Costa Mediterrania - April 3rd

[wannacruz]

Just booked the Costa Mediterrania for the April 3rd sailing. My husband is 51 and I am 44. This will be our 18th cruise but the 1st with Costa. We have been on Celebrity, RCCL, Holland America and Carnival. We are staying in a panorama suite. We are Italian and are really looking forward to the whole Italian atmosphere. I am alittle concerned with the many mixed reviews though. Please give me your feedback. We are not expecting 5 star - just a good time and decent food. If anyone has been in one of the panorama suites please tell us how it was as far as spaciousness and balcony size. Thanks!!

 

 

Jackie

[jtorphy]

We've been on 16 or 17 cruises. Five with Costa on four different ships.

We have sailed on a number of lines to include Celebrity and Holland America.

We thought that the service and food were not as good as Celebrity, but close to Holland America in most ways. The meat dishes were not prepared to my American taste, but my wife, who is German, ate mostly fish and pasta and thought the food was great - She also loved the pizza and I didn't. I liked the cold soups at dinner (a different choice each night) - they were better than any other line we have sailed on. The lunch buffet on all of the ships was good to excellent.

We had a Panorama Suite on the Costa Atlantica (the sister ship of the Mediterrania). The suite was big compared to the balcony cabins we usually book, but not as large as a full suite that we had on the Costa Romantica. The bath room was large with a tub/jacuzzi/shower setup. There was a small dressing room type area just before you entered the bath room. The balcony was larger than the normal balcony cabin with two wooden chair/recliners and a table.

The suite came with a butler (don't know if this still applies), but the butler didn't do much for us - maybe we didn't know how to use him correctly.

We also got a "free" night in the extra cost dinning room (might also not still apply).

The lights in the suite are a little confusing - they have dimmer and off/on switches - get the cabin steward to show you how to control the lights.

I have pictures of the suite - if you are interested give me your email address (it's not in your cc profile) and I will send them to you.

We think that Costa gets a bad rap on most of the reviews we have read - it is a European cruise line and has a European flair. The cost of a cabin is usually cheaper than other lines and to our way of thinking you get a lot for what you paid.

One last thing, we are booked on the Mediterrania on their 17 April Transatlantic cruise - please try not to ruin the ship before we get on it.

You're going to be very happy with your suite.

Have a great cruise!

[wannacruz]

Jtorphy,

 

Thank you so much for the detail. We have never been in a suite before so we are really excited. My e-mail is jag0228@aol.com. Can't wait to see the pictures of the suite and we will TRY to not ruin the ship before you get on but we might eat all the ice cream!! Have a great time on your transatlantic cruise - sounds GREAT!

 

Jackie

[jtorphy]

Jackie,

Sent you 7 pictures in two emails - Hope you got them.

[wannacruz]

Jtorphy -

 

Thank you SO much for e-mailing the pictures. Now I am even more excited!!

The suite looks wonderful!!

 

 

Jackie