Costa Romantica and Costa Classica are almost identical. These spacious ships with public rooms on the upper four decks have ultramodern Italian interiors using a king’s ransom in marble, dramatic window walls, futuristic sculptures, clean lines, angular shapes, and fine art. The result reflects modern Italian design and is a radical departure from traditional Italian ocean liners of the past.
Passengers are introduced to the ship in its dramatic Grand Lobby, set low on the Copenhagen Deck, which is dedicated entirely to cabins, as are the deck below and the two decks above. White-gloved room stewards escort passengers to their cabins. The background music of Vivaldi and other Italian composers is meant to underscore the start of
a week of “Cruising Italian Style.” The ships’ layouts are easy to follow, with one lounge or public space flowing to the next, creating openness and harmony. Decks are named after European cities. The dramatic centerpiece of Romantica’s lobby is a moving sculpture by Japanese artist Susumu Shingu. Installed in 1992 to commemorate the Columbus quincentennial, it’s a mobile with panels that move continuously and change color against the area’s Carrara marble walls and floors. Romantica’s heart and social center is the Piazza Italia on the Verona
Deck—an atrium furnished as a lounge, with a small bandstand and dance floor on one side and a bar on the other. The lounge is the favorite gathering spot for pre-lunch and pre-dinner drinks, as it’s a short walk from
the dining room. Forward are meeting rooms, the library, chapel, card room, and the ground floor of L’Opera, the bi-level show lounge. From the Piazza, a double stairway leads up to the Vienna Deck and the popular Romeo’s Pizzeria and Juliet’s Patisserie. Forward are shops on the Via Condotti, named for Rome’s fashionable shopping street.
Unofficial Guide © 2009
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