Ship of Spas: Costa Serena
You can tell the Samsara passengers in the spa; they re the ones who don’t change from slippers and robes, since they take their private elevator directly back to their staterooms without passing through the public areas of the ship.
osta’s new Serena debuted this spring with an expanded, fine tuned version of the ground-breaking spa staterooms on the Costa Concordia last year that generated announcements from a number of cruise lines that they were building their own versions of the concept.
The Concordia’s Samsara spa accommodations, connected directly into the spa by a private elevator that runs through a waterfall, were snatched up instantly, and Costa promptly increased the number from 67 to 99 on the Serena and announced that Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea would be retrofitted next spring with 97 spa staterooms and suites each.
The 23,000-square foot Samsara Spa is an exact duplicate of the Asian-themed one on Concordia, on the principle that if everyone rhapsodizes about something, you don’t change it.
You d think there wasn’t much you could do to distinguish treatment rooms on a ship, but these are wonderful rooms looking out on little individual gardens with seats and gates and panoramic views of the sea beyond. Two rooms are quite large couples rooms with private Jacuzzis for use after treatments, and the recovery room is extraordinary, with gauze-curtained four poster beds and a silent and soothing atmosphere, miles away from the activity of the ship. Services include a wide range of facials, massages, wraps, anti-aging treatments, skincare combinations and more. There is also a full line of Ayurvedic treatments and barbering for men, which includes skincare.
Ayurvedic teas are offered and there is a spa menu for teens, as well, and the latest form of tooth-whitening at prices significantly lower than most land based facilities offer. The Thalassotherapy Pool is enormous, about the size of a generous swimming pool, but filled with jets of heated seawater and completely relaxing beneath the suspended giant Foo Dogs.
The fitness area is beautiful and well equipped with TechnoGym equipment, weights and cycles, and has a 
special room within a room that can be sectioned off with draperies for meditation classes. Complimentary stretch and aerobic classes are held daily, and there is a small fee for sessions in Pilates, yoga, spinning and music therapy.
Samsara guests have a table reserved at the Ristorante Samsara three meals a day (they can also chose to dine elsewhere on the ship as they wish). Colorful kimonos line the walls and a wellness menu supervised by Michelin starred chef Ettore Bocchia celebrates his molecular cuisine, which produces greatly enhanced flavor as well as lower fat. Bocchia’s dishes are so exquisite that Costa later made the decision to feature his cuisine in the alternate dining restaurants on board their ships (with a fee). In the spa restaurant the food is luscious and definitely not what some patrons expected, with a gorgeous breadbasket and fabulous desserts.
Samsara guests find boxes of Elemis hair and 
skincare amenities in their rooms, and they receive a Welcome Ritual and an invitation to the Tea Ceremony. The spa staterooms come with admission to the Relaxation Area and Solarium and unlimited access to the giant Thalassotherapy pool.
They can also book two of the fitness classes that normally have fees free of charge; if one member of a couple doesn’t want a class, the other can have all four. Two complimentary spa treatments also come with the accommodations, and switched between passengers in the same way. You can tell the Samsara passengers in the spa; they re the ones who don’t change from slippers and robes, since they take their private elevator directly back to their staterooms without passing through the public areas of the ship. Fares for these Samsara staterooms and suites run about 20% higher than the usual rates, an incredible deal, since the use of the restaurant would far exceed the additional rate if you paid for the meals.
Costa Serena itself is mysterious and lovely, themed for Greek and Roman mythology from the Pantheon Atrium 
to the Grand Bar Apollo. Gods and goddesses float above the atrium among their clouds, dressed in stunning costumes. The 6,000-plus works of art on the ship are so individual and so well chosen, they are light years away from usual public art. The extremely comfortable staterooms, decorated in rich, muted colors, have their share of original lithographs, usually modern takes on classical themes.
The ship’s four swimming pools (two with retractable domes for inclement weather), jogging track and sports deck receive enthusiastic use, as does the real Grand Prix race car simulator, the same kind used to train Formula One drivers. For those who like their exercise in the early morning hours, the disco is stylish and packed.
This winter the Costa Serena will offer 10- and 11-night cruises to the Canary Islands. For more information see www.costacruise.com.
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