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Name: S Ruger
Email: scr@flinet.com
Age: 65
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 10
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Costa-Romantica
SailingDate: 12/22/96
Itinerary: west carrib
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 60
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Dec 1996
Time: 21:41:56
Remote Name: 206.102.218.32
Remote User:
Comments
This is a beautiful ship, very clean, lots of marble...with resulting sounds! Our only
reservations, echoed by many others...1.difficulty keeping cabin temp at consistent level.
There were thermostats, but did not seem to keep an even temp. 2. Lots of music in bars,
lounges but very loud. There was no lounge that had as one person put it, a nice quiet
cocktail type music for dancing, listening, while conversing. 3. The MC (or cruise
director?) at the show times, was not good. Perhaps he was just starting, but needs lots
of practice. One other thing, many people mentioned...there is no promonade deck, which we
missed. To walk, you must go to the top jogging tract, very windy, few places to sit. It
is still a nice ship, had a good time, but with the above changes, would have been a super
time.
Name: Becky Huber
Email: rbjhuber@bright.net
Age: 39
Occupation: housewife
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Costa-Romantica
SailingDate: 1-19-97
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Feb 1997
Time: 20:02:35
Remote Name: 205.212.112.195
Remote User:
Comments
This was my first cruise and I was impressed. This ship is beautiful with all the marble
and polished metal. The staff
kept everything spotless. The pool chairs are all padded and very comfortable. Toward the
front of the ship are
wicker wrap around chairs that swivel. These were great for relaxing if you chose to be
outside, but did not want the
sun in your face.
The announcements are done in 5 languages, so they take a while. I didn't mind, but some
might.
Soft drink selection was extremely limited. They only had Coke products. The sodas were
not ice cold, but they
were served with ice. I resorted to purchasing Dr. Pepper in Key West and keeping it in
the ice bucket in my room.
Name: Moe Jones
Email: moe1@ptd.net
Age: 50
Occupation: Nurse
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Costa-Romantica
SailingDate: 1/19/97
Itinerary: Western &Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 93
DeckService: 93
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 70
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 93
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 98
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 93
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 70
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 89
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Feb 1997
Time: 10:30:39
Remote Name: 204.186.4.40
Remote User:
Comments
Overall, a wonderful cruise. While I have no other cruise experience to compare, I have
traveled a bit. The serving staff was exceptional. The waiters were efficient and
friendly. I have mobility problems, and they would literally argue over who would assist
me to the table. At the buffets, I was always assisted quickly and graciously. If anyone
needs details about accesibility with wheelchairs, etc., I'd be glad to answer via e-mail.
Other staff,ie: purser, excursion desk and senior crew were informative, but sometimes
brusque.
The ship is beautiful, spacious and kept immaculately clean. Our room, an regular outside
cabin was roomy and comfortable.
The private island is a highlight of the trip. The shore excursions were good. One
complaint - we could not find out the times of the excursions until the night before. This
meant that we could not sign up for two different ones for the same day.
Entertainment in the theatre was truly top rate.
Did I mention the food? In the dining room and midnight buffets it was excellent; many
choices, well prepared and presented. Room service a had very limited selection, rolls,
cold cereal, sandwiches and drinks. But it was usually accurate, prompt and delivered
graciously. The breakfast and lunch buffets were sometimes disappointing and often much
too crowded. The only real disatisfaction of the cruise.
This trip made a real cruise aficianado out of me. While I want to try other cruise lines,
I am eager to return to Costa.
Name: F. M. Sticksel
Email: msticks@ibm.net
Age: 49
Occupation: Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Costa-Romantica
SailingDate: 12/26/94
Itinerary: Carribbean (St.Thomas, Ocho Rios, etc)
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 May 1997
Time: 10:29:46
Remote Name: 130.38.44.9
Remote User:
Comments
This was our fourth cruise and the second one we took our then 5 year old granddaughter on
with us. We had
previously been on Premier (The Big Red Boat), Celebrity, and Carnaval. All left us
feeling somewhat disappointed.
That was definitely not the case with the Costa Romantica. It was a delightful experience
and we hated to see the 11
days end. On our other cruises, none of which were 11 days, we were happy to see them
finished.
The Costa
Romantica is a beautiful ship, very clean and quiet. Even though there was always activity
we never had any
problems sleeping in our cabin, which was on deck 6. It was the msot spacious of any cabin
that we had on other
cruises and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. By the way, don't listen to the people who
tell you cabin size is
unimportant since you don't spend much time there - thats a lot of bull_____. The small
size of a cabin, or lack of
amenities, can definitely cloud your perceptions of the entire cruise experience. The
cabin is necessary if you need
some 'quiet time' where else can you go for a little privacy? In any case we never felt
cramped.
As to the cruise staff,
they treated our five year old granddaughter like a princess, better tha the cruise she
accompanied us on before or
the one since. The three young women who manned the 'childrens activity room' became our
companions on the
shore excursions and our guests at dinner most nights. Toni loved the entire experience
and so did we. Our cruise
with her last year, aboard the Celebrity Zenith, palled by comparison.
We enjoyed the Costa experience in general,
and the Romantic in particular. As a matter of fact I have just booked an 11 day cruise to
the Panama Canal on the
Romantica which sails on 12/11/97. My now 8 year old granddaugher is beside herself with
glee and anticipation.
Name: Murray Schirtzer
Email: murrays@interserv.com
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Costa-Romantica
SailingDate: October 1996
Itinerary: Italy Tunisia Spain France
FoodDiningRoom: 60
CruiseDirector: 20
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 30
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 60
DiningRoomService: 70
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 50
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 60
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors: 50
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 60
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 70
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Aug 1997
Time: 19:05:50
Remote Name: 206.175.223.123
Remote User:
Comments
The European cruise on the Romantica was neither enjoyable for my wife or me. As noted in
the ratings I found the food, excursions, and
access to cruise management to be terrible. The food was worse than most cafeteria food.
The excursion hosts spoke very poor english
and were in most cases not understood. They lost my wife and I in Barcellona Spain at the
beginning of an excursion and we had to find
our way back to the ship. We tried for days to locate a ship manager authorized to refund
our excursion charges before giving up. We
never got to see the cruise director or any other higher level managers. We got dumped in
a poor excuse for a hotel in Rome which we
were charged $100 each for an extra day.
Now for the positives. The ship was clean. The evening lounge music was excellent.
Name: Katherine Holzman
Email: katherine.holzman@bsh.com
Age: 53
Occupation: Advertising Production
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Costa-Romantica
SailingDate: October 19, 1997
Itinerary: Western Mediterraen
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 70
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 70
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Nov 1997
Time: 12:04:15
Remote Name: 206.33.102.66
Remote User:
Comments
The Costa Romantica is a big, beautiful, well-designed ship. Every convenience from a
spacious stateroom to
convenient elevators are easy to negotiate. Loved the ports of call and had consistantly
good experiences
with the land excursions. Details of excursions, passport control, in some ports were
all handled amazingly
well considering that the task of unloading approx. 1,600 people at one time in some ports
is daunting. The
ship seemed to really have this organized.. Shipboard was a bit different. This is
simply a huge, bustling
and often overly chaotic atmosphere that can become a loud, bellowing combination of
high-pitch
announcements,pushing and shoving on elevators and stairs and in ship stores.There is
virtually no mixing
between the various nationalities on board. This can be very disconcerting.The food
was frequently
ordinary,sometimes poor and sometimes very good. Best bets were fish and
pastas.Service was
consistantly very good with top honors to dining room staff and English-speaking
entertainment coordinator.
Room steward was mediocre.
Name: N. and C, Walker
Email: nowrphd@webtv.net
Age: 64
Occupation: pharmacist
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Costa-Romantica
SailingDate: 12-11-97
Itinerary: Panama Canal
FoodDiningRoom: 93
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 88
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 88
GoodForSeniors: 96
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 96
WheelchairAccess: 87
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 89
OverallPortsofCall: 97
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 89
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 70
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 94
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 88
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Dec 1997
Time: 20:38:51
Remote Name: 207.79.35.30
Remote User:
Comments
The ship is a beautiful work of art and has lots of art on it.It is clean, good food, good
entertainment and well worth the money. The casino
seemed a little stingy on the lot machines, which is all we played. The dining room food
tried to mae each plate served a work of art and fairly
succeeded. The entire expierence was a great one and the progrm well-planned. One
disappointment was a broken leg in Jamaica, but
accidents happen. The doctor was somewhat gruff in the beginnng, but grew more personable
as time passed. We had a front cagin on the
Paris deck #7 and id hear the anchor as promised, but it was not disturbing since it was
usedonly morning and nights at ports. I was suprized
at how many of the passengers were repeat customers, but I know why. Those who knew the
ship from earlier cruises commented that the
food was slightly downgraded, but I think maybe that it is just being more Americanized to
changing tastes.On occasion the menu did not
correctly describe the food, but by looking at the 4 translations, one could figure it
out.
Name: Greg Currie
Email: Buster@comnet.ca
Age: 45
Occupation: Manager
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Costa-Romantica
SailingDate: 12-21-97
Itinerary: Western Carb.
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 71
CabinComfort: 91
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 81
DiningRoomService: 92
CabinQuietness: 69
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 81
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 87
DeckService: 93
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 89
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 86
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 72
OverallPortsofCall: 94
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 83
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 87
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Jan 1998
Time: 12:31:42
Remote Name: 206.75.140.11
Remote User:
Comments
Crusie was booked as a Christmas family vacation,with grandparents, parents and two
teenagers. Size and cleanliness of
ship was very good. Very few lineups throughout the cruise. Embark and Disembark
procedures went smoothly for the
number of passengers. High number of children who at times, overran certain activities and
were not kept under control by
their parents. Although the cruise was advertisied as a Christmas crusie very few extras
done to make the atmosphere feel
like Christmas ie: very little music, decorations, etc. Only religous services available
were for Catholic and Jewish faiths. The
announcements in five languages became very annoying. First time I ever heard bingo being
called in five languages,
including instructions.
Dining room was crowded and very noisy, however, food and its presentation was good.
Cruise staff seemed to be geared to
a more European passenger mix. Cabin quietness was very poor. No problem in knowing what
your neighbours were doing.
The space, comfort and amenities in the inside cabin for two adults and two children was
excellent.
Overall, I would rate the cruise experience as acceptable but not close to the standards
we encountered on lines such as
Celebrity.
Name: William Bush
Email: Willb29@aol.com
Age: 50
Occupation: Sales
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Costa-Romantica
SailingDate: 12/21/97
Itinerary: Western Caribean
FoodDiningRoom: 76
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 60
CruiseStaff: 77
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 72
DiningRoomService: 72
CabinQuietness: 87
FoodMidnightBuffets: 79
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 84
FoodVariety: 78
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 91
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 73
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff: 88
EntertainmentLounges: 81
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 79
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside: 86
CruiseActivities: 82
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 86
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 88
DeckSpace: 82
Stabilization: 92
ShopsOnBoard: 79
SpaceRatio: 83
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Feb 1998
Time: 20:22:01
Remote Name: 152.163.201.137
Remote User:
Comments
Review of the December 21, 1997 sailing of the CostaRomantica
Gross tonnage 55,000 Length 220 meters Beam 31 meters Passenger capacity 1364 Crew 580
Constructed in 1993
We booked this line for two reasons. It was available and it was reasonably affordable for
a Christmas cruise. The ports of
call were to be Key West, Cozumel, Ocho Rios, and Grand Cayman. We read a lot about the
line after we booked. Most of
the reviews we read were quite critical. Most of the criticism was directed toward
frequent announcements in five
languages. The other thing mentioned was the instability of the ship. We had a different
take. Here are our observations
and comments. Embarkation The ship was to be available for boarding at 12:30 am on Sunday.
We arrived at 11:45 and
received a number 3 which meant that we would be the third group of 50 to board. Sure
enough, at 12:30 boarding
started. While waiting, we talked to the tour representative who surprised us with the
news that we would not be going to
Ocho Rios, but would dock in Montego Bay instead. This was a little disappointing since we
had been to Montego Bay and
were looking forward to Ocho Rios. Soon it was our turn to board. We presented
documentation, received our cruise
cards, and we assumed we would walk onto the ship. Wrong. We found ourselves in another
holding area waiting for who
knows what. Not only were the ones and twos and threes there, but soon came the fours,
fives, and sixes. So why come
early? Finally, they allowed everyone to board at 1:40. The Ship We were shown to outside
cabin 6087 where our luggage
soon arrived. I was very impressed. Often, your luggage doesn't make it until hours later.
We unpacked and found a huge
amount of storage space. We were able to stow all our clothes with drawers still empty. An
in-room safe took care of our
plane ticket, cash, and passports. The room was quite large-plenty of space to walk
around. The bathroom was even
bigger than most. Our very friendly steward named Raja arrived and gave us a rundown on
everything. Raja did a
tremendous job on this cruise. He was the best steward we ever had. We grabbed a video
camera and went along to
explore the ship. The ship's decor is primarily marble and red and blue enamel. The
stateroom halls and elevators aft
were red. The ones toward the bow were blue. This was useful in orienting yourself. The
elevator went to deck 11 where
you walked out into the main pool and Capri bar. Inside on 11 is the fitness center and
beauty center. A walk up a flight of
stairs puts you at the very top of the ship where there are many lounge chairs and
railings where you can look out over
the sea. This ship has no Promenade deck where you can walk outside all around the ship.
This is a much bigger
drawback than you might imagine. First, instead of the usual 3 or 4 laps to the mile, the
jogging track on top was 10 laps
to the mile on Astroturf. 'So what,' you say, 'I don't jog.' Well, consider this. Lack of
a Promenade deck means that access
to the great outdoors is not very convenient. You have to take the elevator all the way up
to eleven and then climb a flight
of stairs just to get an unobstructed few of the sea. Lounge chairs with blue and white
striped cushions surround the aft
pool. In the very back of the ship was the Terrazza Bar. The Terrazza was one of my most
favorite places on the ship. It is
covered by a huge canvas awning that shields you from the hot sun. You can enjoy the view
and eat breakfast in the open
air from IL Giardino buffet, which is just inside. On this day, the buffet was open for
all to have lunch after embarking. It
was a bit disappointing in quality and very chaotic, which was a harbinger of things to
come. On deck 9 was the very large
casino, which had a huge mosaic along one wall. In back of the Exselsior Casino was the
Tango Ballroom. On the other
side of deck 9 was the Juliet martini bar and the Pizzeria, which was usually open until
1:00am. Toward the front of the
ship was the showroom, the Bar L'Opera. It is accessible from either deck 8 or 9. It is a
stadium type showroom with very
good unobstructed views as long and you don't get stuck behind one of the many pillars or
have to sit on the floor level.
The Piazza Italia Grand Bar is on Deck 8. This is a favorite place for listening and
dancing to music before and after
dinner. Speaking of dinner, Botticelli Restaurant is just down the hall. The restaurant is
large and unremarkable. There is
a deck 14. It's the Diva Nightclub disco. Windows surround this round room. The bar is
stainless steel with blue enamel
walls. Down on deck 5 it the Tour Office and Information Desk/Reception. There is no
atrium on this ship. The Cruise We
finally left Ft. Lauderdale after 8:30pm. This was about an hour late and we had to watch
all the other cruise ships leave
well before us. And, dinner was during sail-away -- a little disappointing if you like to
celebrate Bon Voyage. We had early
sitting for dinner. But, early sitting started at 7:15pm. Why so late? Well, this ship was
about half Europeans and they
don't like to eat too early. That would be no problem on this ship because we generally
didn't get through with dessert
until at LEAST 9:00pm, and usually 15 minutes after that. We heard stories of second
sitting not getting to their table as
late as 10pm. Why did dinner drag on? I can't answer that. It must have been basic
disorganization. Or, maybe I just don't
understand 'Italian Style Cruising.' Dinner in the restaurant was generally good. Our
assistant waiter, Carlos, was
excellent. A genuinely nice person. He is from Peru and his tour is almost over. He does
not know if he will come back.
The next day, we were in Key West. Not much time here, but we did manage to tour the
Hemmingway House and see the
57 plus five toed cats! This was a lot of fun. We had a margarita at Sloppy Joe's and then
reboarded. That afternoon I had
my hair cut and my wife had a body wrap. The salon and fitness people are generally
British. That evening, was the
Captain's cocktail party and formal dinner. Everyone had an opportunity to get their
picture take with Captain Vito
Chiarini. We were supposed to be in Playa Del Carmen at 9:30am to tender passengers and
then sail to Cozumel to dock
at 11:30am. We were told that morning that due to 'bad weather' the night before, we would
be late. Funny, we left Key
West long before the Celebrity Mercury and the Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas,
and yet, there they were when
we arrived. At a result of everything being at least 1-1/2 hours behind schedule, the
careful notes about shopping in
Cozumel were not needed as time did not allow. We took the catamaran, snorkel, beach party
excursion, and despite rain,
had a great time. Wednesday was our first day at sea. Be sure to get to the pool early. If
you don't, you won't get a deck
chair where you want. I can't recall all that we did on Wednesday, I think we mostly
relaxed. That night we went to the
midnight buffet. It was laid out in the galley, reminding me of a big
raiding-the-refrigerator escapade. Notice I haven't
said much about shows. That's because I didn't go to many. I DID go to the one entitled
Cirque De La Mer. While this will
certainly never be mistaken for Cirque Du Soleil, it was entertaining enough, with a very
good juggler as the star.
Thursday was Christmas. We were in Montego Bay, Jamaica. We took a relaxing river raft
trip and then went shopping.
There was also a lot of stuff for the children, including a Santa. Costa put a fruit and
nut basket in everyone's stateroom.
The steel drum band, Fun Time, played some Christmas medleys. They were from Grenada and
were very entertaining all
week. Friday morning we were at Grand Cayman where we had to tender. In typical Costa
regimentation we had to take a
number and wait to be called. Maybe they just know their clientele. One Italian
'gentleman' was screaming and waving his
arms, obviously upset that they wouldn't let him board the tender without a number. His
blood pressure must have been
skyrocketing. This is as good a time as any to discuss the most biting comment I have to
make. I don't want to offend
anyone-but to leave it out would be dishonest. At least half of the passengers were
international guests. If this makes you
uncomfortable, you might want another cruise line. Although I am generalizing, it is
apparent that Europeans (not the
British) have no concept of what it means to wait one's turn. And they also have not
caught on to the fact that it is
probably a good idea to let people exit an elevator before you push your way on. In short,
they could be seen to be rude.
Back to Grand Cayman, in a continuing theme, we were the last ship to get tendered to the
island, long after RCL and
Celebrity. We went shopping, and then took an island tour. We were scheduled to snorkel
with the stingrays, but my wife
was not feeling well so we cancelled that. Saturday we were at sea all day. After sunning
on deck, the weather turned
cloudy at noon and became stormy with rain and wind. I was impressed by how well the ship
handled rough seas. That
night was Roman Night. We were expected to wear a toga to the 'Bacchanal' dinner. They
delivered bed sheets and
crowns to our room that afternoon. We had a pretty fun time actually, even though it was a
little silly. After dinner the
calypso band played in the Piazza Italia and the dance floor was full. One last attempt to
'get even' at the casino and it
was time to pack. Sunday, we expected the usual zoo for disembarkation. Surprise! We had
breakfast at 8-8:30am and by
9:30 we were off the ship and had our luggage. It could not have gone smoother. Summary
Here are a few miscellaneous
observations about this cruise: We ordered room service once and after two hours we called
and were told they didn't
have the right room number even though I gave it to them twice. Our super steward, Raja,
personally went down and got
it for us! By contrast, when we put the card out for continental breakfast to be
delivered, it always arrived promptly. There
is basic disorganization. The ship was never anywhere on time. The service in the dining
room was SLOW-and I suspect
this was the kitchen holding things up. There was a lack of personnel at the buffets, so
tables went uncleared, and there
was frequently no glasses or silverware. The tendering process took far too long. Once, a
passenger dropped and broke a
bottle of rum creating a dangerous situation on a ship with over 300 children aboard.
Costa personnel simply called
maintenance and walked away. Only another passenger and I seemed concerned enough to stay
there and warn people
to be careful. The lifeboat drill was not held until 4pm of the second day! Why have one
at all? There were no self-serve
laundry facilities. The rules about no children in the casino were flaunted with impunity.
At times there were children
openly playing slot machines. On the last night there was a power failure and the dinning
room went black. Okay, these
things happen, but there was never an explanation for this. Wow. That's a lot of
criticism! Well, guess what? We still had a
good time on our vacation. I don't know if we would cruise this line again, but if you
have already booked-go and enjoy
yourself. There was a lot of good food and drinks and nice people to meet. Our room was
great and we had an interesting
experience. Bon Voyage.
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