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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Sonja Megenity
Email: smegenity@hotmail.com
Age: 30
Occupation: cruise travel agent
NumberOfCruises: 30
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: Costa-Victoria
SailingDate: 04/23/00
Itinerary: San Juan, St. Thomas, Catalina Island, Nassau
Cabin: 10
FoodDiningRoom: 88
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Jun 2000
Time: 13:41:07
Remote Name: ts027d26.det-mi.concentric.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was an excellent cruise overall. I sailed on the Costa Victoria with my mom on Easter Sunday 04/23/00. It was
my mom's second cruise, and needless to say, she did not want to come home.
The Positives:
Embarkation was very organized. We had our documents processed and were on board the ship within a half hour
of the scheduled embarkation time.
Our cabin was wonderful, category 10, cabin number 10454. It was a nice and roomy 165 sq ft, extremely quiet, and
had lots of drawer space. We also had a great cabin stewardess. Rosa was always accessible, very friendly, and
completely accommodating.
The ship was clean and elegant, with lots of Italian flair. The murals were breathtaking as were some of the
sculptures. Shops were very nice, as were all public areas.
Dining room service was fantastic in the Sinfonia restaurant, much better than our last cruise with Costa. The food
was well prepared, with a wide variety of choices. I especially liked the pasta and soups. Costa also did a few
"Italian" things in the dining room. On our first formal night the waiters came around with roses for all the ladies,
then serenaded us to Italian melodies.
The Concorde Plaza was our favorite hangout before and after dinner with great drink prices and a surprisingly
good band. This lounge is one of the prettiest on the high seas. It spans 3 decks and has this amazing waterfall.
The make up of passengers leaned heavily towards a Euro mix; a real melting pot. There were approximately 1200
Americans, 600 Italian/Greek, and 150 Canadians. Not once did I feel like an outsider as I had felt on a previous
Costa sailing. The activities were plentiful, and my mom & I especially enjoyed the afternoon bingo sessions. We
went to the shows every night, and thought they were average cruise ship fare. Toga night was a big deal on this
Costa cruise. So, be prepared to see more than half the ship dressed up like the Romans.
The cruise staff, and service in the buffets, lido, and by the pool area, were uniformly good. The cruise director Ray
Rouse was funny and charming. He was perfect for Costa's target market - sassy but not to risqué.
We felt the shore excursions were reasonably priced and offered something for everyone. One of our ports of call
was Catalina Island. It was a great day at the beach. The cruise line offers all water sports, and just plain lying
around. I especially liked the floatable rafts you can rent. Be sure to bring your sail & sign card with you, as that is
your only way to tents the floaties and snorkel equipment. They also do a GREAT beach B-B-Q with all the fixins.
This was definitely one of the highlights for me, and most passengers agreed. Catalina Island is one of the nicest
private islands I've seen.
In San Juan we walked around and did some bargain shopping. San Juan does have a new feature that might
interest some of you. Soapy's is a new Internet café (for those of you who have to check e-mail). The prices are
reasonable. I paid $5.00 for 15 minutes of Internet access. The connection was surprisingly quick.
Then it was on to the shopping capital of the Caribbean, St. Thomas. We found St. Thomas as charming and
crowded (there were 6 ships in port) as ever. Mom & I stopped at a great restaurant named Hard Wood Grill for a
refreshing margarita and a sandwich. Great food and warm smiles, I would highly recommend it if shopping has
'pooped' you out.
Now, for the Negatives:
There weren't too many, but I have to mention a few. The main one: teenagers. They took over the disco every
night. For those of us over 16 this was a real bummer. The DJ couldn't have been more than a few days over 21 as
he would play the too loud techno crap that all the youngsters wanted. I complained to the pursers desk but to no
avail - no one ever kicked them out.
Announcements were done in 6 languages every day. This was quite irritating as it took almost 20 minutes before it
was over. I know this is a necessity on an international cruise line but being awoken by this while lying by the pool is
simply annoying.
Room service menu could be spruced up a little bit. The offerings were few, three sandwiches choices, some fruit,
or cereal.
Overall, these negatives were minor, and we had a great time on this cruise. Will we sail Costa again? Absolutely!
Its reasonable price (check out the site for some fantastic specials) makes it an excellent choice for cruise lovers of
all ages and nationalities.
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