costa cruise dinner menu

Everything I Ate on my Costa Cruise (Photos and Menus) – Food Review

If you are taking a cruise with Costa you may be wondering what the food will be like. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are all included at no extra cost on a Costa cruise.

I have just disembarked a cruise on the Costa Smeralda and in this post we will look at everything I ate in the main dining room, buffet and room service. Menus are also provided.

I took my first Costa cruise in 2018 and the food quality has increased dramatically in my opinion.

Main Dining Room – Il Meneghino – Included in the Cruise Fare

There was more than one main restaurant. We were assigned Il Meneghino Restaurant on deck 6.

My parents and I had separate cruise bookings and so ended up with separate tables in the same restaurant at the same time. We asked if we were able to sit together, and they were very accommodating.

We were given a temporary table for the first night, then they sent a letter to our cabin with a permanent table number on the next day.

We ate at 5.45pm – the earliest time available. This suited us, as we rarely eat late at home.

There are no fixed dining times for breakfast or lunch. Guests are able to eat in the main dining room whenever it is open for breakfast or lunch.

Menus can be viewed in advance on the Costa Cruises App.

From The Main Restaurants Lunch Time Menu

The main restaurant on Deck 5, The Colombina Restaurant, was sometimes open for lunch.

The menu below shows a typical lunchtime selection :

Buffet – Included In the Cruise Fare

The buffet on the Costa Smeralda was open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner. It was shut in-between times, so consult your daily schedule or Costa Cruise App to check it is open before you visit.

The buffet is called La Sagra dei Sapori, and can be found towards the back of deck 8.

The buffet at dinner time consisted of:

• Mini Pizzas
• Ethnic Corner (Usually Chinese)

The sections would be different for breakfast and lunch.

The above photos are of lunches I had in the buffet. The great thing about the buffet is that you can combine anything that you think looks interesting .

The last photo is of the Costa Mini Pizzas, which were delicious!

Afternoon Snacks in the buffet for us meant Churros!

Everyday from 4pm there were a selection of afternoon snacks in the buffet

Churros became a daily routine, in the absence of my normal cookies .

There was also a good selection of sandwiches, paninis, cakes and desserts.

The Salty Beach – Street Food – Additional Charge Fast Food Restaurant

The Salty Beach snack bar can be found on deck 16, under the dome where the indoor pool is situated.

Here you can order either a meal – burger or toasted Panini with fries and a cake for €5 – or just a burger or toasted Panini for €3.50.

At time of writing, this is around $5.50/£4.50 for the meal, or $3.80/ £3 for just the burger or panini.

The burger and chips meal was huge, and we struggled to eat that – and then there was an included cake too.

Both the burgers and toasted paninis were delicious !

Burgers came in a variety of options, including a veggie burger.

Toasted Paninis had a selection of fillings.

There was a variety of cakes, none of which looked familiar to me. Nice to try something different when on a cruise. Some I liked, some I didn’t…

The food was always cooked to order, so was hot and tasty.

Pummid’Oro Pizzeria – Additional Charge Pizzeria

Pummid’Oro Pizzeria can be found on deck 8, towards the middle of the ship.

They serve a selection of Pizzas, and you pay per item, as in a normal restaurant on land.

The pizzas we chose were €9 and €11.

At time of writing, this is around $10/ £8 for one pizza and $12 / £ 9.70 for the other.

If you are a member of Costa Cruises Loyalty Club, you receive a 25% discount. Worth joining for that alone. Joining the Costa Club itself is totally free.

Other Speciality Restaurants Onboard That I Didn’t Try – Additional Charges Apply to all.

There are many other restaurants onboard that you can try at an extra cost, some formal, some informal. Here is a selection of other options available:

Archipelago Restaurant

This is a gourmet restaurant with menus consisting of 5 courses.

You can choose one of 3 different menus, and these are apparently an interpretation of a route you are travelling around the world! (They serve specialities from different places along the way.)

Costa donates € 5 to the Costa Cruise Foundation for every meal sold In the Archipelago Restaurant. This goes towards Social and Environmental projects.

Teppanyaki Restaurant

Food is served in an Oriental-style environment. Here you ca order Japanese seafood specialties. Restaurant tables are arranged around a large cooking table where the chefs prepare each meal at a time.

The Food Lab

The Food Lab is a “Seaside Cooking School” and specialty restaurant where you can try your hand at making your own dinner creations!

An onboard Sushi Bistro which offers dine-in or takeaway lunch or dinner.

Room Service

Room service is available 24 hours a day, at an extra charge. I never ordered from the room service menu on this cruise.

Check your daily schedule or onboard Costa Cruises App to find the latest details on the additional charges for these alternative restaurants.

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A Yummy Costa Cruises Food and Restaurant Guide

By: Author Melody Pittman

Posted on Published: July 10, 2022  - Last updated: October 26, 2022

Are you one of those travelers who research the food and restaurants for where you are going from the get-go? If you are anything like me, I peruse photos, menus, and vacation reviews on various sites before traveling, so I will know where to find the good stuff—and what I can skip. When I was booked on my first Costa cruise from Istanbul, Turkey, to Greece, I hardly found anything mentioning the food on this iconic cruise line. I went into my cruise blindly because there really wasn’t much online about the food on Costa Cruises vessels, and especially because my Costa Venezia was moving to a much different vacation route.

Not to worry, I researched it all for you. Never mind my calorie count; here is a Costa Cruises food and restaurant guide. It includes what to eat, where to eat it, and all your dining choices for sailing the high seas with Costa.

I was hosted by Costa Cruises to familiarize myself with their ship and features. As always, opinions and reviews are 100% mine and unbiased. 

Main Dining Room

As on all cruises, meals in the main dining room are included in your cruise vacation. You will be assigned a seating time (first-early or second-late) and dining room (Canal Grande), denoted on the back of your cruise card. You have assigned seating, which can be based on your preference: a private table or with an open group. If you are up to meeting new people and sharing cultures, I highly recommend you mix with the other cruise guests for an even richer cruise experience.

Meals are placed and served in order of starters, soups and salads, main courses, and finally, the dessert course, possibly everyone’s favorite. A particular server will be around to take alcoholic beverage orders, which includes sodas and anything that payment is required for.

A few of my favorite dishes in the Costa Cruises main dining (and isn’t it beautiful?) were Vegetable Tempura, Meatless Cannelloni, and any and all steak dishes. Save room for soufflés and Caesar salads (the homemade croutons and heavy dusting of Parmesan were great!) in the event they are offered.

Lido Marketplace Restaurant

Found on Costa Cruises Venezia’s Deck 10 is the buffet restaurant, included in your cruise fare . You’ll find breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Lido Marketplace, with food choices changing daily. There are several areas to sit and enjoy your meal, ranging from inside and out, with different styles of dining areas to fit your specific taste.

My husband and I went to the Lido Marketplace daily for breakfast, except for having room service one morning. It’s always quick to grab your food and find a place to sit, often catching the first glimpse of the port of call you will be visiting that day.

You will find your classic morning eats, including an omelet station, pancakes, toast, potatoes, sausage, bacon, and fruit at the Lido Marketplace buffet. There are also granolas, cereals, meats and cheeses, and a massive spread of pastries. Europeans especially like their meats, cheeses, and delicious sweets for breakfast, so consider yourself lucky.

You can also get fresh and healthy detox juice drinks at the Lido Bar.

Lido Lunches

At lunch and dinner, expect to find a few vegetable dishes, 3-4 entrees, a few vegetarian options, and many seafood specialties on the buffet line. Europeans eat a lot of things from the ocean, so while I am good with shrimp, lobster, and crab, I balked at most of the choices as they were too foreign for me but an authentic luxury meal for most.

I loved having a made-to-order pasta station or the daily plates of pasta, which were assembled for each guest for the utmost freshness and flavor. Remember that there are two pasta makers at the same window, but each has a different item. I didn’t learn that until my last day of the cruise.

You’ll also find a coffee spot making all your favorite coffee drinks at the Lido Marketplace. This isn’t the basic coffees, which are still pretty darned amazing since Europeans know how to class up a cup of Joe, but the one I’m talking about is for mochas, lattes, and such. You’ll even find fresh-squeezed orange juice in the marketplace.

Want to know how you can cruise Europe and hit the best ports with the lowest prices ? We have info.

Specialty Dining: An Upscale Option for Costa Cruises Food

Cruise ships have level-up dining options (specialty dining) that involve a fee. They come in all shapes and sizes for all cuisines and budgets. Costa’s specialty dining is different than most cruises I’ve done (keep in mind it is an Italian line), so the fees were a little more expensive than I was used to.

I always favor visiting the steakhouse option of specialty dining, and  La Fiorentina Steak House  was superb on the Costa Venezia. I had two classic dishes: a Caesar salad and Lobster Bisque soup. The French Onion soup was another choice. For my main course, I chose Surf & Turf, a petite filet with a jumbo prawn. I enhanced my steak with a side of béarnaise sauce, but the star of the plate was the melt-in-your-mouth prawn. Wow, it was good. 

Fiorentina’s menu is priced à la carte, so each item has its own fee. I would consider this restaurant on a night when I wasn’t starving, for just the soup, salad, and probably dessert (the Carrot Cake Verrines was my favorite dessert of the trip). And I must add that these restaurants are lovely and have well-trained waitstaff, delivering a first-rate evening.

The Costa Toscana’s Heineken Star Club & Bistro is where my daughter, Taylor, and I hung out most nights. There was an additional fee for eating there, but we loved it so much it didn’t matter. I was addicted to the Chicken Nachos, and we often shared the Smothered Tots.

I had a salad from Heineken, too, and one night steak dinner. On the Toscana ship, this is the only steakhouse option, different than on the Venezia listed above. Heineken also offered live music, and it was excellent every night. The staff was uber friendly and helped make our vacation much more enjoyable.

A Memorable Costa Cruises Dining Experience

Casanova Restaurant is the gastronomic gourmet and the highest-rated specialty dining. Costa is the only cruise line where you can have a Michelin-star dining experience ; it is one you will remember. Created by three famous chefs:  Bruno Barbieri ,  Angel Leon , and  Hélène Darroze , Casanova delivers as much a memorable experience as a delicious one. There are three culinary paths to choose from, including three courses created and curated by three world-famous chefs. 

The three menus are incredibly different and diverse. As an American, I was unfamiliar with many of the ingredients. That didn’t stop me from trying them, though, and it’s things like that where you can sample things we often only hear about on TV or read about. Menu items ranged from cuttlefish rice to sea urchins and beef cheeks to crispy octopus and guinea fowl roulade.

Don’t worry; I didn’t leave hungry, that’s for sure. Many courses were absolutely delicious once I got past the “out of my comfort zone” part. Casanova’s restaurant service was impeccable. My favorite courses were the appetizer and dessert. Expect to be dazzled.

Specialty International Eats

Enjoy a hot pot meal while you are onboard your Costa Cruises vacation. I’m way too messy to try this dining option, but it is trendy. Dim Sum was another popular choice, offering three types of noodle bowls and a variety of dumplings (three each). The price for these was 2.50Euro per portion. Sushi was highly regarded amongst cruisers at Sushino on Deck 5.

I loved seeing the Lobster Bar carved display each night, with six choices of grilled, steamed, or fried prawns and lobster. I didn’t see anyone eating them, but our ship was only around 30% capacity, so perhaps I missed it.

My husband and I had a fantastic teppanyaki dinner experience at the Teppanyaki Restaurant on Deck 5. We enjoyed the cooking show, friendly entertainment, and encouraged participation. Our tasty meal was 36Euro per person. Eddie and I both had the chicken teppanyaki with soup, edamame, fried rice, and grilled vegetables.

There were several other meat options, plus tofu for vegetarians. Dessert is included.

At The Salty Beach Street Food on Deck 10, look for gourmet burgers, vegetarian, too, and focaccia sandwiches. The fries will set you back about 2Euro, but they are well worth it. Dip them in mayochup, mayo, and ketchup, perfect for this style of fries.

The sushi restaurant is incredibly popular, but we didn’t make it there. Judging from the lines and tables being full, I’d say it is a highlight when sailing with Costa Cruises.

Welcome Aboard Buffet Line

The late night we embarked on our cruise, there was a late night buffet open for us to enjoy. I had been traveling all day so vaguely remember it, but it was nice to have a near midnight dining option.

Costa Cruises Bars

I recommend purchasing a drink package to save money on a Costa cruise. There are a few levels to choose from, but remember that everyone in the cabin must have the same one. I purchased the basic drink package, including soft drinks, many beers and wines, and basic cocktails. The long list of basic cocktails included cruise favorites like Miami Vice, Between the Sheets (I haven’t had one since the 1990s), Negroni, Long Island Iced Teas, and White Russians. Many exotic and yummy coffee drinks were also available with the drink package.

The price for this deal is 22Euro per day per person age 18 and up, and 11Euro for younger cruisers, giving them liberties to sodas, a few virgin specialty drinks, and mineral water.

Pro Tip:   A banana daiquiri hits the spot if the weather is hot. 

Also included in the drink packages is bottled water, which we used to take on excursions and have in our stateroom throughout the day. This option alone made the package a value choice for us.

The bar I found to have the most fabulous cocktail menu was Lounge Delle Stelle, with hand-crafted cocktails such as Oakheart Ginger Mojito, Strawberry Caipirissima, and Jamaica Julep. These drinks are picture-perfect and a treat for your taste buds. The bar with the incredible energy and best photo ops is Aperol Spritz Bar on Deck 15, though it closes early.

I was near the end of my cruise when I realized that many of the bars onboard the Costa Venezia also offer finger foods or nibbles. Enjoy fried mozzarella, a Milanese chicken skewer, or red tuna tartare at Gondola for between 1-2.5Euro. The mushroom and black truffle bruschetta was delicious, too.

Ultimate Coffee Drinks

Check out Bella Bar on Deck 5 for the ultimate in coffee beverages. Pictured here is a cruiser favorite, though the name escapes me, with a creamy liqueur added to espresso, fresh whipped cream, and bits of toffee. If you want to skip the alcohol and just go straight for the caffeine, the pistachio espresso and Tiramisü coffee are both recommended.

Room Service

Praise be…I’m a huge fan of the Costa Cruises room service options. While we never had crowds to wait in for food in the Lido Marketplace, it is still a terrific choice to have the knock on your door delivering breakfast in the comfort of your stateroom. I also found that room service has Eggs Benedict…really great Eggs Benedict, and crab cake Benedicts. We quickly became a regular for ordering this breakfast and a basket of tasty croissants with butter and jelly to munch on throughout the day.

There is a surcharge for room service, $5 per person. To browse the options, you can scan the QR code attached to your dresser in your stateroom. Call X6666 to place your order. Our deliveries were prompt, friendly, and exactly as ordered, even down to the extra side of hollandaise sauce. I wasn’t sure how to manage tips for room service, so we offered a Euro or more to each delivery person.

If you haven’t cruised in a while, you may be surprised to see a fee for pizza. Having owned restaurants in the past, I get the reasoning behind it and an easy solution to the long list of complaints at the pizza parlor when they run out or can’t keep up with the demand. So, for 5Euro, you can order the pizza at Pummid ‘Pro Pizzeria.

There are around 23 flavor combination options. My top pick was the Quattro Formaggi with gorgonzola, mozzarella, fontina, and taleggio. The pizzas were big enough to share, but most people ate the whole thing themselves.

Pummid ‘Pro Pizzeria has special hours, which you can verify on your OGGI A BORDO cruise ship newsletter. Rather than order from the counter, have a seat, and a server will be with you to place your order and help you. It took about 7-12 minutes to get our pizzas each time.

Another excellent option is to have the pizza delivered to your stateroom. You can order directly through room service and eat your pizza from your couch, balcony, bed, or wherever you choose to take it.

Pro Tip: Try the spicy oil or variety of toppings available for the pizzas. Yum!

Gelato and Crepes

I’m hardly ever tempted by the ice cream shops onboard cruise ships, but on the Costa Venezia, I was a sucker from day one. This lovely sweet shop, Gelateria Amarillo, is in the heart of the 10th floor, where you’ll find the best pool, dance parties, and much more. Choose from freshly prepared crepes, creamy Italian ice cream, sipping chocolate drinks, cakes, candies, and macarons. I’m willing to bet you can’t leave the cruise ship without trying it at least once and loving whatever you try.

Pro Tip: Have the Black Cherry ice cup for something exotic and yummy.

I had the Nutella and banana crepe a few times, while my husband preferred the dark chocolate strawberry version. He also had a bowl of gelato one night, which he complimented. Crepes have a fee of 4Euro, slices of cake around 2Euro, and gelato dishes for 6.50Euro. In the US, good macarons will easily run you $3-$4 each, so the three-pack for 3.50Euro was a great price point.

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What to Do at the Cruise Port of San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Costa Toscana Review

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Destination Menu: “Michelin star” menus on Costa

Destination Menus: special dishes created by Michelin star chef Bruno Barbieri to make dinners on board Costa Cruises truly stellar.

To travel is to discover and to get to know new cultures and above all… new tastes every day! In fact, to be immersed in a destination is to truly appreciate its food culture, tastes and most authentic flavors. On board Costa Cruises ships it is possible to have this incredible sensory experience to get to know the destinations you are visiting with designer stellar dishes by the great Chef Bruno Barbieri.

Costa Cruises

An unprecedented experience featuring refined tastes and high-quality food, guaranteed by one of the most popular chefs in the world! In fact, the cuisine is one of the most decisive elements when choosing a cruise, the role of the Food Experience is increasingly important and an element that Costa Cruises aims to enhance more and more.

Who would want to spend their vacation without experiencing great food? The collaboration between the Michelin starred chef and Costa Cruises began with the aim of wowing the palate of the guests on board, but also of making the onboard experience unique.

Costa Cruises Menu

Thanks to the collaboration with Chef Barbieri, each evening a DESTINATION DISH is proposed. What is this intriguing novelty? Destination dishes are stellar dishes served each evening to showcase the traditions of the place that will be visited the next day of your cruise. The best thing is that there is a different dish each evening for dinner and they are already included in the package price so there is no additional supplement required.

To create these dishes, Chef Bruno Barbieri personally visited all the destination stops along the Costa cruise ship routes, he observed the characteristics of local agriculture, closely studied the raw materials and the excellent local products and then created delicious personalized regionally-inspired dishes.

During the trip to Civitavecchia, don’t miss out on the delicious “Saltimbocca alla Romana”, a meaty symbol of Roman cuisine. The same goes for Cagliari: you shouldn’t arrive to the port without tasting the delicious “Seafood Fregola”. Fregola is a typical Sardinian dish made up of spheres of wheat semolina. It is a delicious dish that has been made on the island for more than 1000 years and one that shouldn’t be missed!

Careful attention is given to each stellar dish and the aesthetics of the presentation. At the first glimpse your mouth will be watering- the dishes aren’t just beautiful to look at, but also excellent to taste!

The innovative cuisine on board Costa Cruises ships is in perfect harmony with all the comforts that await passengers on board the new flagship, the Costa Smeralda , where you can enjoy authentic Illy espresso coffee drinks and delicious sweets at the Nutella Bar, the only such bar onboard a cruise ship.

Chef Bruno Barbieri is ready to welcome you to his kitchen… are you ready to taste the delicacies he has created with his Destination Dishes?

Don’t miss out on all the information, opinions and Reviews of Costa Cruises on Cruising Journal , with advice, photos and cruise offers.

Giulia Pasetto from Kasba Viaggi

Costa Smeralda

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Costa Dining Information

Costa carries Cruising Italian Style to the next level through their partnership with Michelin-awarded Italian Chef Ettore Bocchia, a pioneer of molecular gastronomy. Many of Costa's a la carte Club Restaurants will be under the direct supervision of Chef Bocchia. The waitstaff and buffet attendants truly show Italian hospitality and go to great lengths to be sure that your dining experience is an unforgettable one. In addition to traditional Italian cuisine, Costa also features cuisines and specialties from around the world. Main Dining Room Policies: Costa guests are assigned to one of two seatings in the main dining room for their evening meal, early or late. The early and late seating times can vary by ship or itinerary, but are usually at 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., respectively. Dinner seating preferences may be requested at the time of booking, but are not guaranteed. Costa neoClassica and Costa neoRiviera offer an innovative concept that offers a flexible dining experience that gives guests the freedom to dine with whomever they wish, at their convenience between 6:30pm and 10:00pm in elegant, upscale venues. Reservations are not permitted in the main restaurants. Seating is based on a first-come, first-served basis. If the restaurant is full, guests will be provided a pager and will be called when a table becomes available. Dress Code: With the exception of two formal nights, the dress code is casual. Appropriate attire for men is slacks and a sports shirt (no jeans), while women are advised to wear slacks and blouse, a sundress or a pantsuit. On formal evenings, men should wear a dark suit or a tuxedo, while women should dress in an evening gown or cocktail dress. Shorts and swimwear are never permitted in the main dining room. Beverage Policy: All beverages except tea and water are at an additional cost. Juice and coffee are included with breakfast. Soft drink cards, good for unlimited soft drinks, are available for purchase onboard. Special Requests: Special meals including low-calorie, vegetarian, no MSG, low/no sodium and low/no cholesterol can be requested. Sugar-free and fat-free desserts are also available. All dining rooms onboard Costa ships are smoke-free.

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Dining Onboard Costa Cruises

Costa Cruises dining options provide cuisine to thrill the palate of every guest on board. From simple, casual dining options that will make you feel at home, to more traditional and even specialty dining options that will have connoisseurs leaving with a smile on their faces. A culinary love affair is something Costa Cruises strives to provide combining skilled and experienced chefs, the freshest ingredients and exciting dishes.

• CASUAL DINING
• MAIN DINING
• SPECIALTY DINING
• ROOM SERVICE

Spectacular sea views, al fresco dining, convenient proximity to the pool and a delicious variety of cuisine available at exciting action stations make the Botticelli, Muscadins, Cristoforo Colombo and others a daily hot spot.

Burger D'Autore

Signature burgers made fresh with Italian beef and still sizzling from the grill round out the menu at Burger D'Autore.

Coffee & Chocolate Bar

Hot chocolate, pralines, milkshakes, crepes, sachertorte, homemade ice cream, flavored coffee and more round out the menu in the Chocolate Bar. Dip your favorite fruit or biscuits in the flowing chocolate fountain. Make sure you stop here to thrill your sweet tooth.

Fresh and piping hot are not the only the words to describe the pizza onboard Costa's ships. Authentic and delizioso also ring true. From fiordilatte mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil to stone ovens and skilled pizza chefs enjoying pizza here is like a slice of heaven.

Pool Grills

Beef burgers, chicken burgers, all of the toppings and more are only steps from your lounge chair on the pool deck. This is the perfect destination for a mouthwatering mid day snack.

Trattoria Italiana

For a casual and accessible Italian dining experience, there is no better spot than Trattoria Italiana. If you want Italian favorites on your schedule with all of the flavors and expectations that you place on fantastic Italian food, Trattoria Italiana is your spot.

Main Dining Room

The beautiful, multi level, main dining rooms in addition to the other main dining venues are showcases for their chefs to create delicious international dishes. Of course, the highlights of the menu are typically Italian, everything is delightful. From prosciutto salad, sea bream filet, osso bucco to decadent desserts this restaurant is a fête for the senses.

The Club Restaurant*

Reserved for Suite guests and the highest level of CostaClub guests, this intimate and sophisticated setting is available for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Dinner service includes menus from both the main restaurants as well as gourmet specialty venues. Reservations Required.

Samsara Restaurant*

Samsara Restaurant’s elegant setting and Pacific fusion dining experience combines the innovation of skilled chefs with traditional recipes and ingredients. Lunch and dinner is complimentary for guests staying in Samsara cabins. Reservations Required.

Tavola Teppanyaki*

Japanese fare is perfectly prepared and presented in this stylish Oriental setting. From sushi and sashimi to other exciting and flavorful specialties everything about this restaurant feels and tastes authentic.

Room Service*

Room service is available 24/7. Suite and select CostaClub guests have a specialized menu including the best of breakfast, lunch and dinner on your schedule. For non suite guests, while the menu may be a bit limited, delicious appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches and desserts are available for all.

*Additional fee applies.

All menus and dining times are subject to change without notice. Some venues are only available on select ships.

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Costa Mediterranea Menus        Click on the thumbnail to enlarge

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Costa Mediterranea Review

Buon giorno! Welcome to Italy! If you're a fan of the boot-shaped country, you'll likely love being aboard Costa Mediterranea. After a few years of "trying to please everybody," Costa -- operator of the only Italian-registered cruise ships -- is returning to its roots, with a renewed focus on its theme, "Italy's finest."

What does that mean? You'll definitely notice it in the main dining room, where there's a pasta course at both lunch and dinner. But you'll also get an exuberant Italian greeting from Filipino cabin stewards, Indian waiters and other staff because, as the ship's hotel manager says, "Anybody can learn to talk with their hands!"

The Italian attitude extends to entertainment and the genial party atmosphere onboard. In the evenings, there are up to seven different dance venues to choose from, playing everything from Italian favorites and dance standards to Latin and Euro-pop. Entertainment staff, known as "animators," lead line dances and conduct wacky events like the "Mr. Costa Contest," which includes a partial striptease by contestants. Adopt an Italian mindset, and it's all hilariously wonderful.

On the other hand, if you like to venture to exotic shores during the day, but return to a little floating chunk of America at night, Mediterranea may not be for you. The Italian-style pizza isn't piled high with toppings, there's a charge for bottled water and a good number of your fellow passengers are likely to be Europeans. Be forewarned: some of your shipmates won't speak English, and ship's announcements will be repeated in Italian, French, Spanish and German.

The ship's over-the-top gaudy interiors take a bit of getting used to. Designed by parent company Carnival's Joe Farcus, they leave virtually no surface unadorned. Prepare for an abundance of bling, with Carerra marble, Murano glass, terrazzo, mosaics, inlaid wood (both real and faux), quite a few bare breasts (on artwork, not passengers), and a flock of Cupids with cherubic penises dangling overhead. Throw in an Egyptian-themed theater and a Chinese-inspired bar for good measure, and you could experience visual overload. Fortunately, Mediterranea's cabins are roomy and low-key in their decor, so your eyes get a break.

The ship received a multimillion dollar refit in November 2013, but this was focused on the hull and mechanical side of the ship. However, some worn items, such as carpets, curtains and upholstery were replaced.

We were pleased with the broad range of shore excursion offerings on our trip, but found the lack of any shore information or port briefings (aside from jewelry-focused information provided by onboard shopping consultants) to be disappointing. No general maps or information sheets are provided, and on our Caribbean cruise, a single orientation lecture covered only available shore excursions. During European cruises, there are informational lectures once or twice per sailing, but no individual port briefings. So if you like to explore on your own -- you're really on your own!

Bottom Line

Fellow passengers.

Costa Mediterranea attracts an international crowd, which varies depending on the itinerary. For European sailings, the vast majority of passengers will be European, with new passengers embarking and disembarking at every port. When the ship moves to the Caribbean, the mix starts to shift, with more and more passengers from North and South America as the season progresses. Though you might expect a lot of Italians, the ship is also popular with French passengers on its Caribbean itinerary, due to a call on French Guadeloupe. Some French passengers disembark here, while locals embark.

The average age of passengers is 55, and the free Squok Club for kids means that it's a popular ship for families, particularly when school's not in session.

Ship staff make a real effort to accommodate various nationalities when it comes to announcements, excursions, entertainment, menus and signage. Major announcements are made in Italian, English, French, Spanish and German -- and there are designated hosts who conduct separate passenger orientations in those languages as well. Many staff are multilingual, instantly hopping from one language to another. On the downside, repetition of info in multiple languages can get tedious.

We thoroughly enjoyed the polite European habit of acknowledging fellow passengers when entering or departing an elevator. Don't be surprised if a complete stranger greets you with, "Bonjour, Madame," or departs with a "Buona sera!" as the doors close.

Costa Mediterranea Dress Code

Mediterranea's evening attire is "elegant casual," which is interpreted a bit differently by different nationalities. For some women, it's slacks and a blouse; for others, it's a spangled spandex minidress. A few men sport a jacket and tie, while others don a polo shirt with the collar turned up, Euro-style. Shorts and tank tops are banned from the dining room in the evenings, though.

Most sailings have two formal nights, where men are requested to wear a jacket and tie or tuxedo, while women are directed to wear a dressy pants outfit or cocktail dress. In practice, outfits were all over the map, from casual to the occasional tux.

Mediterranea also has several theme nights on each cruise, including soirees like "Tropical Night," "Italian Night" (passengers are encouraged to dress in red, white and green, the Italian flag colors), and "White Night" (where white attire is requested, and an outdoor dance party follows dinner, complete with white desserts and white cocktails). Note: The infamous Costa toga parties are a thing of the past, so don't come aboard looking to get your Caesar on.

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Articles on Accessible Cruising » Costa Cruises Presents the New Vegetarian and Vegan Menus That Put Taste and Italy’s Finest on Centre Stage

Costa Cruises Presents the New Vegetarian and Vegan Menus That Put Taste and Italy’s Finest on Centre Stage

Posted: October 4, 2022

Costa Cruises presents the new vegan and vegetarian menus, available for all guests cruising on board the Italian company’s ships.

No matter whether they are chosen as a real lifestyle, to try new tastes or just to feel lighter, vegetarian and vegan diets are becoming more and more popular. That’s why Costa’s Corporate Chefs have created menus specifically for those who prefer a diet based mainly on foods derived from plants, and that for Vegans also excludes dairy products and eggs.

Taking full advantage of their experience and creativity Costa Chefs have developed new combinations and innovative techniques that put taste in the spotlight: in fact, thanks to the use of ingredients from Vegan and vegetarian cuisine, our culinary experts have created dishes that are a real delicacy for the palate.

But, above all, in line with the Italian company’s “Italy’s finest” onboard proposals, Costa Cruises has sought to give an Italian touch to these menus, starting with the vegetarian dishes.

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“ In the Mediterranean diet vegetables are of fundamental importance”, points out Antonio Brizzi , Costa Corporate Travelling Chef , “ and there are numerous vegetarian dishes in Italian cuisine that have always been part of our culinary tradition. The new regional menus just recently introduced on board Costa ships include many dishes that fully satisfy certain needs of many of our guests. For example, in the Venetian cuisine, there is a soup called “risi e bisi” (rice and peas), as well as Treviso radicchio strudel with Monte Veronese DOP cheese. The Ligurian regional menu offers a delicious dish, trenette with pesto, while moving South, and specifically in Puglia, there is dish consisting of celeriac and caciocavallo cheese .”[/pullquote]

By skilfully blending natural ingredients with a passion for cooking, Costa’s Corporate Chefs have created complete menus that from breakfast to dinner and from appetizers to dessert satisfy the needs of our vegetarian and vegan guests, delighting their palates and accompanying them around the world with gastronomic delicacies rich in flavour and genuine goodness.

By communicating preferences to the call center or through their travel agents, our Vegan guests can experience a real onboard sensorial itinerary thanks to the numerous flavours and combinations proposed by Costa Cruises. The wide array of dishes also includes a reinterpretation of the traditional arancino, stuffed with rice and vegetables and served with stewed lentils, a tasty and original hamburger made with kidney beans and served with a garden rocket and apricot salad, cauliflower and fig tempura, flavoured with raspberry sauce or sweet potato and red onion soup. Our vegetarian guests can always savour special and original combinations, such as Porcini mushroom and Savoy cabbage soup laced with fig vinegar, an appetizer consisting of cold zucchini stuffed with goat cheese and toasted almonds, or country-style spaghetti with stewed chick peas and vegetables.

So, a real voyage of taste and flavour that takes into account the needs of all our guests, to offer only the best of real Italian hospitality.

Also See: Vegan Cruises Are No Missed Steak!

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Cruise Like An Italian On Costa Smeralda

By Author Daryl and Mindi Hirsch

Discover what it’s like to leave the daily grind and cruise like an Italian on Costa Smeralda, the world’s fifth largest cruise ship.

When you embark on a Costa Smeralda cruise you have to place all luxury pretense aside and transport yourself to the land of pizza, pasta and Fellini.

This is a ship where fashionistas stroll the corridors while flocks of energetic ragazzi e ragazze play on waterslides and in game rooms. All the greatest hits of Italy are here and, if you can get past some of the cultural differences, Americans like us can jump head first into the Italian mashup.

Pro Tip Don’t cruise without travel insurance !

We love eating in Italy so much that we’ve built a good portion of our website around pasta in Emilia-Romagna , pizza in Naples , truffle hunts, risotto and generous amounts of vino.

Costa ships like the Smeralda serve plenty of Italian cuisine and they do it well. But you’ll need to embrace a variety of Italian cultural quirks when sailing on this ship since only 10% of its passengers are US citizens. Food is just one Italian aspect of the Smeralda experience.

Discover our Italian food favorites .

This isn’t a cruise where passengers should expect to be served hand and foot. However, considering the value of the rooms, it’s easy to justify paying for extras like individual pizzas, a range of Italian salumi, homemade pasta and an excellent steak or two.

During our voyage, we traveled from Barcelona to Rome with two exotic Mediterranean port stops along the way. However, we felt like we arrived in Italy days before we actually disembarked the ship in Rome.

Discover our favorite restaurants in Barcelona and Rome .

Italian Style Cruising On Costa Smeralda

The Italian style of cruising with Costa Cruises is immersive.

We caught the vibe as soon as we boarded the Smeralda and observed an interior layered in chrome and daring 60s retro furnishings. On this ship, chairs are shaped like high heeled shoes and marble laden lounge areas resemble a cross between ancient Roman temples and hair salons. Even the ship’s public bathroom stalls sport a uniquely stylish striped decor that evokes memories of old-school ice cream parlors.

Curious cruisers can peruse CoDe, the unique Costa Design studio curated by Matteo Vercellon. This onboard museum highlights Italy’s role in the design of couture, furniture and automobiles.

However, we were most struck by our initial lunch buffet filled with dozens of cured meats like Proscuitto di Parma, Mortadella and spicy, spreadable Calabrian Nduja… and that was just one station. Another station served piles of cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Fontina and Mozzarella. The kitchen pulls fresh mozzarella on board the ship. You can’t get more Italian than that.

Bruno Barbieri, a Michelin-starred chef and TV personality hailing from Emilia-Romagna, helms Costa’s culinary program. His influence is best experienced in specialty restaurants like the Bellavista Club where dishes include Blinis topped with Italian caviar and freshly made Buffalo Zizzona cheese balls that, in an Italian nod toward unsubtle sexual suggestion, look strangely bosom-like. (That being said, the creamy, fresh mozzarella was super tasty.)

And, while it’s easy to find pizza and gelato on board, there’s plenty of uniquely Italian entertainment too. On this ship, performers croon hit songs like Mambo Italiano without translation or irony. We found oft-performed Italian hits like Musica leggerissima harder to shake from our heads than an Italian attempting to shake a cigarette habit. Good news! Costa Smeralda is non-smoking except in designated areas and on private balconies.

Despite details like marble floors and velvet chairs, cruising on Costa Smeralda is a relatively affordable way to experience Europe without a big price tag. We liken it to RyanAir with its austere, unadorned cabins and an overwhelming number of foods available for additional fees. Since most extras aren’t expensive, we recommend splurging without hesitation on items like sushi, pizza and gelato.

We can easily visualize a group of hipster/gen X friends having a hoot on this Italian cruise. There’s not much better than singing along to That’s Amore and gorging on pizza while floating across the Mediterranean. These kinds of memories last forever.

Cruising with Costa Cruises During the COVID 19 Pandemic Any fears we had about post-pandemic cruising were alleviated by Costa’s comprehensive health protocols that included on-site COVID testing and daily temperature checks as well as mask requirements in all public spaces. The cruise line also limigd capacity to 60% at the time of our cruise.

If you think that the Costa Smeralda cruise ship is big, you are correct. It’s one of the largest cruise ships in the world. Currently, only four ships exceed its size.

Not only is Costa’s flagship vessel the world’s fifth largest cruise ship, but it also has 20 decks, 2,612 cabins and capacity for 6,554 passengers. Launched in 2019, the ship also sports 11 restaurants, 19 bars, a wellness spa with 16 treatment rooms, four pools and one massive water park.

Beyond its impressive stats, Costa Smeralda stands out for its ‘pace not waste’ approach to serving food and its utilization of liquefied natural gas (LNG) fossil fuel.

Staying in a balcony cabin during our cruise was a comfortable way to travel from Barcelona to Rome. Simultaneously simple and comfortable, the 205 square foot room included a firm queen bed, couch, desk and chair. It also featured basic amenities such as a smart television, hairdryer and wi-fi.

We particularly appreciated the cabin’s 45 square foot balcony. This private outdoor space was our ‘happy place’ for viewing sunrises and chilling after a busy day at sea.

Pro Tip Although our bathroom had ample amounts of soap next to the sink and in the shower, neither shampoo nor conditioner was provided. Be sure to pack these necessary toiletries unless you’d rather purchase them on the ship.

Staff And Service

Considering that Costa Smeralda employs 1,678 crew members, it’s no surprise that it’s easy to find assistance when necessary. That being said, many crew members work behind the scenes to ensure safe, stress-free journeys for the ship’s international passengers.

We primarily interacted with food service personnel during our voyage. We found these crew members to be both professional and polite. Further, they were all proficient in English even if it wasn’t their primary language.

With four pools on the ship, swimmers and sunbathers didn’t have to search long for a spot during our autumnal cruise. As a bonus, some water spaces are designed for families and that’s not counting the ship’s ginormous water park.

There’s no bliss like the bliss of a getting a massage during vacation. We achieved this enviable state during a couples massage in Smeralda’s Solemio Spa.

However, massages aren’t the most interesting aspect of the ship’s spa. Unique offerings include a thalassotherapy pool with swings and a snow room filled with actual snow. Brrr .

While gambling isn’t the main event on this family-friendly ship, Costa Smeralda has a full service casino with more than enough tables and machines to satisfy risk-taking cruisers with euros to burn. Gaming options include roulette and black jack as well as video-enhanced slots.

Onboard Entertainment

Costa Smeralda’s entertainment stands out for one main reason – much of it is presented in Italian.

Many of the ship’s performers sing Italian songs, some of which are familiar and some not. To us, the Italian entertainment was a fun element, especially the shows performed in small venues and intimate settings.

Fans of more elaborate entertainment can join the crowds at the ship’s Colosseum and Sanremo Theater. Options at these venues included Broadway-style productions and acrobatic feats during our cruise.

Food is the main event for the majority of cruise enthusiasts… including us. Accordingly, we were pleased to discover a vast variety of dining options during our Costa Smeralda cruise.

While most items available in the main dining room and at the buffet are included in the base cost, the cruise’s more interesting food options require extra fees. While these fees are relatively minor, they can add up if one isn’t careful.

Italian Specialties

When we cruised in Asia, we ate Asian food . When we cruised in France, we ate French food. Likewise, when we cruised on Costa Smeralda, we ate as much Italian food as was humanly possible.

To be clear, finding Italian food on the cruise wasn’t a problem. Instead, the challenge was to find stomach space for the ship’s wide range of Italian cuisine. We’re talking about Neapolitan pizza and Venice ‘s Cicchetti .

And how could we forget the inevitable piles of cheese and charcuterie from Italian cities like Bologna and Modena that tempted us at buffets and restaurants at breakfast, lunch and dinner? We can’t.

After eating our way through Italy before we actually arrived in Italy, these were are favorites and the dishes you shouldn’t miss during your cruise:

Pizza At Pizzeria Pummid’Oro

We didn’t expect to find a full-service pizzeria on a cruise ship, even an Italian cruise ship, but that’s exactly what we found at Pizzeria Pummid’Oro. This cruise ship pizzeria has a proper pizza oven and dedicated pizzaiolos.

More importantly, Pizzeria Pummid’Oro serves excellent pizzas. We sampled the Margarita and Calabrese Piccante pies for research purposes and were more than satisfied with both.

Cicchetti At Il Bacaro Venetian Bar

After first encountering Cicchetti in Verona , we became fans of Italy’s small plate concept in Venice where Cicchetti bars are a mecca for aperitivo fans of all ages. To say that we were happy to encounter a Cicchetti bar on Costa Smeralda is an understatement.

We found the cruise version to be more formal compared to typical Venetian Cicchetti bars. However, it’s still a fun concept and one that we fully support.

Gelato At Amarillo

We rarely resist gelato whether we’re at home in Lisbon or in Italian cities like Bologna , Naples or Venice . After walking by Amarillo, Smeralda’s gelateria, numerous times, we finally succumbed and ordered a double decker cone to share.

Although that tasty cone was both our first and last during the cruise, we returned to Amarillo multiple times to drink the ship’s best cappuccinos. We also ordered a slice of cake one morning and called it breakfast.

Nutella Waffles At Nutella At Costa

Although the chocolate hazelnut spread called Nutella is available around the world today, it was originally an Italian specialty when Pietro Ferrero started selling his creamy creation in Alba back in 1951.

Costa Smeralda serves Ferrero’s Nutella creations at a dedicated kiosk near the ship’s largest pool. Options include croissants, muffins, pancakes, waffles and crêpes. We opted for a plate of waffles topped with Nutella, strawberries and whipped cream. It was a good choice.

Specialty Dining

Beyond Italian specialities, Costa Smeralda offers a range of venues that justify splurging on a special meal or two. These venues serve more upscale food offerings as well as cuisine with a global slant.

Since these specialty venues involve a surcharge, be sure to check the current fees and any reservation requirements to avoid unpleasant surprises or disappointment. Once again, we believe the surcharges are worth the extra expenditure. With a bit of planning, it won’t cost you that much to skip the buffets and eat excellently on board the ship.

We dined at a handful of specialty restaurants during our Costa Smeralda cruise and recommend the following:

• Laboratorio del Gusto (Taste Lab) – interactive cooking experience
• Bellavista Club Restaurant – the ship’s most upscale dining room
• Sushino – all you can eat sushi and sashimi
• Teppanyaki Restaurant – Asian grill with chefs that double as performers

Italian Drinks

Cruising Italian style doesn’t just involve eating Italian food. It also involves imbibing Italian drinks.

Since drinks aren’t typically included in this cruise line’s base fee, we recommend buying a drink package. This approach will allow you to fully enjoy the cruise without feeling ‘nickel and dimed’ every time you order a beverage.

We followed our own advice. Having a drink package enabled us to sample a wide range of beverages including soft drinks, wine, beer, cocktails and specialty coffee. After whetting our whistle at various bars and restaurants, these were our favorites:

Negroni Cocktails

No matter where we are in the world, drinking Negroni cocktails always reminds of Negronis we’ve imbibed during aperitivo sessions in Italy. We certainly felt this way every time we visited the ship’s Campari Bar.

Not only is the Campari Bar gorgeous, but it serves the most classic Negroni we’ve ever tasted at sea. The combination of bitter and sweet is one of our favorites.

Aperol Spritzes

Since its debut in Padua back in 1919, the Aperol Spritz has conquered the world one glass at a time. After drinking the bittersweet cocktail in bars in countries throughout Europe, we can now add drinking an Aperol Spritz at sea to our cocktail resume.

While it’s easy to order an Aperol Spritz at various bars on Costa Smeralda, the smart move is to head to the Aperol Spritz Bar on Deck 17 for the full Aperol Spritz experience. This funky bar is as orange as the cocktail itself which is to say that it’s as bright as the sun during a Mediterranean sunset.

Italy is a wonderland for oenophiles who covet excellent wine produced throughout the country. We’re no exception since we adore sipping Amarone in Verona, Brunello di Montalcino in Florence and Lambrusco in Bologna, just to name a few varietals.

As one would expect, Costa stocks a plethora of Italian wines on the Smeralda. Standout bottles during our cruise included a fruity Nebbiolo from Piedmont and a ruby red Aglianico del Vulture from Basilicata.

Cappuccinos

Taking a five-day Italian cruise is tiring for travelers who want to enjoy activities from dawn to dark. That’s where coffee comes to play.

Having a drink package allowed us to order cappuccinos at any and every cafe and bar. Ironically, we found our favorite cappuccino at the ship’s gelateria. Now that’s a sweet irony!

Cruise Ports And Excursions

Costa Smeralda’s Mediterranean route typically spans a week with stops in Palma da Mallorca, Messina (Sicily), Civitavecchia (Rome), Savona (Genoa), Marseille and Barcelona. However, unlike most cruise lines, this ship allows passengers to board and disembark at any stops along the way.

We joined the cruise in Barcelona and sailed to Rome with stops in Mallorca and Sicily. These were the highlights at each port:

Port 1 – Barcelona

Barcelona isn’t just notable for being our port of embarkation, it’s also Spain’s second largest city and the crown jewel of Catalonia. We first visited Barcelona during our honeymoon in 2007 and returned in 2016 after spending a few weeks in nearby Girona .

This visit was different. Prior to boarding the ship, we ate an assortment of Spanish favorites, experienced gastronomic wonders, scarfed down great pizza, savored fabulous desserts, sipped crafted coffee and drank more than our share of wine. In other words, we lived large in Barcelona before boarding the ship.

Port 2 – Palma De Mallorca

Located in the Mediterranean Sea due west of Valencia , Palma is a Spanish city that doubles as the capital of Mallorca. Popular with sun seekers and wine enthusiasts, the city was established by the Romans and later conquered by the Moors.

While in Palma, we participated in an informative three-hour walking tour that provided us with an introduction to Palma’s sites including the Escollera seafront, the Almudaina Royal Palace and the Cathedral of Santa Maria (also known as La Seu). With a quick stop for tapas and sangria, the excursion whetted our appetites for a return visit to further explore Palma’s food culture in the future.

Port 3 – Messina

Visiting Sicily was our key motivation for accepting Costa’s invitation. The opportunity to taste Cannoli, Sicilian Pizza, Arancini, Cassata and Granita at the source was too big to ignore. Unfortunately, due to pandemic rules, we’ll have to satisfy that travel goal in the future.

Don’t feel bad for us. Instead of eating our way through Sicily, we drank wine instead.

Our Sicily excursion took us from the Messina port to Santa Venerina. This incredible experience at the foot of Mount Etna more than compensated for our inability to explore independently.

In retrospect, this cruise excursion was one of the best cruise excursions we’ve taken. Ever.

While touring Tenuta San Michele’s cellar, we learned about the Sicilian wine-making process before tasting wine along with a spread of locally source meat, cheese and olives in the winery’s delightful garden.

This fun excursion gave us a firsthand introduction to Sicily’s vast viticulture. Enjoying snacks rumored to include donkey meat in a bucolic atmosphere among new friends made the experience even more memorable.

Port 4 – Rome

Ah, Rome. The eternal city keeps pulling us back thanks to its seemingly endless supply of pizza and gelato . Now that we’ve discovered specialty coffee in Rome, we’ll be well caffeinated every time we return to eat pasta dishes like Amatriciana , Carbonara , Cacio e Pepe and Gricia .

Discover our Rome food favorites that transcend pizza and pasta. Then consider taking a Rome street food tour .

Final Thoughts On Our Italian Cruise On Costa Smeralda

Cruising during a pandemic has challenges that start with nose swabs and masks and ends with bubble tours that replace independent exploration. For us, pizza, pasta and Italian cocktails justified the minor inconveniences.

Click here to explore Costa Smeralda cruise options . Who knows? Maybe you’ll find an itinerary that makes your heart sing with Italian lyrics.

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Wanted only to have a rest with a cup of cofee, but when we saw the menu, we decided to have a dinner. And this was good..I had probably the best steak in my life, and all dishes were great too. Service profesional perfect, interior... interesting and pleasant. We ll come again for sure. More

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Family went to Cafe Krasnodar yesterday for the first time. This is an outstanding eatery in beautiful Krasnodar Park near the football stadium. The service, the food and the atmosphere are all first class. They have a wide variety of selections in all areas of... the menu. It’s a good romantic date venue as well as a terrific restaurant for small or medium size groups. We definitely will be back. More

Hello! Thanks for your feedback! We are very pleased that you had a good time in our restaurant! Always glad to see you again!

Cafe Krasnodar - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

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