“It is the symbol of the recovery of tourism and
cruises
”
.
It is in these enthusiastic terms that Raffaele d'Ambrosio, the France director of the Costa group, presented his new flagship, the
Costa Toscana
, during his first stopover, this Sunday March 6 in Marseille.
The president of the regional council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Renaud Muselier, and the fine flower of local political life had been invited to the traditional plate exchange ceremony.
After two years of forced shutdown and an image damaged by the first months of the pandemic, the
Costa Toscana
is indeed marking a rebirth.
That of the Italian company, which will have put its twelve ships back in the water before the summer, but also that of the sector.
Like a giant snub to those who thought that the cruise industry would not recover from the crisis.
He left Savona, Italy, on Saturday for his maiden voyage, heading to Marseille.
He will then cross the Mediterranean for a week, reaching Barcelona, Palermo and finally Rome.
Three hundred and thirty-seven meters long and 42 meters wide, 18 decks, 6,000 passengers at maximum capacity, 2,663 cabins, 21 restaurants, eleven swimming pools, two kids' clubs and a casino... This liner built in Finland shares with the other ships Costa a certain gigantism.
But that's about all.
A jewel of technology, the
Costa Toscana
is the third “clean ship” of the group, much ridiculed, like the other builders of XXL boats, for its contribution to overtourism and its impact on the environment.
This partly explains its record cost of one billion euros.
Its president Mario Zanetti assures today that Costa is getting closer to its objective, the “zero emission” cruise.
Express portrait of this new giant of the seas not quite like the others.
Read the file
SEE THE FILE -
Cruises: the Figaro guide
MORE GREEN THAN BLUE
Costa has a goal of “zero emissions cruising”.
Photo press / Costa
After the AIDAnova and the Costa Smeralada - her alter ego or "
sistership
" - the
Costa Toscana
is the third ship in the Costa fleet to run on liquefied natural gas (or LNG), a more expensive but much greener technology than the fuel.
“LNG makes it possible to reduce emissions of sulfur oxide and fine particles almost completely (by 95 to 100%) and nitrogen oxide (85%).
We are still working on CO² emissions but we are already seeing a reduction of 20%
”, assures Rafaelle d'Ambrosio.
The ship refuels in Barcelona, Spain, the boat's second port of call.
On board, particular attention is also paid to waste management (100% recycled), waste prevention (buffets served rather than self-catering, donations to the food bank) as well as the consumption of water (autonomous boat thanks to desalinated sea water).
“
But sustainability is not limited to the ship
,” comments Mario Zannetti, Costa's general manager.
The excursions have also been redesigned, in partnership with National Geographic, to favor
“longer stopovers, to discover hidden treasures and unclog the busiest places”,
as described by the France director of Costa
.
Read alsoSpecial cruises 2022: 14 sea crossings
A TRIBUTE TO ITALIAN DESIGN
Lemon yellow, azure blue and curved lines: the
Costa Toscana
honors Italy right to the end of its bar.
Photo press / Costa
The
Costa Toscana
may well be the most elegant vessel in the Costa fleet.
As its name suggests, the liner is a tribute to the landscapes of central Italy, to its gastronomy but also to its creators.
The architect Adam D. Tihany, who has collaborated with major hotel chains such as Four Seasons, Westin or Mandarin Oriental, was responsible for its design.
Big names in Italian design such as Kartell, Alessi or Poltrona Frau were invited for the interior decoration.
Some of their pieces, chairs or sofas, even punctuate the ship.
The Mediterranean is also found in its colors - azure blue, lemon yellow, coral - and in its curved shapes.
Mention very well for the pretty bar Kartell in a boudoir style and the "gelateria", deliciously 1950s. Very successful too,
THREE GREAT CHEFS AT THE COOKS
Chef Ángel León's starter, “The Royal Sea Urchin”.
Claire Rodineau
The
Costa Toscana
has no less than 21 restaurants, from the traditional buffet to the trattoria, via the sushi bar and the teppanyaki.
The ship's gastronomic restaurant, L'Archipelago, takes up an original concept inaugurated on the
Costa Smeralda
.
The passenger can choose between three five-course menus concocted by the Frenchwoman Hélène Darroze, the Spaniard Ángel León and the Italian (one was needed!) Bruno Barbieri.
On the menu ?
Passion for the terroir for one, mastery and classicism for the second, audacity and experimentation for the third.
We opted for that of the Spanish chef, a true declaration of love for the sea which mixes sea urchin, squid, cuttlefish and even plankton.
Watch out, it sucks!
IN PICTURES, GUIDED TOUR OF
COSTA TOSCANA
Guided tour of Costa Toscana
Go to slideshow (9)
Practical notebook
Access conditions
Costa requires its passengers to have a vaccination certificate and an antigen test to be carried out 48 hours before boarding.
A second test is carried out when boarding the boat (waiting time to be expected).
Prices
From €900 including tax per week per person, for the period April / May 2022 in a balcony cabin and at an “All Inclusive” rate (with drinks).
Cancellation possible free of charge up to 15 days before departure.
More information: costacroisieres.fr
