Topic: costa cruises

QUOTE:

Hi,
I am fairly new to the forum, and really this is to say hello to everyone and to add a few comments about costa cruises.
At long last recently there have been a couple of fair and positive reviews about costa.
I have sailed costa many times and these are my reasons why i choose them over others.
First and foremost it is the itinerarys they pull me back everytime. I was fortunate to travel to the far east when costa first began the destinations, and felt very fortunate and quite humbled to be able to visit Vietnam. only a few short years ago this destination would have been out of reach financially for most and difficult to get to, sailing up the mekong was an experiance i shall never forget.

The Italian experiance, this is how I look at it, when I am on holiday I want everything to be different from home, people, food, entertainment.
The comments that people make about the entertainment make me laugh, has anyone tried entertainment in land based international hotels, I have and most of them are worse than anything i have seen on costa ship. A couple of years ago i took my mother then 86 on the costa magica around the med the entertainment was some of the best i had seen anywhere. My mother is wheelchair bound, costa could not do enough for her, she had never been an a cruise before and loved it. Priceless unforgetable memories.

I am taking another costa cruise in march this is the itinerary for 21 days,
mauritus 2 days ,seychelles 2 days, maldives 2 days, phuket 2 days , cochin 1day, srilanka 1 day, port klang 1 day, langkawi 1day and finally singapore 2 days, there are 7 sea days in this equally spaced. If there is another cruise line out there who put together an itinerary like this let me know. I better stop now or i will begin to sound like a costa sales person which i am not.

I will give a review of this trip when i return
Bye for now Jane

I've often fancied the itineraries in the Far East that Costa do. After reading so many poor reviews, I've searched for alternative companies that offer the same ports of call and there are none. Now that I've read your positive review, maybe I'll send for a brochure too.

many thanks

I sailed on the Costa Marina with my husband in January to Spain, Morocco, Canaries etc. - a great itinerary with 10 ports of call. I must admit I was quite concerned at reading all the negative reports on various websites about Costa but we enjoyed the cruise. I think people expect 5 star luxury for 3 star prices and, although the Marina didn't have the 'wow' factor, it was a very nice ship and friendlier than the large ones because if you got chatting to someone you were sure to see them again. I understand though that some Costa ships are more luxurious.

There were six other people on our table in the restaurant and we all enjoyed the food. Main courses weren't particularly large but as you could have an entree, starter, soup, salad, pasta, dessert, cheese and biscuits you certainly didn't need to go hungry. We preferred lunch in the restaurant because the three times we ate in the buffet when the restaurant was closed when we got back to the ship we found the food lukewarm and it was a much pleasanter experience in the restaurant than wandering round in the busy buffet getting your own food.

it would have been nice to have an English speaking comedian for a change from just visual shows but we found them OK.

Wasn't particularly keen on listening to five languages, especially doing the a quiz, but it isn't something you can't cope with.

it annoyed me to hear some English people complaining when we didn't feel it was something to moan about. One lady said the people on her table were all annoyed because they didn't dock near the main resorts, i.e. in Tenerife they wanted to see the Southern resorts so they should have put anchor down near Los Christianos and tendered them in!!!

I wouldn't be worried about going on a Costa cruise again.

Have you noticed how popular the far east cruises are. The cruises that Costa do in the far east i think are excellent value for money, and are great for those who have never travelled to the far east before providing a little taster of each place, some now include Japan. Some of the other cruise lines are now doing the far east, but many include these ports as part of bigger cruises which is out of reach of many of us mere mortals, with two weeks hols. I believe that Costa are going to add a new destination to its european itinerary, Valencia where you can then take a high speed train to Madrid, If Costa are doing an organised trip then presumably you will also be able to to a DIY trip as well.

Where Costa go I am sure other lines will follow

Jane

QUOTE:

Sorry to sound like I asm interrogating :o. I have never played Bingo either --but one of our travel friends allways goes to the Bimgo .......... and holds us up for eveing meal etc :mad: --so a varied language game will take forever cos even if they are LIT up someone must need to confirm or say the numbers ?? (not played it so really not that sure).


So Cost dont have a commedian ? again NOt that I am a comedy lover --but these guys can be soo funny as a mid week entertainment.


So just what is the entertainment then -- ? on a 14 night cruise ?


Having been use to *looky-soundy likeys*, Comedy - Duo's - oh and karaoke (not that i have ever sung- but do so enjoy seeing those who think they can !!! )

BINGO usually mid afternoon or mid evening, takes forever and costs a fourtune ie £20 a game
The BINGO prize is crap, well if you get it in 25 numbers it is a fortune £2K but Realisticly usually ends up in over 50 numbers and down to £100

I do not and never will play, my wife did once but I edumicated her

What is the entertainment then
Well a full show every evening in the theatre, good but not westend broadway,
Usually lots of dance type routines, magicians, and mimers MOST of the singing is done in English and on several Italian cruises have had famous 60's / 70's artists
Our last one had Boney M who after the show sat with us for a couple of nights watching the other shows They were good company
Around the several other bars/entertainment ther were many groups bands and duo's all done in ENGLISH
A great entertainment were a couple called HO2 , Russians who sange excellent English country and western/pop

Most Europeans have American as their second language Therefore most of the shows are in English, Though they do not do comedians

Jimbo

Thanks for that a slight insight as to whats what with Costa . such great itineries too --- why cant english/europeon do this -- (european laughs at my self) Bearing in mind we hava all done the med and the Carrib .....
Having done static hols when the *translation* has been in a zill diff languages BEFORE english .. I find Costa an off put :-(


I do accept they are Italian .. Just wish someone else would cover their crusies to get away from the *same - Same - same* med and carrib

please post your review on our cruise we looked at the far east and found it to be a good itinery only problem was as our hol has been cancelled it was too late to do this as all the cheaper cabins were gone and it was costing an arm and a leg to do

QUOTE:

The OP review sounds interesting and have just watched on Freeview the Sky Cruise holidays prog.

I have been put off Costa because of its Italian input (yes, i know its an italian ship ). Are announcments made in English ? or Italian first -then a translation ??.

The Tv prog I have just watched obviously only interviewed English speaking ,but they looked to be well into their 60's . (Ok I am 58 -- ) These people just *looked old* and those un interviewed in the backgrounds looked like younger Italian families.

Is the food varied (ie not Pasta most days --picky DH here -- very picky grrrr). So buffet would be our main (prob only eating point )

I have completed 11 Costa cruises, and yet I hate PASTA and Italian food, altough the choice of dishes has reduced over the past two years, you can still find plenty to eat in the MDR's There is also a choice every night of Beef, chicken or one fish dish with chips or jacket potato, on the front of the menu.
Do NOT think you can eat in the buffet every night, this has been hugely reduced on the Serena, to just pizza & salad most nights. (due to waste) you still have a choice of three, soups, starters and mains. in the MDR

The specialty restaurants are worth at least one visit.

The ladies and couples shown on that Virgin/Sky ad, have been shown on other lines as well, and yes English is usually last spoken, generally if it is not in English it is not for you.

Having watched the cruise prog. on TV about Costa cruises we will not be travelling with them - entertainment? Glad we didn't see the prog. before we started cruising otherwise we would have missed such wonderful holidays and meeting new friends.

I didn't think the entertainment on this programme was particularly representative of
Costa entertaiment in general, in my experience,I don't know what other Costa cruisers think.

The entertaiment for me does not make or break the cruise, and not what I consider a major factor in choosing a cruise ship /company

I have made many friends and had many wonderful holidays with Costa, that I could probably not afford with other cruise lines.

Jane

QUOTE:

I didn't think the entertainment on this programme was particularly representative of
Costa entertaiment in general, in my experience,I don't know what other Costa cruisers think.

Jane

In general the shows are quite entertaining and easy to follow even when language other than English is used.
They are light-hearted and a nice way of relaxing after dinner, the evening entertainment in the bars follow a pattern, and one bar or another will feature English songs and music. The Italian seem to dance a lot in the main central lounge bar, but there are so many you can get everything from piano to groups. Making conversation with new found friends enjoyable.