIANCE OF THE SEAS
Lots of interesting stuff there by the looks of it, I will have to have a longer look when I get home later this evening. I have just finished my project in school so decided to come on CLF for a bit , while I wait for the last few to finish.