Costa Smeralda

Dining on Costa Smeralda: Food LAB, Nutella and Italian Flavour

The most hands-on table on Costa Smeralda is Food LAB, an interactive cooking school. Under expert guidance, guests learn to make sushi or craft the perfect aperitif, then taste what they have made. Classes carry a charge, and the fun is in eating your own creations.

Nutella at Costa is the sweeter detour. It is free to walk into and tells the story behind the brand, with Nutella creations and drinks paid for as you go. Like much of the Costa fleet, she also carries Pummid’Oro Pizzeria, where pizzaiolos work to music, plus a Teppanyaki Restaurant, Sushino at Costa and Gelateria Amarillo, all paid à la carte.

Winters in the Canaries, Spring and Autumn in the Mediterranean

From November to April, Costa Smeralda sails round trips in the Canary Islands, so a UK winter can include a week among the islands. She leaves Santa Cruz de Tenerife on 5-, 6- and 7-night loops and Las Palmas on 7-night loops, returning to the port she left. Stops change between departures, but Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Funchal on Madeira are typical calls. Wherever she sails from, we book the flights, the hotel either side and the transfers as one holiday. Pick a 7-night loop and the trip becomes a proper week away.

In April she heads north. One-way sailings of 4 to 6 nights run from Tenerife or Las Palmas to Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa or Savona, with ports such as Cádiz and Tangier among the possible calls. The 4-night crossing from Tenerife to Barcelona makes a short break that ends in the city.

Spring and autumn also bring 7-night Western Mediterranean round trips from Marseille and from Barcelona, in April and October. Itineraries vary, though Cagliari, Naples and Rome are among the ports she visits. Other sailings from the city are in our cruises from Barcelona search. Her sister ships include Costa Toscana, and the rest of the fleet is on our Costa Cruises page.

Evenings on Costa Smeralda: Colosseo, Wine and the Piazza

Evenings on Costa Smeralda centre on the Colosseo, the heart of the ship, where performances run round the clock and themed lounge bars invite you to linger. Entry is free, with some drinks and shows charged depending on what is on. The Piazza di Spagna is the sociable counterpoint: a grand staircase looking out over the ship’s wake, used for games, parties and live entertainment at no extra cost.

For a slower start to the night, the Frescobaldi Wine Experience pours reds and whites from renowned Italian regions. Wines are charged unless you have a drinks package. The All Inclusive fare adds an Italian drinks and dining package to everything in My Cruise, which covers full board and port charges, and our all-inclusive Canary Islands cruises search gathers those sailings. Among the venues shared across the Costa fleet, she has an Aperol Spritz Bar for aperitivo, a casino for over-18s and the Squok Club, where children aged 3 to 11 have activities included in the fare.

How Many Passengers Does Costa Smeralda Carry?

Costa Smeralda carries up to 6,554 guests in 2,612 cabins, looked after by 1,682 crew. On a ship that size, the Solarium spreads its sun loungers beside the pool, across the highest deck and at the stern, where you can watch her wake.

Costa Smeralda Cabins and Deck Plans

Suite guests have a restaurant of their own, the Élite Suite&Club Restaurant, with a table reserved every evening. Her cabins and deck plans show where those suites sit on this big ship.

Cruise1st offers expert advice, with real cruise experts on the phone before you book. Her winter loops are in our Canary Islands cruises for 2027.