Costa Fortuna

The 2003-built Costa Fortuna cruise ship is the fourth DESTINY-class Costa vessel, with sisterships Costa Magica and the Carnival Cruise Line ships Triumph (Sunrise), Victory (Radiance), and Destiny (Sunshine).

The vessel (IMO number 9239783) is currently Italy-flagged (MMSI 247094800) and registered in Genoa.

IMPORTANT: In May 2025, it was announced that the 22-year-old Costa Fortuna will leave the fleet in September 2026 following her sale to an undisclosed buyer. The buyer was later confirmed to be Margaritaville at Sea. The ship (to be renamed "Margaritaville Beachcomber", "MAS Beachcomber") is scheduled for an extensive drydock refurbishment to align with Margaritaville’s branding and standards, including full updates to all staterooms and onboard venues.

History - construction and ownership

Costa Cruises is a Genoa-headquartered subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. Costa is Europe’s second-largest cruise line (after MSC), offering year-round Mediterranean itineraries. The company was founded in 1854 as a cargo shipping operator and began passenger services in 1947 with regular transatlantic crossings between Europe and South America. Costa Cruises became part of Carnival Corporation in 2000.

The 2,700-passenger Costa Fortuna features a high percentage of balcony cabins, alternative dining venues, and vibrant décor. She was built on the same platform as CCL’s Carnival Destiny (remodeled in 2013 for USD 155 million), Carnival Triumph (remodeled in 2019 for USD 200 million), and Carnival Victory (remodeled in 2021 for USD 200 million).

In addition to the ship's staff and crew, guests are assisted by Pepper robots—advanced humanoid cyborgs introduced fleetwide in 2016. These robots greet and guide guests at embarkation and provide assistance throughout the voyage, offering tips and information on dining, entertainment, enrichment programs (workshops, scheduled events), casino and shopping promotions, and shore excursions. They are mobile, speak English, German, and Italian, and can interpret emotions based on facial expressions and tone of voice.

Decks and Cabins

Costa Fortuna staterooms (1,354 total, in 9 grades) include 58 Suites, 464 Balcony, 321 Oceanview, and 511 Inside cabins. Most staterooms are 185 ft² / 17 m², and nearly 40% have private step-out balconies. The ship features 27 wheelchair-accessible cabins and 14 singles. The largest accommodations are the Grand Suites (345 ft² / 32 m², with 85 ft² / 8 m² terraces).

The vessel has 13 passenger decks, 8 of which are dedicated to cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Dining on Costa Fortuna leans toward tradition. Breakfast is served casually in the Buffet Restaurant Colombo 1954, featuring made-to-order omelets, cold cuts, and cheeses. Lunch includes outdoor grilled options like chicken, burgers, and fries by the pool, while the main restaurants serve daily lunch specials. A daily afternoon tea is available at the buffet. Dinner is the highlight event, with formal multi-course meals lasting up to 3 hours. Alternative options include the Pizzeria (9 p.m.–2 a.m.) and Club Grand Conte 1927 (romantic fine dining for a EUR 23 service charge). Room service is available 24 hours and is complimentary.

Complete list of Costa Fortuna dining venues:

• Ristorante Raffaello 1965 – complimentary forward dining room; open seating for breakfast/lunch, assigned dinner seatings (6:30 pm, 9:00 pm)
• Ristorante Michelangelo 1965 – complimentary two-level aft dining room; fixed seating for dinner
• Club Conte Grande 1927 – specialty à la carte restaurant (steakhouse menu, wine list); dinner only, reservations required
• Ristorante Buffet Cristoforo Colombo 1954 – self-service buffet (breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner); transformed into a pizzeria at night with table service

Since 2021, "Destination Dishes" have been introduced across main dining rooms fleetwide. These are based on recipes created by a trio of celebrity chefs (Bruno Barbieri, Helene Darroze, Angel Leon) and reflect regional dishes from upcoming ports of call.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Costa Fortuna was designed by renowned Carnival designer Joe Farcus, combining European elegance with American comfort. Entertainment options include a casino, theater, three swimming pools, five hot tubs, and a large wellness center. Club Squok is the ship’s kids' club, and teens have a dedicated lounge nearby. A toddler splash zone with a mini jungle gym is also available.

Complete list of Costa Fortuna's lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues:

• Teatro Rex 1932 – three-tier theater hosting large-scale shows, concerts, ballets, and light shows
• Grand Bar Conte Di Savoia 1932 – lounge with dance floor, stage, quizzes, and fashion events
• Bar Classico Roma 1926 – cigar lounge and bar
• Galleria d'Arte – art gallery
• Sala Carte – card room
• Casino Neptunia 1932
• Fortuna Atrium – multi-deck atrium with live music and Costa Lobby Bar
• Sala da Ballo Conte Verde 1923 – dance lounge
• Piano Bar Conte Rosso 1921 – cabaret venue with dance floor
• Salone Leonardo Da Vinci 1960 – lounge with central bar and stage
• Discoteca Vulcania 1927 – two-level nightclub with DJ programming
• Internet Point and Biblioteca Galileo Galilei 1963 (library)
• Galleria Negozi Shops – duty-free boutiques for luxury goods and souvenirs
• Area Foto – photo gallery and shop
• Mondo Virtuale – video arcade
• Cappella – wedding chapel (also used for religious services)
• Squok Club – kids' lounge (Mini Club for 3–6, Maxi Club for 7–11); supervised activities and babysitting
• Teen Zone – for 12–17-year-olds with themed parties and contests
• Club Salute Saturnia Spa & Wellness Center – 14,000 ft² / 1,300 m² with salon, gym, solarium, sauna, Turkish bath, thermal suite, spa pool (gym and sauna are complimentary)
• Lido Oceania 1932 – pool with two whirlpools, served by Oceania Bar
• Lido Colombo 1954 – pool with two whirlpools and retractable roof, served by Colombo Bar and Grill
• Lido Barcellona – pool with one whirlpool
• Kids Pool – shallow splash pool
• Solarium – open-air relaxation area with bar service
• Campo da Gioco – tennis/basketball court; Pista da Jogging – jogging track

Itineraries

Costa Fortuna’s early itinerary program included Caribbean roundtrips from Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe. In summer, she sailed Mediterranean routes from Civitavecchia-Rome, Barcelona, and Savona, and Northern Europe cruises from Amsterdam, including transatlantic repositioning voyages.

In April 2016, Costa Fortuna began homeporting in Shanghai, China, serving the Asian market. In 2019, she returned to the Mediterranean and was replaced in Asia by Costa Smeralda.

For 2022, Costa Fortuna operated from three homeports—Savona, Barcelona, and Marseille—offering 3–4-day mini-cruises.

After a COVID-related pause (March 2020–June 2022), operations resumed on June 11th, 2022, from Bremerhaven, Germany, with a 14-day Northern Europe itinerary visiting ports in the UK and Iceland.

In winter 2022–2023 (until March 29), Fortuna was homeported in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her 2023 Mediterranean schedule included the following new itineraries:

• June 24–August 19: from Savona to Civitavecchia, Messina, Heraklion, Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Argostoli, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Marseille
• April 29–June 10, and September 2 & 16: to Canary Islands (Arrecife, Las Palmas, Puerto del Rosario, San Sebastian, Tenerife), plus Savona, Funchal, Malaga, and select stops in Civitavecchia
• April 16, September 30, October 14: visiting Istanbul (overnight), Izmir, Athens, Valletta, Catania, Savona, Civitavecchia, Barcelona, Marseille

In October–November, short 3–4-day cruises were scheduled from Savona to Barcelona and Marseille.

The vessel (Fincantieri Sestri Ponente shipyard, hull number 6086) has a volume of 102,669 GT and a deadweight of 8,200 tons, with a maximum draught of 8.3 meters. Her powerplant comprises Wartsila-Sulzer marine diesel engines (models 12V46C and 8L46C), delivering a combined power output of 40 MW. The registered owner and management company is COSTA CROCIERE S.p.A., while the ISM Manager is CARNIVAL MARITIME GmbH.

Fortuna belongs to Costa's Destiny-class, with sisterships including Costa Magica, Carnival Destiny (renamed Sunshine in 2013), Carnival Triumph (Sunrise since 2019), and Carnival Victory (Radiance since 2021).

Costa Fortuna closely mirrors the architecture of Carnival Cruise Line's oldest Destiny-class ships, yet her design evokes the classic look of a steamship or ocean liner. In the ship's Atrium, passengers can view exhibitions featuring ship models, including Italian steamships and 26 Costa vessels (including Fortuna), all arranged upside down. Each of Fortuna's public rooms is named after and themed around a historic vessel.

In 2016, Costa Asia announced that Fortuna would join three other Costa ships homeported in China, increasing the company's local market capacity by 38%. Early that year, Fortuna began roundtrip voyages from Shanghai, operating from Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal. By 2017, the Costa Asia fleet also included Costa Atlantica, Costa neoRomantica, Costa Serena, and Costa Victoria.

In 2019, Fortuna was redeployed to Europe, returning to the Mediterranean. In Asia, she was replaced by the newly built Costa Smeralda, designed specifically for the Chinese source market.