Does anyone have any input regarding the Costa line. I have been on 14 cruises but I have booked my first with Costa and am hearing a great deal of negative. Will be sailing for a New years cruise, Carribean out of Ft. Lauderdale. Is it true that even out of a US port that most passengers will be Italian? I just came off the GEM/ Med cruise and certainly had no problems getting along with any passengers many of which were foriegn but I was concerned about the staff and communication being it is an Italian line. thanks
Kmathi, I wouldn't be concerned at all. We've sailed Costa 4 times and I wouldn't hesitate to sail again. Yes, most of the crew is foreign, but so are most ships. The "average" passenger will not be Italian, they will, however, probably have children. Costa typically has a lot of children on board, probably because they have some great promotions for children going free or at a greatly reduced fare. All announcements are made in 5 languages, you will have to go through muster with your life jackets on through all the languages. That's the only thing I can say negative about the cruise line. Even though the crew may not speak English well, they certainly will try. A smile and a please or thank you, goes a long, long way. I would cruise on them more often, if they were doing different routes or were here for a longer period of time. If you go with an open mind, you'll have one of the best cruises ever. Their ships are beautiful, too! When you leave port, they play "That's Amore" by Dean Martin. They have toga night, they have tours of the country food/wine tastings. Personally, to me, they're a fantastic value cruise. Don't compare them to other lines, they offer their own product. People mistake the lack of response to arrogance, they're not, they just may not be able to communicate. Again, a smile and a please goes a long way. Yelling and demanding, doesn't work. Here's a link to our cruise pictures on the Mediterranea (Costa), if you care to look. Best wishes!
Thank you...I agree that not being demanding and keeping an open mind is indeed the key to a good cruise. I should know better than to get nervouse when reading reviews....I read a great deal of neg. ones about the GEM and that turned out to be wonderful. thank you again.
Bobj, what might have been a nightmare to you, certainly won't be to others. Costa's customer service is fantastic. It's amazing what a smile and a please and thank you will get you. I had left part of my luggage in Port Everglades, they were fantastic in returning it to me within 2 days. While on board, we had a bit of a problem, nothing major. I went down to the pursers desk and within 5 minutes it was fixed. The crew has always gone out of their way for us, but then again, we're not demanding. We've always had great service. Maybe we're just lucky, maybe we were not expecting something that could not be delivered.
