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Revved up for a classic sea saga The mighty Costa Serena is the latest vessel from Italy’s Costa Cruises. Roderick Eime finds himself in a floating temple dedicated to the gods. 87654321012345678
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THE G-forces thrust me back in the tiny fibreglass cockpit and, with full acceleration down the long straight, I’m approaching 350km/h. My blood is coursing and (I’m sure) there is a tinge of white to my knuckles. Among its multitude of sensory diversions, the new, 114,000 tonne Costa Serena (pronounced seRAY-na) packs a state-of-art Grand Prix simulator where passengers can immerse themselves in high-adrenalin Formula 1 motor racing. Forget penny arcade amusements. This mainframe computer-driven test rig features a full size F1-style car mounted on pneumatic stilts that hurls the otherwise stationary vehicle through a series of stomachturning manoeuvres that realistically synthesise the G-forces experienced by race drivers under full battle conditions. ‘‘I want guests to feel transformed by this vessel as soon as they walk aboard,’’ says Joseph Farcus, the US-born chief architect for Costa Cruises and designer of all their vessels, ‘‘and I’ve chosen classical mythology and nearly 6000 works of art as a way to do that.’’ Just how Grand Prix racing, classical mythology and megaship cruising meld into one is a complicated exercise, and not one that Farcus takes lightly. His personal and devout interest in classical Greco-Roman mythology is evident in each corner of the ship. Every bar, restaurant, nook and cranny carries the moniker of some god or demi-god and, at times, it can be a bit overwhelming. The decor is ‘‘modern classical’’ to some and ‘‘Las Vegas Over-the-Top’’ to others. Either way, it’s certainly in-your-face. ‘‘I wanted to capture the essence of cinemagraphic escapism, where guests can fantasise about being part of an epic, pageturning story,’’ Farcus continues with conviction. ‘‘I’ve used the allegorical significance of these classical divinities to create this. Costa guests should feel like gods themselves.’’ Here are just a few of his imaginative examples: Jupiter,
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Costa Serena Launched: May 2007. Home port: Venice Size: Length 290m, cabins 1500, passengers 3780. Bookings: Mediterranean cruises aboard Costa Serena, or any of the other Costa vessels throughout the world, can be booked on www.ecruising.travel or by phone on 1300 369 848
markets with local itineraries. The fleet now comprises 12 ships with a further three under construction, each new vessel rivalling the 1500-cabin Costa Serena for size, capacity and opulence.
Shipshape: Atrium of the Costa Serena, above; top, dining on board and testing the F1 simulator
CRUISING the god of light and skies, gives his name to the hi-tech theatre; Apollo, the god of music and song, adorns the main bar and dance floor; Venus, you guessed it, sponsors the beauty salon, while Giano, the Romans’ two-faced divinity, presides ominously over the casino. To have an American design ships for a primary market of discerning Europeans could be scoffed at by many, but the guests gathered from all over Europe and beyond for its launch seem unfazed. Apart from the 100 octane
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
fantasy of the GP simulator, the other heavily weighted feature is the Samsara wellness centre occupying more than 2000sq m which offers a comprehensive list of massage, facial and self-realisation therapies. From a Sanskrit word suggesting a path to enlightenment, it is the only heavenly reference not from Farcus’s beloved GrecoRoman thematic. The concept is simple enough: a premium component to complement premium staterooms, dining and relaxation areas for a demanding high-end, highspending clientele. A Michelin starred chef in the restaurant, Club Bacco (named after the god Bacchus) completes the premier experience.
www.sundaytelegraph.com.au
Costa Serena’s vast range of dining, entertainment and relaxation facilities do not overlook the younger market, either. Imaginative activities set aside for toddlers, tweens and teenyboppers range from waterslides to wading pools and dedicated clubrooms. Italy’s Costa Cruises is not widely known to most Australian cruisers, but that situation is about to change. Under the parentage of the massive Carnival Corporation, Costa is embarking on an ambitious global campaign that is creeping closer to Australia. Currently, their nearest home port is Singapore, where the more modest Costa Allegra is based, servicing the south-east Asian
he piercing howl of the Formula 1 engine in the simulator’s headphones drives me on and I can feel a hot lap time developing. I’m bucked sideways through the final chicane . . . Oh, no! I’m going in too hard and I plant my foot on the brakes. Nothing! The red warning signs on the tyre barrier approach at frightening speed, then impact! It’s an excruciatingly hard hit and my race — and probably my virtual life — is snuffed out in an explosion of pixels and computer-rendered carbon fibre. I sit there dazed, until a voice crackles over the headphones. ‘‘Ah, sorry-a, we musta fixitta the brakes.’’ Alas, Victoria, the goddess of victory, is fickle.
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■ The writer was a guest of ecruising.travel and Costa Cruises.
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