p22 Cruise may15 12/5/09 11:46 Page 22
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ttglive.com
Preview Costa Luminosa
The Piano Bar and a Samsara Cabin onboard Costa Luminosa
Shedding light on
traditional check-in and bags will be tracked
with bar-coding.
But the most efficient use of technology was
the self-service machines where you can book
everything from shore excursions to the 4D
cinema, eliminating the guest services queue.
Costa Luminosa
Restaurants and spa
On the first evening we dined at the Ristorante
Taurus. It offered suitably good but unexciting
food although the service could not be faulted.
The next night we had a truly exceptional
meal at the Club Luminosa restaurant. For ¤15,
Costa Cruises offered a sneak preview of its newest
you get a menu personally designed by Michelin-
ship, the 2,260-berth Costa Luminosa, ahead of its starred chef Ettore Bacchia – an Italian Heston
christening. Lynn Houghton reports from Venice
Blumenthal, minus the media exposure.
Each evening there were innovative and fun
buffets set up about midnight on Zaffiro Deck.
C
osta describes its new ship as We were given 3D glasses, seated in movable This gave everyone extra energy for boogying
“all-singing and all-dancing” but chairs and told to keep our feet on the floor. at the Discoteca Altair into the small hours.
with all the new state-of-the-art The 3D effect made everything appear life- I’m not a smoker myself, but I have it on good
electronics onboard it could have like. Bats flew (virtually) around your legs authority that the Sala Regolo (Cigar Salon) was
been christened “Costa Technologica”. I put and puffs of air and bursts of moisture from a hit with many guests.
this to Gianni Onorato, president of Costa. apparatus in the chairs made it feel as if they The Samsara Spa is a truly a first-class spa
“We use technology as a means to an end, had actually brushed your skin. experience. Although its claim to fame is its
to make life easier and more comfortable I was impressed with the layout of PlayStation large size, it is actually the intimacy and atten-
for our passengers,” he said. World, with four large plasma screens and dual tion to detail that I found to be more remarkable.
I had the opportunity to find out for myself controls. The virtual golf simulator looked
on a two-day inaugural event. similar to, but more sophisticated than, Wii Golf The verdict
and the Scuderia Costa Grand Prix simulator Costa Luminosa, with its new amenities,
Entertainment and technology looked incredibly realistic. restaurants and fabulous artwork, competes
Sailing out of Venice on a sunny evening is a Although I didn’t try it myself, one person with the climbing walls and surfing machines of
lovely experience, but I was itching to try out raved about Technogym Kinesis circuit in the other cruise lines. It has a different and more
the 4D cinema. fitness centre, which offers 250 exercises. sophisticated feel but is equally entertaining.
There were three films in three languages, so A major technological improvement,
I booked The Haunted Gold Mine in English. according to Costa, is that there will be no Lynn Houghton is an ex-Thomson press officer
22 15.05.2009
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