ship visit information
Ship: Costa Luminosa
Visit Date: 04 September, 2015
Port: Harwich
Cruise Line: Costa Cruises
Review Author: Harry Cotterill
Visit Date: 04 September, 2015
Port: Harwich
Cruise Line: Costa Cruises
Review Author: Harry Cotterill
overall thoughts...
Overall Costa Luminosa is a very spacious and stunningly beautiful ship, with a wide range of facilities and venues to keep you entertained during the duration of any length of cruise.
On Friday 04 September, 2015 I had the pleasure of visiting Costa Cruises’ stunningly beautiful Costa Luminosa, whilst the ship made a transit call at Harwich International Port. I was joined aboard by our Cruise Ambassador, Jordan Bailey.
This was in fact the first time Jordan had ever stepped foot aboard a Costa Cruises’ vessel, whilst I had previously visited Costa Luminosa in 2009 and four other ships in the fleet.
Arriving at Harwich International Port a little after 10:00, I was somewhat stunned by the size of the ship, having not seen a cruise ship of this size for some time. I was reminded just how vast and impressive the larger ships are, even from the outside. We both took some photographs and then made our way into the Cruise Terminal, where we collected our visitor passes and passed through security. Making our way along the gangway, we were stopped by the ship’s security and were given our ship passes. Security then called for someone to come and meet us. Before long we made our way on board, where just inside the Supernova Atrium we were met by someone. Jordan and I were escorted to Deck 8, where we were invited into the Captain’s cabin and met with Captain Massimo Pennisi. The Captain was very welcoming and we chatted for quite a while. The Captain then invited us to tour the ship, but beforehand I was keen to present him with my drawing of the ship which I had produced. The Captain and I had a few photographs taken together with a large model of the ship in the Elettra Grand Bar on Deck 2, before together with Jordan we made our way to the Phoenix Theatre. The Captain thought the theatre stage would be the ideal location to present my drawing and of course large enough! He seemed very impressed by the drawing and told me that he already had somewhere in mind to display it. After the presentation the Captain took us back to the Supernova Atrium, where we had a drink with him. Whilst enjoying our drink, another senior crew member brought over two models of Costa Luminosa, which the Captain presented to me and Jordan. Having spent well over an hour with the Captain, we thanked him for his time and let him get back to his duties. Jordan and I then started our self-guided tour of the ship. Starting in the Supernova Atrium on Deck 2, we headed aft, moving into Libra Lounge and Libra Bar and then on into the impressive two-tiered Taurus Restaurant at the stern. Moving up through the restaurant to Deck 3, we made our way through the Virgo Lounge and Virgo Bar, which is very similar to the Libra Lounge and Libra Bar on Deck 2. We passed the Altair Disco, which we visited later on in our tour. Continuing along Deck 3 moving forward, we arrived back in the stunning Supernova Atrium, passed the Photo Gallery and entered the Library and Internet Point. This smallish venue was a very stylish and bright room, perfect for reading. Adjacent is the Regolo Conference Centre. Heading further forward, we passed through the Shops Gallery, which certainly features plenty of shops! The shops flow through into the Sirius Caffetteria where I believe you can get delicious chocolates. Right next door is the Antares Piano Bar which features a dance floor. Next we entered the three-tiered Phoenix Theatre, which is very well designed with mostly clear views to the stage. Back down on Deck 2, this time at the forward end of the ship, we checked out the Elettra Grand Bar, which is impressively large and has a huge dance floor centrally located. Located nearby is the Mizar Cinema and Card Room. Next we entered the Vega Casino which also has its own bar and nearby is also the Rigel Cigar Lounge. Virtual World & Play Station World is located on the starboard side of Deck 2. On Deck 10 we continued touring Costa Luminosa. Here we saw the spacious Dorado Pool and Dorado Balcony which covered two levels (Deck 9&10) and has a large retractable glass roof. On Deck 9 & 10 we visited the Samsara Wellness Center, Venus Beauty and Gym, which is well equipped and offers plenty of space. On Deck 11 we ventured outside to check out the Jogging Track and Roller Skating Track, located just in front of the funnel. A small area of the deck here is a dedicated Yogo Area. Behind the funnel we found the Sports Court. Back on Deck 10 on the port side, we took a look at the Scuderia Costa Bar, a sports themed venue, which is right next to the Grand Prix Simulator. On the other side of the ship there’s a fairly long but narrow mini golf course and virtual golf too, as well as a small partially enclosed sitting area, with television screens showing sports. The Delphinus Pool is located outside right at the stern on Deck 9. It’s a fairly large pool, with two hot tubs nearby and there’s plenty of deck space. Four large canopies offer some covering for the outdoor seating at the bar. Back inside Jordan and I went to the Andromeda Buffet Restaurant, where we enjoyed lunch. The buffet is a large venue, with numerous food stations. Large floor to ceiling windows offer great views of your surroundings. After enjoying our delicious lunch and rest, we went back down to Deck 3 to take a look at the Altair Disco we had missed. Nearby and also located next to the main restaurant we also checked out the Samsara Restaurant. Before disembarking we ventured back outside and took a quick stroll along the promenade deck. Although not very traditional, it was surprisingly wide. Sadly it was now time for us to disembark Costa Luminosa. Jordan and I made our way back to Deck 2 to the Supernova Atrium, where we handed back our ship passes to security and disembarked the ship. |
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