Budget cruise line ยท Founded 1948
Costa Cruises Review: Italian Style, European Value
Short answer
Is Costa Cruises a good cruise line?
Costa Cruises is an Italian line offering some of the lowest Mediterranean fares available, from about 70 euros per person per night. Food, coffee and atmosphere are genuinely Italian, announcements run in six languages, and the passenger mix is overwhelmingly European rather than American.
Key takeaways
- Mediterranean fares start around 70 to 95 euros per person per night, among the lowest in Europe.
- The onboard language is Italian first, with announcements typically in six languages.
- Food, coffee and gelato are genuinely good; the buffet is the weak point.
- Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana are LNG-powered and modern; the rest of the fleet is ageing.
- Best booked as a European holiday, not as an American cruise that happens to be in Europe.
Overview
Costa is the oldest continuously operating Italian cruise line and it feels it. Meals run late, the espresso is excellent, the aperitivo hour is taken seriously, and the ship is loud in a sociable rather than a party way. For a European traveller this is unremarkable and good value. For an American expecting a Carnival ship parked in Europe, it is a surprise.
The fares are the draw. A seven-night Western Mediterranean sailing calling at Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Naples and Palma routinely prices below 700 euros per person in an interior cabin, which is less than the hotel cost of doing the same route by land.
The honest caveat is that Costa is not built for North Americans. Announcements in six languages slow everything down, evening entertainment is oriented to a multinational audience, and shore excursions are conducted in language groups. Our reviewer sailed Costa Toscana in May 2026.
Costa is Carnival Corporation's European brand and operates mainly in the Mediterranean, with seasonal northern Europe and South America deployments. Since 2019 it has invested in two LNG-powered ships, Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana, which are genuinely modern and represent the brand's future.
The rest of the fleet is older and simpler. Costa Diadema, Fascinosa and Favolosa are competent mid-2010s ships that offer the cheapest way to see the Mediterranean by sea.
Costa's shore excursion programme is more central to the product than on US lines, because the itineraries are genuinely port-heavy: seven-night Mediterranean sailings frequently call at six ports with no sea day at all.
Our Costa Cruises score
3.8 / 5
Averaged across the six criteria below, each scored independently by our reviewers after sailing the line. It is an editorial judgment, not a user poll.
- Value for money
- 4.6
- Cabins
- 3.8
- Dining
- 4.1
- Entertainment
- 3.6
- Service
- 3.5
- Family friendliness
- 4.0
Judged on fare versus what is included before you spend a cent onboard.
Judged on square footage, storage, bathroom and balcony quality at each grade.
Judged on included restaurant quality, not just the specialty venues.
Judged on range and production quality across a full sea day.
Judged on crew ratio, consistency and how problems get resolved.
Judged on kids clubs, cabin configurations and pool space for children.
The fleet
Costa's fleet is small by Carnival Corporation standards and clearly split. The two LNG ships are large, modern and comfortable. The rest are serviceable ships from 2003 to 2014 offering very low fares.
Ship age matters less on Costa than on US lines because the itineraries do the work. A 2009 ship calling at six Mediterranean ports is a better holiday than a 2024 ship on a three-port Bahamas run.
| Ship | Class | Guests | Launched | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Toscana | Excellence | 5,322 | 2021 | LNG-powered, Mediterranean year-round. The best ship in the fleet by a clear margin. |
| Costa Smeralda | Excellence | 5,224 | 2019 | The first LNG cruise ship for Costa. Colosseo atrium is genuinely impressive. |
| Costa Diadema | Dream-derived | 3,724 | 2014 | The Queen of the Mediterranean, with a full-circuit outdoor promenade. |
| Costa Fascinosa | Concordia | 3,012 | 2012 | Reliable, dated, and the cheapest way into a Mediterranean week. |
| Costa Favolosa | Concordia | 3,012 | 2011 | Northern Europe in summer, Caribbean in winter. |
| Costa Deliziosa | Spirit | 2,260 | 2010 | Smaller and calmer, used for longer world-cruise style itineraries. |
What Costa Cruises costs
Costa prices in euros and its Mediterranean fares are among the lowest available anywhere. The trade-off is that more is unbundled: drinks packages, excursions and specialty dining are all extra, and service charges are added onboard.
Costa's daily service charge runs about 12.50 euros per person on Mediterranean sailings, which is lower than any American line. Drinks packages start around 39 euros per day, which is genuinely cheap.
Flights are the hidden cost for North Americans. A Mediterranean Costa cruise at 700 euros plus a $900 transatlantic flight is a different value proposition from the same cruise for a Milan resident taking a two-hour train to Genoa.
| Item | Typical price | What it covers | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior cabin | 70 to 95 euros per night | Cabin, main dining, buffet, pools, shows | Among the cheapest cruise fares in Europe |
| Balcony cabin | 105 to 145 euros per night | As above plus verandah | Yes, the premium is small in euro terms |
| Intenditore drinks package | 39 to 55 euros per day | Wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, coffee | Very good value against European bar prices |
| Service charge | About 12.50 euros per person per day | Crew service charge added onboard | Lower than any American line |
| Specialty restaurant | 25 to 45 euros | Archipelago or the steakhouse | Yes, particularly the seafood venues |
| WiFi | About 15 euros per day | Standard browsing connection | Adequate rather than fast |
| Shore excursion, typical | 45 to 95 euros | Half-day guided tour by language group | Often cheaper to arrange independently in Mediterranean ports |
Included in the fare
- Main dining room with a rotating Italian-leaning menu
- Buffet, pizzeria and gelateria on most ships
- Theatre shows, staged in a non-verbal or multilingual format
- Squok Club kids programming from age three
- Pools, whirlpools and sports facilities
Costs extra
- All alcohol, speciality coffee and bottled water unless packaged
- Specialty restaurants at 25 to 45 euros
- WiFi at about 15 euros per day
- Service charge of about 12.50 euros per person per day
- Shore excursions, spa and the thermal area
Pros and cons
What it does well
- Among the lowest cruise fares available anywhere in Europe.
- Genuinely good Italian food, coffee, pizza and gelato.
- Port-heavy itineraries with real time ashore, often six ports in seven nights.
- Lowest service charge of any line covered on this site.
- Two modern LNG ships that compete with anything in the segment.
Where it falls short
- Six-language announcements make everything slower and noisier.
- Most of the fleet is more than a decade old and shows it.
- Entertainment is weak by American standards and largely non-verbal.
- Service is reactive rather than anticipatory.
- Buffet quality is well below the main dining room.
Who it suits
Book Costa Cruises if you are
- European travellers within easy reach of a Mediterranean home port
- Travellers who want maximum time in port for minimum fare
- Food-led travellers who value Italian cooking over international menus
- Budget travellers comparing a cruise against a land-based European trip
- Anyone comfortable in a multilingual, multinational environment
Look elsewhere if you are
- North Americans expecting a US-style cruise product
- Travellers who want strong evening entertainment
- Guests who need English-language service throughout
- Anyone prioritising modern ships across the whole fleet
- Families seeking extensive water park facilities
Cabins
Costa cabins are functional and modest. On the two LNG ships they are modern and well equipped, with good storage and decent bathrooms. On the older fleet they are small, plainly furnished and clearly dated, though clean and well maintained.
Balcony cabins are worth the modest premium in the Mediterranean because you will spend mornings watching the ship come into Naples or Santorini rather than sitting on a pool deck.
Samsara cabins on several ships include spa access and are located near the thermal area, which is the closest thing Costa has to a premium enclave.
- LNG ships have modern, well-equipped cabins; older ships are dated but clean.
- Balcony premium is small in euro terms and worth taking in the Mediterranean.
- Samsara cabins include spa and thermal area access.
- Storage on older ships is limited; pack lighter than you would for a US line.
- Connecting cabins are available but fewer than on US family-focused lines.
Dining
The main dining room is where Costa earns its reputation. The pasta course is properly cooked, the regional Italian dishes rotate genuinely rather than nominally, and the wine list is broad and cheap by cruise standards.
The buffet is the weak point: it is crowded, the layout invites queuing, and quality drops noticeably against the dining room. The pizzeria and gelateria, however, are excellent and open long hours.
Specialty restaurants at 25 to 45 euros are good value. Archipelago, the seafood-focused venue on newer ships, is the one to book.
- Main dining room pasta and regional Italian dishes are the highlight.
- Pizzeria and gelateria are excellent and included on most ships.
- The buffet is crowded and weaker than the dining room.
- Wine list is broad and inexpensive by cruise standards.
- Archipelago seafood restaurant is the best specialty booking.
Entertainment
Costa's entertainment is built for a six-language audience, which means it is largely non-verbal: acrobatics, dance, music and visual spectacle rather than narrative theatre or comedy.
Production values on the LNG ships are decent, and the Colosseo atrium on Costa Smeralda hosts nightly shows that use the full three-deck space well. On older ships the theatre is small and the shows are modest.
Evenings revolve around bars, live music and the atrium rather than a theatre schedule, which suits the Italian rhythm of late dinners and later drinks.
- Non-verbal shows designed to work across six languages.
- The Colosseo atrium on Costa Smeralda is the fleet's best entertainment space.
- Evenings centre on bars and live music rather than theatre.
- No comedy club or licensed musical productions.
- Late dining rhythm means evenings start and finish later than on US lines.
For kids
Squok Club takes children from age three in four age bands up to seventeen. Programming is multilingual, which in practice means activities are structured to work without much language, and staffing quality varies by sailing.
Child fares are low, and on many sailings children under 18 sharing with two adults pay only port charges. For a European family that is the single biggest reason to choose Costa.
Facilities are modest against Royal Caribbean or MSC. There are pools and a water play area on newer ships, but no water park in the American sense.
- Squok Club from age three, four bands to seventeen.
- Children often pay only port charges when sharing with two adults.
- Multilingual programming, structured to work with minimal language.
- No large water park facilities anywhere in the fleet.
- Family cabins are available but less plentiful than on MSC.
For adults
Costa's adult appeal is the aperitivo culture rather than dedicated adult-only spaces. Bars are busy from six, the wine and cocktail pricing is genuinely reasonable, and the atmosphere is sociable.
The Samsara Spa complex on most ships is large and well equipped, with a thermal area, and Samsara cabin categories include access. Weekly thermal passes run about 120 to 180 euros.
There is no adults-only sun deck on most of the fleet, which is a notable gap against US lines. Costa Smeralda and Toscana have adult-oriented solarium areas but they are not strictly enforced.
- Aperitivo culture and reasonable bar pricing are the main adult draw.
- Samsara Spa thermal passes at roughly 120 to 180 euros per week.
- No strictly enforced adults-only sun deck on most ships.
- Wine pricing is the best value of any line covered here.
- Evening atmosphere is sociable rather than quiet.
Terms worth knowing
- Aperitivo
- The Italian pre-dinner drink and snack ritual, observed onboard Costa ships and central to the early evening atmosphere.
- Samsara
- Costa's spa brand. Samsara cabins are located near the spa and include thermal area access in the fare.
- Squok Club
- Costa's children's programme, running from age three through seventeen in four multilingual age bands.
- LNG ship
- A vessel powered by liquefied natural gas rather than marine fuel oil. Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana are the line's two LNG ships.
| Line | Interior, per night | Service charge, daily | Language mix | Ship age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa | 70 to 95 euros | About 12.50 euros | Italian-led, six languages | Mostly 2010 to 2014 |
| MSC | 75 to 105 euros | About 10 to 14 euros | Italian-led, five languages | Mostly 2017 to 2025 |
| Norwegian | 110 to 155 euros | $21.00 | English | Mixed 2005 to 2025 |
| Celebrity | 150 to 210 euros | $18.00 | English | Mostly 2018 to 2025 |
Should you book Costa?
Costa is excellent value for the right traveller and a genuine mismatch for the wrong one. The deciding factor is almost never the ship.
Book Costa
Choose it when: You are based in Europe, can reach a Mediterranean home port cheaply, and want the most time ashore for the lowest fare.
Book Costa Toscana or Smeralda
Choose it when: You want the value but not the ageing hardware. These two are competitive with anything MSC operates.
Book MSC instead
Choose it when: You are North American and want a European-style cruise with more English-language support and a newer fleet across the board.
Book Celebrity or Oceania instead
Choose it when: You are flying from North America. Once a transatlantic flight is in the budget, the fare saving on Costa is a smaller share of the total.
Skip Costa
Choose it when: Strong evening entertainment or American-style service matters to you.
Ready to price a Costa Cruises sailing?
Lead-in fares from $88 per person per night in our latest sampling. Compare live fares, then come back and check our cost guides before adding packages.
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Costa Cruises questions, answered
Is Costa Cruises good for Americans?
It can be, but manage expectations. Costa is an Italian line for a European passenger base: announcements run in about six languages, entertainment is largely non-verbal, dinner is late and service is reactive rather than anticipatory. Americans who want a European holiday at sea often enjoy it; those expecting a US cruise experience in Europe usually do not.
How much does a Costa cruise cost?
Seven-night Western Mediterranean sailings start around 70 to 95 euros per person per night in an interior cabin and 105 to 145 euros in a balcony, based on 2026 sampling. Add about 12.50 euros per person per day in service charges. Drinks packages start near 39 euros per day, the cheapest of any line covered here.
What language is spoken on Costa Cruises?
Italian is the primary language, with announcements typically delivered in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese. Crew speak English, menus are multilingual, and shore excursions are organised into language groups. English-speaking guests are well served, but everything takes longer.
Which Costa ship is the best?
Costa Toscana, delivered in 2021, is the best ship in the fleet: LNG-powered, modern cabins and the strongest public spaces. Costa Smeralda from 2019 is close behind and carries the impressive three-deck Colosseo atrium. The rest of the fleet dates from 2003 to 2014 and is noticeably more basic.
Is Costa owned by Carnival?
Yes. Costa Cruises has been part of Carnival Corporation & plc since 2000, alongside Carnival Cruise Line, Princess, Holland America, Cunard, Seabourn and AIDA. It operates independently with its own ships, crew and Italian brand identity, and shares little of the onboard product with Carnival Cruise Line.
Does Costa include drinks?
No. Drinks are extra, though packages start around 39 euros per person per day for the entry tier covering wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks and coffee, which is the cheapest unlimited package among the lines covered on this site. Bar prices without a package are also lower than on American lines.
About the author
Ports and Destinations Writer
Lena Hartley covers the parts of a cruise that happen off the ship: departure port logistics, shore excursions, weather windows and whether a port call is worth leaving the ship for at all.
48 sailings logged across 8 cruise lines.
This page was fact-checked by Captain Alberto Ruiz, marine and operations reviewer, on . Prices and policies are re-checked against cruise line sources at least every 90 days. Read our editorial policy.