What would be the perfect Costa cruise?

[G.M.T.]

As the British press rae now enetering what is know as the silly season (not much news going on), so how about a silly seaon on CC-Costa (I know the whole year is silly season here).

 

So what would be your perfect Costa Cruise (maybe Costa will be listening) coving:

 

Ship

Route

Duration

Cabin Type

Embarcation Port

Disembacation Port

Extra (Drinks Packages, Spa etc.)

 

Mine would be:

 

Ship: Costa Mediterranea

Route: Circimnavigation of South America. Trinidad, Brazil (including Amazon), Uraquay, Argentina, Falklands Island, Magellan Straits, Cape Horn, Chile (Fjords), Peru (Andes), Ecuador (Galapagos), Panama Canal, Southern Caribbean Islands (Curacao etc,).

Duration; 21 - 25 Days or what the wallet could cope with:eek:

Cabin: Balcony

Embarcation: Barbados

Disembarcation: Barbados

Extras: X1 Drinks Package.

 

Ron

[Goldryder]

Ship Allegra :)

Route World Cruise

Duration at least 4 months

Cabin Type inside single

Embarcation Port Savona

Disembacation Port does there have to be one....oh OK...Savona

Extra (Drinks Packages, Spa etc.) X1

 

:)

[Brian Raine]

Ship Any of the Large ones - Luminosa!

Route. Caribbean /Panama Canal/Peru/

Galapagos Islands/Hawaii/

Polynesia

Tonga/New Zealand/Australia.

Duration However long it takes

Cabin Suite

Embarkation Barbados fly out 1st class

Disembarkation Sydney fly back 1st class.

Extra clothing would be required to replace suits which had become too small through over indulging.

[tjkaser]

ANY ship on ANY OTHER Cruise line

[G.M.T.]

Just been reading an article on the BBC Web site about how researchers have published the conclusion of mathematical exercises whereby if Zombies existed they could lead to the collapse of civilisation:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8206280.stm

 

After reading the previous message, I think they could well be right. :D

 

Ron

[NancyJewel92]

I'd like to go on Goldryder's perfect cruise as well as the next real one! Only thing I'd change is the cabin class -- I'd like a suite with a butler. :D

[G.M.T.]

I'd like to go on Goldryder's perfect cruise as well as the next real one! Only thing I'd change is the cabin class -- I'd like a suite with a butler. :D

OK I have just cancelled my perfect Costa cruise and now will join Ally and NancyJewel92 on around the world trip.;)

 

Ron

[Goldryder]

OK I have just cancelled my perfect Costa cruise and now will join Ally and NancyJewel92 on around the world trip.;)

 

Ron

 

The world cruise aboard Allegra would be even better now that Costa are reducing the single supplements ;)

[NancyJewel92]

Single supplement reduction? Do tell us more.....

 

Update: I did a Google search and found some info on a UK website. I wonder if the rate is being reduced in the USA market. We have some solo travelers booked for our Jan. 2010 cruise.

[Goldryder]

Single supplement reduction? Do tell us more.....

 

Here ya go...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1044490

 

Dropping from a flat rate of 80% to a base rate of 30% from December 1st 2009 :)

[NancyJewel92]

Thanks for the link! (And I saw your thread on this topic also.)

[tjkaser]

And I thought that each person had a right to an unbiased opinion on this site. I guess that idiots like you, that doesn't have a wife in a wheelchair, that gets treated as though Costa actually WANTS your business, can say good things about, in MY opionion, a lousy cruise line. If you'd like, I'll send you the letter I sent to Costa and the response I received after a 17 day transAtlantic cruise. Maybe then your stupid response would be a little different.

[Capricruiser]

Don't believe tjkaser is interested in discussing the perfect Costa cruise with idiots like us. Each to his own...

[tjkaser]

First off, my reply was to Blu*Donau who said I was a Zombie (see post #5). Second, you're correct in 'each to his own". In MY opinion, Costa is not a cruise line that I choose to ever cruise with again. We did a 17 TransAtlantic cruise and had MULTIPLE problems. I've never complained about anything on 18 other cruises - to me, any day cruising is better than almost any other day doing anything else. Costa received a 12 page letter noting my concerns and, to paraphrase, "if you don't like it, don't cruise with us". I just think that before one calls someone a "Zombie" it would be nice to know the facts. Fact is, I think the best Costa cruise would be to simply choose another cruise line. If you choose to consider yourself an idiot, that's your business.

[G.M.T.]

Don't believe tjkaser is interested in discussing the perfect Costa cruise with idiots like us. Each to his own...

Laugh and CC laughs with you, cry then you get a letter from Costa's Black Hole (After Sales Customer Service Department).:o

 

Our last Costa cruise was a complete utter desaster (won't go into the details again as I have already said my piece) but does that stop me from having fun here NO! Does it stop me about thinking of a future cruise with Costa, meeting all those noisy kid loving Italians NO, watching the deck chair battles between Brits and Germans NO, watching the Germans and Brits joining forces and trying to drink the ship dry with their J2s NO, meeting all those nice French passengers er I'll get back to you on that.

 

So instead of being bitter I will raise my bitter (me Campari / Orange) and say I wish every Costa passenger a great cruise and above all F U N.

 

Ron

[tjkaser]

Now THERE'S a reply I can honestly say is what this site is meant to be - a forum where one can express their unbiased opinion without calling someone else a "zombie". I can certainly appreciate your loyalty to Costa and commend you for being a better person than I when it comes to "forgiving" past problems of a particular cruise. This is, however, "cruisecritic.com", not "ilovecosta.com" and I thought I had the same right to my unbiased opinion as anyone else. Had I said the perfect Costa cruise would be the Allegra, no one (Blu*Donau) would be calling me a "zombie". Had I stated that a certain cabin on a certain ship on certain cruise line was very noisy, no one would condem me for voicing my opinion. Yet, when I say that I would choose ANY OTHER cruise line over Costa, I'm referred to as a "zombie" and you say I call anyone who chooses to cruise with Costa is a fool. I never meant that as a generalization of people and I apologize to you for that - it was directed to Blu*Donau's reply that I was a "zombie". Until Costa can AT LEAST offer an apology for all the problems we incurred, I will continue to speak ill of them. It wouldn't have taken much for Costa to have "earned" my future cruising dollars. Until then, I'll contiune spending my hard earned dollars with cruise lines that actually APPRECIATE my business.

Tom

[Goldryder]

Now THERE'S a reply I can honestly say is what this site is meant to be - a forum where one can express their unbiased opinion without calling someone else a "zombie". I can certainly appreciate your loyalty to Costa and commend you for being a better person than I when it comes to "forgiving" past problems of a particular cruise. This is, however, "cruisecritic.com", not "ilovecosta.com" and I thought I had the same right to my unbiased opinion as anyone else. Had I said the perfect Costa cruise would be the Allegra, no one (Blu*Donau) would be calling me a "zombie". Had I stated that a certain cabin on a certain ship on certain cruise line was very noisy, no one would condem me for voicing my opinion. Yet, when I say that I would choose ANY OTHER cruise line over Costa, I'm referred to as a "zombie" and you say I call anyone who chooses to cruise with Costa is a fool. I never meant that as a generalization of people and I apologize to you for that - it was directed to Blu*Donau's reply that I was a "zombie". Until Costa can AT LEAST offer an apology for all the problems we incurred, I will continue to speak ill of them. It wouldn't have taken much for Costa to have "earned" my future cruising dollars. Until then, I'll contiune spending my hard earned dollars with a cruise line that actually APPRECIATES my business.

Tom

 

But by the same token, I would not allow one bad experience on one ship in a cruise line of over 15 ships colour my judgement of the entire line as a whole. I would try them again on a different ship/itinerary and if they still did not come up to par, then make the assumption that there is something wrong with the line in question. I certainly wouldn't generalise on the basis on 1 cruise on 1 ship. But then I guess that depends on how accommodating you are in the first place and what your expectations were before you boarded.

 

It also needs to be said that you did not tell us which ship upset you so much. Yes, it was a disability based problem but was it an older ship such as Classica or a newer ship such as Fortuna...it DOES make a difference as Fortuna is designed to accomodate disability better than Classica purely by virtue of their age/design and the regulations around at the time of their building.

[tjkaser]

And I appreciate the reply. We've cruised with Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity and Carnival and have had few issues. Our expectations upon boarding the Costa Magica were the same as any other cruise line - no more, no less. Having to deal with a severe lung disease, there is, in my opinion, no excuse for a handicap cabin (or any other cabin) to have black mold all over the tile and grout in the bathroom - it's certainly not a plus when you already have severe lung problems. Spending 250 plus Euro to do an excursion in Paris that was designated as a handicap tour and verified several times by myself and my travel agent and then not letting us on the bus because my wife had to have her wheelchair and telling me they wouldn't refund my money doesn't go very far in wanting to "give them another try". Although it doesn't appear this way right now, I am actually VERY easy going and accomodating - it usually take a lot to get me upset but Costa found out which buttons to push. Unlike the biblical saying of "turn the other cheek", why spend my hard earned money on a cruise line that doesn't seem to care about me - I'll try other lines and go back to the one's that actually DO appreciate my business (or at least SEEM to).

Tom

[Goldryder]

And I appreciate the reply. We've cruised with Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity and Carnival and have had few issues. Our expectations upon boarding the Costa Magica were the same as any other cruise line - no more, no less. Having to deal with a severe lung disease, there is, in my opinion, no excuse for a handicap cabin (or any other cabin) to have black mold all over the tile and grout in the bathroom - it's certainly not a plus when you already have severe lung problems. Spending 250 plus Euro to do an excursion in Paris that was designated as a handicap tour and verified several times by myself and my travel agent and then not letting us on the bus because my wife had to have her wheelchair and telling me they wouldn't refund my money doesn't go very far in wanting to "give them another try". Although it doesn't appear this way right now, I am actually VERY easy going and accomodating - it usually take a lot to get me upset but Costa found out which buttons to push. Unlike the biblical saying of "turn the other cheek", why spend my hard earned money on a cruise line that doesn't seem to care about me - I'll try other lines and go back to the one's that actually DO appreciate my business (or at least SEEM to).

Tom

 

OK...now we have specifics, lets go through the points one at a time.

 

I have relatively mild pulmonary fibrosis brought about by COPD, so I am often caught out by such things as mould and have to use inhalers etc. I've been hospitalised a few times too. Stairs, ramps, slopes are like climbing mount everest alot of the time, so I do have some insight on what your wife has to go through.

 

The mould in the shower/bathroom. What did you say at the time and to whom....was it dealt with effectively at first contact? It not did you ask to speak to housekeeping management? If not, why not?

 

As for the shorex, that is something that is largely out of the control of the cruise line since they are wholly dependent on outside companies to provide modes of transport..ie buses etc. If by chance the provider of the transport does not have a disabled accessible vehicle in their fleet or if they do and it is unavailable for any reason, that is something that is unavoidable.

 

I used to operate disabled coaches in the UK and I can tell you right now that my one vehicle - a 49 seater touring coach - was one of just 250 verified and certified full sized tour coaches on the entire UK register capable of accepting wheelchair passengers inside the vehicle actually sat in their wheelchair. Most, if not all coaches will take a disabled guest but as a transfer from wheelchair, carried up the steps and into a standard coach seat. Bad for us who need wheelchair use either full or part time, but Europe has a very long way to go in many respects...not just one cruise line or one coach company, I'm afraid.

[tjkaser]

Once again, thank you for the reply. My wife has severe enphazyma and C.O.P.D. and is on oxygen most of the time. We travel with her own InogenOne Oxygenator and Nebulizer. Upon entering the room you could notice the mould and we immediately found our stuart and asked him to clean the bathroom. He said he was extremely busy (boarding day) and would get to it when he could. We sayed out of the room until after dinner and he still hadn't done anything. We then went down to the Guest Relations and asked if they could either get the shower cleaned or move us to a different cabin. We were told there were no other cabins available because the cruise was sold out but they'd see to it that the shower was cleaned. After a couple hours I went to check on the cabin and it was extremely bad with cleaning fluid fumes (understandable) but still had black mould throughout. I went back to the Guest Relations and took a representative with me. He said he couldn't understand how the shower could have gotten so bad - it doesn't happen overnight. Finally, around 10 pm they got us into a non-handicapped room right under the dance floor and music midship (terribley noisy but no mould and an EXTREMELY warm room - they were having a/c problems with that section). As you know, too much heat with lung issues don't go together well. As a somewhat seasoned cruiser, I thought I did as much as I possibley could. They wouldn't move us again.

Six months prior to this cruise, we spent 3 weeks in Italy and cruised from Italy to Florida on Carnival Liberty. We have a standard transport wheelchair that we took to Italy because we were told that the power in certain areas may damage the electric chair. Being pushed around Venice, Rome, Milan, Pisa and Lake Como isn't my wife's idea of fun - for either of us. We chose Costa because of one particular stp and excursion - Paris. The excursion brochure noted that the Louvre/Eiffel Towwer excursion was handicap accessible. I called both my travel agent who called Costa and I called Costa myself. I wanted to find out if the heavier electric chair would be okay to use or if I should bring our standard wheelchair for that particular excusion. I also asked that if we brought our electric chair and needed a standard chair if Costa had one we could use. I was told that if the excursion was marked as handicap accessible then that meant a wheelchair was permissable. I explained the weight of our electric chair and was told it wasn't a problem. On the second day we went to the excursion desk, with the electric chair, to make certain there would be no problems with that particular chair and was told it would be fine. On the day of the Paris excursion we went to the meeting area early to make sure there would be no problems and again siad it would be fine. They excorted us off the ship in a different area than everyone else because of the wheelchair. The day we arrived in France the weather was TERRIBLE - cold, rainy and extremely windy. There was no cover to get under when the bus driver siad we couldn't board. I got the Costa representative over to the bus and she was told the same thing. I asked if they would wait a couple minutes while I took the power chair back and picked up a Costa wheelchair. They at first said no because we were held as the last to bard with the wheelchair. The bus driver then said she'd give me ten minutes. I got the guys to get the chair back onto the ship while I wnet back to Guest Relations. Once there, I was now told that I couldn't take a Costa wheelchair off the ship. I said I had asked abouth this before booking the cruise and was told it would be okay if there was a problem. The not-so-politley said they were sorry for any misunderstanding on my part but I couldn't take their wheelchair off the ship. I even offered $500 deposit if we didn't bring it back. I made my way back to where the tour bus had been and they had already left. The Costa representative told me that the excursion was non-refundable. I statrted getting very upset and she said I needed to see the excursion desk. I did, and they said they'd give us the credit towrd another excursion (nothing else was handicapped for Paris nor Copenhagen, the next and last port).

I appreciate that problems arrise from time to time and usually take them in stride (like paying 5 Euro per person to take us only 1/4 mile in Spain from the ship to town because the road was closed for a parade). Had I not had problems in the past so as to know enough to call ahead and ask the right questions, I could understand that I hadn't done my due diligence. I also understand the cruise line's actions when trying to resolve issues. I've heard MANY instances where people complain about anything and everything, hoping to get something for free - I'm not one of them. I didn't want to be reimburse for our cruise nor did I want a free cruise - I wnated Costa to acknowledge the problems and at least ACT sympathetic. If it were MY cruise line, I would have at least offered dinner in the specialty restaurant as a good will offering. It's much less expensive to re-book a happy returning guest than it is to find a new one but I guess Costa doesn't need my money - which is okay - there are plenty of cruise lines with plenty of ships that are practically begging for business. I would have loved to give Costa another chance to earn my business - other than the few main issues we would have had a wonderful time.

Thanks for listening,

Tom

[Goldryder]

OK so things didn't quite go to plan...but then, things rarely do. Reading your reply a couple of times it appears that under the circumstances Costa did their best to assist you as best they could.

 

The replacement cabin was noisy...but when faced with the mould on a full ship...I can only assume that the cabin given was one that they use for emergencies only...such as your problem...and noise is not as debilitating or dangerous to a medical condition as mould. So stuck tween a rock and a hard place...ie mould or noise...well the noise would win hands down, at lest you were moved into a healthier and therefore safer cabin. I feel there was little more they could have done for you in that respect in all honesty.

 

The problem with the wheelchairs...well that too could have easily been avoided with some forward planning by yourself. When you gained the information about borrowing the standard chair from the ship, you should have asked for writted permission to do so. That way when the time came, you had something to show whoever was at the desk or at the gantry to prove that you had indeed discussed the proposal at length and been granted permission to take the chair off the ship if it was deemed necessary.

 

I'm afraid that even with the amount of detail that you went into, I cannot understand why you refuse to allow Costa to prove themselves again to you & your wife. Two problems on a 17 day cruise, one dealt with under quite difficult circumstances and one that was, in all honesty, a misunderstanding shouldn't affect one's decision to give them one more go and to give them the benefit of the doubt. You already mentioned a couple of times that you have experienced issues aboard other lines/ships, yet you are prepared to go with them again.

 

I am wondering if the problem lies more to do with your own frustration that disabled people are not always as well catered for or their needs understood in general across the tourism industry, rather than your frustration at inconveniences aboard one ship from one cruise line. A case of 'here we go again' and the attitude would have been so regardless of line...just that on this occasion it was Costa that copped it. Don't get me wrong, your concerns are valid...heck, having worked in the disabled tourist industry myself, I have felt the same frustrations...but sometimes it is better to channel those frustrations into something more pro-active, by maybe advising a cruise line where they could do things differently rather than coming out all guns blazing by way of complaint.

[tjkaser]

Well, Ally, if nothing else, I certainly do admire your persistance and spunk. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were employed by Costa as a PR Executive!

 

Costa did NOTHING they could have. We met the people who had been in the cabin before us and were past Costa cruisers and complained to Costa about the noise and leack of air conditioning shortly after setting sail. We also found out within a couple days that there were numerous empty cabins.

 

FORWARD PLANNING?!? Are you sure you read my response? Not only did I call my t/a but Costa not once, SEVERAL times (I'll post my actual letter to Costa and there reply later). I even talked to Guest Relations and Excursion desk, with the wheelchair setting right there, as well as the Costa reps that take us off the ship at ports! This wasn't a maiden voyage or shakedown cruise. If I cruise with Costa again (lol) do I need to get written permission to bring a wheelchair on board? Come on, when you verify everything I did, there should be no need to get written permission.

 

It wasn't just 2 problems - and even if it were, they aren't minor instances or "misunderstandings". Again, I'll post my letter and Cost'a reply. If only it were reversed - I'd love to read what you'd have done under the exact same condition - I doubt seriously that you would still be so understanding with Costa. As for other issues with other lins/cruises - charging $1.00 for popcorn when everything else from ice cream to steak is available free of charge isn't enough to keep me from cruising with that line again. Getting an early seating instead of my requested late seating won't keep me from sailing with a cruise line.

 

Am I frustrated - yes, but it has nothing to do with disabilities. It has everything to do with the way Costa handled everything. So, you never complain, just advise. I'll bet you own several weeks of time share around the world.

 

I, too, work in the tourist/travel/hospitality industry. I won't go into what I do but I personally touch around 500 people's vacations each year - from hotels to airlines to cruises. I haven't (and probably never will) recommend Costa to any of my clients.

 

I didn't start this post - I simply stated my viewpoint by stating "any ship on any other cruise line" would be better than any cruise on Costa. I then found myself feeling that I had to defend myself by being referred to as a "zombie" and then got reprimanded for my reply because I said someone was an idiot. Okay, 2 wrongs don't make a right. Funny, Blu*Donau's post of referring to me as a zombie is still there.

 

Anyway, I'll continue posting and telling anyone who refers to Costa that I think there are plenty of other cruise lines that they could spend there hard earned money with. As far as me giving Costa another chance, if they want to give me an actual appology and a free replacement cruise (after all, an empty cabin costs money - no drinks, shore excursions, specialty restaurant, carbinated drinks,etc.) I'd be more than happy to give them another go. Hopefully for them, they could turn a very unhappy cruiser who is giving as much bad word of mouth as possible into someone like you who is proactivly promoting (or at least, defending) Costa.

Tom

[Goldryder]

I do not and have never promoted any cruise line or holiday company or airline.

 

I am just happy and somewhat appreciative that I am in a position to go on holiday at all, and I have learnt over the years to accept that nothing is ever going to be perfect. I accept the rough with the smooth and if things go wrong I chalk it up to experience but I would never right off a company after just one bad experience, I would always give them the benefit of the doubt and try them again.

 

That is how I have been brought up. Mistakes are made sometimes and if they ar, well I calmly sit with the head of the department necessary and discuss the problem and sort out a way around the problem. So far that has always worked quite well, obviously there have been times when it hasn't but cest la vie. Life is too short to get all het up over things that I cannot control.

 

You were shifted to another cabin, that is all the cruise line could do in the circumstances...they didn't need to do so and they were under no obligation to do so, but they did it.

 

Maybe since you have had issues with other cruise lines too, you should go for the non mainstream lines...afterall, you do get what you pay for.

[G.M.T.]

I didn't start this post - I simply stated my viewpoint by stating "any ship on any other cruise line" would be better than any cruise on Costa. I then found myself feeling that I had to defend myself by being referred to as a "zombie" and then got reprimanded for my reply because I said someone was an idiot. Okay, 2 wrongs don't make a right. Funny, Blu*Donau's post of referring to me as a zombie is still there.

I was replying to your global (not supported then), not of any use statement "any ship on any other cruise line", noone ever said you were a Zombie, this was directed just to the content of the message (i.e. an empty shell) and ended the message with a BIG GRINNING SMILEY to show it was meant in jest.

 

Then you start to insult myself and another CC member with such descriptions as idiots and stupid.

 

So you had some problems, so what. OK I had problems on my last Costa Cruise, 19 days Dubai to Singapore, a route that is not very often on offer. What happened:

 

* Second evening bathroom door jumped out of its rail and landed heavily on my right should (luckily I am well built, if it had been my wife or a child who knows the outcome).

* Spent a day in an Omani hosiptal

* Spent 10 days with my arm in a sling, cancelled all excursions and had my daily cocktail of pain relief pills which was not covered by the X1 package.

* Because of the all the stress my DW developed shingles, which the ships doctor did not diagnose correctly and subsequently wrong medication.

* After our return, DW spent 7 weeks in a specliased pain relief clinic.

 

We compalined onboard, but knowing the Service Desk on most Costa ships are a bunch of snobs, we received very little satisfaction. Then demanded and had a meeting with a Director (1st. Officer), things improved somewhat.

 

What did we do, wrote up all our compalints, gave it to the Service Desk to stamp it that they had received it and could pass it on to head office (, then we got it back with a letter stating who we should contact when we got home. Kept all documentation, air tickets, hotel receipts, my accident report, doctors bills etc., made photos of everything that was amiss, obtained names and address of people who would appear as witnesses if required.

 

We got home, we then had a grace period of 4 weeks from the end of the cruise (could be different in various countries) then gave all the information to specialst lawyer who is in negotiation with Costa's lawyers. It's now out of my hands, DW is now well on the road to full recovery, we enjoy life, not frustrated and looking forward to our next cruise.

 

Would it be Costa????

 

If the route, price and ship were OK, then why not.

 

Are we frustarted, no way, life is like a cruise - always to short.

 

Ron

[GOLDENBONNY]

And I thought that each person had a right to an unbiased opinion on this site. I guess that idiots like you, that doesn't have a wife in a wheelchair, that gets treated as though Costa actually WANTS your business, can say good things about, in MY opionion, a lousy cruise line. If you'd like, I'll send you the letter I sent to Costa and the response I received after a 17 day transAtlantic cruise. Maybe then your stupid response would be a little different.

 

 

Who you tolaking ot now???:confused: You did not like Costa,well I fil lsorry for you ,we do like Costa and we glad we will not see you on our next cruise:D