COVER STORY
HEAD-TO-HEAD
tables at dinner, offered in two sittings. The main officers and those hold- ing jobs of authority are Italian and the crew is a mixture of Indonesian, Indian, South African, Filipino, south-east Asian, Romanian, Hungarian, and Croatian, with a few Western Europeans in positions that require greater language expertise. There is an abundance of music and
Dubai and the Middle East, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, South America and Canada/New England. Costa also sails to the Indian Ocean, south-east Asia and the Canary Islands. Costa Pacifica and MSC Fantasia offer
year-round Mediterranean cruises while Costa Luminosa cruises from its home port of Dubai during the winter, Northern Eu- rope in the summer and the Western Med during spring and autumn. MSC Poesia sails in the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale during the colder months and in the Medi- terranean the rest of the year. All the ships offer the usual array of shore excursions. However, they do not provide a lot of information for passengers NOT wishing to take a tour and, as a gen- eral rule, they do not provide complimen- tary shuttle service into the towns.
MAJOR SIMILARITIES (Good and Not So Good) When sailing in Europe, both cruise lines are marketed mainly to Europeans and the passenger composition is predominantly Italians and other Europeans (often as high as 90 per cent). The Euro is the shipboard currency and dining, entertainment and shore excursions are all geared to European tastes. There are separate charges for many items which are gratis in the Caribbean, and there are a greater number of smokers. When sailing in North America and the Caribbean, the majority of passengers are North American; the currency is the US dollar; and dining and entertainment are modified to appeal to the different passen- ger demographics. Maddeningly, lifeboat drill and most important announcements are given in FIVE different languages. The main dining rooms feature Italian- orientated offerings, average cuisine and continue the traditional practice of assigned
52 WORLD OF CRUISING I Autumn 2010
dancing venues – greater than on compet- ing cruise lines – as befits lines that have to deal with a broad range of languages. Prices in all stateroom categories are quite reasonable for these glamorous ships when compared to competing lines, al- though the divergence in “early booking,” “brochure rates,” and “special pricing” makes it difficult to discern what the aver- age price is for any particular category of accommodation. Prices are a bit higher when the ships are sailing in Europe.
MAJOR DIFFERENCES (Good and Not So Good) The newer Costa ships have been designed by Joe Farcus, the design genius who fashioned all of the Carnival ships. Thus, the décor is original, bold, brash and more fantasy-style. On the newer MSC ves- sels, the staterooms are more traditional. However, the public areas on Fantasia are lavishly and uniquely decorated in a style that could be described as a combination of modern, art deco and imaginative/eclectic. On MSC, children 17 and under shar- ing a cabin with two adults sail free, and are visible in abundance.
FACT FILE
Costa Luminosa Class Costa Luminosa (2009) Costa Deliziosa (2010)
92,600 tons
965 ft long x 106ft wide 2,826-passenger capacity (2,264 double occupancy)
Italian officers, international crew
Costa Concordia Class Costa Concordia (2006) Costa Serena (2007) Costa Pacifica (2009)
Costa Favolosa (2011) Costa Fascinosa (2012)
114,000-114,500 tons 950ft long x 116ft wide 3,780-passenger capacity (3,000 double occupancy) 1,500 cabins (39% balconies) Italian officers, international crew
133,500-140,000 tons
1,093ft long x 124ft wide 4,100-passenger capacity (3,274 double occupancy)
1,637-1,751 cabins (77% balconies Italian officers, international crew
MSC Musica Class MSC Musica (2006)
MSC Orchestra (2007) MSC Poesia (2008) MSC Magnifica (2010)
92,400-93,300 tons
963.9ft long x 105.6ft wide 3,013-passenger capacity (2,550 double occupancy)
Italian officers, international crew
MSC Fantasia Class MSC Fantasia (2008) MSC Splendida (2009) MSC Favolosa (2012)
Costa’s Samsara Spa, the numerous Spa accommodations and the Spa Restaurant will definitely appeal to more health-con- scious cruisers. The MSC Yacht Club on Fantasia-Class
ships provides a more exclusive, upscale ex- perience for passengers willing to pay for the additional perks, exclusivity and pampering.
AND THE WINNER IS… It does seem that the similarities (both favourable and unfavourable) are more prevalent than the differences. Accom- modations, entertainment, dining, service, passenger mix and pricing are so similar that one would not likely discern the dif- ference between travelling on one cruise line or the other. The bottom line for English-speaking
cruisers: The experience on both lines will be more akin to that on American and British-styled owned ships when sailing in the Caribbean or North America (save for the announcements given in multiple languages), while there is a greater empha- sis on Italian cuisine and European-style entertainment. By contrast, when sailing in the Medi-
terranean or elsewhere in Europe, expect to pay extra for items that are normally gratis; realise that it will be difficult to cultivate friendships or conversation with the non-English-speaking passengers; there will be many families with young children; and be prepared to appreciate and make allowances for the cultural differences. Would you believe it’s a tie?
COSTA v MSC
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