Fleet Size

• Costa Cruises is the largest operator of passenger cruise ships in Europe. The fleet of Costa ships has anywhere from 12 to 16 ships at any given time. The exact number varies because old ships are decommissioned and new vessels commissioned at various times. A ship can be decommissioned when it's obsolete or no longer meets certain standards. A new ship can be commissioned once Costa decides it needs one.
  
  

Ship's Registry

• The Costa Cruise fleet is registered in Italy. This doesn't necessarily mean that all cruises start, end, or stop in Italy. In fact, many cruises on Costa ships start in other countries such as Spain. The registry means that the ship is authorized by the Italian government and must abide by its rules. If a crime were to happen on ship, Italian police and authorities would handle it. All taxes and maintenance standards in Italy for cruise ships must be met by Costa ships since they are registered there.
  
  

Ship Themes

• Each Costa Cruise ship has a theme. For example, the Costa Allegra is designed with lots of color in order to convey elements of Italian baroque and neoclassical art styles. The Costa Mediterranea has an art theme, with works of art throughout the ship and even artistic silverware in the dining hall. The Costa Serena is the ship of the gods, meaning that ancient Roman activities are played or done on board.
  
  

Owned by Carnival

• Costa Cruises have been around since 1947, when cargo ships that were once the company's bread and butter turned to full-time passenger cruises. Forty years later, Costa Cruises was purchased by Carnival, the largest cruise ship company in the world. Costa Cruises kept its name because it's a recognizable brand.