Costa neoRomantica

The 1993-built Costa Romantica cruise ship was later renamed "Celestyal Experience" (2020-2021) and briefly "Antares Experience" (Nov-Dec 2021). She was the second of two Classica-class liners in the Costa Cruises fleet, alongside Costa neoClassica (now Margaritaville Paradise). In July 2020, the 27-year-old vessel was sold to Celestyal Cruises and renamed "Celestyal Experience".

In late November 2021, Gadani Ship Breaking Yard (Pakistan) announced the ship had been sold for scrapping (sale price undisclosed). The last AIS data showed the vessel arriving at Gadani on November 22, following a Suez Canal transit (Nov 6-7). Gadani is the world’s third-largest shipbreaking yard (after Alang, India and Chittagong, Bangladesh) and is located approximately 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Karachi.

On September 2, 2021, Louis Group announced the sale of Celestyal Experience due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The buyer, later revealed as Beacon and Bay Shipping Services LLC (Dubai), reportedly generated ~EUR 3 million (~USD 3.6M) profit from the sale, helping Celestyal maintain liquidity.

• 107 itineraries were canceled, covering scheduled departures from November 6, 2021, through December 27, 2022.
• The vessel never carried passengers for Celestyal Cruises.
• In October 2021, the ship was renamed "Antares Experience" and beached for dismantling in Gadani on December 6.
• The last registered owner was New Choice Enterprises (founded in 2008, based in Gadani), a company specializing in machinery, equipment wholesale, and steel plate supply. They initially planned to repurpose the ship as a floating hotel and cruise vessel (certified through 2023) with Karachi as homeport.

Under Costa Cruises, the ship (IMO 8821046) was Italy-flagged (MMSI 247817000) and registered in Genova. For Celestyal Cruises, she was reflagged to Cyprus (MMSI 210038000), with registry in Limassol. Her final flag state was Liberia (MMSI 636021175), registered in Monrovia.

The 1600-passenger Costa Romantica underwent a EUR 95 million refurbishment in 2012, resulting in the launch of Costa neoRomantica. The project added ~3000 tons of weight, two new half-decks, and new balcony staterooms. A daily service fee of EUR 6 (~USD 7.20) per passenger was added, with half that charged for children under 18. The fee was distributed as follows: EUR 2 to cabin stewards, EUR 2 to dining room staff, and EUR 2 to buffet restaurant crew. A 15% service fee was added to bar, spa, and beauty services.

Costa passengers were also assisted by Pepper robots—humanoid robots introduced in 2016 to guide passengers, provide information about dining, entertainment, onboard programs, casino, shopping, and shore excursions. These multilingual robots (English, German, Italian) could interpret emotions via voice and facial expressions.

Decks and Cabins

Costa neoRomantica staterooms (total 789) included 34x Suites, 46x Balcony, 507x Inside, and 56x Spa cabins across 14 categories. Most Oceanview and Balcony cabins measured 175 ft² (16 m²). There were 27 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest accommodations were the forward-facing Grand Suites (500 ft² / 46 m² plus 150 ft² / 14 m² balcony).

Celestyal Experience featured an expanded range of cabin categories, including 166 balcony suites (6x Grand, 132x Junior, 22x Balcony Suites, 6x Bridge-View), plus 12x Window Suites. Top-tier suites came with exclusive Concierge services such as priority check-in/embarkation, private dining venues, and expedited luggage delivery/unpacking.

The ship also introduced 4x Wellness Spa cabin categories—all with large balconies—marking a fleet first for Celestyal.

There were 13 decks total, of which 10 were accessible to passengers and 8 housed cabins.

Shipboard Dining Options – Food and Drinks

The Botticelli Restaurant (Deck 8 aft) served as the main dining venue, offering panoramic sea views. During festive dinners, tables were adorned with candles and decorated shades featuring vintage Costa posters. Il Giardino, the buffet restaurant (Deck 10 aft), featured intimate dining areas with wicker furniture. The adjacent outdoor area, La Terrazza, had padded chairs and tables for four. Buffet service was arranged in stations. Complimentary 24-hour room service was also available.

Restaurants and food bars onboard included:

• Ristorante Botticelli – Main Dining Room (2-level, fixed dinner seatings)
• Ristorante Club neoRomantica – Specialty à la carte (French/Italian cuisine, steakhouse menu, extensive wine list; dinner-only; reservations required)
• Ristorante Samsara – Healthy/low-calorie cuisine (complimentary for Spa cabin guests, à la carte for others)
• Ristorante Giardino – Buffet restaurant (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner; transforms into a Pizzeria in the evening)
• Grill Capri – Fast food station
• Pizzeria Capri – Lunch and dinner-only pizzeria

Shipboard Facilities and Amenities

Although Costa Romantica showed her age in some areas—such as fewer balcony cabins and limited recreational/dining venues—passengers appreciated the Club Squok kids program. Child facilities were modest but functional, as was standard in the 1990s. Amenities included the Samsara Restaurant, buffet, casino, 8 bars, a show lounge, 2 pools, and 4 jacuzzis, plus a large spa complex.

The diverse international passenger mix offered a cultural experience. While enriching, it sometimes created communication gaps, as not all guests engaged with others or observed social niceties. Italian was the ship’s working language, though only Italian nationals spoke it. Most Filipino crew members communicated in English.

Entertainment venues included:

• Cabaret Vienna – Main show lounge
• Cigar Lounge & Bar – Cigar and fine liquor sales
• Sala Carte – Card room
• Casino Excelsior – Served by the Excelsior Bar
• neoRomantica Atrium – Central space with live music
• Enoteca Verona – Wine & cheese bar (80+ wines, 100+ cheeses)
• Grand Bar Piazza Italia – Lounge bar with live music
• Biblioteca and Internet Point – Library/computer room
• Galleria Via Condotti – Duty-free shops
• Galeria Foto – Photo gallery/shop
• Mondo Virtuale – Arcade
• Cafeteria – Chocolates, specialty coffee, and pastries
• Cappella – Chapel (also for religious services)
• Salone Disco Tango – Nightclub
• Squok Club – Kids lounge (Mini and Maxi Clubs, supervised activities, babysitting)
• Centro Benessere Samsara – 2-level spa complex
• Gymnasium – Oceanview fitness center with internet/TV access
• Lido Saint-Tropez – Pool deck with bar and cabanas
• Lido Montecarlo – Pool with whirlpool; served by bar and grill
• Lido Biarritz – Pool and sunbathing area
• Solarium – Open-air deck space
• Pista da Jogging – Jogging track

Celestyal Experience Itineraries

The inaugural cruise for Celestyal Experience was scheduled for March 6, 2021, with the 7-day "Three Continents" itinerary:

Though several themed itineraries ("Idyllic Aegean", "Eclectic Aegean", "Steps of Paul", "Versatile Aegean") were planned for 2021-2022, the vessel never operated under Celestyal due to the pandemic.

Costa neoRomantica Itineraries

Before her sale, Costa neoRomantica operated late-spring Transatlantic voyages, summer Canary Islands cruises, and fall World Cruises. Starting April 2017, she was based in Shanghai and operated Asia itineraries. After a 23-day repositioning cruise from Port Louis, she was drydock-refurbished in Shanghai for the local market. Her new program began April 24, 2017.

Cruises visited popular ports in Korea (Sokcho, Busan), Russia (Vladivostok), and Japan (Aomori, Hakodate, Kanazawa, Maizuru, Niigata, Sakaiminato, Sakata). By summer 2019, the ship homeported in Japan (Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe, Fukuoka) offering 4- to 8-night regional cruises. In 2020, she was scheduled to be homeported in Sanya, China. Costa Asia's China fleet in 2020 included Firenze, Serena, Venezia, and neoRomantica.