MS Costa Luminosa is a cruise ship, owned and operated by Costa Crociere. Costa Luminosa entered service on 5 May 2009. The ship's design is a hybrid, using elements of Spirit-class and Vista-class cruise ships. A sister ship, Costa Deliziosa, was launched in February 2010 and is based on the same design. Costa Luminosa departed Civitavecchia, Italy on 3 June 2009, on her 13-night maiden voyage, with ports of call in Savona, St. Tropez, Barcelona, Lisbon, Le Havre and Amsterdam.

Design and description

Costa Luminosa is the thirteenth ship of Costa Crociere, part of their five-ship expansion program, which includes Costa Pacifica, Costa Deliziosa, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa. Costa Luminosa and her sister ship, Costa Deliziosa have a gross tonnage of 92,700 each and are 292 metres (958 ft 0 in) long. Costa Luminosa and Costa Deliziosa pioneered in the introduction of a new vessel design, which is a hybrid; using design elements of the Spirit and Vista-class cruise ships.

The ship has 1,130 cabins, four dining areas, a theatre, a cinema and other passenger facilities.

Construction and career

Costa Luminosa and her sister ship, Costa Deliziosa were ordered from the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard on 12 June 2006. The keel of Costa Luminosa was laid on 10 October 2007 in the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard at Venice. She floated out of drydock on 30 June 2008 and completed her sea trials on 30 March 2009. After 18 months, the ship was handed over to Costa Cruises on 1 May 2009.

The christenings of Costa Luminosa, and the Concordia-class Costa Pacifica were held in Genoa on 5 June 2009. It was the first time that two cruise ships were simultaneously christened in Italy. The dual christening ceremony set a then Guinness World record in the category, "Most ships inaugurated in one day by one company". The two ships also launched simultaneously in their shipyard on 5 June 2008; Costa Luminosa in Marghera and Costa Pacifica in Sestri Ponente.

Costa Luminosa made her first vernissage cruise on 5 May 2009, a 10-day cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean, departing Venice, with ports of call at Istanbul, Bari, Olympia, Rhodes, Smyrna, Mykonos and Athens. It was followed by mini cruises in Eastern Mediterranean, again departing Venice on 15 May 2009. Her second vernissage cruise was on 19 May 2009. In the summer of 2009, the ship offered 11 and 14-day cruises at the Baltic capitals, Norwegian fjords and the North Cape.

During the 2009–2010 winter season, the ship operated in Dubai, offering seven-day cruises in the Persian Gulf with calls at Dubai, Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain. After the political problems in Bahrain, the company changed the itinerary removing Bahrain.

From 2017 every summer she sails on seven-night cruises to the Greek Islands. During the winter period Costa Luminosa goes on seven-night cruises in the Caribbean.

Similar ships

• Radiance-class cruise ship - a similar class of Panamax ships operated by Royal Caribbean International
• MV Arcadia (2004) - a similar Panamax ship operated by P&O Cruises.
• MS Queen Victoria - a similar Panamax sized ship operated by Cunard Line.
• Coral Princess and MS Island Princess (2002) - a similar set of Panamax ships operated by Princess Cruises