Costa Cruises is an Italian cruise line that operates eight large ships and offers departures from Marseille and Le Havre. Its base fare, My Cruise, includes full board, shows and entertainment. Drinks (My Drinks packages) and excursions (My Land packages) are added at booking or on board.
This page reproduces the information Costa publishes on its French site (fleet, packages, ports), noted on 5 October 2026, and adds advice on choosing a ship and a package. We do not publish passenger reviews. Always check the terms when you book.
Costa Cruises: the essentials
- Group: Carnival Corporation & plc; headquartered in Genoa (Italy)
- Flag: Italian (the only cruise line under the Italian flag, according to Costa)
- Fleet: 8 ships shown on the fleet page
- Ports in France: Marseille, Le Havre
- Packages: My Cruise + My Drinks / My Drinks Plus and My Land packages
- Fees: an “onboard stay package” is added; it is included in the “from” prices shown for Marseille and Le Havre
About the cruise line
Costa Cruises is part of Carnival Corporation & plc, listed in London and New York. The line notes on its site that its first voyage, aboard Anna C, left Genoa for Buenos Aires on 31 March 1948, and that Franca C, in 1957, was the first ship built specifically for cruising. Its identity rests on Italy: cuisine, design, Italian ports of call.
Its ships sail mainly in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, South America and the Emirates, with some transatlantic cruises and world tours as well.
The Costa fleet
Costa’s fleet page presents eight ships. The site does not always give the year of entry into service: we state it only when it appears on an official page.
| Ship | Notes (according to Costa) | Passengers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Toscana | Presented as the “new flagship”, LNG propulsion | More than 6,500 | 337 m (1,106 ft) |
| Costa Smeralda | Flagship; inaugural cruise on 20 October 2019 | Not stated | — |
| Costa Diadema | Launched in 2014 | 4,947 | 306 m (1,004 ft) |
| Costa Fascinosa | — | 3,800 | 290 m (951 ft) |
| Costa Favolosa | — | 3,800 | 290 m (951 ft) |
| Costa Pacifica | Christened in Genoa on the same day as Costa Luminosa | 3,780 | 290 m (951 ft) |
| Costa Serena | Refurbished, new “The Myth Goes POP” decor | 3,780 | 290 m (951 ft) |
| Costa Deliziosa | The smallest ship in the fleet, refurbished in 2024 | 2,826 | 294 m (965 ft) |
Costa Toscana: 185,000 tons, 19 decks, 2,663 cabins (including 1,534 sea-view balconies), 17 restaurants, 16 bars, a water park with three slides and a panoramic promenade 65 m (213 ft) above the sea, according to the line’s FAQ. Costa Smeralda: 20 decks, about 1,700 crew members, a 4,500 m² (about 48,400 sq ft) spa and four pools including a covered one. These are the two largest and best-equipped ships in the fleet.
Costa Deliziosa, smaller (92,600 tons, 17 decks), suits travellers who prefer a less crowded ship and longer itineraries.
The packages: My Cruise, My Drinks, My Land
Costa builds its offer around a base fare and optional packages. The line recommends adding them at booking, because they cost less than on board.
| Package | What it includes (according to Costa) |
|---|---|
| My Cruise | Full board, shows, entertainment for children and teenagers, pools, gym, and each evening a dish signed by Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze or Ángel León. No drinks included |
| My Drinks | Unlimited drinks: wine by the glass with meals, coffees and cappuccinos, soft drinks, draught beer, Aperol Spritz, classic cocktails, several spirits. One 50 cl (17 US fl oz) bottle of water per day per adult |
| My Drinks Plus | Everything in My Drinks, plus premium brands, molecular cocktails, fruit juices, bottled beers and minibar. Included for suites |
| My Land | Package of excursions guided by local experts at each port |
Drinks package prices noted on 5 October 2026: My Drinks costs €22.90 to €36 per day per adult bought online with the cruise, and €42 per day on board. My Drinks Plus costs €37.10 to €50.30 per day online (in a suite) and €57 per day on board. Children up to 2 years old get it free if it is bought with the cruise; a cheaper non-alcoholic package exists for ages 3 to 17. The package must be taken by all passengers in a cabin, and it is not valid in the Archipelago and Casanova restaurants.
Onboard stay package: Costa adds this package, which corresponds to service charges. On the Marseille and Le Havre port pages, the “from” prices already include it, along with full board and port taxes. Check that it is included in the price you are comparing.
Departure ports in France
| Port | What Costa offers | Headline price shown on 5 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Marseille | Mediterranean (Barcelona, Valencia…), but also cruises to the Emirates, transatlantic cruises and world tours. Embarkation at the Marseille Provence Cruise Terminal (MPCT), Môle Léon Gourret, gate 4 | From €203 per person |
| Le Havre | Mediterranean via the Atlantic (Savona, Alicante, Málaga…) | From €592 per person |
The site also has a page for Toulon, with no price shown when we looked. To reach the port, Costa’s French site offers cruise + coach packages from the main French cities and cruise + flight packages, with transfers included. In Marseille, parking at the MPCT terminal is booked directly with the terminal.
On board: dining, wellness and cabins
Costa Smeralda illustrates the offer of the recent ships well. The Archipelago restaurant serves a 12-course menu designed by Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze and Ángel León; it is a separate restaurant, where drinks packages are not valid. The Solemio Spa covers 4,500 m² (about 48,400 sq ft) (sauna, hammam, thalassotherapy pool); its treatments are charged, but the gym with a sea view is included in the cruise price, as are the group yoga or Pilates classes listed on the ship’s sheet.
On Costa Toscana, the line’s FAQ lists 17 restaurants, 16 bars, four pools including a covered one, two theatres, a casino and a water park. Older ships such as Costa Deliziosa have fewer (7 restaurants and 8 bars), but keep pools, a theatre, a spa and a gym.
In the cabin, Costa says to expect air conditioning, a telephone, a safe, a hairdryer, bath and pool towels, a television and electrical sockets to the European standard (so US travellers will need an adapter, and UK travellers a European-to-UK adapter); USB ports are available on some ships only. Cabins range from inside to suite, through sea view, balcony and, on recent ships, the sea-view terrace.
Our tips for booking with Costa
- Compare the total price: My Cruise fare, stay package, any drinks package and excursions. The headline price says nothing about length.
- Decide on packages at booking: Costa says they cost less than on board (€42 a day on board for My Drinks, against €22.90 to €36 online).
- Choose the ship as much as the itinerary: on the same route, the experience differs markedly between Costa Toscana and Costa Deliziosa.
- Plan how you will reach the port: cruise + coach packages save you organising the trip to Marseille or Le Havre.
- If you are already on board, the C-Dream service lets you book a next cruise; the advertised benefits (discount, reduced deposit, free date change) should be checked at the time of booking, as Costa specifies.
Who is it for?
- Fans of Italian atmosphere: cuisine, design and calls in Italy are at the heart of the offer.
- Families: Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda have water parks and many restaurants.
- Travellers who want a low base price: My Cruise lets you travel without a package, provided you accept paying for drinks individually.
- Travellers starting in northern France: departures from Le Havre avoid the trip south to the Mediterranean.
Strengths and points to watch
Strengths: two departure ports in France; recent ships powered by liquefied natural gas (Costa Toscana); packages clearly detailed with their prices on the site; dishes signed by well-known chefs included in the base fare.
Points to watch: the My Cruise fare includes no drinks; a drinks package for two adults over seven nights is a significant budget item, to compare with your real consumption. The package must be taken by everyone in the cabin. As with the other big lines, calls of a few hours and large ships require organisation. The headline price shown does not necessarily correspond to a week-long cruise: look at the length and the date.
Costa or MSC: what is the difference?
Costa and MSC both leave Marseille with large ships. MSC has a wider fleet (25 ships listed) and an extra port in France (Cannes); its service charges are included in the total price shown. Costa builds on its Italian identity and a “base + packages” pricing model. Compare the total price, drinks included, for your dates. See our page on MSC Cruises and our comparison of cruise lines.
Also read: the cruise from Marseille, the cruise from Le Havre and Costa’s round-the-world cruise.
Frequently asked questions
Where do Costa cruises leave from in France?
According to the official site, Costa offers departures from Marseille and Le Havre. The site also has a page for Toulon, with no price shown when we looked in October 2026.
Are drinks included with Costa?
No, not with the My Cruise base fare. You need to add the My Drinks package (€22.90 to €36 per day per adult online, €42 on board) or My Drinks Plus. My Drinks Plus is included for suites.
What is the largest Costa ship?
Costa Toscana: more than 6,500 passengers, 337 m (1,106 ft) long and 185,000 tons, according to the line’s FAQ.
What is the smallest Costa ship?
Costa Deliziosa, refurbished in 2024: 294 m (965 ft) long and 2,826 passengers according to its sheet.
What is the onboard stay package?
These are the service charges billed by Costa. The “from” prices shown for Marseille and Le Havre include it; check that it is included in the price you are comparing.
Does Costa offer transfers to the port?
Yes. Costa’s French site offers cruise + coach packages from the main French cities and cruise + flight packages with transfers between the airport and the ship.
What is the difference between Costa and MSC?
Both leave Marseille with large ships. MSC has a wider fleet (25 ships listed), one more port in France (Cannes) and service charges included in the total price shown; Costa builds its price as “base + packages” (My Cruise, then My Drinks and My Land).
Our sources
- Costa Cruises, official site costacroisieres.fr: “Ships” page and fleet FAQ, ship sheets, Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana pages, “My Drinks drinks packages”, “All inclusive”, “Cruise transfers”, pages for the ports of Marseille, Le Havre and Toulon, “The Group”. Information noted on 5 October 2026
- Our methodology
Updated October 2026.
