Costa Favolosa

The 2011-built Costa Favolosa cruise ship is the fourth vessel in Costa’s Concordia-class, with sisterships Concordia, Pacifica, Serena, Fascinosa, and 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-based subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. Costa is Europe’s second-largest cruise line (after MSC) and operates year-round in the Mediterranean. Founded in 1854 as a cargo shipping company, Costa began passenger services in 1947 with regular transatlantic voyages between Europe (Italy) and South America. In 2000, Costa Cruises was acquired by Carnival Corporation.

The 3,000-passenger Costa Favolosa features hallmark elements of the Concordia-class, including the Asian-themed Samsara Spa, a pool area with a giant movie screen and retractable glass roof, and a Grand Prix driving simulator. Unique to Favolosa are six apartments with private verandas and Jacuzzis, a dedicated teens’ zone featuring a 4D cinema, ice cream bar, and dance floor, and an outdoor Aqua Park with a pirate galleon.

In addition to the crew, guests are assisted by Pepper robots, introduced fleetwide in 2016. These humanoid robots greet and assist passengers during embarkation and throughout the voyage, offering information about dining, entertainment, onboard activities, shopping, and shore excursions. Pepper communicates in English, German, and Italian and can interpret emotions through voice tone and facial expressions.

Decks and Cabins

Costa Favolosa offers 1,507 staterooms in 16 categories, including 70 Suites, 524 Balcony, 321 Oceanview, and 592 Inside cabins. Most cabins measure 185 ft² / 17 m², and nearly 40% have a private step-out balcony. There are 28 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest are the Grand Suites (345 ft² / 32 m²) with balconies ranging from 85 to 120 ft² (8-11 m²). The ship also features 103 Spa cabins (including 12 Spa Suites) and 12 Single cabins. The 6 Samsara Suites come with balcony Jacuzzis.

The ship has 13 passenger decks, 8 of which contain cabins.

Shipboard Dining Options - Food and Drinks

Ristorante Duca di Borgogna is the two-level forward formal dining room offering fixed seating for early and late dinner services. The menu includes starters, appetizers, main courses (meat or fish), side dishes, salads, and desserts, with vegetarian and special dietary options. Ristorante Duca d'Orleans is the aft formal dining room, also with two fixed seatings at 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The Samsara Restaurant on Deck 3 specializes in healthy cuisine and is complimentary for guests in Samsara cabins; other guests can dine here for a fee (reservation required). Complimentary 24-hour room service is available fleetwide.

Full list of Costa Favolosa restaurants and food bars:

• Ristorante Duca di Borgogna (forward dining room, open seating for breakfast and lunch, two assigned dinner seatings)
• Ristorante Duca d'Orleans (aft dining room, two fixed dinner seatings)
• Club Favolosa Restaurant (specialty à la carte steakhouse, dinner only, reservation required)
• Ristorante Samsara (healthy/low-calorie menu; free for Samsara guests, surcharge for others with reservation)
• Ristorante Buffet Ca d'Oro (self-service buffet for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner; transforms into complimentary pizzeria with waiter service in the evening)

Introduced in 2021, "Destination Dishes" are complimentary meals served in the main dining rooms. Created by a trio of celebrity chefs (Bruno Barbieri - Italian, Hélène Darroze - French, Ángel León - Spanish), these dishes reflect the culinary traditions of the ship’s upcoming destinations.

Shipboard Entertainment Options - Fun and Sport

Galleria d'Arte, located on Deck 5, showcases artworks, some of which are auctioned. PlayStation World (Deck 5) offers padded seating and PS3 consoles with games available for hire.

Main entertainment features include the Samsara Spa with its own restaurant, a Grand Prix simulator, a large pool area with a movie screen and glass roof, a pirate-themed Aqua Park, and a teen area with 4D cinema, dance floor, and ice cream bar.

Complete list of Costa Favolosa entertainment venues:

• Teatro Hortensia (3-tier main theater with live shows, musicals, concerts, and performances)
• Belphegor 4D Cinema (3D films with moving seats)
• Club Cavallo Bianco (family zone with dance floor, bar, snacks, and ice cream)
• Grand Bar Palatino (dance floor and stage for live events and games)
• Bar Classico Montespan (Cigar Lounge with fine spirits and cigars)
• Galleria d'Arte (art gallery)
• Sala Carte (cards room)
• Casino El Dorado
• Atrio dei Diamanti (multi-deck atrium with live music and bar)
• Sala da Ballo Pompadur (dance lounge with bar)
• Camelot Piano Bar (cabaret and live music venue)
• Salone Moliere (main lounge with bar and stage)
• Discoteca Etoile (nightclub with DJ sets)
• Internet Point and Biblioteca della Rossa (library)
• Galleria Shops (duty-free retail)
• Area Foto (photo gallery and shop)
• PlayStation World corner
• Cafeteria Porta d'Oro (patisserie and specialty coffee)
• Bar Scuderia Costa (Formula 1-themed bar with simulator)
• Cappella (wedding chapel and religious venue)
• Squok Club (kids’ club with Mini and Maxi Clubs, supervised programs, and babysitting)
• Teen Zone (Junior and Teen Clubs with activities and themed events)
• Centro Benessere Samsara (2-level wellness complex with gym, sauna, spa treatments, Japanese Tea Room, and relaxation areas)
• Lido dell'Ondina (main pool with two whirlpools, LED screen, and PlayStation nights)
• Lido di Porpora (pool with two whirlpools)
• Lido Belvedere (retractable roof pool with whirlpool)
• Lido Squok (children’s water play area)
• Solarium (outdoor relaxation area)
• Campo da Gioco (tennis/basketball court); Jogging Track; Roller Skating Track; Putting Green; Virtual Golf Game

Itineraries

Costa Favolosa’s itinerary program focuses on Central and Western Mediterranean voyages, alternating seasonally with deployments in South America and the Caribbean. Transatlantic repositioning cruises occur in spring and fall.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 Caribbean program (Dec 6 to Mar 19), including 7- and 14-day roundtrips from Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, was canceled. Operations resumed in the Mediterranean on April 2, 2021.

• Beginning November 20, 2021, Costa Favolosa operated a 144-day South America season from Santos-Sao Paulo, offering 3- to 6-night itineraries to Buzios, Salvador da Bahia, Ilhabela, and Balneario Camboriu.
• From December 13, 2021, through April 2022, Favolosa was homeported in Rio de Janeiro for 15x 8-night "Prata" cruises to Itajai, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires.
• A Transatlantic crossing from Savona on November 2, 2021, was scheduled to start the season, with visits to Marseille, Barcelona, Malaga, Casablanca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and in Brazil - Recife, Salvador, Ilheus, Rio de Janeiro. The return crossing (April 16, 2022) was also canceled.

Ultimately, due to the pandemic, Costa Favolosa remained paused for over 2.5 years (March 2020 to October 2022), resuming service on October 7, 2022, with a 3-day Mediterranean cruise from Tarragona, Spain. The 2022-2023 South America season (Dec 5 to Apr 14) featured 7-day roundtrips from Santos, Brazil, with additional departures from Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

The vessel (Fincantieri Marghera shipyard, hull number C6188) has a gross tonnage of 113,307 GT, a deadweight of 10,000 tons, and a maximum draught of 8.3 meters. Her powerplant consists of Wartsila marine diesel engines (models 12V46C and 8L46C) with a combined output of 42 MW. The registered owner and management company is COSTA CROCIERE S.p.A., while the ISM Manager is CARNIVAL MARITIME GmbH.

Favolosa is Costa’s fourth CONCORDIA-class vessel and entered service on May 6, 2012. Her sister ships include Fascinosa, Pacifica, Serena, Concordia (sank in 2012), and Carnival Splendor.

The name "Favolosa" was chosen through an online competition, selected from over 16,000 name pairs submitted by travel agents and customers. The ship was designed by architect Joe Farcus, and her public spaces are themed around celebrities, movie stars, and exotic locations. Favolosa features 400 original artworks and over 6,000 art prints throughout the vessel.