Joe Farcus, ship designer has been described as ‘legendary’, ‘fanciful’ and ‘ingenious’, among other things, almost all of them glowing. Fans of Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet will certainly be familiar with his flamboyant style.
Farcus has also done the interiors of most of Costa Cruises’ fleet and is clearly a hit with the line’s big European following. But if you haven’t cruised before and you’re thinking of choosing Costa (or Carnival, for that matter), prepare for a shock. Farcus’s work is certainly, shall we say, an acquired taste.
The theme on the brand new Costa Serena is mythology. Huge, papier mache-style clouds dangle over the ship’s atrium, with god-like figures clinging to them. I reclined in the fantastic spa pool with its streams of bubbles and looked upwards to see a collection of massive and, it has to be said, pretty un-nerving Chinese dog/dragon creatures staring down at me. The Minerva bar, where we gathered for pre-dinner drinks, was pleasant - good jazz singers and a decent gin and tonic – but had giant, swirly green tentacles all over the ceiling.
We tried the sports bar instead and marvelled over the giant silver crab claws above our heads, until one of our party pointed out that they were laurel wreaths. Of course! I actually quite liked the sports bar, with its silver and gold themes and giant footballs as stools, but I can’t imagine a bunch of macho Italian football fans cheering on AC Milan amidst such camp décor. The cigar lounge was very quiet and more restful and elegant.
The spa, apart from the Chinese dragons, is wonderful, with efficient, friendly staff and high-tech treatment areas. Each room has its own little private area outside, where you sit for a foot washing ritual before your treatment, and there was a rather charming Japanese-style tea house for the ‘tea ceremony’ (a cup of herbal tea) following the treatments. Costa has had the good sense to start packaging spa treatments, which are linked to special Samsara cabins. Book one of these and you get all sorts of privileges, treatments, access to the thermal suite area and a reserved table in the Ristorante Samsara, which has special healthy menus.
Farcus was coy about where he takes his inspiration from, although I detected a note of Gaudi in the rather beautifully tiled hammam, with its strangely organic shapes. I found the deck areas quite ‘busy’, though, in terms of design. Yellow Jacuzzis? Hmmm. On the other hand, the giant water slide is great for kids of all ages.
The food in the main dining room was excellent, really tasty, and the carnivores among us were thrilled with their Kobe beef at dinner. I sampled foie gras ice cream, which is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever tasted (although the less adventurous chicken I had chosen was superb). We also tried Club Bacco, the brainchild of Italian celebrity chef Ettore Bocchia, who favours the high-tech molecular cuisine, which prepares food at sub-sub-zero temperatures to create intense flavour. To be fair to the restaurant, it was operating on limited resources as almost all passengers were at a banquet ashore that night, and I’d have to try it again to do it justice in a review – decent starters, fantastic desserts, great service, but main courses a bit heavy on the oil.
Overall verdict? For a fun, lively, action-packed vacation with plenty going on all day, deck parties, good nightlife, excellent coffee (of course) and a seriously good spa, you can’t go wrong. If you like muted colours, minimal announcements and a restful atmosphere, think again.
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