New To Costa

[boatlover]

Hello -

We are seriously thinking about booking the Costa Magica. We have cruised before so we know the basics, but never on Costa, and never on a ship this large.

Questions -

#1 With that many passengers does the ship feel crowded? Is it noisy? Are there long lines for food or tenders?

#2 I understand that many different languages are spoken. That's fine, always interesting to hear other people communicate in a language different than my own. My husband and I speak limited German and French. But what about movies and tv? Many English choices? I don't plan on watching much but you know when the mood strikes it is nice to have something available.

I know I will think of more questions but I'll start with these for now.

THANKS!

[mondello]

Hello -

We are seriously thinking about booking the Costa Magica. We have cruised before so we know the basics, but never on Costa, and never on a ship this large.

Questions -

#1 With that many passengers does the ship feel crowded? Is it noisy? Are there long lines for food or tenders?

#2 I understand that many different languages are spoken. That's fine, always interesting to hear other people communicate in a language different than my own. My husband and I speak limited German and French. But what about movies and tv? Many English choices? I don't plan on watching much but you know when the mood strikes it is nice to have something available.

I know I will think of more questions but I'll start with these for now.

THANKS!

Hi BoatLover, I was on the 3/5-3/12 Magica cruise of the Eastern Carribbean. We had a full ship of 2,700+ and I thought there was plenty of room for everybody. I had an inside cabin on Deck 9/Giotto and my wife and I had a great time. We only had to tender at Catalina Island, which was just a short haul over to the private island. The tender wait varied depending which tender you were on. They had a big one that took longer to load up and also used some of the ship's lifeboats. I didn't think the tender wait was long but others have had long waits on the Western Carribbean. I was very impressed with the design and delivery of the food service. There was open seating for breakfast and lunch in the 2 big dining rooms. The Bellagio Buffet up on Deck 9 featured multiple serving stations in a large rectangular setup. You could walk around the corner a find something different or a shorter line. Easy to get a table with a view of the water with the buffet seating areas stretching down the sides of the ship. There are pools and hottubs fore and aft of the buffet. There are a lot of the ship's activities & entertainment staff functions going on, in addition to the Calypso band's 3 sets a day, so Deck 9 is definitely a popular area. The Teatro Urbino was a very nice multi-level theater which hosted the nightly shows. The shows were performed twice nightly to accomodate the 2 dinner seatings. There were many different lounges with music/dancing. The casino seemed popular enough, although it is on the small side. My wife loved the shows and entertainment. Plenty of options and usually plenty of room. The table games in the casino were very limited, just 1 each of Carribbean Poker and 3 Card Poker, so I had to wait for a seat to become available, but that happens in a lot of casinos. The disco was basically given over to the teens, but there were plenty of dancing areas available for the adults,too. I wasn't very impressed with the TV offerings, but I didn't really take the time to see what the different channels were. They replay the nightly shows from the theater on the shipboard channels in addition to shows about shore excursions and other ship information. It's kind of like a hotel without cable, not a wide variety of choices to watch, but there is so much to do that you won't miss TV much. I would definitely recommend the Magica Eastern Carribbean cruise, which I thought was great value for the cost. After I booked I saw free upgrades available from Costa. Next time we will probably go for a veranda cabin. We got to look at one the last day before we left and I loved it.

[joetrizeo]

boatlover, welcome to costa

 

What other lines have you sailed before?

I see you were booked on the Star Princess before it burned, hope that wasnt too dissapointing. Have you booked another cruise?

 

mondllo's advice is sound. I cannot comment on your questions because my ships was less than full capacity and i did not watch any tv (except for the information).

 

Since you are use to other cruise lines and new to costa my advice to you is research this cruise line carefully. This IS NOT your normal cruise some might be use to. Read reviews, there are a ton of them and they have many good questions already answered. Also check out some pictures. This is cruising italian style, not just italian themed, flare or taste, but litterally hard core italian style 100% around.

 

I loved it

 

-Jim

[packercruising]

I'll just say, "Yeah what Jim said" :) Not crowded at all. Friendly people, great service and food. Not much waiting in line any more than you would expect. No MGD :( We were on the same cruise as Jim. We were on the Glory last year which is the same size and it was very crowded and not nearly as nice.

[boatlover]

Thanks for the response. Yes joetrizeo, I was booked on the Star. It was a huge disappointment but so goes life, things happen. Princess is covering all of our expenses and that is much appreciated. The 25% offer is generous but not much use right now as all of their cruises for April are full. I think it is good for cruises booked before 12/07 so I will try my best to use it:)

 

As for Costa, we have decided to give it a try. Previously we have sailed with Holland America and Celebrity. We have done a lot of reading on what makes Costa unique, and we are excited to experience it. We are also looking forward to our first trip to Bermuda. Although we have always been in a balcony cabin, we have decided this time to try an interior cabin since we hope to spend most of our time enjoying beaches, snorkeling, ... My sister-in-law tells me that she has gotten the best sleep of her life in an interior cabin. There will only be 2 of us, our children are still quite young and we will most likely choose Disney when we start cruising with them.

 

Can anyone tell me about the specialty restaurant? Is it difficult to get reservations, and can I book that online ahead of time? Costa does seem to have a more limited website, but perhaps I haven't explored it enough.

 

Thanks again

[mondello]

Hi Boatlover, The specialty restaraunt is Club Viscenza. It is an 80 seat, intimate top-notch steak house. It's available for $20PP plus tips & drinks. You can make reservations the first day of your cruise as it probably books up quickly. It has received mixed reviews, but so has everything about Costa. I planned on dining there, but I so enjoyed our dinners in the Costa Smeralda dining room that I saw no point in paying extra. If you enjoy a fine steak or chophouse, you would probably enjoy Club Viscenza. One poster claimed to have the entire restaraunt to themself on formal night while others complained about the service. You will have a great (best ever?) steak or it will be overcooked and you'll have to send it back. I would say that there's an 80-90% chance that you will love it, just like everything else on the Magica.

[susanp]

Oh! Boatlover! Costa is such a good bargain--sounds like you have made up your mind, but I would vote for a balcony cabin. (lots of folks on this board have had a good experience with inside cabins, but I will go for a balcony every time....) I have not been on the Magica, only the Mediterranea, but the balcony was a lovely part of a great cruise.

I have sailed with Celebrity and absolutely preferred Costa.

Hope you have a great time.

[taszmom]

I would choose at least an oceanview or higher. The inside staterooms are smaller than the oceanviews. Stay away from aft - there is a vibration in the lower decks.

 

We went to Club Vincenza one night and it was wonderful. Service was exceptional and the food was excellent.

 

They played about 4 movies continuously, 2 kid-friendly movies. Everything is in English, not to worry.

 

We were on a full ship and we never encountered any lines for anything.

[Gabrielle R.]

I too am considering Costa! I have been luring for a bit here and finally wanted to ask a question or 2. When you embark on Costa you don't put your sign and sail card on your credit card when you first get to the terminal, you wait until you go onboard the ship and then register your card? Is that how that works? We have sailed Carnival, HAL RCCL and Celebrity, I know we register our card before we board- is Costa Different? Did I understand other posts correctly? If I did, where did you register to pay with your credit card? Thanks! Gabrielle

[joetrizeo]

Gabrielle! welcome to costa!

Your question is one of the great things about costa. Your "Costa Card" (room key and onboard purchase card) does NOT have to be registered or tied to a credit card right away! In fact, it is reccomended that you wait until day 2 or 3 to register your credit card if you want. this way you will avoid the long lines with everyone else registering. Your card is already activated, tied to your room, and will work immediately!

I registered my card on day 2. Aboard the Magica, the registration area is the Isola Bella Lounge on deck 5 (Leonardo deck) from 9am-12pm and 2pm-4:30pm on the first full day (monday) all othere times, the registration is at customer service on deck 3.

you can even pay with cash 5:30am-7:30am of debarkation day if you like!

 

 

Yes, in the back of decks 1 2 and 3 on the magica there is a sewer smell in places and also a good deal of vibration from the props, especailly when porting. but it only woke me up one morning so i didnt mind. Also, i dont know about other rooms but i had an inside state room (1403 & 1407) they were extremely dark at night with the doors closed and the lights off! so leave a light on or bring a night light.

 

-Jim

[boatlover]

Good question Gabrielle R. Definately differs from the HAL and Celebrity process for charges, but sounds fine to me.

A few more questions. Will the evening dress be 2 formal, 2 semi-formal, 3 casual? Will I find that people dress about the same way they do on HAL and Celebrity? Also, my husband usually rents a tux. Is there a company that provides this service on Costa ships? I know the answers to most of my questions can be found in my packet of documents but since we are leaving soon and just booked this morning, I am not sure how much in advance my documents will arrive. Need to start the planning/shopping ASAP! Thanks.

[joetrizeo]

Boatlover - Which cruise did you book???

On magica 7 day west carib cruise the nights are as follows...If you have a different cruise, they might be different.

Sun: informal (business casual)

Mon: formal

Tue: casual

Wed: informal OR Italian colors

Thur: informal OR tropical

Fri: formal

Sat: informal OR TOGA!

 

from costa's website

"Evening: Your Costa Cruise will feature 2 formal nights on 7- night cruises where men may choose from tuxedos or dark suits and ladies wear evening or cocktail dresses. The number of formal nights may vary depending on cruise length and itinerary.

 

In the Caribbean, two nights will be informal evenings where men are requested to wear sports coats while ladies wear resort attire. On the remaining three casual nights, ladies wear casual resort attire while men may dress more comfortably in dress shirts and slacks with or without sports coats. (One of these casual nights is a Roman Bacchanal to which you may wish to wear a custom toga or accessorize your bedsheet/toga). Resort attire is the norm on the other evenings."

 

To rent a tuxedo or dinner jacket for our Caribbean cruises, call our convenient tuxedo rental service, CruiseLine FormalWear at 1-800-551-5091. Your formal wear will be delivered to your stateroom before you sail and picked up from your stateroom before you disembark.

[LETSGOCRUSIN]

If you do, try to enjoy yourself.

My suggestion is that you book another cruise line. COSTA IS HORRIBLE

READ ALL THE REVIEW FROM EVERYONE ON THE SITE

[boatlover]

If you do, try to enjoy yourself.

My suggestion is that you book another cruise line. COSTA IS HORRIBLE

READ ALL THE REVIEW FROM EVERYONE ON THE SITE

 

It's too late LETSGOCRUISIN, we've already booked. I really shouldn't be asking this, but give me more details. What kind of cabin do you have, how is the food, ... Thanks!

 

I just found your comments under the March 19th review. Sounds like you had a less than pleasurable experience. We will hope for better. :)

[susanp]

It's funny--it sounds to me like people love or hate the exact same things on Costa, and that might boil down to cultural differences--language, food, and a cultural "feel" to the ship. I personally am really impressed by people who speak many languages--I don't know many Americans who speak more than English--and it did not upset me when Costa staffers struggled a bit with English. But that's an aspect of Costa that some Americans seem to have a lot of trouble with-- and some have expressed the sentiment that any ship sailing in American waters should make sure all staff has a firm grasp of the English language. (I think American staff in the Mediterranean, then, would have to be perfectly fluent in Greek, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, Croatian, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, and I'll stop there because I have made my point.) Anyway, luckily, there are cruise lines available to Americans where this "language barrier" is not such an issue. Also, I think Europeans tend not to be as outwardly friendly as Americans--in the "have a nice day" sort of style, though I think they are equally warm, they just have a different outward cultural style, and it's more low-key. So, also luckily, Americans can choose other cruise lines where staff can be expected to have this perkier, more American-style approach. And certainly these lines will have more American-style food.

Costa is not for everyone, obviously. But I loved it.

(and a note about formal nights, though I was in the Mediterranean--Costa seemed somewhat less formal than Celebrity--fewer tuxes and more business suits.) Have fun.

[packercruising]

If you do, try to enjoy yourself.

 

My suggestion is that you book another cruise line. COSTA IS HORRIBLE

 

READ ALL THE REVIEW FROM EVERYONE ON THE SITE

 

We had a great time on the Magica. We had an inside cabin. Friends of ours that had a balcony said they were going to get an inside next time too because they don't spend any time there anyway, so why pay the extra. It's all personal choice.

 

LETSGOCRUISIN, what happened on your Costa cruise?:confused:

[joetrizeo]

If you do, try to enjoy yourself.

 

My suggestion is that you book another cruise line. COSTA IS HORRIBLE

 

READ ALL THE REVIEW FROM EVERYONE ON THE SITE

 

If you do, ENJOY YOURSELF!

My suggestion is that you book COSTA OVER and OVER again.

Costa is THE BEST

Read all the reviews from everyone on this site!

 

-Jim

[Gabrielle R.]

Thanks Jim for the info!

 

Hey Packer cruiser! I'm a transpalnted packer backer in MN! I've lived in MN longer then Wis. But I lived in WI during the glory years, grew up Packer still am a packer! Always good to see Packer posts!;)

 

Have any of you travelled on Costa over Christmas? I'm a High school teacher, my husband a janitor, so the holiday season is a great time for us to flee chilly MN. Any info is appreciated. Both my hubby and I ahve travelled a lot, I've been in Europe two times- Italy twice! So I'm not worried about a different culture.

 

We also book more inside room since we like to cruise at least once a year. Any inside rooms that you really liked? Thanks for the warm welcome! And most importantly all the info! Glad you started this thread boat lover! Gabrielle:rolleyes:

[boatlover]

Even though there have been some negative reviews and comments about Costa, I am really looking forward to it. I think the unique qualities of Costa will be a welcome change. I will definitely post when we get back to let you all know what I thought. I was particularly encouraged after looking at the pictures by joetrizeo. Made me think about what fun cruising is, the ports, the water, the sun, the food, ... Thanks everyone.

[packercruising]

Always great to meet a Packer fan on something other than a Packer board!:) If you cruise once a year you might want to consider The Packer Player's Cruise next Feb 25-Mar 4 on the NCL Jewel:cool:

 

Our Magica cabin was all the way forward on Deck 9. It was great! It was nice being on the same deck as the food and booze:rolleyes:

 

Jim and I were on the same cruise. End of February is a great time to escape chilly Wisconsin and Ohio too, but It would be difficult for a teacher. Now a janitor......

 

Boatlover, Positive posts will outnumber the negative 8-1 at least. Wouldn't you say, Jim? You just have to be looking for something to complain about to not like Costa, or have something unusual happen. For exmple we had really lousy service on Carnival Glory but others had a great time.

 

Thanks Jim for the info!

 

Hey Packer cruiser! I'm a transpalnted packer backer in MN! I've lived in MN longer then Wis. But I lived in WI during the glory years, grew up Packer still am a packer! Always good to see Packer posts!;)

 

Have any of you travelled on Costa over Christmas? I'm a High school teacher, my husband a janitor, so the holiday season is a great time for us to flee chilly MN. Any info is appreciated. Both my hubby and I ahve travelled a lot, I've been in Europe two times- Italy twice! So I'm not worried about a different culture.

 

We also book more inside room since we like to cruise at least once a year. Any inside rooms that you really liked? Thanks for the warm welcome! And most importantly all the info! Glad you started this thread boat lover! Gabrielle:rolleyes:

[joetrizeo]

you're more than welcome guys.

i'm confident you'll have a good time.

jeff, i would be weary of putting statistics and numbers on neg. vs pos. cruises without doing a bonified scientific study. all i know is in 2004 Costa's customer satisfaction rating was 97%.

 

i know everyone has thier own opinion, that's what makes the world great, so i try not to bash or bicker, but to the critics i only say...

 

Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. -- John Wooden

 

i mean for god sake i had a used condom in my room when we arrived (under the two beds) and i never laughed so hard in my life! **it happens :)

[Gabrielle R.]

Thanks for the visual in my brain Jim!:eek:

 

Packer cruise sounds fun! Unfortunately my husband's job he can only take off when the school has vacation. No substitute for him! Strange how things work in a small school..... Of course we work in different schools so we rarely have the same day off..... Of course he is a Viking fan! Gads how did that happen!?:confused: And yes the tension runs high when the two teams play. Good thing we don't get too worked up over things like that. Though that Christmas Eve game in 2004 was funny. We were on board a ship and the packer and viking fans were in pockets. We had to sit in between so the two of us could cheer for our respective team! Boy did we get looks. People even asked what will happen when one team wins, and we both said nothing. Though one of us always pouts a tiny bit after the packers win........;)

 

Just looking at the price of Costa at Christmas Magica sure looks like a great deal! Have any of you cruised on Magica? Or Mediterranea? Sorry can't remember which cruises you guys have been on. Early in the day on a Saturday so my mind doesn't have to think until sometime later in the day! Thanks! Gabrielle

[packercruising]

Hey Jim, how about Abe Lincoln, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."?

 

I now know that it is possible to have tooooooooooo much information :)

 

Jim and I were both on the Magica. My wife and I were with the Packer Players group and Jim was with his bros and dad. And if Blowers ever posts again he is from England and was on the cruise with his wife.

 

If you haven't seen Jim's pics yet, click on his link in his signature.

 

I'd of figured you would be the one having trouble taking off. He probably wouldn't want to party with a bunch of Packer fans anyway.

[Gabrielle R.]

Thanks for the info!!!!!

Great Pics!! Gabrielle

[sophiecruiser]

Hi Gabrielle,

I am new to Costa too. We just booked the 12/23 Western on the Mediterranea. Couldn't beat the price for a holiday cruise. We've done the Eastern route a couple of times on HAL & RCCL - plus we needed to book an inside cabin for our kids and they were sold out already on the Magica for that week. Did you decide on the Eastern?

Sophie