The Italian big-ship line of the Carnival group, with an Italian-heavy crowd and Archipelago’s Michelin-starred tasting menus. Australians fly to join it in the Mediterranean, Dubai or January’s world cruise via Sydney.
Costa Cruises is the Italian big-ship line of the Carnival group: bold Mediterranean styling, an Italian-heavy passenger mix, multilingual announcements and an atmosphere that leans lively rather than quiet. Its two LNG-powered flagships, Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana, each carry more than five thousand guests around a piazza-style atrium built like an Italian town square, with a waterslide aqua park and Archipelago, a specialty restaurant built around tasting menus from three Michelin-starred chefs. It suits travellers who want a big, animated ship and proper Italian food, rather than a quiet, traditional cruise.
Costa has no Australian homeport, so you fly to join it. Costa Smeralda spends the 2026 to 27 winter based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on 7 night Gulf itineraries to Qatar and Oman, then returns to the Mediterranean for summer 2027 alongside Costa Toscana, sailing from Genoa, Savona, Barcelona and Marseille. The one Australian connection most years is Costa Deliziosa’s January world cruise, a 139 night voyage from Savona that crosses the Pacific with calls at Cairns and Sydney; ask us about booking just that leg.
Smeralda and Toscana are Costa’s newest and largest ships, LNG powered, with a central piazza, an aqua park with waterslides, a disco and Archipelago alongside the regular restaurants and buffet. Costa Deliziosa is smaller and older, built in 2010 for 2,260 guests, better suited to a long classic itinerary than a resort-style sailing. Samsara, Costa’s spa brand, and the Squok Club for children aged 3 to 17 run fleet-wide.
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Call a Cruise Expert · 1300 214 840 Enquire TodayCosta has no Australian homeport. These are the ships Australians fly to join, in the Mediterranean, the Gulf and on the January world cruise.
Costa’s LNG-powered flagship when she entered service in 2019, built around an open-air piazza modelled on an Italian town square, with a two-level aqua park, a disco and Archipelago, where three Michelin-starred chefs take turns on the menu. She spends the 2026 to 27 Australian summer based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, then returns to the Western Mediterranean for 2027, sailing from Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa and Rome.
Smeralda’s near-identical twin, one deck larger and delivered in 2022, with the same central piazza, aqua park and Archipelago dining, plus her own disco and starred-chef tasting menus. Costa Toscana sails the Western Mediterranean for 2027 from Savona, calling at Monte Carlo, Marseille, Barcelona, Ibiza, Palermo and Civitavecchia: a straightforward fly-cruise from Australia into a big, animated ship.
A smaller, older ship built in 2010, best known among Australians for her January world cruise: 139 nights round trip from Savona, crossing the Pacific with calls at Cairns and Sydney before continuing to Asia, the Gulf and Africa. Costa also sells shorter segments of the same voyage, so ask us about joining or leaving in Australia rather than booking the full world cruise.
Also in the fleet: Costa Diadema and Costa Serena, in South America for the 2026 to 27 season, Costa Fascinosa in the Caribbean, and Costa Favolosa and Costa Pacifica; Costa Fortuna leaves the fleet in September 2026.
What each cabin type gives you. Fares vary by ship, sailing and date, so ask us for the rate on the departure you want.
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A taste of the restaurants, bars and spaces. Anything marked Included carries no extra cost.
A specialty restaurant on Smeralda and Toscana with five-course tasting menus from three Michelin-starred chefs, priced as a specialty dining charge.
Costa’s main dining rooms and self-service buffet, serving Italian and international menus at breakfast, lunch and dinner, included in every fare.
Coffee bars, gelato counters and lounges around the ship, from an espresso corner to a champagne bar; drinks are charged separately.
Costa’s take on the Italian aperitivo: a bar and terrace for a Campari or spritz before dinner, overlooking the pool deck.
The ship’s nightclub, with a DJ and dancing after dinner most nights, included in your fare.
A multi-level waterslide park on Costa’s newest ships, included in your fare and popular with families over school holidays.
Multiple pools and whirlpools across the top decks, with sunbeds and space to spread out even on a full ship.
Costa’s spa brand across the fleet: massages, facials and a thermal circuit, with treatments charged separately from your fare.
Production shows, live music and comedy in the main theatre most evenings, included in your fare.
The essentials come with every cabin: complimentary dining across a range of restaurants, live shows and music, and most things to do on board.
Sailing in a suite? Most lines add extras to their top suites: a drinks package, Wi-Fi, a private restaurant or lounge and priority boarding. Ask us what the suites on your ship include.
Usually included in the top suites; ask us what your ship offers.
Costa has no Australian homeport, so every Costa cruise is a fly-cruise. Australians mostly join Costa Smeralda or Costa Toscana in the Mediterranean over the northern summer or in Dubai over our summer, or fly to Savona for Costa Deliziosa’s January world cruise, which calls at Cairns and Sydney on its way across the Pacific.
Your cabin, meals in the main restaurants and the buffet, tea, coffee, entertainment, and use of the pools, aqua park and Squok Club for children. Drinks, Archipelago and other specialty dining, Wi-Fi, shore excursions and gratuities are extra unless you add a package; we confirm exactly what is and is not included before you book.
Costa’s newest and largest ships, LNG powered and built around an open-air piazza modelled on an Italian town square, with a waterslide aqua park, a disco and Archipelago, a specialty restaurant with tasting menus from three Michelin-starred chefs. They carry more than five thousand guests each and feel like a big, animated Italian resort rather than a quiet ship.
Yes. The Squok Club runs Mini, Maxi and Teen Zone groups for ages 3 to 17, and the flagships have a full aqua park alongside the pools. Costa’s guest mix and crew are heavily Italian with multilingual announcements, which some Australian families enjoy and others find takes adjusting to; ask us if you are unsure.
A specialty restaurant on Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana built around five-course tasting menus created by three Michelin-starred chefs, Ángel León, Hélène Darroze and Bruno Barbieri, each reflecting the region the ship is sailing. It carries a specialty dining charge on top of your fare.
Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana suit the northern summer, June to September, in the Mediterranean, or the Gulf winter season, December to March, from Dubai. If you would rather see Australia briefly from the ship, Costa Deliziosa’s world cruise crosses the Pacific via Cairns and Sydney each January.
Tell us the dates or destination in the enquiry form on this page, or call 1300 214 840. We are an independent Australian cruise agency: you get Costa’s advertised fare, we confirm the total for two with taxes and fees in AUD, and one specialist looks after the booking from quote to homecoming.
Call 1300 214 840, message us on WhatsApp, email, or tell us what you want and a Costa Cruises specialist will come back with a quote.
Enquire TodayLuxury Cruises Guide is an independent Australian cruise agency operated by Orange Ninja Pty Ltd, ABN 17 682 640 713. It is not owned or operated by Costa Cruises. Costa Cruises and its ship names are trademarks of their owner and are used here to identify the cruise line. Fares shown were published by the cruise line at the time of writing and change with availability.