Costa Atlantica

The 2000-built as "Costa Atlantica" cruise ship Adora Atlantica is the first of the two SPIRIT-class Costa ships - together with Costa Mediterranea. In 2020-Q1, Costa Atlantica left Costa Cruises fleet to start operations for the new Chinese company CSSC Carnival China Cruise Shipping/ADORA CRUISES - officially since January 13, 2020.

As Costa Atlantica, the vessel (IMO number 9187796) was Italy-flagged (MMSI 247645000) and registered in Genoa. As Adora Atlantica, the vessel is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311001063) and registered in Nassau.

In 2020-Q3, Atlantica was joined by Mediterranea. Fleetmates are also two CCL VISTA-class newbuilds - Adora Magic City (2023) and Adora TBN (2025).

From the same (SPIRIT) class are also Carnival Cruise Lines/CCL's liners Legend, Miracle, Pride and Spirit.

In March-April 2022, the CSSC ships Atlantica and Mediterranea were repositioned via Suez Canal from Asia to Europe, and placed at anchorage off Limassol Cyprus.

History - construction and ownership

Costa Cruises is a Genoa-headquartered subsidiary company owned by Carnival Corporation. Costa was founded in 1854 as a cargo shipping company and started passenger shipping services in 1947, with regularly scheduled Transatlantic crossings between Europe (Italy) and South America. In 2000, Costa was acquired by Carnival Corporation.

CSSC-Carnival Cruise Shipping was founded in October 2015 and started operations in 2020. The company is a joint venture between Carnival Corporation and China Merchants Group Ltd (Hong Kong-headquartered Chinese state-owned corporation, 1972-founded). Most of CSSC (Carnival China) is owned by Chinese shareholders (60%) and the remainder by Carnival (40%). The Chinese shareholders include CIC (China Investment Corporation) and CSSC (China State Shipbuilding Corporation).

The 2700-passenger ship Costa Atlantica has a huge impact on her passengers the minute they walk into the 10-floor-high Atrium, with its eye-popping colors and glass lifts fringed with flashing lights rocketing up and down. This high-level energy ambiance is softened with the classics: Carrara marble and Byzantine mosaics - pieces of Italy's classical Roman, Baroque, and Renaissance eras - with Murano glass counterpoints, all tied along with the signature of a master whose work is symbolic of post-World War II Italy, filmmaker Federico Fellini. Every deck of Costa Atlantica is named for one of his films: Deck 2 is La Dolce Vita; Deck 3 is named La Strada, and so on.

Besides the ship's staff and crew, Costa cruise passengers were also served by Peper robots - the latest cyborg technology implemented fleetwide in 2016. These humanoid robots greet and guide passengers upon embarkation. They also assist them throughout the cruise by providing information and tips on onboard dining, entertainment, enrichment program (workshops, pre-scheduled events), casino and shopping promotions, shore excursions and tours. Pepper robots are mobile and communicate in 3 languages (English, German, Italian). They can also interpret human emotions by analyzing voice tones and facial expressions.

Costa's last drydock refurbishment of the Atlantica ship was in 2015.

Decks and Cabins

Costa Atlantica staterooms (1109 total, in 14 grades) include 52x Suites, 620x Balcony, 179x Oceanview and 228x Inside cabins. Most staterooms are sized 185 ft2 (17 m2). Most cabin balconies are sized 35-55 ft2 / 3-5 m2. Around 64% of all staterooms have a private, step-out balcony.

Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 8.

The largest accommodations on the ship are the Grand Suites (365 ft2 / 34 m2 plus 280 ft2 / 27 m2 terrace).

The boat has 12 decks, of which 8 are with cabins.

Costa Atlantica decks are named after Federico Fellini's movies.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The glittering 2-deck Tiziano Restaurant is the main dining venue aboard Costa Atlantica, serving all 3 meals at traditionally fixed sittings. The MDR is longer than wide due to the placement of the ship's galley along the side walls. Choices for seating range from a handful of 2- and 4-tops to a number of bigger tables, including more for 8, or more than it's typical on American cruise ships. With the hard surfaces of the room, the noise level can be prodigious, as tables are placed very close. Though guests may choose a table at breakfast and lunch and don't need to dine at their regular sitting time, Atlantica still maintains formal seating times. The doors are closed a half-hour after the beginning of the first seating and reopened at the regular time for the second seating. Such a schedule is also maintained on port days when the volume is minimal.

The ship also offers complimentary 24-Hour Room-Service.

Follows the complete list of Costa Atlantica restaurants and food bars.

• Wellness Restaurant (serves healthy and low-calorie food; with complimentary dining room for guests in Wellness cabins, and a specialty restaurant for other passengers at a surcharge/reservations are required)
• Ristorante Tiziano (1320-seat aft Dining Room, complimentary; serves open-seating breakfast and lunch, 2 fixed dinner seatings - at 6:30 pm and 9 pm)
• Ristorante Buffet Botticelli (self-service buffet restaurant, complimentary; offers breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea at 4-5 pm, and dinner; in the evening is transformed into Pizzeria Napoli, complimentary, with waiter service)
• Club Atlantica (123-seat, 2-tiered dinner restaurant; reservations-only)

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

There are three notable venues on Costa Atlantica: the Coral Lounge, Caffe Florian and Dante's Disco. Florian is a clone of its Baroque-era namesake in Venice City's St Mark's Square, down to the wall and ceiling artwork and table placement. It's a nice spot to meet with friends for a glass of cappuccino and one of the most intimate lounges onboard.

Atlantica's Coral Lounge is placed on the very bottom deck, and is an evocative alternate performance nightclub, carrying the sense of being at the bottom of the ocean.

Dante's is a wonderful atmospheric disco. The bar and the cocktail tables are on the entrance level on Deck 2. One deck down, special effects machines fill the area of dancing with dense, smoky fog.

Follows the complete list of Costa Atlantica lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Salone delle Feste Corallo (355-seat "Coral Parties" bar lounge with live music and entertainment)
• Discoteca Dante (154-seat 2-tiered Disco Nightclub and bar lounge with DJ program nightly)
• Teatro Caruso (950-seat, 3-tiered theatre, and main show lounge; hosts grand scale show productions, musicals, classical concerts, ballet performances, circus shows)
• Piazza Madama Butterfly (lounge with a dance floor, served by Madama Butterfly bar)
• Sala Carte (cards room)
• Casino Fortuna (served by the Fortuna bar)
• Atrio La Dolce Vita (10-deck high Atrium with 3 panoramic glass elevators, live music; served by Dolce Vita Bar)
• Lounge Via Veneto (stage, dance floor, and bar)
• Sala via Veneto (jazz bar lounge)
• Terrazza Giardino (Garden Terrace, glass-roofed)
• Biblioteca and Internet Point (Library/computers room)
• Caffe Florian (specialty champagne, wine and coffee bar; a copy of the Venetian Caffe Florian)
• Piazza San Marco (lounge area served by Florian bar; with grand piano and dance floor)
• Negozi Via Della Spiga (duty and tax-free shops for brand watches, jewelry, perfumes, fashion clothes, Costa-logo merchandise, sportswear, gifts, tobacco, and liquor)
• Galleria Foto (Photo Gallery and Shop); Art Gallery
• Sala Paparazzi; Paparazzi Lounge and Bar
• Mondo Virtuale (Video Games Arcade)
• Cappella (Wedding Chapel, also used for religious services)
• Squok Club (kids lounge with Mini Club (3-6 yo) and Maxi Club (7-11 yo) playing rooms; with complimentary kids program and supervised activities; complimentary babysitting)
• Teen Zone (teenagers' lounge with Teen Junior (12-14 yo) and Teen Club (15-17 yo) rooms; complimentary supervised activities, themed parties, sports contests)
• Terme Ischia (2-level Spa and Wellness complex, with Palestra Olympia gym, Sala Olympia aerobics room; Venus Beauty Salon; Treatment Rooms; UVA Solarium; Relaxation Room; Aroma Steam Rooms; Saunas; Turkish Bath and Hydrotherapy pool; Wellness cabins receive free access to all Spa facilities)
• Solarium (the largest open-air area onboard; served by Solarium Bar)
• Lido Ginger and Fred Pools area (with 2 swimming pools, 2 Whirlpools, tennis tables, and foosball; served by Ginger and Fred Bar)
• Lido Aurora Pool area (with 1 Whirlpool; served by Aurora Bar); Lido Pinocchio (mini pool for kids)
• Toboga Waterslide
• Campo da Gioco (combined court for tennis and basketball); Pista da Jogging (Power Walking/Jogging Track); Deck Games area (table tennis, shuffleboard)

Just like the ship retained its original name and colors, most of the onboard activities continue to be Italy-themed and include a Venice Carnival party, games and contests, culinary courses.

Itineraries

For Costa Cruises, Costa Atlantica itinerary program was based on seasonal roundtrips from homeport Dubai UAE (8-day itineraries). The ship was also deployed in East Asia with homeporting in Shanghai China and Singapore.

CSSC-Carnival China's 2023 schedule for Costa Atlantica is based on homeporting in China. The short (4-5-night) voyages depart roundtrip from Shanghai and Shenzhen-Shekou and visit popular destinations in Japan's prefectures Okinawa and Kagoshima, including Miyakojima Island and the Yaeyama Islands (Iriomote-jima, Yonaguni-jima, Taketomi-jima).