Costa Cruises

ABOVE: Costa Magica in Naples, Italy. INSET BELOW: Costa Victoria in Dubrovnik, and a close-up of a Costa ship's stacks and waterslide.

Costa Crociere is the largest cruise line in Europe, with a fleet of 14 ships. The company, a subsidiary of Carnival Cruises, is based in Genoa, Italy and welcomes English-speaking travelers aboard its multilingual voyages.

Unlike most cruise lines, Costa has a Mediterranean season that runs throughout the year. It also operates Northern European cruises in the warmer months. Several transatlantic crossings are sandwiched into the schedule, since a number of Costa ships operate in the Caribbean during the winter.

Costa Cruises attracts a younger crowd in Europe than many U.S. and British cruise lines do--especially during school breaks, when children and teens are likely to be on board. If you're looking for a chance to cruise with a middle-class crowd from the Continent, Costa should be on your shopping list. (We've cruised with Costa, and we had a great time.)