CostaVictoria is a middle child in the Costa fleet. It offers more style and options than the line's earlier ships and yet bears little resemblance to the Italy-on-steroids decor of the line's later vessels. Originally launched in 1996, CostaVictoria is considered mid-sized, features genuinely Italian-style decor (think northern rather than southern), and has just recently returned from a major refurbishment in which balconies, among other improvements, were added to some cabins.

On CostaVictoria you'll find the best of both worlds: up-to-date facilities combined with attractively understated decor and lots of Italian elan. Thanks to a major refurbishment last year, you'll also find more balconies available. In all, 242 balconies were installed at Germany's Lloyd Werft shipyard (where the ship was originally built). The complex procedure only possible on some ships, as it depends on the exterior configuration and the location of lifeboats results in a 44 percent ratio of balconied cabins, bringing her somewhat closer in that amenity to the company's most recent ships CostaAtlantica, CostaMediterranean and CostaFortuna (which have balconies on 72 percent of their outside cabins).

It has also consolidated Costa's position as the Continental European cruise line with the highest proportion of balconied accommodation.

The upshot is that travellers used to feeling the sea breezes in their hair on America's balcony-heavy big ships will feel right at home on CostaVictoria. And yet, the big difference is the onboard style; xenophobes need not apply, but if you love Italian style you'll be in your element.


Public rooms

CostaVictoria's public areas will also be popular with lovers of elegant surroundings that engage the attention without bringing on a headache.

By day, the Tavernetta Lounge on Deck 12 is a soothing retreat for those who like to doze over a book and watch the world go by. Honey wood walls and coffee tables, creamy cane furniture, big windows and soft furnishings in ice cream colours pistachio, cream, pale gold and pink give this lovely lounge the feel of an elegant conservatory. Next door is a small (six computer) Internet cafe.

The prettiest watering hole onboard is the Capriccio Bar on Deck 7, which has eye-catching (and no doubt, eye-wateringly expensive) mural-covered walls depicting brightly coloured jugglers and acrobats in shades of vibrant orange, red, cream and terracotta on a midnight blue "dreamscape" background. The lovely deep-cushioned sofas are cozy and welcoming. The only downside is the continuous flow of traffic through the bar to the Casino Monte Carlo, which rather prevents drinkers from enjoying an intimate atmosphere.

Another highlight is the Orpheus Grand Bar, which lies on Deck 6 just above the Fantasia and Sinfonia restaurants and is a popular venue for pre- and post-dinner drinks.

Mushroom-shaped white pillars inlaid with brass and surrounded by circular seats give this lounge the retro feel of a trendy 1960's nightspot (though thankfully, without the mind-bending psychedelic decor).

The Concorde Plaza at the forward end of Decks 7 to 10 is even more striking, a lovely multi-tiered monochrome area with large, sloping windows and cream, grey and white marbled floors. At the bottom is a substantial bandstand and the walls surrounding it are designed to look like the house fronts in an Italian square, complete with plant-laden balconies.

While the top tiers of the Plaza are multi-level lounge areas, the bottom level (on Deck 7) houses the ship's main shops, selling Italian fashion accessories including silk ties, dress jewelry and affordable evening wear. Beyond these shops is the Portobello Market Place the top level of another three-tiered, airy atrium space with more shops, windows on two sides and glass elevators. This is very much the heart of the ship and is frequently filled with bargain hunters checking out the latest offers.

One deck down on Deck 6 is the Squok children's centre, the photo gallery and the Rock Star Disco, an L-shaped room with a long bar opposite a DJ station. Beech laminated walls give this disco a trendy look but the polka dot bucket chairs and chrome topped tables are showing their age and could use an update.

A quieter haunt is the small Planetarium piano bar on Deck 5, which stands opposite the Reception Deck at the bottom of the atrium.

Bookworms will find a small, basic and rather gloomy library tucked away on Deck 7, near the ground level of the ship's Festival show lounge, adjacent to a small meeting room and opposite the ornate (and very Roman Catholic) chapel.

The library offers a few board games and a limited but acceptable range of English language books by well-known authors including PD James, Ian Rankin, Michael Crichton, Ed McBain and Tom Clancy, but there are no reference books or comfortable chairs to sit and read in it's really a takeaway affair. And its opening hours are very limited (typically an hour in the morning and another in the afternoon), so you have to be quick.

Fortunately, there are enough bars and plenty of space out on deck for reading, and drinks prices are fairly moderate cocktails cost 5.75, liqueurs 4.75 Euros and excellent Italian coffees range from 1.75 Euros for a cappuccino to 4 Euros for a specialty coffee with whiskey, cognac, rum or Amaretto. A 15 percent service free is added to bar bills.

Entertainment

One of the problems on a multilingual ship is creating an entertainment programme accessible to all passengers. CostaVictoria achieves this with some good magic acts, a few Classical Music recitals and "fishnet and feathers" song-and-dance shows interspersed with acrobatic displays and performances by crooners.

It's all fairly standard cruise ship stuff but a fair way to pass an hour or two in the evening. Main entertainment venue is the two-tier, theatre-style Festival show lounge but dance bands perform throughout the ship and the disco is well attended by snake-hipped Italian youngsters.

Fitness and Recreation

CostaVictoria has a substantial double outdoor pool on Deck 11 and an indoor pool on Deck 6, flanked by the gymnasium and the Pompeii Health Spa. Deck 6 also has a jogging track and a hair and beauty salon.

The indoor pool is attractively presented in clean white, pale blue and blonde wood, and has classic wooden steamer chairs for swimmers to relax on, but it is very popular and can get crowded.

There is a tall, enclosed wooden counter for booking spa treatments rather than a spa reception room, which means queues build up (the Italians love their health treatments) --but once you get past the booking process and into the treatment rooms, the atmosphere is more soothing.

The spa has free-to-use men's and women's saunas and a unisex steambath; treatment rooms include a thalassotherapy suite, several massage/facial rooms and a room designed for Shiatsu massages with a mattress on the floor. All are simply designed, with Indonesian batik wall hangings and drapes adding a hint of exoticism.

As in most Steiner-run cruise ship spas, treatments are far from cheap, but these are more affordable than some. Shiatsu massage costs 99 Euros for 50 minutes, as does a La Therapie galvanic facial. The most expensive treatment is the Elemis Seaweed Massage which at 160 Euros for 80 minutes will, I suspect, leave your wallet looking slimmer than your thighs.

For those who prefer to tone up the hard way, the spa offers free shape-up and general fitness classes but charges 10 Euros a head per session for more specialist exercise programmes like Yoga, Pilates and Kickboxing.

Personal fitness training is also available; 75 Euros buys you one hour in gymnasium hell, while 45-minute sessions on Back Care or Flexibility cost 35 Euros, and a half-hour "Butt, Legs and Tums" session costs 30 Euros.

Activities

If you're looking for the ideal sailing experience filled with more activity options than you'll be able to take advantage of in one cruise, Costa's Victoria would be the perfect ship for you. Our activities cover everything from Duty free shopping in boutiques to maxing and relaxing in a Sauna. No matter how you plan on spending your cruise, this ship is equipped to assist you in achieve it. For the little ones, there will be a Children's Room designed to keep them busy while you enjoy yourself.

• Beauty Salon
• Boutiques
• Chapel
• Children's Room
• Duty Free Shops
• Pompei Spa - Full Service Spa
• Infirmary
• 4 Jacuzzis
• Pools - 2 Outdoor & 1 Indoor
• Meeting & Conference Center
• Photo Gallery
• Sauna
• Teen's Center

Family

The Squok children's club on Deck 6 caters to children up to the age of 12, while teens get their own area on Deck 12. The Squok facility is fairly basic: a big, wooden-floored room with TV, a basketball net, arts and craft supplies, chairs, tables and big porthole-shaped windows overlooking the deck.

But activities including basketball tournaments, Coca Cola parties, craft classes and treasure hunts are offered from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. and again from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m., so parents do get some peace. And although there is no outdoor play space, kids' sessions are scheduled in the pool on Deck 11.

Teens have their own hang-out, complete with funky furniture, surfboard-themed decor and a wall full of photographs depicting jolly groups of gorgeous, pouting Italian girls this area will be very popular with teenage boys.

Fellow passengers

Italians predominate, with a smattering of French, Spanish and other Europeans. The crewmembers speak good English but unless you're a confident polyglot you'll spend most of your time with your travelling companions.

A word to the wise the Italians don't do "manners" as we do, so don't expect many thank yous if you hold a door open or show other courtesies. They don't mean to be rude, it's just their way. And since the introduction of technology enabling passengers to use their cell phones at sea, most are too busy babbling into their ear-clamped mobiles to notice you exist.

Dress

By day, CostaVictoria is a casual ship, but be warned: the Italians are stylish dressers, so show up in a singlet, baggy shorts and a baseball cap and unless you're under 12 --you'll look rather silly (as, indeed, you would anywhere). There is a Captain's cocktail party, gala welcome and farewell dinners for which passengers tend to dress smartly, but black tie isn't obligatory.

Gratuity

Drinks and service charges in the Magnifico restaurant all have 15 percent gratuity added automatically; to cover service from waiters, bus boys and cabin stewards, gratuities of 6 Euros per adult traveller (3 Euros per child aged 4 to 17) per cruise day are automatically added on to the final bill.