Back from the Costa Atlantica

[zaro]

We were two middle-aged couples that left Montreal on Air Transat at 2 p.m. on Monday, January 21, 2008. We were met by buses on the air strip that took us to the ship in a matter of minutes. We had no hassle at embarkation and had our suitcases within the next hour. By 6:30 that evening, we were ready to cruise!

I must admit that this was our first cruise. I want you to know that we enjoyed every moment of it! In my opinion, the ship is a thing of beauty. Our cabin with a verandah was very nice and had lots of room for storing our clothes for the week. Our cabin boy was very sweet and cleaned our room at least twice or three times a day.

There were many more Italian, French and other nationalities on the boat than there were Canadians but I just found that to be fun and interesting. The announcements were often made in 5 languages which gave a kind of international flair to the whole thing.

We had asked for the first setting at supper and we got our table for four. On the first night we bought a wine package for 80 Euros giving us 5 bottles of wine and seven bottles of mineral water. We found it to be a good deal and enjoyed our coupons at dinner all week. I found the food to be very good - lots of choices. The buffets were great with lots of pastas, pizzas, etc. but all kinds of other things too. We usually went to the buffet for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and then to the dining room for dinner. Also enjoyed the midnight "surprises".

My husband loved the gym and worked out practically every day. The pools were not huge but I am not a swimmer, so didn't really care. The only disadvantage is that the ship charges in Euros so you have to be careful not to get an unpleasant surprise at the end of the cruise when you get your bill.

We used the casino a bit but weren't very lucky! Went shopping also but really couldn't afford too much! Did three excursions on our own as we found the ship's excursions were terribly dear. If anyone wants to have more information I will be glad to answer.

After having read a lot of different opinions about Costa, I was a bit worried but I can assure you that everyone was extremely nice and helpful throughout our week. We went to the evening shows (lots of singing and dancing). I found them to be rather amateurish but fun just the same.

As you can see, I loved the cruise and would be ready to take off tomorrow for another one.

I know this summary is rather disjointed but I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

[njs]

The Atlantica was our first cruise and we liked the ship also. Thanks for the review . Just wondering where your cruise went since you payed in Euros

[zaro]

We started our cruise in La Romana, DR, then Catalina Island, Tortola, Antigua, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe and St. Martin. American dollars were accepted in all the ports but all the costs on the ship were in Euros.

[Clarvey]

Welcome back!! So glad to hear that you had a great trip. It will be our turn in 60 days!!! YES! I do have questions!! Did you have the tips charge automatically to your card, and if so, how much per person per day was charged? Did you have the same waiter each night in the dining room? Did the fridge in the room have space to put your own things? Was the "smoke" a problem? Near the last day of the cruise, did you have an option to have a bag of laundry done for a set price? If so, how much? We are going to a resort for our second week, so I'm trying to plan on NOT taking too many clothes. Were the formal nights very formal, or were men dressed in long pants with sport jackets? Did the midnight "surprises" have anything to do with "chocolate"?!? Is there anything that you would particularly advise us to know or to do?

Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions.

[zaro]

Good Morning Clarvey,

 

I will try to give your the answers you need. The tips were automatically put on our bill at the end of the trip. Tips were 42 Euros per person. We always had the same waiters at our table - one for flat water and wine and the other for our meals. They were both darlings! The fridge had a bit of space for other things but we never put anything else in. The day before we left we bought some liquor in St. Marteen and when we went through security they wanted to take it but we told them we were disembarking the next day and they told us to take it with us to the room. There is laundry service near the end of the cruise. I didn't use it, but, if my memory serves me correctly, it was 25 pieces for 29$ or 39$ dollars. We too went to a resort for our second week and used the iron when we got there. We had taken too many clothes as it turned out.

As far as the formal nights went, several men were in suits and ties, but many wore simply shirts and slacks - nobody that I saw wore tuxes or long dresses. As long as you had on your "Sunday best" there was no problem! There are smoking and non-smoking areas all over the ship so cigarette smoke was no problem. In the formal dining room no smoking was allowed. As far as the midnight surprises, - yes - chocolate was often involved. Wait to you see the surprise on the night of the captain's ball!

The only weird thing about the cruise is that La Romana is not really the official starting point. Most people get on in Guadeloupe and they get an "abandon ship" drill on the Sunday and we from La Romana don't have to attend, so we didn't get a drill.

I am sure you will love the cruise as much as we did! Don't be shy - I am very happy to answer any more questions.

[kaphkoe]

Bonjour Zaro,

glad you enjoyed your cruise on the Atlantica.

I have one question concernin the stop at St. John's, Antigua - Do you remember if the ship has been cleared before 8:30 am?

The Costa brochure states an arrival time of 9:00 am but very often the ships do come in earlier and passengers are able to get ashore.

It would depend if we could participate in a privately arranged tour or not.

 

Thanks a lot in advance!!!

[zaro]

Hi,

 

The ship usually arrived a bit earlier than scheduled and we were allowed off very quickly! I can't guarantee this was the case in Antigua but I am pretty sure it was. We just took a walking tour on our own in St. John's and did a bit of shopping. Hope I have been some help to you.

Are you sailing soon? I wish I were still in the warm tropics - it's a cold and nasty day here today.

[moni79]

Hi,

 

This is my first time posting. My husband and I are set to leave on this cruise on Feb 25th. It was a wedding gift from a family friend.

 

My question is - since this is a chartered cruise, and you cant really find any info on it online, how do you go about pre-booking or at least finding information on the excursions?

 

Are there any pointers or can you give any advice as to what to do in each port?

 

Thanks so much!

[zaro]

Hi,

 

What a lovely wedding gift! Congratulations to you both.

I too could find out little about the excursions before our sailing. If you go on the Costa web site and go into shore excursions you will get a bit of information. We got more details once we boarded. I must tell you that we did not take the excursions with the ship. We would take them right at the pier - there were taxis and buses ready to offer tours of the different places.

For example, in St. Lucia we took a tour that took us to the sulphur springs and all around for $35 US each - there were 8 of us in the taxi. The ship was offering basically the same thing (with a lunch included ) for 112 Euros each).We had a lovely time. We did the same thing in Guadeloupe and in St. Martin. For the other ports, we basically stayed around the piers and took walking tours as we found time was rather short.

[moni79]

Great thanks for the info! :)

 

 

What if we just want to relax on a beach, is that possible? or do we need to look into day passes at resorts??

[kaphkoe]

Thanks for the info. Will also be checking the webcams if they are in early.

[G.M.T.]

Hi,

 

This is my first time posting. My husband and I are set to leave on this cruise on Feb 25th. It was a wedding gift from a family friend.

 

My question is - since this is a chartered cruise, and you cant really find any info on it online, how do you go about pre-booking or at least finding information on the excursions?

 

Are there any pointers or can you give any advice as to what to do in each port?

 

Thanks so much!

I envy you.;)

The Costa Atlantica is only partially chartered by a Canadian company, that is why the Atlantica cruises are not show on either the US or Canadian Costa web site.:(

 

BUT, have a look at the follwing link Costa UK, with details of your cruise and what shore excursions are available:

 

http://www.costacruises.co.uk/B2C/GB/Shopping/Month/CruiseDetail.htm?&Period=200802&DepPort=LRM&VIti=AT_7_C_H0_S_C_ANU_SLU_PTP_SXM_LRM_CAT_TOV

 

Have a good cruise.

 

Ron

[Clarvey]

Thank you so much, Zaro, for all your information. It has really helped! Can you tell me if the door to the stateroom is wood or steel? We are celebrating three birthdays, and I want to put up decorations on our doors! Also, at what resort did you spend your second week? I've been told that you need the second week to rest from the cruise ;) We are staying at the Oasis Canoa and reading very mixed reviews. But we go expecting to only have a good time, so nothing much bothers us. Thanks again.

[zaro]

Hi Once Again,

 

To tell you the truth I don't really remember if our door was wood or steel.

We spent our second week at the Iberostar Hacienda Dominicus. It was a lovely resort and very restful, but to be honest, I personally preferred the cruise and the change of scenery every day. I found the cruise to be more exciting than the resort . Don't hesitate with any more questions.

[moni79]

I envy you.;)

The Costa Atlantica is only partially chartered by a Canadian company, that is why the Atlantica cruises are not show on either the US or Canadian Costa web site.:(

 

BUT, have a look at the follwing link Costa UK, with details of your cruise and what shore excursions are available:

 

http://www.costacruises.co.uk/B2C/GB/Shopping/Month/CruiseDetail.htm?&Period=200802&DepPort=LRM&VIti=AT_7_C_H0_S_C_ANU_SLU_PTP_SXM_LRM_CAT_TOV

 

Have a good cruise.

 

Ron

 

Thanks for the link!

 

Wow, those excursions are pricey!

 

Are these ports doable on your own? Either grabbing a taxi to head to a local beach, or to shop or do any site seeing on your own??

[G.M.T.]

Thanks for the link!

 

Wow, those excursions are pricey!

 

Are these ports doable on your own? Either grabbing a taxi to head to a local beach, or to shop or do any site seeing on your own??

Check out the Ports of Call section here on CC - lots of info available.

 

Ron

[Clarvey]

Again...thanks, zaro. Being a first time cruiser, as well, yes, I have lots of questions!! Did you feel the movement of the ship? I take it that you all didn't feel ill. Were there lineups for getting on and off the ship in the various ports? Lineups for buffet? Was the wait long in La Romana - on and off? On the balcony, did the door between the staterooms open? In the buffet, was the presentation of the food remarkable? In the dining room? We are taking extra luggage to be left behind in the D.R. Is there lots of storage space for 3 - 4 suitcases? And...what was the highlight of your Costa experience?

[zaro]

Hi Clarvey,

 

I can't say that we felt the movement of the ship very much. We felt it move a bit once or twice when we were in the dining room but not enough to make anyone (to my knowledge) sea-sick. The most we ever waited to get on or off at the ports was 5 to 10 minutes and often not even that! The buffet line-ups were sometimes a few minutes but again, not very long. The food was very nicely presented. It all looked good! The dishes were very beautifully presented in the dining room and I can say I never ate anything that I didn't enjoy!(several choices)

I believe the door on the balcony could open ( with permission) because someone came to lock ours on one of the first days. My husband and I had four suitcases and had no trouble stashing them in our stateroom ( I put a couple under the bed when emptied). I found that there was quite a bit of storage space (closet and drawer). We didn't wait getting on in La Romana - the bus picked us up at the airport, drove about 15 minutes, then we went through with our registration and were on the ship in no time flat. Disembarkation was a bit longer because there were a lot of people doing the same thing at the same time but it went very smoothly. The buses were there waiting to transfer us to the hotel and we simply had to go up a small hill with the suitcases we picked up off the pier to catch the bus.

I have been wracking my brain to try to come up with a highlight of my Costa experience. I honestly can tell you that there were many special moments - my first sight of the Atlantica, all lit up, as we walked towards it that first night, the first look-around the ship, the captain's dinner and the magnificent midnight banquet, the kind and friendly workers who often struggled to speak to us in English or in French (my husband is French Canadian), the nice people we met and chatted with, the different ports we visited all too quickly, and just the feeling of being in a special place at a special time of our lives! Sounds corny, doesn't it? However, for me, it's all true.

[Clarvey]

Thanks for all your information, Zaro.

You said that you bought the wine package, but was there a "pop" package availabe? If so, what did it cover...only pop? Also, I forgot to ask how much was a cocktail? drink of the day? an iced tea or lemonade?

Again, thanks!

[zaro]

Hi,

 

Sorry I can't find the brochure I picked up with the prices for various drink packages - when I find it I'll let you know. I do know that the drink of the day cost 4.75 Euros or for an x-large glass 5 Euros. Keep those questions coming!

[Clarvey]

OK...here's another one! Is there any need to carry "cash" Euros with us. I realize that everything on the ship is charged in Euros, but we will probably pay our account by credit card. But if we tip, say for room service, could we not use U.S. dollars?

Were there lots of hangers in the closet? Is there a bidet in the washroom? (Thought maybe since it's a European ship.) Much space in the washroom?

On what level was your stateroom? We are on Amarcord, Deck 6, mid ship, also with a balcony! Can't wait to sit there and enjoy an evening cocktail before heading for supper. What time is the early seating? Is it okay for men to wear dress shorts if we decide to go to the buffet for supper, or is it long pants there, also?

Was there much variety of fresh fruit everyday?

You previously said that in St. Lucia you took a cab to the sulphur springs and around. Did you go to Soufriere to see the "Pitons"? What was the drive like? I understand that it is hairpin turns and a bit scary. I've been advised to take "motion sickness pills" for that drive. What did you think? Seeing "the Pitons" is one of our "must see's"!! Is there anything that you would advise not to miss, that you discovered was "special" on your first cruise, either on or off the ship? Again...THANKS!!!!

[zaro]

Good Morning,

 

No need for Euros on the ship - everything was put onto our credit card. We tipped in American dollars, no problem. The only place our taxi driver insisted on Euros was in Guadeloupe - we didn't have any, so he took us to the airport so we could change our US money to Euros to pay him.

There were quite a few hangers in the closet but I also used the wired ones I had put in my suitcases. No bidet, regular bathroom with a far amount of space - it wasn't huge but sufficient.

Our stateroom was on deck 5, very close to the elevators and mid-ship - a perfect spot as far as we were concerned. No need for long pants at the buffet. We were on deck 2 Table 59 for the first sitting which was at 7:15 p.m. Every day there were many fresh fruit - pineapples, melons, canteloupes, passion fruit, etc. - simply delicious!

The drive to the Pitons and Soufrière has lots of hair-pin bends and very hilly but none of us ever felt sick. The taxi driver told us he had to change his brakes every 6 months! I would have to say that this was my very favorite excursion.

[alexpress]

All Costa cruises charge in Euros because it is a European cruise line, so it wouldnt actually matter where you travelled to it would be the same, we've just come back from Caribbean on Costa Atlantica and that was Euros too.

 

cheers.

[G.M.T.]

All Costa cruises charge in Euros because it is a European cruise line, so it wouldnt actually matter where you travelled to it would be the same, we've just come back from Caribbean on Costa Atlantica and that was Euros too.

 

cheers.

Not strictly true. The Costa cruises out of Fort Lauderdale (Fortuna and Med) the currency on board is US $ for the Caribbean cruises, except for the reposition trips to and from Europw which are Euro based.

 

The Atlantica is Euro based because the home port in the Caribbean is Guadaloupe, which is offically part of France and thus within the Euro zone.

 

Ron

[Drews_Cruise]

Great questions and answers from everyone. Especially the link from Blu*Donau. I've been trying to research the excursions for weeks and here they are on a UK site. They are expensive but they give you ideas for booking your own. We're scheduled on the Atlantica March 24 and can't wait. I've asked many people if the balcony doors between cabins can be opened but never really got a good answer. It seems they can , but not when were at sea. I did a similar cruise out of La Romana a couple of years ago on Classica. We stayed at Casa del Mar and this time we are trying Iberostar so we are anxious to see if its as good as the Casa. Does anyone know if the TODAY magazine that Costa issues is available in different languages? I've emailed them but don't seem to get a response from any email. Our friends are Dutch and it would be good if they could read the daily events.