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Costa Magica

Costa Magica
The Costa Magica was launched in 2004 and is one of the Fortuna class ships operated by Costa Cruises. The Fortuna class of ship is almost identical Destiny class ships operated by Carnival Cruises, as it is constructed from the same template. She has a sister ship, the Costa Fortuna.

The ship interior decorations carry a theme. The on board theme for the Costa Magica is beautiful Italian cities. This is a real treat for passengers as they are treated to pblic rooms with interior decoration inspired by some of the most beautiful places in Italy, these include Bellagio, Capri, Emerald Coast, Grado, Positano, Portofina and Sicilly to name a few. These decorations can produce some really stunning sights.

One sight that cannot be missed, is the Urbino Theatre. The theatre is set over three levels and the decor is outstanding. Huge attention to details have created a visual masterpiece. Set under a golden dome, with inlaid wood paneling, some of which is styled in the shape of musical instruments really show the length the Costa designers will go to, to produce a beautful ship. Lots of the public rooms are light and airy and give the passenger a terrific feeling of space.

The disco, often a forgotten venue on a crusie ship as its sometimes viewed as less important has been supersized on the Costa Magica. The disco is split over two decks and is decoration is inspired by Grado, which is a well known Italian beach resort. For those who don't know Grado, its a charming medieval town, spread along a narrow island backed by lagoons. Full of little narrow lanes and dominated by the Romanesque Basilica di Sant’Eufemia and belle époque mansions and beach huts sit along the beachfront. The restaurants also carry the decor theme throughout. The two main restaurants, The Costa Smeralda Restaurant and The Portofino Restaurant are both two tiered and have great views and again decorated with amazing frecoes. In fact, the ceiling in the Portofino restaurant are actually painted to give you the impression you were actually sitting at an outdoor table in Portofino. Its amazing.

For anyone travelling with children, the ship has the Squok Club. An activity based club which allows the children of different ages to mix and make friends and get involved with various fun and games. The ship also has a large spa and exercise centre for those wanting to include a fitness program with their cruise.

The ship has a great number of bars and lounges, and plenty of open spaces so whatever your preference, you are bound to enjoy your stay on the Costa Fortuna.

Ship Stats

Launched: 2004
Start of service: 2004
Decks: 13
Lifts: 14
Length: 271 m
Beam (width): 37.8 m
Tonnage: 105,000 GRT
Speed: 20 knots
Capacity: 2,720 passengers
Crew and staff: 1,027
Registry: Genoa, Italy

Ship Features

2 main restaurants, 5 in total
11 bars
air-conditioned throughout
4 swimming pools & 6 hot tubs / whirlpools
Library and card room
Internet access
beauty salon & Spa
stabilised worldwide satellite telephone, telex and fax
Children's clubs & Virtual gaming room
Casino

Ship particulars

Food
The Costa Fortuna has two main restaurants. The restaurants are not quite equal sized and are named Smeralda and the Portofino. The food served in each restaurant is the same but the Portofino feels slighty larger and has a lovely open feel, which could be due to the amazing artwork on the ceiling to let you feel that you were actually sitting outdoors in Portofino. There is a premium restaurant, called The Vincenza Tavernetta Club. This exclusive restaurant carries an additional cost per head and gets booked very quickly, but the food is amazing and, as it is at the highest point of the ship, and beneath a huge glass dome, the view is one you will not forget. On top of all of this, the premium china and crystal glasses top of that special moment, that you are bound to have here.

There is also the Bellagio Buffet Restaurant. This is a buffet style self service restaurant where you are treated to a wide range of dishes. It's a pleasant informal venue where you can relax and go at your own speed, browse and taste some or all the treats on offer. There is something for everyone on the Costa Magica.

Excercise

The Costa Magica Spa, Saturnia has a variety of facilities including hair styling, beauty treatments, massages, saunas, Turkish baths. There is also the large fitness center. Costa has placed the fitness centre so that passengers enjoying the facilities can also enjoy the surrounding views, with plenty of windows overlooking the front of the ship. There are plenty of machines to assist you in achieving that workout burn along with some classes from trained staff. The swimming pools provide a great way of exercising without getting hot and uncomfortable. One of the swimming pools even has a moving roof, that allows passngers to use to pool even in the bad weather, but fully open and sun bathed when the weather is hot.
For those wanting an informal pace of exercise, theres always the running track or indeed, why not a pleasant stroll around one of the public decks.

Formal nights

On the Costa Magica, there are two formal nights a week. These consist of a welcoming gala night and a farewell gala night at either end of your cruise. Passengers will see what nights are formal in the on board publications. The male passengers wear dark suits with ties or a tux, while women will opten wear short dresses or cocktail skirts. If you do not want to dress up, you can dine in the buffet area on the formal night. Even on normal nights, the main rstaurants have a smart dress code, rather than jeans and t shirts.

Smoking

On board the Costa Magica, smoking is permitted on the open decks, in your cabins, balconies and in designated smoking areas in most public areas. The exceptions to this rule is that all restaurants and show lounges are non-smoking.