When chunks of parmesan grace the buffet lines in bowls the size of washtubs.

When dining room tables each burn a red candle for the evening meal.

When a multi-cultural group of cabin attendants greets you in the morning with a chorus of “Buon giorno.”

Then, you know you are cruising on a Costa ship.

If you are looking at a Mediterranean cruise out of Venice yet this summer or a 2011-2012 winter sojourn in the waters near Dubai, you might consider Costa’s newest ship, the 3,800-passenger Favolosa.

The vessel, Costa's largest, is an exhibition of design, materials and ingredients with a “Made in Italy” stamp.

Each time I picked out a chunk from the parmesan bowl, pictured above, I could only imagine the price tag for such an extravagance in the United States.

Read more about Costa and the Favolosa at TheTravelMavens.com.