Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises, now part of the Carnival group, started life as a cargo shipping company in 1854 and was a family owned company.
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During World War Two one of their vessels was commandeered and converted to a troop ship and after the war it became Costa's first cruise ship.
Eventually they converted to being a passenger line only and they now have 14 ships, with three more on order. At one time they were one of the largest cruise lines in Europe.
The ships are all Italian registered and definitely have an Italian feel. They are also recognisable by their distinctive yellow funnels. Interestingly when sailing out of the USA the line doesn't pander to the American market and still retains it's authentic ambiance - of course whether that particular ambiance suits you is a matter of personal taste.
On average Italians account for between 25-30% of the passengers, closely followed by passengers from France, Germany and Spain with Brits accounting for around 10-20% and Americans 5-15% depending on the route.
Although an Italian line, English is used as a universal language on board, although Italian is still give primacy.
Costa cruises tend to have a cheap headline price although you will have to pay for things on board you may not expect to have to pay for with other cruise lines. For example there is only free water available at limited times. Likewise, unless you buy a package that specifically covers it then you have to pay for tea and coffee throughout the day, except at breakfast.
My advice is to book a cruise which includes a Pranzo and Cena mealtime drinks package included and then upgrade to the Brindiamo package for €10 a day each, once onboard. We are not great drinkers by any means but the package also included tea and coffee so it was worth the extra cost.
Surprisingly, for an Italian ship, if you want a pizza you have to pay €8.50 for one - they don't even offer "free" ones in the buffet.
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Also, be cautious of the premium dining rooms, where you are charged more, however the menu on offer is exactly the same as in the main dining rooms, so you're paying extra simply for a choice of dining time and eating in a smaller restaurant.
Another thing to watch out for is, before the cruise, you will be offered the chance to order special meals in the main dining room in advance, for example fillet steak, lobster, giant prawns. Resist the temptation of ordering these in advance as, certainly on the cruise I was on, they were being offered on board at between 30-50% cheaper than the pre-booked price.
Meals in the main restaurants are very good with a five course menu availably every night, although by the fourth night it was a struggle to manage the full five courses. However quality does vary between ships.
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The buffet is more disappointing with limited choice and most options being available every day it became very repetitive and quality was much more variable than in the main dining rooms.
Like most cruise lines excursions come at a cost, although you do have the guarantee that if the tour is delayed the ship will wait for you, whereas going it alone if you're late back from a trip there is every chance you'll see the ship sailing off into the sunset and you may or may not find your bags waiting on the quayside. However do your research as some of their excursions really are rip-offs - the actual trip may be good but it's extortionately overcharged.
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Costa charge the usual ubiquitous "service charge" which varies from route to route but is around €10 per person / per day. However, unlike other cruise lines this charge in non-negotiable and you cannot have the charged removed onboard. The only possible way you may get it refunded is by making a complaint to the customer relations department after the cruise, if you have had a specific issue but there is still no guarantee you will get a refund. Also, unlike most other cruise lines, they charge the account to your credit card on a daily basis which means you potentially can pay a lot more in international transaction charges if your card is not in the same denomination as the onboard currency.
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So what is cruising like with Costa - I suggest for UK cruisers it's going to be a Marmite cruise line. It is cheap but in terms of value you do get very good value for money. However this is offset by the make up of the passengers and there is very much an Mediterranean ambiance. So if you come prepared for the culture shock, the inability of your fellow passengers to queue and a laid back, very informal, approach you'll be fine.
The other interesting factor being on such an international ship is the variety of languages. If you go to a show be prepared for announcements in up to half a dozen different languages - think Eurovision Song Contest and multiply it by three or four. Worse of all is the safety drill where it is, first of all carried out in Italian, it takes about five minutes, then you have to go through it all in English - thankfully it doesn't then go through the remaining languages - they're told to read the leaflet in their cabin - it does however make what is already a drag even worse.
If however you prefer the more formal style of lines like P&O and Cunard, then you will probably feel like a fish out of water.
There is a "dress code" on board Costa cruise ships but it is entirely voluntary ..... for example on the Gala night no more than a dozen couples wore the full DJ and formal dress suggested. Remember the definition of smart and elegant is not universal.
Having said that I am one of those who prefers the formality of P&O but, walking in with my eyes open and knowing what to expect. After my first cruise with then on Costa Victoria I said I would have no problem sailing with them again, however I now have a different view having experiences Costa Smeralda. If I did cruise with them again it would only be on a smaller ship. Unfortunately, like many cruise lines, Costa seem to be moving away from smaller towards larger vessels.
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