Negative Costa reviews

[Projunior]

My wife and I just returned on Sept 13 from a 10 day cruise on the Luminosa, Copenhagen to Savona. We have been on twenty cruises; this was our third Costa cruise. The cruise was wonderful.

 

My theory is that those Americans who complain about Costa in the CC reviews are just that, complainers. You know the type, for these particular people griping is part of their nature and something they love to do. On board they are dying to bend the ears of their fellow passengers and rant about some niggling detail that they found unsatisfactory; alas, they can’t, because they only speak English. This frustrates them more. Instead they redirect their venom and vent on CC.

 

The food on this cruise ranged from good to excellent. I too have read the reviews that say the food was inedible; this is total nonsense. The Lido buffet, both at breakfast and lunch, was good, on par with RCI, but inferior to the spreads put out by Princess and HAL. But good, nonetheless. All lunches in the MDR on the Luminosa were terrific. One thing that does puzzle me is why the pizza, which is a predominant item in the Costa buffets, is so subpar. Costa needs to make pizza the way Princess does. Dinners were often excellent: seafood was consistently topnotch and so were the desserts. Meats at dinner varied, pork was great but my prime rib was a ¼ inch slab of shoe leather, the only real dud. Rest assured, you will not go hungry.

 

The all-inclusive drinks package is the best bargain out there.

 

Service in the dining room and in our cabin was impeccable.

 

What else do the complainers complain about? Smoking! Some make it sound like their ship was befogged by giant, pervasive clouds of nicotine. Not even close. On the Luminosa it was barely noticeable.

 

The thing we like about Costa is that they are fun ships! On HAL or Princess the public rooms are spooky ghost towns by 11:30PM. On Costa there is live music until 1:30AM and the Grand Bar Elettra on the Luminosa would be thronged at 12:30AM! The disco was packed till the wee, wee hours.

 

We went to three shows. Two were dance themed, so very little verbalization was needed. Both were most enjoyable. There was a singer, Vick Vicus, from South Africa. He sang about 10 songs: one in Italian, one in French, and despite the fact that there were very few English speaking passengers on board, the rest of the songs were in English. He was superb and the crowd went crazy.

 

Ballroom dancing on Costa is the best at sea, bar none.

 

Think about how few reviews there are about Costa ships compared to say Princess, or Royal Caribbean, or Holland America – it would be a mistake to extrapolate their narrow viewpoints into a condemnation of Costa across the board. Don’t give those reviews a second thought. We always go on board expecting to have a fine time and we always do.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Projunior

[Tatka]

Is it fair to say that Costa should be compared to Carnival?

 

Ships are very comparable with all their strong and weak points, but what about everything else?

Edited September 18, 2013 by Tatka

[seatdriver]

My wife and I just returned on Sept 13 from a 10 day cruise on the Luminosa, Copenhagen to Savona. We have been on twenty cruises; this was our third Costa cruise. The cruise was wonderful.

 

My theory is that those Americans who complain about Costa in the CC reviews are just that, complainers. You know the type, for these particular people griping is part of their nature and something they love to do. On board they are dying to bend the ears of their fellow passengers and rant about some niggling detail that they found unsatisfactory; alas, they can’t, because they only speak English. This frustrates them more. Instead they redirect their venom and vent on CC.

 

The food on this cruise ranged from good to excellent. I too have read the reviews that say the food was inedible; this is total nonsense. The Lido buffet, both at breakfast and lunch, was good, on par with RCI, but inferior to the spreads put out by Princess and HAL. But good, nonetheless. All lunches in the MDR on the Luminosa were terrific. One thing that does puzzle me is why the pizza, which is a predominant item in the Costa buffets, is so subpar. Costa needs to make pizza the way Princess does. Dinners were often excellent: seafood was consistently topnotch and so were the desserts. Meats at dinner varied, pork was great but my prime rib was a ¼ inch slab of shoe leather, the only real dud. Rest assured, you will not go hungry.

 

The all-inclusive drinks package is the best bargain out there.

 

Service in the dining room and in our cabin was impeccable.

 

What else do the complainers complain about? Smoking! Some make it sound like their ship was befogged by giant, pervasive clouds of nicotine. Not even close. On the Luminosa it was barely noticeable.

 

The thing we like about Costa is that they are fun ships! On HAL or Princess the public rooms are spooky ghost towns by 11:30PM. On Costa there is live music until 1:30AM and the Grand Bar Elettra on the Luminosa would be thronged at 12:30AM! The disco was packed till the wee, wee hours.

 

We went to three shows. Two were dance themed, so very little verbalization was needed. Both were most enjoyable. There was a singer, Vick Vicus, from South Africa. He sang about 10 songs: one in Italian, one in French, and despite the fact that there were very few English speaking passengers on board, the rest of the songs were in English. He was superb and the crowd went crazy.

 

Ballroom dancing on Costa is the best at sea, bar none.

 

Think about how few reviews there are about Costa ships compared to say Princess, or Royal Caribbean, or Holland America – it would be a mistake to extrapolate their narrow viewpoints into a condemnation of Costa across the board. Don’t give those reviews a second thought. We always go on board expecting to have a fine time and we always do.

 

Couldn't have said it any better myself. Hope some of the complainers read this.

[Str8asitgets2]

If you would enjoy a Carnival cruise then you will enjoy a Costa cruise. Very very few differences. Happy Cruising!

[cruising oceangal]

My wife and I just returned on Sept 13 from a 10 day cruise on the Luminosa, Copenhagen to Savona. We have been on twenty cruises; this was our third Costa cruise. The cruise was wonderful.

 

My theory is that those Americans who complain about Costa in the CC reviews are just that, complainers. You know the type, for these particular people griping is part of their nature and something they love to do. On board they are dying to bend the ears of their fellow passengers and rant about some niggling detail that they found unsatisfactory; alas, they can’t, because they only speak English. This frustrates them more. Instead they redirect their venom and vent on CC.

 

The food on this cruise ranged from good to excellent. I too have read the reviews that say the food was inedible; this is total nonsense. The Lido buffet, both at breakfast and lunch, was good, on par with RCI, but inferior to the spreads put out by Princess and HAL. But good, nonetheless. All lunches in the MDR on the Luminosa were terrific. One thing that does puzzle me is why the pizza, which is a predominant item in the Costa buffets, is so subpar. Costa needs to make pizza the way Princess does. Dinners were often excellent: seafood was consistently topnotch and so were the desserts. Meats at dinner varied, pork was great but my prime rib was a ¼ inch slab of shoe leather, the only real dud. Rest assured, you will not go hungry.

 

The all-inclusive drinks package is the best bargain out there.

 

Service in the dining room and in our cabin was impeccable.

 

What else do the complainers complain about? Smoking! Some make it sound like their ship was befogged by giant, pervasive clouds of nicotine. Not even close. On the Luminosa it was barely noticeable.

 

The thing we like about Costa is that they are fun ships! On HAL or Princess the public rooms are spooky ghost towns by 11:30PM. On Costa there is live music until 1:30AM and the Grand Bar Elettra on the Luminosa would be thronged at 12:30AM! The disco was packed till the wee, wee hours.

 

We went to three shows. Two were dance themed, so very little verbalization was needed. Both were most enjoyable. There was a singer, Vick Vicus, from South Africa. He sang about 10 songs: one in Italian, one in French, and despite the fact that there were very few English speaking passengers on board, the rest of the songs were in English. He was superb and the crowd went crazy.

 

Ballroom dancing on Costa is the best at sea, bar none.

 

Think about how few reviews there are about Costa ships compared to say Princess, or Royal Caribbean, or Holland America – it would be a mistake to extrapolate their narrow viewpoints into a condemnation of Costa across the board. Don’t give those reviews a second thought. We always go on board expecting to have a fine time and we always do.

 

Thank you for your review!! My DH and I will be going on the Luminosa in December to the Caribbean. I imagine it will be a different experience than cruising the Mediterranean.

 

This will be our first Costa cruise and we are excited to try a new line. Wish there were more posts on CC about the Luminosa as I enjoy reading them. Have been on these boards long enough to realize there will be complainers and negative reviews and learned to take each with a grain of salt, lol! We go with a positive attitude to have fun and enjoy our cruise!!:)

Edited September 19, 2013 by cruising oceangal

[chrispb]

Is it fair to say that Costa should be compared to Carnival?

 

Ships are very comparable with all their strong and weak points, but what about everything else?

 

Can you define "everything else"? The mass cruiselines are more alike than different as far as we are concerned.

 

The 2 main differences on Costa are:

 

a) no buffet every evening

b) welcoming to smokers

 

If there are others then they are not important to us.

[Tatka]

Thank you.

We cruised with all massmarket lines and cannot say they are very much alike. We find differences not in absence or presence of nightly buffet, but in activities, service, atmosphere. It is different for example on Princess vs Carnival. So I am interested in where Costa stands.

[AnonymousCruiser69]

Thank you.

We cruised with all massmarket lines and cannot say they are very much alike. We find differences not in absence or presence of nightly buffet, but in activities, service, atmosphere. It is different for example on Princess vs Carnival. So I am interested in where Costa stands.

 

costa's activities are more similar to carnival - stupid pool games, bingo, etc - than princess.

[cruisetrail]

Hi

 

I have used quite some time to go through the Costa reviews on both CC and cruise.co.uk, and many of the bad reviews seems to come from Americans, or am I wrong?

 

Yes, you are.

There are more American posters on CC.

 

The main reason why I am asking, is that I am going to my first Costa cruise in November with my wife and daughter, and I am uncertain about what to think from some of the reviews I have read.

I have kind of concluded that it might not be accurate for Europeans such as myself. Example, being an European, it is quite normal that there are different languages over the speakers... that is a normal part of being European. Some reviews complain about this as a large factor, but that must really be an American issue, as I cant see any European having issues with this, unless you live under a rock.

 

It's obvious that it's not an issue at all no matter who is complaining.

Simply don't pay attention. Skip it.

 

Also, I don't understand why some reviews seem to suggest that Costa is cheaper than other cruise liners such as Celebrity, Princess and P&O.

 

Costa delivers the cheapest (lowest quality) product.

Prices vary significantly. It depends on where you buy a cruise, what currency, what season, itinerary....

 

I am going to be paying 2300 euros for a balcony cabin for 11 days, which would be the same on Princess, for example.

 

It may happen. Prices vary.

 

Anyways, would like to get some hints on whether I myself as an European can trust some of these reviews, that seems to come from Americans, which I cannot compare to my own lifestyle.

You don't have to trust.

What you do have to do is your pre-cruise home work.

Filter facts from reviews.

Reviews are neither positive nor negative. They are either factual or not factual.

Factual reviews are valuable.

Resort cruise ships have various amenities to offer for a pleasant cruise.

Some ships have more. Some have less. This is what you cruise life will be.

Nothing to do with someone's lifestyle.

 

 

The food also seem to be something that is hugely complained about, but I still see a lot of other reviews where food is rated very high. Having been in the US a lot, I could imagine that these negative food reviews are specifically from Americans?

 

Very wrong.

The worst food I have ever seen on a cruise was on Costa ship.

What is food on a cruise ship?

Main Dining Room

Buffet

Alternative free dining options

Specialty dining

 

Princess Grand ships (that you compare) offer:

1. Main Dining Room - traditional time seating (free)

2. Main Dining Room - open time seating (free)

3. Buffet (free):

- breakfast

- lunch

- dinner

- late snack

4. International Cafe - pastries & desserts (free)

5. Pub lunch with live music (free)

6. Proper afternoon tea - full service in restaurant setting (free)

7. Specialty restaurant: Sabatini's

8. Specialty restaurant: Crown Grill

This is what food means on a cruise ship.

Just for fun print out this part and compare step by step with what you'll have on the Deliziosa.

So you'll get the answer.

 

It could be an age thing as well, I am 35, and might not compare with a 65+ senior couple who expects a much less action packed cruise, as it seems like Costa is known for.

 

People stay longer in bars, speak louder and smoke harder on Costa.

If you want to participate - participate. I f don't want - don't participate.What's a problem?

Possibly "they" are talking about the quality of the "action".

 

Thanks.

 

Philip

 

The Deliziosa is one of their four best ships.

Enjoy your cruise.

[chrispb]

costa's activities are more similar to carnival - stupid pool games, bingo, etc - than princess.

 

I hate those pool games but not seen them on Costa, thankfully.

 

Royal Caribbean was awful - knobbly knees and belly flop competitions, lots of kids and screaming. Sigh.

 

Not sailed on Carnival - they don't seem to sail anywhere interesting but I imagined from what I've read here on CC that they'd be similar to Royal.

[AnonymousCruiser69]

The Deliziosa is one of their four best ships.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

this poster is still mad about the quality of salmon offered on the breakfast buffet. take their comments with a grain of salt. it's been years and the complaining goes on. :rolleyes:

Edited September 20, 2013 by AnonymousCruiser69

[Dancer Bob]

I agree completely with Projunior, especially about dancing. Most of the Americans complaining should never have been booked on Costa, it should have been obvious to their agent they wouldn't be happy.

The worst food I have ever had at sea was on Silversea, supposedly an ultra-lux line. Costa's food, I'm sort of in between- not a good choice if you want to waddle from one 4,000 calorie meal to the next, but better than anything I was able to get on land for the same budget.

The problem with smoking I found this spring on the Deliziosa (sister to Luminosa), was not the number of smokers- very few- but the size of the designated areas, far larger than was needed. Not being a fanatic on the topic, I do tend to pick tables on the edge of the smoking area, and never found it very intrusive.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Dancer Bob

[phider]

this poster is still mad about the quality of salmon offered on the breakfast buffet. take their comments with a grain of salt. it's been years and the complaining goes on. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks - I have noticed their complaining in other threads, and I am not susceptible.

 

Philip

[phider]

Couldn't have said it any better myself. Hope some of the complainers read this.

 

I am really looking forward to my first Costa cruise on Deliziosa to make up my own experience.

 

Seriously, some reviewers seem to have put 1 star on Costa, because they thought they got their fingers hurt due to the "robish" handles on the cabin cabinets. It really does sound like American complainers to me. :confused:

 

Just for the record. I am not trying to dish Americans in any way, I am only trying to make the reviews relevant for others, which might not be American. It just seems over the top.

 

Philip

Edited September 20, 2013 by phider

[phider]

I agree completely with Projunior, especially about dancing. Most of the Americans complaining should never have been booked on Costa, it should have been obvious to their agent they wouldn't be happy.

The worst food I have ever had at sea was on Silversea, supposedly an ultra-lux line. Costa's food, I'm sort of in between- not a good choice if you want to waddle from one 4,000 calorie meal to the next, but better than anything I was able to get on land for the same budget.

 

Some of the reviews says the food is inedible. :eek:

 

Philip

[phider]

Thank you.

We cruised with all massmarket lines and cannot say they are very much alike. We find differences not in absence or presence of nightly buffet, but in activities, service, atmosphere. It is different for example on Princess vs Carnival. So I am interested in where Costa stands.

 

My conclusion, after reading a vast amount of posts and reviews, is that it really depends on your own profile.

 

Costa is probably for the younger client's, and Princess is for the 65+.

 

Philip

[phider]

They were 11 and 15. It was not kids free sale, but they were charged $99 or $49.

 

Well, I am not sure how the 2 kids you have gets calculated into the equation, but both a Costa and Royal C. cruise can be purchased for ~550$ per person.

 

You cant compare a liner on the same month, you have to compare the prices over a 6 months period at least, to see what the cheapest fair is between the two.

 

Philip

[Tatka]

My conclusion, after reading a vast amount of posts and reviews, is that it really depends on your own profile.

 

Costa is probably for the younger client's, and Princess is for the 65+.

 

Philip

 

Well, I cannot agree about Princess. We are sailing with Princess for the last 7 years since our mid 30ies with our then 15 yo, and never felt it was for older crowd. I heard that in march there were 700 kids under 18 on Caribbean Princess. :) Maybe you were talking about HAL?

Edited September 20, 2013 by Tatka

[phider]

Well, I cannot agree about Princess. We are sailing with Princess for the last 7 years since our mid 30ies with our then 15 yo, and never felt it was for older crowd. I heard that in march there were 700 kids under 18 on Caribbean Princess. :) Maybe you were talking about HAL?

 

Maybe you are just old minded, and the 700 kids have really old parents?

 

Philip

[Tatka]

Maybe you are just old minded, and the 700 kids have really old parents?

 

Philip

 

:)

 

And all those old 20 something newlyweds. :)

[Dancer Bob]

Treat any review that says "Costa's food is inedible" with greaat suspicion. As it happens, I don't like seafood- if I said "the seafood was inedible" how relevant is that for you? How could you judge if I didn't state my preference? cruisetrail is right, you have to separate facts from opinion. Many reviewers act as though their opinons are facts, they most certainly are not.

[phider]

Treat any review that says "Costa's food is inedible" with greaat suspicion. As it happens, I don't like seafood- if I said "the seafood was inedible" how relevant is that for you? How could you judge if I didn't state my preference? cruisetrail is right, you have to separate facts from opinion. Many reviewers act as though their opinons are facts, they most certainly are not.

 

Exactly, I couldn't have said it better myself. For example, I have seen some reviews where foods is being really dished out by the reviewer, and then, without really underlining it, you realize that they are vegetarians.. I mean - why would you not make that 100% clear, when making a review?

 

Again, what really bugs me, is that people make Costa seem like a discount liner, compared to other liners, such as P&O and Royal C. but it just isn't true - if you go and look at search for 11 day cruises over a 6 months timeframe, you will realize that the prices are similar to

 

Royal C.

Disney

Princess

P&O

NCL

 

And in some cases I have seen similar to Cunard.

 

When I compare prices, I use a +/- of 200-300 euros.

 

Philip

Edited September 21, 2013 by phider

[cruisetrail]

Exactly, I couldn't have said it better myself. For example, I have seen some reviews where foods is being really dished out by the reviewer, and then, without really underlining it, you realize that they are vegetarians.. I mean - why would you not make that 100% clear, when making a review?

 

Again, what really bugs me, is that people make Costa seem like a discount liner, compared to other liners, such as P&O and Royal C. but it just isn't true - if you go and look at search for 11 day cruises over a 6 months timeframe, you will realize that the prices are similar to

 

Royal C.

Disney

Princess

P&O

NCL

 

And in some cases I have seen similar to Cunard.

 

When I compare prices, I use a +/- of 200-300 euros.

 

Philip

 

200-300 euros may be equal to another cruise on Costa!

 

 

 

 

[chrispb]

200-300 euros may be equal to another cruise on Costa!

 

 

 

 

 

You won't see those prices on UK websites. I wish!!

[phider]

200-300 euros may be equal to another cruise on Costa!

 

 

 

 

 

To me, that seems like youre looking for something to support your case. If you look at a 3 month period, you will see another picture.

 

 

This is for a Med W. destination, why Costa and MSC is heavily represented.

 

Philip