Costa Cruises
Costa Serena
- Cruises
- 117
- From
- $301
Ship comparison
Costa Serena vs Costa Smeralda
Costa Cruises
Costa Smeralda
- Cruises
- 105
- From
- $296
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Costa Serena is a large Costa Cruises ship carrying 3,700 passengers, in service since 2007. Costa Smeralda is a mega Costa Cruises ship carrying 5,224 passengers, in service since 2019.
Choose Costa Smeralda if you want a better-rated spa and gym, a more active cruise or a more family-friendly ship: it outscores Costa Serena for spa & fitness (5.0 vs 2.0), active (5.0 vs 2.0) and family friendly (8.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.
Costa Serena does not lead by a clear margin on any measure we track, so pick it for its itinerary or its dates.
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Costa Serena | Costa Smeralda | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Costa Cruises | Costa Cruises |
| Ship size | Large | Mega |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2007 | 2019 (better) |
| Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted | 2015 | — |
| Gross tonnage | 114,500 | 180,000 |
| Passengers | 3,700 | 5,224 |
| Crew | 1,100 | 1,646 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 3.4 | 3.2 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 30.9 | 34.5 (better) |
| Cabins | — | 2,612 |
| Decks | 14 | 20 |
| Length | 951 ft | 1,105 ft |
| Beam | 116 ft | 137 ft |
| Speed | 23 mph | — |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 7 / 10 (better) | 6 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 117 | 105 |
| Upcoming sailings | 200 | 334 |
| Cruise lengths | 2–66 nights | 2–17 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $301 | $296 (better) |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Costa Serena leads on 0 of the ten, Costa Smeralda on 9, with 1 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Costa Cruises
Costa Serena
Costa Serena is a ship inspired by classical legends such as Jupiter, Apollo, Bacchus, Clio. Design featuring serene colors and inspired by Greek and Roman mythology create an unrivaled ambience on this Costa Cruises ship.
Sailing now
117 cruises on sale, from $301.
Costa Cruises
Costa Smeralda
The new flagship of the Costa Cruises fleet, Costa Smeralda debuted in December 2019 with hallmark Made in Italy touches throughout, from the public areas to the cabins.
Sailing now
105 cruises on sale, from $296.
Questions
Costa Serena or Costa Smeralda?
Which is bigger, Costa Serena or Costa Smeralda?
Costa Smeralda is bigger at 180,000 gross tons, against 114,500 gross tons for Costa Serena. Costa Serena carries 3,700 passengers and Costa Smeralda carries 5,224.
Which ship is newer, Costa Serena or Costa Smeralda?
Costa Smeralda is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2019 against 2007 for Costa Serena.
Which has more space per passenger?
Costa Smeralda, with 34.5 gross tons per passenger against 30.9 on Costa Serena. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Costa Smeralda, with one crew member for every 3.2 passengers against one for every 3.4 on Costa Serena.
Which is better for families?
Costa Smeralda scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 8.0 out of 10, against 5.0 for Costa Serena.
Still deciding?
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