It Hasta Be Costa for Italian Theme Night

For many passengers, the theme Cruising Italian Style and dressing up in bedsheet togas for the final night of sailing was a tremendous lure to sail with the ships from Costa Cruises. But those popular features almost died out a few years ago under a now-defunct leadership team that wanted to replace Cruising Italian Style with a EuroLuxe concept.

Fortunately the idea and the executives were quickly replaced, and we can report that all the Italian touches from the past are still alive and well.

But the line’s new 76,000-gross-registered-ton flagship CostaVictoria shouldn’t need crowd-pleasing gimmicks when it offers breakthrough design features and contemporary ship architecture years ahead of its rivals.

The 1,950-passenger Victoria introduces a new generation of ships for Costa, repeating some of the same bare-bones design features from the earlier CostaClassica and CostaRomantica, such as uncarpeted marble steps in the stairways and comfortable if austere cabin designs.

For some mysterious reason, the designers saw fit to eliminate private balconies, even in the top suites, but the panoramic mini-suites with their solid glass walls almost make up for the omission.

The most striking space is the Concorde Plaza, designed by Swedish designer Robert Tilborg. The forward, glass-walled lounge fills four full deck areas in cool contemporary style and a generous, even prodigal, use of space.

The entertainment aboard is produced in-house and with its multimedia format and cheery humor marks a vast improvement over the feather-clad chorus girls that used to characterize the line’s shows.

The food can be good to excellent when passengers take the time to study the menu and confer with waiters. The best results come from ordering pastas, Italian dishes, soups, bread sticks, bruschetta and salads. Fish was always expertly and delicately prepared, but pastry desserts were sometimes heavy-handed and the pizzas from the pizzeria had crusts that might have come out of a Pillsbury box.

The top accommodations on board are five suites, each configured slightly differently, all with sitting and dining areas, whirlpool bath, separate shower and mini- refrigerator and pull-down or Murphy beds for additional family members.

The 14 mini-suites aboard have queen-size beds, a large sitting area with a small curved sofa and two chairs, a large-screen TV set, a mini-bar and refrigerator. Marble bathrooms have a large whirlpool tub and curved wash basin. There is also a walk-in closet and dressing room as well as pull-down bunks for two.

Standard outside cabins, depending on the deck, have either a porthole or a large window and twin beds that can be made into queen-size beds. There is plenty of hanging and drawer space for garments, even in the smallest inside cabins.

The CostaVictoria will be sailing in the Caribbean on alternate eastern and western itineraries through late April.

Eastern Caribbean ports of call include San Juan, St. Thomas, the Dominican Republic and Nassau, while western Caribbean ports include Key West, Cozumel, Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman.

Fares in the Caribbean range from $795 to $3,590 per person, double occupancy, not including air fare. Passengers booking 90 days in advance of sailing receive an extra “Andiamo Discount,” and seniors can take off an additional 5%. Children 12 and younger sharing a cabin with two full-fare adults pay $99 each for the cruise. Passengers who book a suite or mini suite at full tariff for the first occupant pay $795, the minimum full tariff, for the second passenger in the suite.

To get a free color brochure, contact a travel agent or call (800) 462-6782.

Slater and Basch travel as guests of the cruise lines. Cruise Views appears the first and third week of every month.