When I boarded the Costa Pacifica Monday I thought it would be just another new flamboyant vessel in the fleet — boy was I wrong. Ship architect and interior designer Joe Farcus really outdid himself with Pacifica (pronounced Pa-chif-icah by Italians) – it’s very classy and (gasp) tastefully decorated.

The 114,500-ton, 3,000 passenger (3,704 when all berths are occupied) Pacifica is the sister ship to Costa Concordia and Costa Serena and is the fourteenth ship in the Costa fleet. The Pacifica has a total of 1,504 staterooms, including 91 Samsara, 521 veranda, 58 suites with private balconies and 12 Samsara suites.

There are five restaurants including the private à la carte “Club Blue Moon,” and the Ristorante Samsara for Samara spa guests and 13 bars including the Cognac & Cigar Bar, the Coffee & Chocolate Bar and the Bar Sport. There are five Jacuzzis and four swimming pools, two of which feature a retractable magrodome and one with a slide.

It’s easy to stay healthy on Pacifica there is a multipurpose sports court and outdoor jogging track. The ship also boasts the largest spa at sea, the 23,000 square foot Samsara Spa. The two level center encompasses a gym, spa baths, thalassotherapy pool, treatment rooms, sauna, Turkish bath, and UVA solarium.

Dubbed the “ship of music” Pacifica truly hits high notes in style and substance. Guests are accompanied on this exclusive musical journey by a soundtrack consisting of pieces specially arranged for Costa Cruises. Mauro Pagani arranged 29 exclusive pieces– 22 instantly recognizable pieces from music history plus seven original tunes – and used them as the inspiration for the names in the various public spaces.

If you don’t think this is a big deal let me tell you this auditory enhancement helps you navigate the ship. As is often the case with new ships I get confused trying to find my stateroom the first few days. Last night I found myself on the wrong deck and the first clue was not hearing the usual hallway music. Down one deck I found I was again ‘in tune’ (Moonlight Sonata) to my surroundings.

Music on board the Costa Pacifica isn’t just heard; Costa’s new flagship includes a fully equipped state-of-the-art recording studio, with a sound engineer, where guests can sing their favorite songs and record their own CD. Even people that are horrible singers (myself included) can sound fairly decent with a little engineering magic.

There’s so much more to talk about so stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog.

Best,
Anita