With international cruise lines not expected to return to Israel for at least another 12 months, many Israelis are choosing to fly to foreign shores to sail the high seas. Italy’s Costa Cruises offers sailings throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and well beyond.
Costa Smeralda, one of the company’s twin flagships, is currently plying the waters around the Persian Gulf, taking in destinations such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.
On this particular sailing out of Abu Dhabi, passengers predominantly hailed from the Middle East, Central Asia, the Far East, and Europe. But why do they choose Costa?
It’s the ship’s Italian-style design, food, and entertainment that make it stand out from the crowd, according to guest relations manager Daniel Merino. The ship was designed by former Jerusalemite Adam Tihany.
While all signs and onboard messages are in English, Italian is definitely the No. 1 language physically and metaphorically. The ship is beautifully decorated in bright colors. Reproductions of famous Italian works of art dominate the stairwells, and the bedrooms also include imagery from Italy. Each deck is named after a gorgeous Italian city.
Dining brings that little extra piece of Italian luxury. The Archipelago restaurant is inspired by the menus of three Michelin-starred chefs.
There is also the Bellavista premium Italian restaurant for passengers in suites, which has an impressive wine list, to say the least – nearly all of it from Italia. Vegetarian options such as tempura vegetables with red-onion jam sit alongside sea-bass skewers and beef carpaccio. The olive-infused focaccia is particularly flavorsome. The restaurant features nautical motifs but is also somewhat reminiscent of the Orient Express.
Just around the corner is the Osteria Frescobaldi Toscana wine-tasting experience and restaurant. The Frescobaldi family has been in the wine business for 700 years. Sommelier Flavio regales you with tales of the company, its nine wineries between Florence and the sea, and its all-important grapes. His dulcet tones pair beautifully with the delicate rosés and reds.
The mozzarella at Pummid’Oro Pizzeria is made on board, as is the dough for the excellent range of pizzas. Look out for the lemon-curd dessert.
With hygiene increasingly in the public’s consciousness, it is good to note that the beautifully decorated bathrooms around the ship include hands-free automatic doors. There are fully automated wash stations just outside the main eateries
Useful tip: If you happen to have a mobile phone, be sure to download the Costa app. It’s your guide to everything on the ship – it even tells you which restaurants are less crowded. Don’t worry if you aren’t the phone type – a flyer with the day’s events will magically appear in your room and there is an ever-helpful information staff at hand around the clock.
Talking of crowds, even though the ship carries so many passengers (and crew) for most of the time, the ship does not feel crowded. Merino says one of the most important jobs a cruise ship’s team has is passenger management. That means both making sure there is the right entertainment for the right guests from a cultural perspective and ensuring a sensible flow of people around the vessel so it does not feel too crowded.
The three upper decks (four if you are in a suite) include pools, a spa, sports areas, an adults-only solarium, cafes and bars, water slides, and a raised walkway offering breathtaking views.
The evening feature shows in the Colosseo theater are short (30 minutes) but extremely well-choreographed, combining real-life performers with 360-degree video imagery.
There’s ballroom dancing (think Manilow, Elvis, and Sheeran rather than Strauss, Rosas, and Waldteufel), jazz, pop-music quizzes, and a nightclub that rocks well into the wee hours.
The rooms are well laid out with very comfortable beds and firm, plump pillows. The shower is excellent but bring your own body lotion. Most of the cabins offer balconies with plenty of room for a couple to enjoy breakfast delivered to their room or watch the sunset over a glass of Chianti.
The Smeralda and its sister ship Toscana boast the world’s only museums on cruise ships. They focus on Italian design from curvaceous household furniture, via brightly polished puppets, and on to chic modes of transport.
The spacious museum abuts the ship’s casino, which, while on a Gulf cruise, only operates once the ship is out of port.
The Costa Smeralda is a large vessel offering plenty to keep everyone occupied (including the youngest family members). Its staff is friendly and always willing to help. Its sailings around the Middle East are a great chance to top up your tan, visit some fascinating destinations (maybe a desert safari in Abu Dhabi or helicopter ride over Dubai – see the sidebar), and people-watch – well-heeled Italian couples rub shoulders with Kyrgyz pensioners in ethnic clothes.
Costa offers a large mix of itineraries at comparatively affordable prices (the Costa Smeralda soon heads for Africa before offering cruises in Europe this spring) and always with a willing smile.
Mark and David were guests of Costa Cruises (https://www.costacruises.eu). They host The Jerusalem Post Podcast – Travel Edition (jpost.1eye.us/podcast/travel-edition).
Amazing Abu Dhabi excursions
When a cruise ship docks, many of its passengers head onshore to see what their latest destination has to offer. They join excursions offered by the cruise company, take a private tour, or just explore on their own. Here are a couple of ideas for your time in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE:
Abu Dhabi’s most iconic building is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The vision of the founding father of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the palatial building was completed in 2007, two years after his death, and now serves as both a mosque and his final resting place.
The mosque is one of the largest in the world and can host up to 50,000 worshipers. As one walks through its vast white courtyards and floral designs, inlaid with mother of pearl, lapis lazuli, and amethyst, one can lose oneself in its serene majesty.
The interior halls offer a contrast, full of vibrant colors, such as the gigantic colorful Swarovski chandeliers and the record-breaking Persian carpet. The mosque even has its own shopping mall, offering everything from abayas and hijabs to Starbucks and McDonald’s.
In keeping with Abu Dhabi’s principles of faith and tolerance, a visit to the Abrahamic Faith House and Saadiyat Island should be high on the visit list. The cultural quarter of the emirate already hosts a branch of the Louvre and will soon open a Guggenheim gallery, but the unique square of interfaith exchange, opened in 2023, is an icon of hope.
The complex is centered around three cube-shaped houses of worship: a mosque, a Catholic church, and a synagogue. The Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue is beautifully designed, with an exterior crisscross structure designed to represent the palm fronds used at Sukkot, while the interior has a tent-like structure hanging from the roof, possibly symbolizing a huppah or maybe the tent of Abraham.
Talking of faith, large doses of it should be placed in the driver of the Land Cruiser taking you dune-bashing into the desert for an evening safari. The bumpy drive reaches the Empty Quarter in time for sunset before delivering passengers at a Bedouin “camp,” complete with belly and tanoura dancing, falconry, sheesha, henna, and a sumptuous barbecue.