Costa Toscana

Costa Toscana is one of Costa Cruises’ two LNG-powered flagships, entering service in 2021 as a sister to Costa Smeralda. Her interiors celebrate Tuscany, with warm colors, Italian furniture and lighting from Italian designers, and her heart is the Colosseo, a multi-deck central plaza topped by a dome of digital screens. She is designed for a European audience, mainly Italian, French, German and Spanish families, so announcements and shows come in several languages and dinners run late. Expect a lively, sociable atmosphere, pizza and espresso at all hours, and a huge choice of bars. She typically sails the western Mediterranean.

Best for: Families and groups who want a big, modern Italian ship and don’t mind multilingual announcements and a European crowd.

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.