Costa Cruises are well known for their mixture of European elegance and casual cruising and the new ship they are due to unveil will be the pinnacle of their ideals. This ship is going to be called Costa Diadema.
The ship is nearly completed at the Marghera shipyard in Venice. Construction began two years ago and the ship will be delivered to Costa this October. It will be the largest cruise ship in the Italian based company and will be designated as its flagship.
Cabins
The ship will be approximately 306 meters long and has the ability to hold nearly 5000 passengers as well as 1250 staff members.
There will be 1,862 cabins in total, including the 130 cabins that are located near the spa and wellness centre in addition to the 75 private suites. 756 cabins onboard come with a balcony and offer that unforgettable view of the never ending ocean.
Highlights to Look Forward To
The big attraction onboard is going to be a Costa favourite, the Samsara Spa. This will probably be the largest spa at sea and will encompass four floors and 7,800m² of space. An enormous amount of health, well being and beauty related treatments will be on offer. The spa will contain a fitness centre, sauna, therapy rooms, Turkish baths and a solarium amongst other features.
For those seeking some poolside relaxation the ship will contain three pools onboard (one with a retractable glass roof) that will cool off passengers on a hot Mediterranean day.
There will be a multisport centre for even more get-fit fun, as well as an outdoor track around the ship. Other public areas include an enormous variety of shops and designer boutiques in the ‘Portobello Market Piazza’.
Dining
The dining options onboard will be immense as you would expect from any major cruise line. There are going to be seven restaurants on board including the popular mainstay ‘Teppanyaki’ restaurant. The other dining venue names have recently been revealed as ‘Pizzeria Piazza Pizza’, ‘Scudo’ restaurant, ‘Samsara’ restaurant (which is free to those staying in a Samsara spa cabin), the ‘Sissi’ restaurant and the ‘Club Restaurant Diadema’.
A new wine venue called ‘Vinoteca’ and an in-house brewery called ‘Birreria’ are amongst two out of 15 places to stop in for a drink.
The ship cost over 400 million pounds but it will be well worth the hefty price tag once the rave reviews from its first passengers hit the press.
Entertainment
The entertainment options will be vast and will include:
Several nightclubs are available for a night on the town including the ‘Country Rock Club’, where guests can get the taste of Nashville and learn to line dance the ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe’.
A 4D cinematic experience to watch the latest films and a theatre on three levels will make every night memorable.
A gigantic casino and a two floor video arcade offering interactive laser games and a one-of-a-kind Gran Prix simulator will please the child in all of you. Truly, no expense has been spared to provide the best entertainment for all passengers including Costa’s regulars and those new to the concept of Italian style cruising.
A 5 day maiden voyage is scheduled for November 2014 from Venice to Savona, making the latter the ships home port. Ports of call in the Mediterranean on weekly sailings include Marseille, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, La Spezia and Civitavecchia
Costa is boasting that these brand new features onboard and the massive size of the vessel will leave all passengers in awe and ensure they will come back for more.
Mock up Images courtesy of Costa Cruise Lines
Written by Veronica Shine
