Costa Atlantica and her twin, Costa Mediterranea, were the largest, fastest ships in the fleet when they entered service in 2000 and 2003. After Costa came under the Carnival umbrella, and with interior design in the hands of architect Joe Farcus, who is known for creating the flamboyant decor of Carnival ships, there was considerable concern that he would “Carnivalize” these Costa ships. Farcus’s imprint is unmistakable, but he has combined touches of his trademark fantasy and glitter with
European elegance that seem to work and delight most—but not all—of the North Americans and Europeans who have sailed on them. It’s safe to say that Farcus’s decor is the antithesis of the modern, spare interiors created by Italian designers for some of Costa’s other ships. Atlantica, because of her balconies and large windows, has a more open, lighter appearance than Costa Victoria, which recently had balconies added to 246 of her cabins. Most of the public rooms are on decks 2 and 3, anchored by a spectacular glass-ceiling atrium. The decor of Atlantica, including the use of Murano glass and inlaid mosaic, is flamboyant, with such features as the Alice in Wonderland–style redleather chairs with extremely high backs in the atrium bar. The Farcus touches are everywhere—the red-leather benches near the theatrical multilevel fitness room have little boots on them. Whimsical or fantastic motifs are worked into the carpets, the banquettes, and the tables with subtlety and taste. Atlantica is dedicated to Federico Fellini, the great Italian filmmaker, with her 12 passenger decks named for movies directed by him and huge blow-ups from his work placed in public rooms.
Unofficial Guide © 2009
.jpg_thumb.jpg "Santorini sunset")
