| Costa | |  |
Cruising Italian Style The company that pioneered pleasure cruising, Costa Cruises, is now the leading cruise line in Europe and South America. The Italian-based company began life in 1854 as a small trader of olive oil and silks, operating under the name of its founder, Giacomo Costa fu Andrea. The venture’s great success prompted the company to move into sea trading, slowly building its own fleet of ships to transport goods all over the world. Throughout its evolution, Costa Cruises has remained faithful to its Italian heritage, with each ship effortlessly blending distinctive and elegant Italian design with the best of American comfort and functionality. Costa Cruises’ focus on sharing the best of European style and culture with passengers is reflected in the multi-million dollar international artwork collection carried by each ship in the fleet. Europe’s largest and fastest growing cruise line, Costa boasts 11 ships with four under construction and expects to carry one million passengers a year in 2007. 
The line offers cruises with an Italian flair in the Mediterranean, northern Europe, the Caribbean, South America, Middle East and Asia. Costa’s latest and biggest liner yet, the massive 3780-passenger Costa Concordia, was launched in July 2007 boasting the biggest spa sanctaury at sea. Onboard all Costa ships, passengers of all ages can enjoy elaborate décor, lively entertainment, Italian cooking classes, poolside dance lessons, first-class wellbeing centres, extensive children’s facilities, Italian staff passionate about service and Costa’s renowned ‘magnifico’ cuisine. • The most popular Costa itinerary for Australians is the line’s seven-night cruise from Venice to the Greek Islands including Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes as well as visits to Olympia and Dubrovnik. |
