I boarded the Costa Firenze, here are my first impressions
On Sunday, July 4, from Savona, I embarked together with my daughters and my mom,. This is the inaugural cruise [...]
On Sunday, July 4, from Savona, I embarked together with my daughters and my mom,on board Costa Firenze. This is the inaugural cruise of the Carnival Group company's new ship, but it is scheduled to be christened in December, when it will operate itineraries in the United Arab Emirates. Why? Because of the Covid, which sank the plans of cruise lines around the world, in fact cruises have restarted almost only in Italy and the Mediterranean.
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This ship (sister ship to the Costa Venezia), in fact, was intended in the Carnival Group company's plans for the Chinese market, and indeed it is noticeable from all the writing on board.
Costa Firenze was supposed to debut last winter; however, it took eight months before it welcomed its first passengers, and as mentioned, the departure took place in Savona, Costa's Mediterranean home port, where it will remain until the fall. Then, if all goes as planned, she will move to the Emirates for the winter season. It is not yet clear if and when the ship will reach China, probably after summer 2022.
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The Costa Florence interior design pays homage to Tuscan city, cradle of Renaissance art and culture. Shared spaces reflect the harmony of walking down a street or square in Florence, starting with the choice of colors, geometries and shapes of interior design. Symbolic, for example, is the ship's atrium "Piazza della Signoria," which is inspired by the Florentine square of the same name.
Cruises in Italy restarted earlier than in the rest of the world: already last summer they were able to sail the seas until December, when a new stop came. Right now there are just over 1,000 guests on board, on a ship of 135,500 gross tons and A capacity of more than 5,200 guests. This is the new normal in the world of cruising, and seeing what is happening elsewhere, it must be said that both Costa Cruises that MSC were able to design a protocol that would ensure that passengers would have a vacation similar to those in the pre-pandemic world.
There are 11 restaurants and 8 bars on the ship, curfew is a faded memory. You can go to the theater, drink late and listen to live music, you can even party by the pool.
First impressions
The new ship is much smaller than the current Costa Smeralda flagship. With so few passengers on board, it is hard to know what the experience will be like when the normal influx of guests returns. At the moment, however, it really is a special feeling. Everything is new and spotless, and there are no problems finding a deck chair by the pool, as well as a table in the restaurant or a seat in the theater.
Security on board is at the highest level, from the moment of embarkation to the mandatory daily fever check thanks to scanners scattered around the ship. Mid-cruise you are re-swabbed, and throughout the voyage you must wear the shipboard contact tracing pendant.
For everything else, it is like being in the "world before." There are the shows, children's entertainment, special restaurants and excursions. That's enough now I'm going back to enjoy this Costa cruise.
In the meantime, I take this opportunity to remind you of an interesting promotion that allows you to win a cruise to Dubai booking a cruise on this ship in the coming months.
