Costa Favolosa

The 2011-built Costa Favolosa cruise ship is the fourth Concordia-class Costa liner, with sisterships Concordia, Pacifica, Serena, Fascinosa and also Carnival Splendor.

The vessel (IMO number 9479852) is currently Italy-flagged (MMSI 247311100) and registered in Genoa.

History - construction and ownership

Costa Cruises is a Genoa-headquartered subsidiary company owned by Carnival Corporation. Costa is Europe's second-largest cruise line (after MSC) with year-round operations in the Mediterranean. Costa was founded in 1854 as a cargo shipping company. It started passenger shipping services in 1947, with regular Transatlantic crossings between Europe (Italy) and South America. In 2000, Costa Cruises was acquired by Carnival Corporation (shipowner).

The 3000-passenger ship Costa Favolosa features all of the signature Concordia-class elements, like the Asian-themed Samsara Spa, a swimming pool space with a huge movie screen and sliding glass roof and a Grand Prix driving simulator. Favolosa also offers a handful of new options not found on its older sister vessels. These include 6 new apartments with private verandahs and Jacuzzis; a new place for teenagers with a 4D cinema, ice cream bar, and dance floor; and a new outdoor Aqua Park with a pirate galleon.

Besides the ship's staff and crew, Costa cruise passengers are 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.

Decks and Cabins

Costa Favolosa staterooms (1507 total, in 16 grades) include 70x Suites, 524x Balconies, 321x Oceanviews and 592x Inside cabins. Most staterooms are sized 185 ft2 / 17 m2 (nearly 40% of all) and have a private step-out balcony. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 28. The largest accommodations are the Grand Suites (345 ft2 / 32 m2, with terraces sized 85-120 ft2 / 8-11 m2). There are also Spa Staterooms (103 total, including 12x Spa Suites), and single cabins (12). The 6x Samsara Suites are with balcony Jacuzzis.

The boat has 13 passenger decks, of which 8 are with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Ristorante Duca di Borgogna is Favolosa's 2-tier forward formal restaurant. It offers fixed seating options for early and late dining. The restaurant serves starters, appetizers, main courses of fish or meat, side dishes, salads and desserts (vegetarian options and special dietary requirements are also available). Ristorante Duca d'Orleans is the ship's 2-tier aft formal restaurant, featuring fixed seating options of 6:30 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. The Samsara Restaurant, located on deck 3, offers a range of healthy food with the latest cooking techniques and a selection of special ingredients. The restaurant is free to guests in the Samsara cabins, whilst other passengers can dine there for a charge (booking required). Costa Favolosa also offers complimentary 24-Hour Room-Service.

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

• Ristorante Duca di Borgogna (complimentary forward Dining Room, operates with open seating Breakfast and Lunch, 2 assigned seatings for Dinner - at 6:30 pm and 9 pm)
• Ristorante Duca d'Orleans (complimentary 2-level aft Dining Room with 2 fixed Dinner seatings)
• Club Favolosa Restaurant (specialty a la carte restaurant; Steakhouse menu and extensive wine list; dinner-only, reservations required)
• Ristorante Samsara (serves healthy and low-calorie food; with complimentary dining room for guests in Samsara Spa cabins, and a specialty restaurant for other passengers at a surcharge/reservations are required)
• Ristorante Buffet Ca d'Oro (self-service buffet restaurant, complimentary; offers breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea at 4-5 pm, and dinner; in the evening is transformed into Pizzeria, complimentary, with waiter service).

Introduced in 2021, "Destination Dishes" are complimentary and available at the MDR's/main dining rooms fleetwide. They are based on individual recipes designed by a "celebrity chef trio" (Bruno Barbieri/Italian, Helene Darroze/French, Angel Leon/Spanish) and interpret the traditional food of the destinations to be visiting by the ship on the following day of the voyage.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Galleria d'Arte (the boat's Art Gallery) is located on deck 5 close to the Costa shops. Some of the artworks can be purchased during the art auctions. PlayStation World is located on deck 5 and features padded chairs and PS3 games consoles with the latest video games. PS3 on demand is available. Costa Favolosa has three PS3 consoles and a selection of games that can be hired for as long as desired for use in cabins (charges apply).

Some of the Favolosa ship's main features are the Asian-themed Samsara Spa with a restaurant, the Grand Prix driving simulator, the huge pool area with its large movie screen and sliding roof of glass, the fun outdoor Aqua Park with its pirate galleon, teens area with a 4D cinema, dance floor, an ice cream bar. 

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

• Teatro Hortensia (3-tiered theatre and main show lounge; hosts grand scale show productions, musicals, classical concerts, ballet performances, circus, and laser light shows)
• Belphegor 4D cinema room (featuring 3D films with moving seats)
• Club Cavallo Bianco (playground zone with dance floor and bar for snacks, popcorn, ice cream; also serving the Cinema)
• Grand Bar Palatino (with own dance floor and stage for live performances; hosts quiz games and fashion reviews)
• Bar Classico Montespan (Cigar Lounge and Bar; also selling cigars and fine liquor)
• Galleria d'Arte (Art Gallery)
• Sala Carte (cards room)
• Casino El Dorado
• Favolosa Atrium (multi-deck "Atrio dei Diamanti" - an open-floor area with live music and entertainment, served by Diamanti Lobby Bar)
• Sala da Ballo Pompadur (lounge with dance floor and own bar)
• Camelot Piano Bar (stage for cabaret performances, live music, own dance floor)
• Salone Moliere (grand lounge with round-shaped bar and stage)
• Discoteca Etoile (Disco Nightclub, DJ program nightly)
• Internet Point (Internet computers room); Biblioteca della Rossa (Library)
• Galleria Shops (duty and tax-free shops for brand watches, jewelry, perfumes, fashion clothes, Costa-logo merchandise, sportswear, gifts, tobacco, and liquor)
• Area Foto (Photo Gallery and Shop)
• PlayStation World corner
• Cafeteria Porta d'Oro (chocolates, specialty coffee bar, and patisserie)
• Bar Scuderia Costa (themed bar Formula 1 with Grand Prix simulator)
• 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)
• Centro Banessere Samsara (2-level Spa and Wellness complex, with Fitness and separate Spinning/Aerobics Room; Venus Beauty Salon, Massages and Treatments Rooms, Japanese TeaRoom, Relaxation Room, Thermal Suites, Solarium, Tepidarium (heated loungers), Laconium (low humidity sauna), Aroma Steam Baths, Thalassotherapy pool, Turkish Bath, Solarium, Saunas, Kinesis Room. All passengers in Samsara Spa staterooms have free access to most of the Spa complex)
• Lido dell'Ondina pool area (lido pool with two Whirlpools, huge LED screen, PlayStation nights; served by dell'Ondina Bar); Balconata dell'Ondina
• Lido di Porpora pool area (with two Whirlpools; served by Porpora Bar)
• Lido Belvedere Pool area (with a retractable glass roof and Whirlpool)
• Lido Squok (kids' mini Aquapark)
• Solarium (open-air relaxation area)
• Campo da Gioco (combined court for tennis and basketball); Pista da Jogging (Power Walking/Jogging Track), doubled with a Roller Skating Track; Putting Green Area; Virtual Golf Game.

Itineraries

Costa Favolosa's itinerary program is based on Central and Western Mediterranean cruises, alternated seasonally with voyages in South America or the Caribbean. Transatlantic repositioning cruise crossings are offered with the ship's redeployment in spring and fall.

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, the ship's 2020-2021 Caribbean program (Dec 6 - Mar 19) of 7-day and 14-day roundtrips from homeport Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe was canceled. Favolosa was rescheduled to operate in the Mediterranean starting on April 2, 2021.

• Starting November 20, 2021, Costa Favolosa had scheduled cruises in South America (a total of 144 days/almost 5 months long) - Costa's longest season in the region. Favolosa offered 5 itineraries (3 to 6 nights in length) leaving roundtrip from homeport Santos-Sao Paolo and visiting Buzios, Salvador da Bahia, Ilhabela, Balneario Camboriu.
• December 13, 2021, through April 2022, Costa Favolosa was planned for homeporting in Rio de Janeiro for 15x 8-night "Prata" itineraries visiting Itajai (optional embarkation/for the first time), Montevideo Uruguay and Buenos Aires Argentina.
• Favolova's South America 2021-2022 season had to start with the Transatlantic crossing (RepositionCruises.com) from Savona on November 2, 2021. The 18-night itinerary visited in Europe Marseille, Barcelona, Malaga, Casablanca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and in Brasil - Recife, Salvador, Ilheus, Rio de Janeiro. The return/eastbound 15-night Transatlantic voyage had to start on April 16, 2022, from Rio de Janeiro and visit Salvador, Maceio, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Malaga, Barcelona, Savona (ends on May 1). However, the entire program was canceled.

Eventually, due to the pandemic, the Costa ship Favolosa was paused for 2,5+ years/31 months (March 2020 through October 2022) restarting operations on October 7th from Tarragona Spain (3-day Mediterranean itinerary to Marseille France and Savona Italy). The South America 2022-2023 schedule was for the period December 5, 2022, thru April 14, 2023, and based on 7-day roundtrips from Santos Brazil (principal homeport), plus select roundtrips from Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

Favolosa is Costa's 4th CONCORDIA-Class vessel (first cruise May 6, 2012), with sisterships Fascinosa, Pacifica, Serena, Concordia (sunk in 2012), and Carnival Splendor.

The vessel has Fincantieri Marghera yard/hull number C6188, volume 113307 GT-tons, DWT-deadweight tonnage 10000 tons, max draught 8,3 m. The powerplant is based on Wartsila marine diesel engines (model 12V46C) with combined output 42 MW (56325 hp).

The "Favolosa" name was selected via online competition from 16000+ pairs of names submitted by travel agents and customers. The ship's architect is Joe Farcus, public areas and venues are themed "celebrities, movie stars, exotic places". Favolosa carries 400 original artworks and over 6000 prints.