Costa Fascinosa

The 2012-built Costa Fascinosa cruise ship is the fifth and final Concordia-class Costa liner, with sisterships Costa Concordia, Costa Pacifica, Costa Serena, Costa Favolosa, and Carnival Splendor. Costa Fascinosa served as the fleet’s flagship until the launch of Costa Diadema in 2014.

The vessel (IMO number 9479864) is currently Italy-flagged (MMSI 247313500) and registered in Genoa.

History - Construction and Ownership

Costa Cruises is a Genoa-headquartered subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. It is Europe’s second-largest cruise line (after MSC Cruises) and operates year-round in the Mediterranean. Founded in 1854 as a cargo shipping company, Costa began passenger shipping in 1947, offering Transatlantic crossings between Europe (Italy) and South America. In 2000, the company was acquired by Carnival Corporation.

The 3,000-passenger Costa Fascinosa was designed by renowned cruise ship designer and interior architect Joe Farcus. The ship’s theme is “things that fascinate,” inspired by celebrities, exotic destinations, and movie stars. Examples include the “Gone With the Wind”-themed lido area and the “Millionaire Casino,” named after the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire.” Shipboard facilities include five dining venues, a casino, theater, two show lounges, library, steam room, modern fitness center, four pools, five jacuzzis, and a full-service spa.

In addition to the ship’s crew, passengers are served by Pepper robots—humanoid robots introduced fleetwide in 2016. These cyborg assistants greet and guide guests during embarkation and provide information throughout the voyage. They help with onboard dining, entertainment, enrichment programs, shopping, and shore excursions. Pepper robots are mobile, communicate in English, German, and Italian, and can interpret human emotions through voice tone and facial expressions.

Decks and Cabins

Costa Fascinosa staterooms (1507 total, across 16 categories) include 70 Suites, 524 Balcony cabins, 321 Oceanviews, and 592 Inside cabins. Nearly 40% of all staterooms (approximately 185 ft² / 17 m²) feature a private step-out balcony. There are 28 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest accommodations are the Grand Suites (345 ft² / 32 m²), with terraces sized 85-120 ft² (8-11 m²). The ship also has 103 Spa Staterooms (including 12 Spa Suites) and 12 cabins for solo travelers.

The vessel has 13 passenger decks, 8 of which are accessible to guests for accommodations.

Shipboard Dining Options – Food and Drinks

Ristorante Otto e Mezzo is the 2-level forward main dining room, offering fixed seating for early and late dinner and open seating for breakfast and lunch. It serves appetizers, main courses (meat or fish), side dishes, salads, and desserts, with vegetarian and special dietary options available. Ristorante il Gattopardo is a 2-level aft dining room with fixed dinner seating at 6:30 PM and 9 PM. The Samsara Restaurant on Deck 3 offers healthy cuisine and is complimentary for Samsara cabin guests (others dine there for a surcharge and with a reservation). Complimentary 24-hour room service is available to all guests.

List of Costa Fascinosa’s restaurants and food bars:

• Ristorante Otto e Mezzo (main dining room; open-seating breakfast/lunch, fixed-seating dinner at 6:30 PM and 9 PM)
• Ristorante il Gattopardo (aft dining room; fixed-seating dinner at 6:30 PM and 9 PM)
• Club Fascinosa (158-seat specialty restaurant; steakhouse menu and extensive wine list; dinner only, reservations required)
• Ristorante Samsara (health-focused; complimentary for Samsara guests, surcharge for others)
• Ristorante Buffet Tulipano Nero (buffet restaurant; breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner; transforms into a complimentary pizzeria at night with waiter service)

Introduced in 2021, "Destination Dishes" are complimentary selections available in main dining rooms, crafted by a celebrity chef trio (Bruno Barbieri, Helene Darroze, Angel Leon) and inspired by the upcoming port destinations.

Shipboard Entertainment Options – Fun and Sport

The 3,780-passenger Fascinosa features signature Concordia-class attractions, including the Asian-themed Samsara Spa (with a dining venue), a retractable glass roof over the pool area with a giant movie screen, and a Grand Prix driving simulator. Entertainment options range from a 4D cinema and Virtual World gaming center to a three-level theater hosting spectacular live performances.

Entertainment and leisure venues include:

• Teatro Bel Ami (three-tiered show lounge with musicals, concerts, ballets, and laser shows)
• Nuovomondo 4D Cinema (3D films with motion seating)
• Club Stargate (playground and snack bar)
• Grand Bar Topkapi (dance floor, live performances)
• Bar Classico Malia (Cigar Lounge and bar)
• Galleria d’Arte (Art Gallery)
• Sala Carte (Card Room)
• Casino The Millionaire
• Atrio Amarcord (multi-level atrium with live music)
• Sala da Ballo Angelo Azzurro (dance lounge)
• Blue Velvet Piano Bar (cabaret and live music)
• Salone Cheri (main lounge and bar)
• Discoteca Babylon (nightclub with DJ)
• Internet Point and Biblioteca Bestseller (library)
• Galleria Shops (duty-free retail)
• Area Foto (photo gallery and shop)
• PlayStation World corner
• Bagdad Cafe (coffee, chocolate, and pastries)
• Bar Scuderia Costa (Formula 1-themed bar with simulator)
• Cappella (wedding chapel and religious services)
• Squok Club (kids’ lounge with Mini/Maxi Clubs; supervised activities and babysitting)
• Teen Zone (Teen Junior and Teen Club with activities and themed parties)
• Centro Benessere Samsara (2-level spa with fitness center, salon, massage rooms, Japanese Tea Room, thermal suites, thalassotherapy pool, steam baths, and more; Samsara guests enjoy complimentary access)
• Lido Blue Moon (main pool area with whirlpools, LED screen, PlayStation nights)
• Lido Via Col Vento (pool with whirlpools)
• Lido Incantesimo (retractable glass roof and whirlpool)
• Lido Squok (children’s mini aqua park)
• Solarium (outdoor relaxation area)
• Campo da Gioco (tennis/basketball court); jogging/roller skating track; putting green; virtual golf game

Itineraries

Costa Fascinosa’s itinerary program is primarily based on Mediterranean roundtrips departing from key homeports in Spain, Italy, and France (Barcelona, Civitavecchia-Rome, Savona, and Marseille).

In the Caribbean, the ship is homeported in La Romana (Dominican Republic), Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), and Fort-de-France (Martinique). For the winter 2025–2026 season (December through March), 7-day roundtrips were scheduled from Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) in addition to Guadeloupe and Martinique. Most itineraries also include Isla Catalina.

The vessel (Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, hull number C6189) has a gross tonnage of 113,321 GT, a deadweight of 10,000 tons, and a maximum draught of 8.3 m. Her powerplant consists of Wartsila marine diesel engines (models 12V46C and 8L46C) with a combined power output of 42 MW. The registered shipowner and management company is COSTA CROCIERE S.p.A., while the ISM Manager is CARNIVAL MARITIME GmbH.

Fascinosa is Costa’s fifth Concordia-class liner, with her maiden voyage on May 6, 2012. Her sister ships include Costa Favolosa, Costa Pacifica, Costa Serena, Costa Concordia (sunk in 2012), and Carnival Splendor. The ship’s name was selected through an online competition, as was the case with Costa Favolosa. “Fascinosa” is the Italian word for “fascinating,” while “Favolosa” means “fabulous.”

Notable onboard amenities include a Grand Prix driving simulator, a pool area with a giant movie screen and retractable glass roof, and the Asian-themed Samsara Spa with an associated restaurant.

Fascinosa displays 330 original artworks and 6990 prints throughout the ship. The onboard casino is named after the Italian title of the film “Slumdog Millionaire,” while the lido area is themed after “Gone With the Wind.”

In April 2017 (6th–9th), the entire ship was chartered for a private event—an Indian wedding ceremony. Fascinosa sailed on a 4-day Mediterranean cruise from Genoa to Savona, with exclusive port calls in Barcelona and Marseille. The vessel was transformed into a grand wedding resort for the Sajan family of India. The groom, Adel Sajan (Director of Danube Group and son of Rizwan Sajan, the company’s founder and chairman), married Sana Khan (a beauty queen, artist, and writer). For more details, see CruiseMapper news.