Costa
Italian style, food and warmth at sea, with the Mediterranean at its heart.
La dolce vita, afloat
Costa is Italy at sea. The line carries a distinctly European, sociable mood, and its ships put Italian food, design and hospitality front and center, from the espresso bar to the evening passeggiata around the decks.
Founded in Genoa in 1948, Costa is one of the oldest names in modern cruising and has been part of Carnival Corporation & plc since 2000. Its 2026 fleet of eight ships is led by the LNG-powered flagships Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana, both named for Italian regions.
Costa sails mainly in the Mediterranean, with seasonal routes to Northern Europe, the Canaries and farther afield. The onboard crowd is international and multilingual, which gives a Costa cruise a lively, continental feel.
- Style
- Italian, European
- Fleet
- 8 ships
- Guests
- Roughly 2,200 to 6,500
- Fares
- Cruise only
- Sails to
- Mediterranean and Europe
- Founded
- 1948, Genoa
“Costa is the Italian way to cruise, where the food, the design and the pace all carry a Mediterranean accent.”
Rooms with an Italian sensibility
Costa cabins range from comfortable interiors to bright balcony rooms and suites, many with the clean, contemporary Italian styling the line is known for. The newest ships, Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana, feel especially modern and airy.
Because the ships are large, there is a wide spread of cabin categories and prices, which makes Costa an easy choice for families and groups traveling in a range of budgets.
Italian food and a proper aperitivo
Dining is a highlight, with regional Italian menus, fresh pasta and pizza, and specialty restaurants that reach across the Mediterranean. Coffee is taken seriously, and the aperitivo hour is part of the daily rhythm.
Evenings bring live music, dancing and the sociable, all-ages energy that defines a European cruise. The atmosphere is warm and informal rather than buttoned-up.
The Mediterranean, up close
Costa is built around the Mediterranean, calling at ports across Italy, Spain, France, Greece and the Adriatic, with seasonal sailings to Northern Europe and the Canary Islands. Many itineraries begin or end in Italian cities such as Genoa, Rome or Savona.
That makes Costa a natural way to sample several Mediterranean countries in one trip. We help you pick the ship and route that lines up with the ports you most want to see.
Because Costa spends real time on the Italian coast, it is easy to add a culinary tour of Italy ashore.
Why book through us
Exclusive Costa value
Group amenities and onboard credit on Costa sailings that you will not find booking direct.
Combinable offers
Our exclusive value can usually be layered with Costa's current promotions, plus full loyalty credit.
Cruise specialists
Advisors who know the fleet and match the right ship, cabin and Mediterranean itinerary to you.
Seamless land and sea
Because we run our own tours in Italy, we make it easy to add a Culture Discovery land tour where your voyage begins or ends.
Sail the Mediterranean, then taste the real Italy
Costa itineraries live in Italian waters and often start or finish in an Italian port, which makes them a natural match for our own culinary tours. Add a few days ashore with Culture Discovery and you turn the ports you glimpsed into a real immersion in the country.
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Ready to sail with Costa?
Complimentary quote, exclusive CDV value, and a specialist who plans it around you.