 |
|
Costa Romantica |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Costa Romantica, decorated with beautiful Carrara marble and rare woods, is the sister ship of the (slightly older) Costa Classica. She was built in 1993 and underwent a thorough refurbishment during 2003. She's an elegant ship that has a nice selection of onboard features, such as a casino, large show room, spa and a couple of swimming pools. Size-wise she falls somewhere between in the middle, as she has many of the onboard features that larger ships do, but still has a quaint, yet comfortable feeling. Being an older ship, she does not have many accommodations with balconies, as only her ten Gran Suites have them (which are the most premium staterooms onboard the Romantica). |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Costa Romantica will be featuring cruises in the following regions (subject to change, based on the cruise line's discretion): 2010: Asia |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Costa Romantica has a decent range of accommodations available, from inside staterooms to full suites. However, there are no standard balcony staterooms onboard this ship. The only accommodations with a balcony onboard the Romantica are her Gran Suites. All of the staterooms onboard Costa Romantica come with a private bathroom, air conditioning, safe, mini bar (from which they charge you for anything you eat/drink), 220-volt and 110-volt outlets, hair dryer, satellite TV and phone. Inside Staterooms: The interior staterooms onboard Costa Romantica have all of the standard features listed above, plus two lower beds that can be converted into one queen-size bed. Inside staterooms (which are categories I1, I2, I3, I4 and I5) can be found onboard the Romantica on decks 4, 5, 6, and 7. Such accommodations are about 178 square feet in size. Oceanview Staterooms: The Romantica's oceanview staterooms (at about 176 square feet) feature everything her inside staterooms have, plus a window giving its guests a view outside of the ship. Such accommodations are on decks 4, 5, 6, and 7, and are classified as categories E1 through E5. Suites: The only accommodations onboard Costa Romantica with a veranda (balcony) are her Gran Suites, which are all classified as category GS. These staterooms are the Romantica's most premium accommodations and are a spacious 505 square feet each. The Romantica's ten GS suites are all located mid-ship on deck 10. A step down from the GS suites are category S suites (simply known as Suites), which are 379 square feet. The most basic suites onboard the Romantica are her (category MS) Mini-Suites, which are 334 square feet in size. All of the Romantica's suites have a whirlpool bath, shower and sitting area. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Being an Italian cruise line that heavily focuses on "Cruising Italian Style," the majority of the food onboard Costa is Italian. However, other options can be found onboard (including a few typical American favorites). Each night of the cruise typically has a different theme in the main dining room (called Botticelli Restaurant) is located aft on deck 8, with a menu that reflects that particular evening's theme. For example, there may be a Caribbean Dinner, an Italian Dinner, an American Dinner, or even a Bacchanal Dinner (a classical Rome-inspired evening, where guests may wear togas to dinner). Besides the varying menu each night, there will always be a few additional options on the menu that remain constant (for those that aren't crazy about that particular theme's selections), including various meats, fish and pasta dishes. The menus in this venue are printed in Italian, with a second language (such as English, Spanish and German) below each description. The main dining room has an assigned seating setup for dinner, where you are assigned to either a main or late seating and dine at the same table each night (with the same wait staff serving you). Be sure when initially booking your cruise that you select the dining time you want, and please be aware that it may be on a waitlist. There may be cooking demonstrations performed in public spaces during select days on some of Costa's voyages. When these are available they're quite a treat to see. Unlike most of the Costa fleet, the Romantica (unfortunately) does not have an optional specialty restaurant onboard. There are a few casual dining options onboard Costa Romantica. Among them is the large Giordino Buffet, located on deck 10, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Located nearby this buffet is the (outdoor grill) Terrazza Cafe, a beautifully decorated area that serves hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries and more. There is also a Juliet's Patisserie/Pizzeria and patisserie on deck 9. Don't forget that 24 hour room service is available for all passengers. There is a basic complimentary menu, but it's an excellent option for a late night snack, or for when you're feeling a little lazy and would rather the food come to you. There are a few items on the menu that you can order at an additional cost, such as bar drinks. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Because all of the Romantica's interior and oceanview staterooms are located on the first four passenger decks, there are a ton of public spaces higher up on the ship. Costa Romantica has a few entertainment venues. Among them is the two-deck high L'Opera Theater, the Romantica's main show lounge. A different show is performed at this venue each evening. Examples of possible performances may include comedians, Broadway-style production shows, singers, acrobats and musicians. The Excelsior Casino, featuring many slot machines and gaming tables, is located on deck 9. This area of the ship can get especially crowded during the evening, after one of the shows ends from the main show lounge. Located just aft of the casino is the Romantica's Tango Ballroom. The Diva Disco & Observatory is located at the very top of the ship (on deck 14) and offers dancing at night and fabulous views of the Romantica's surroundings during the day. There are quite a few bars throughout the ship as well. Among them are the (often crowded) Piazza Italia Grand Bar, the (poolside) Capri Bar, the bar by the L'Opera Theater and the Positano Bar. There will also be a bunch of staff members circulating throughout the outdoor and buffet areas, asking if you'd like a drink. As you might assume, you shouldn't have any problems finding somewhere to grab a drink while onboard Costa Romantica. There is a shopping gallery on deck 9, which is where a wide range of duty-free items can be purchased. Among the most popular things for sale is jewelry, liquor, perfume and clothing. Also on deck 9 is the Romantica's photo gallery. Costa does a nice job for families with children and teens, as they have a children's club area onboard the Romantica (named The Squok Club, located forward on deck 11). This area features various games and activities just for children. Located just one deck below is the Youth Zone. There are a couple of swimming pools located on deck 11 (one of which is for adults only), as well as a couple Jacuzzis. Nearby the pools are many lounge chairs and tables, great for relaxing in the sun or grabbing a bite to eat outdoors. Also on deck 11 is the Caracalla Spa. Within that area is also a beauty salon, a couple Jacuzzis and a fitness center (with a Roman spa and aerobics area). The spa offers a wide range of treatments, such as massages and facials. There are many public areas on deck 8, including a conference center, a couple of meeting rooms, a card room, library (with an internet center) and a chapel. The central lobby is located mid-ship on deck 5, and is where the shore excursion and information offices are located. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| During the day people dress casual while onboard a Costa cruise. Examples of such dress include light, cotton clothing or swimwear with cover up when indoors. Some tours prohibit shorts and sleeveless shirts, and may require ladies to wear knee-length skirts or slacks. Almost every night on a Costa cruise is informal. Costa asks you to feel free to dress comfortably in resort attire, as jackets are not required. Depending on your cruise's length, there are usually one or two formal nights. If you choose to dress formally, Costa recommends a suit for men and a cocktail dress for women. You may also dress more casually on such nights, in elegant resort wear. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Costa's children's program, called Costa Kids Program, varies based on the number of children onboard each sailing and on the particular ship and itinerary. When in full effect, this program offers four age-based children's programs: Mini: ages 3 (out of diapers) to 6 Maxi: ages 7 to 11 Teen Junior: ages 12 to 14 Teen: ages 15 to 17 The Costa Kids Program is an interactive program that provides daily activities for children and teens. Activities vary based on age-group and include activities such as costume parties, sports tournaments, evening parties, treasure hunts, board games and junior aerobics. The parents of children in either the Mini or Maxi groups are able to take advantage of free nighttime group babysitting (held in the children's area until 1:30 am). Nighttime babysitting is not available for children under 36 months of age. Children have special counselors and a room designed for their activities. Children under the age of 3 are allowed to enter and stay in the room only during certain times (not during busy times in high season) and must be accompanied by an adult. Children's activities vary by ship and itinerary, as the number of children varies by sailing and programs are adjusted accordingly. Infants under the age of 6 months at the time of boarding are not allowed on board. This lower age limit is raised to 12 months for cruises lasting 15 days or more. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Costa will automatically charge your onboard expense account a per person, per day "service charge" to cover many of the staff members (such as the dining room staff and room stewards) that service you throughout your cruise. Costa's service charge is based on your cruise's destination and duration. It is as follows (subject to change):
If you'd like to increase or decrease the amount charged by Costa for service charges, you may do so by contacting your ships' Guest Relations Desk (prior to the end of your cruise). A 15% gratuity will automatically be added to any beverage purchases you make. It is at your discretion to tip bartenders, servers, deck stewards and various other staff members, if you so desire. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The minimum drinking age on all Costa cruise ships departing from a US port is 21 years of age. If the ship departs from a non-US port, the minimum drinking age is 18 years old. Any bottles of alcohol that you purchase onboard the ship (in the gift shop) or at a port of call will be held for you by the staff, until disembarkation. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The minimum gambling age on all Costa cruise ships is 18 years of age. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Custom Search
© 2012, CruisEvolution LLC. All Rights Reserved.