Excellence class · Costa · In service since 2019
Costa Smeralda
Costa Smeralda is an Excellence class cruise ship operated by Costa, in service since 2019. At about 185,010 gross tons, it carries roughly 6,554 guests and ranks #2 by size in the 8-ship Costa fleet we cover.
- 185,010 gross tons
- 6,554 guests
- 1,106 ft long
Photo: HenSti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ship facts
- Cruise line
- Costa Cruises
- Ship class
- Excellence class
- Entered service
- 2019 (7 years ago)
- Gross tonnage
- 185,010
- Guests
- 6,554
- Length
- 1,106 ft (337 m)
- Beam (width)
- 164 ft (50 m)
- Builder
- Meyer Turku
- Flag
- Italy
- IMO number
- 9781889
About Costa Smeralda
Costa Smeralda was Costa Cruises’ first ship powered by liquefied natural gas, entering service in 2019 and named for Sardinia’s famous emerald coast. She is a floating showcase of Italian design, with furnishings, lighting and fabrics from Italian brands and CoDe, a small onboard museum dedicated to Italian design. The Colosseo, a central plaza spanning three decks, is the social hub day and night. Like all Costa ships, she is built for a European audience, mostly Italian, French, German and Spanish speakers, with multilingual service, late dinners and a festive, family-friendly feel. She is usually based in the Mediterranean, where her size makes her a busy, resort-like base for port-hopping.
Best for: Design lovers and families who want a big, modern Italian ship with a lively European atmosphere.
Costa Smeralda highlights
- CoDe, a museum of Italian design on board
- Colosseo, a central plaza with a digital dome
- Interiors furnished by Italian design brands
- A wide spread of bars, from espresso counters to aperitivo spots
- LNG power, a first for the Costa fleet
How Costa Smeralda compares in size
- Costa Toscana186,364
- Costa Smeralda185,010
- Costa Diadema133,019
- Costa Pacifica114,425
- Costa Serena114,147
- Costa Fascinosa113,321
- Costa Favolosa113,216
- Costa Deliziosa92,720
Gross tonnage measures a ship's enclosed volume, not its weight. Source: Wikidata.
Excellence class sister ships
Sailing with Costa
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.
Read our full Costa guide: dining, drinks, tipping and who it suits →
Costa Smeralda FAQs
How big is Costa Smeralda?
Costa Smeralda measures about 185,010 gross tons and is about 1,106 feet (337 m) long. That makes it #2 of 8 Costa ships we cover by tonnage, and #15 among all 255 ocean cruise ships in our guide.
How many passengers does Costa Smeralda carry?
About 6,554 guests, according to Wikidata's record for the ship. Cruise lines usually quote capacity at two guests per cabin; with third and fourth berths filled, the maximum is higher.
When was Costa Smeralda built?
Costa Smeralda entered service in 2019 and was built by Meyer Turku.
What class of ship is Costa Smeralda?
Costa Smeralda belongs to Costa's Excellence class, alongside Costa Toscana. Ships in the same class share a layout and most signature features.
Is Costa Smeralda good for families?
The Squok Club, named after Costa’s mascot, runs supervised activities for children by age group, with teen spaces on most ships. Many fares let children sharing a cabin with adults sail free or at a reduced price, so summer and school holiday sailings are full of families, many of them Italian. Facilities vary by ship, so check what Costa Smeralda offers for your kids' ages.
Updated November 2026 by the BookMyDreamCruise editorial team. How we research and fact-check.
Sources: Wikidata, Wikipedia, Costa official site.