Costa Cruises
Costa Smeralda
- Cruises
- 95
- From
- $296
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Costa Smeralda is a mega Costa Cruises ship carrying 5,224 passengers, in service since 2019. Iona is a mega P&O Cruises ship carrying 5,206 passengers. Iona has no Bliss scores yet, so the verdict rests on the figures we do hold.
Choose Costa Smeralda if you want a lower starting fare: its cruises start from $296 (vs $482).
Iona 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 Smeralda | Iona | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Costa Cruises | P&O Cruises |
| Ship size | Mega | Mega |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2019 | — |
| Gross tonnage | 180,000 | 184,000 |
| Passengers | 5,224 | 5,206 |
| Crew | 1,646 | — |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 3.2 | — |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 34.5 | 35.3 (better) |
| Cabins | 2,612 | — |
| Decks | 20 | — |
| Length | 1,105 ft | 1,130 ft |
| Beam | 137 ft | 177 ft |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 6 / 10 | — |
| Cruises on sale | 95 | 60 |
| Upcoming sailings | 303 | 153 |
| Cruise lengths | 2 to 17 nights | 5 to 35 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $296 (better) | $482 |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday.
Iona has no Bliss scores yet.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
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
95 cruises on sale, from $296.
P&O Cruises
Iona
Sailing now
60 cruises on sale, from $482.
Questions
Costa Smeralda or Iona?
Which is bigger, Costa Smeralda or Iona?
Iona is bigger at 184,000 gross tons, against 180,000 gross tons for Costa Smeralda. Costa Smeralda carries 5,224 passengers and Iona carries 5,206.
Which has more space per passenger?
Iona, with 35.3 gross tons per passenger against 34.5 on Costa Smeralda. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Still deciding?
Tell us what matters and we will match the sailing
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