Costa Deliziosa

Costa Deliziosa is a mid-sized ship that entered service in 2010, built on the same platform as Holland America’s Vista-class ships and noticeably calmer than Costa’s big Concordia and Excellence-class vessels. She has become the line’s long-voyage specialist, regularly sailing Costa’s world cruises, which gives her a more mature, international crowd for much of the year. Decor is warm and elegant, with fewer theme-park touches than her larger fleetmates, and facilities include a pool under a retractable glass roof, a spa and a 4D cinema. Like every Costa ship, she runs multilingual service and late dinners.

Best for: Travelers who want a calmer, mid-sized Italian ship for a long voyage or world cruise with a European flavor.

Costa Cruises is Italy’s biggest cruise line, built for Italian and continental European holidaymakers who want an affordable, sociable ship with Italian food and late nights. Most sailings are in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, with winter seasons in the Caribbean and South America. North Americans can sail happily, but should expect English to be one of several languages onboard rather than the main one.