http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/ 422-217 http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/reviews/cruise-reviews/costa/costa-favolosa.html Having just recently been on Costa Favolosa, I would like to give my views on the cruise. Firstly, the ship is beautiful, I have nothing but praise for it, the cabins were light, airy and a good size. The food was excellent, and the evening shows were first class. Everything was very well organized. I would like to mention, my husband and I are a mature English speaking couple and we chose the cruise because of the port of calls. However, if we had had a young family with us, the whole trip would have been spoilt for them due to the lack of English spoken during the days activities. We also found some members of the staff a little unfriendly due to our lack of the Italian language. We also found it a little annoying having children in the casino, i know they are not allowed to play the machines, but them being there was a distraction. ]]> Sat, 01 Oct 2011 20:54:17 -0500 141-214 http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/cruise-reviews/costa/costa-victoria.html We cruised from Italy to Argentina in December 2010. This was our first Costa cruise and was disappointing. The ship although older was adequate, the dining and cabin staff were good, but the staff from the Front Desk upwards were awful. The daily information given to passengers was often incorrect. We would be informed that we would be passing through an area of interest around a certain time and then would be there maybe 4 or 5 hours earlier, meaning that people missed them. I have never been on a cruise when so little information was given to passengers. There were different nationalities on board but normally information can be given in maybe 3 languages as it is a fact that English is a means of communication for many people. Our cabin was sub-standard, and throughout the cruise various patching up and cleaning took place to try and bring it up to an acceptable level. It certainly seemed to have missed any form of inspection prior to the cruise. The food was variable, could be good or bad. The dining staff for the most part were helpful and friendly, and tried their best to make up the deficiences. Although cruises are now fairly informal, a holiday camp atmosphere existed on The Victoria. There were a lot of complaints from the passengers and complementary bottles of wine and flowers were much in evidence. The trips were badly organised and poor value for money. We have friends who cruise Costa frequently and they find it hard to believe how bad our experience was. This is not a ship that I could recommend to anyone, and I would be most unlikely to cruise with Costa again. ]]> Sun, 10 Apr 2011 22:41:46 -0500 133-199 http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/cruise-reviews/costa/costa-fortuna.html This was our first cruise and knowing we wanted a European cruise and the best deal we choose the Costa Fortuna. We didn't know what to expect though after we booked we read lots of reviews giving a negative impression. This got us worried but after our cruise we thought most of these are unfounded. The ship was really nice and the staff did a good job of keeping it clean. The food was good so I don't know why some complain. The staff worked so hard all the time that I felt sorry for them I even tipped extra to a few individuals. Entertainment was catered to the many nationalities but it wasn't the best. I was mildly entertaining. This is an Italian ship so expect that the majority will be Italians on board and their customs are different than ours. Anyone from North America were definitely the minority onboard. The ports and itinerary were good which is why we choose the cruise. I thought it was a really good cruise though I wouldn't rush to cruise on Costa again. ]]> Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:29:42 -0500 315-188 http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/cruise-reviews/costa/costa-deliziosa.html We just got back a few days ago from our cruise on the Costa Deliziosa. We have cruised many times before this but never with Costa. We have tried Princess, Holland America, RCCL and Carnival. The Costa Deliziosa is a new ship which is a definite plus and everything was in good shape. So the ship itself gets high marks. The line up to get on the ship was painfully long. I am used to getting onboard within 20 minutes but this took over an hour. They only had 3 desks open which seemed small considering the number of guests are close to 3000. The cabin was new, clean with plenty of storage space. The room stewards were very helpful and did a good job keeping the room clean. Don't expect any TV as there is only one English channel and that is BBC World. The announcements are done in 5 different languages so you just had to wait for English. Most of the crew did speak enough English to communicate. We tried the ships shore excursions which were good but we found it expensive. Later in the cruise we went of the boat and worked out deals with local companies. Good way to save money. Food was the only real disappointment onboard. The buffets were okay and for the evening buffet they only served pizza and one pasta dish. The main dining room served average food and this is where we missed Princess. Internet is very expensive onboard so we didn't use it much. In general I would only sail again with Costa if they offered me a really good deal I would sail with them again. Otherwise I think I would choose a different cruise line. ]]> Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:10:57 -0500 138-156 http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/cruise-reviews/costa/costa-pacifica.html The Costa Pacifica is really a beautiful looking ship and very clean. It is similar to Carnival Ships deck plans but everything done with a European style. We had a balcony cabin which we really enjoyed and was worth the extra money. We used it more than we thought we would and just enjoyed relaxing out there. The staff onboard were the best we have ever had on a cruise ship. We have only sailed Carnival before though. The staff were always curteous and so willing to help. The food is not meat and potatoes as some Americans would like. Though the food is very good and plentiful. There was a lot of choices at the buffets and even healthy choices as we are on a specific diet. If you like food to your room we found room service is very limited. The entertainment was so/so with some of it we liked and others not so much. The people onboard our cruise were mostly Italians so we were a minority. There were only a 100 English speaking people on a ship that carries 3700. I would definitely sail on the Costa Pacifica again you just have to keep an open mind. ]]> Tue, 04 May 2010 18:20:44 -0500 138-145 http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/cruise-reviews/costa/costa-pacifica.html Well after reading many reviews on the Costa Pacifica we were a little nervous. After our cruise we found that these were unfounded. It is all about expectations if amenities are important to you stick to some of the other cruise lines like RCCL, Celebrity or Holland America. Not that the Costa Pacifica doesn't have any but is more a European style instead of North American. The ship itself is beautiful and everything clean and well taken care of. There were few English speaking people on the cruise but we enjoyed hearing all the different languages and even allowed us to learn some new words. The customs of the people are different like people pushing into the elevator as it opens not even allowing people to come out. We didn't mind but I know this bothered other North Americans. All the announcements are in different languages but you just listen to the one you want. They are not announcing things all the time so it is fine. The cabins are nice and we were quite comfortable. The only English speaking channel on the TV is BBC so don't expect much. I should mention we did get a really good deal compared to other cruise lines for this cabin. The food was very good onboard and we enjoyed all of our meals. It is European food so different than what we are used to at home. First Dining has a lot of families with screaming kids. However we find the parents just let them scream and don't try to quiet them. Doesn't make for a relaxing dinner. The buffets onboard were a hit or miss on the food quality. Sometimes really good but other times not our favourite. The Gym is just packed which made it hard to find machines and have a good workout except on port days. Also people were a little rude about waiting for machines and many didn't use the equipment right. The staff onboard were all friendly and very helpful. They went out of their way to help us with our requests. In conclusion I would sail with Costa again. Would I recommend them for everyone, no. It really depends on the type of person on how they will like this cruise. If you like the itinerary and are an easy going and flexible person than you will enjoy the Costa Pacifica. ]]> Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:00:19 -0500 138-122 http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/cruise-reviews/costa/costa-pacifica.html Before you board a Costa ship you have to realize that there will be a lot of different people from different countries. For that reason you will hear announcements in five different languages. The people though were all really friendly and we even leared some sayings in different languages. The inside room which we had served its purpose. It was clean and well maintained and easily fit all our luggage. The staff was friendly and really do try to help you in any way they can. The food onboard isn't typical American Food but instead more European. Don't expect your steak and potatoes for dinner. Overall a great cruise that we really enjoyed. ]]> Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:24:10 -0500 138-112 http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/cruise-reviews/costa/costa-pacifica.html I knew before this cruise what Costa was going to be like. I also got an incredibly good deal on the cruise and liked the itinerary. Here is what I thought. When we arrived we were quickly onboard the Costa Pacifica. They do things a little different with your credit card and passes being received onboard. The cabins have alot of storage space and generally an ok decor. Everything was clean and well maintained. Don't expect to watch much television as only one channel is english and they don't offer free movies. There were alot of children onboard as kids travel free with Costa. The food was not steak or what I was used to. It is an Italian line and so they serve Italian food and not western style Italian food. So you can expect really good pasta. Overall we enjoyed our cruise though Costa is not our favourite cruise line to travel with. ]]> Fri, 09 Apr 2010 23:42:02 -0500 128-91 http://www.cruisereviews4u.com/cruise-reviews/costa/costa-allegra.html I just came back from my trip on the Costa Allegra, the bad: chaotic boat drill with so many languages and english was 4th or 5th. the food started off good but got colder and served luke warm. drinks were expensive though most cruises are like that. The entertainment was horrible with only a few good acts. The good: Quick embarkation the ports. I won't be travelling again on the Costa Allegra ]]> Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:37:23 -0600