Costa Allegra

[Linda-B]

Tom and Carol and/or any others--how was the ship and the trip. We are going 2/21 and would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks,

Linda

[Tom&Carol]

After a rather poor start, our trip turned out to be very enjoyable. First of all, we were supposed to leave Halifax 6:40 a.m. on Jan. 19 and catch a connecting flight in Montreal, arriving in Miami around midday. Our Halifax to Montreal fllight was cancelled and we were rerouted to Toronto at 12:30 p.m. and then on to Miami, arriving at our ship at about 7 p.m. Needless to say, we were rather nervous about getting to the ship on time. We were probably one of the last to board, so embarkation was very simple. Our luggage went immediately to our cabins and all of our papers were there waiting for us. No hassle whatsoever. The other couple travelling with us left a bag at the Miami airport, and Costa arranged to have it flown to Progresso on our first port day. There were other people from Halifax who were rerouted by way of Boston. They arrived at the ship around 3 p.m. without any luggage. Costa arranged to have all their luggage meet the ship in Jamaica (4 days into the trip). They supplied them with survival packs, which included T-shirts, skirts, shorts, toiletries, etc., as well as tuxedos and formal gowns and shoes for the Captain's gala night. We were really impressed with this, since the air wasn't arranged through Costa and they couldn't be held responsible for the lost luggage.

 

We found the ship to be very clean and well organized. The crew was exceptional, doing all they could to make everyone happy. The entertainment staff had boundless energy and kept everyone as busy as they could possibly want to be.

 

The cruise was very European. The music and dancing was more ballroom style. Currency on board was Euros. We found everything to be overpriced. The daily drink special was $4.50 Euros (about $6.30 Canadian) and could be supersized for .25 Euros more. A beer was $3.25 E.for small and $4.25 E. for large. If you get a mixer (rum and soda for example), it cost $6.25 E. A 15% service charge is added to all drinks. As you can see, drinking can be very expensive. We found out on the first night that you could purchase duty free liquor and take it to your room. You should try not to be noticed drinking your own booze outside your cabin. Pop can be purchased in port and carried on with no problem. All bags were X-rayed when going on board at each port, and we didn't see anyone questioned about their contents, even though many were bringing beer on board.

 

We arranged all of our own excursions by taxi after going ashore and they were at least half the price you pay on the ship. You can even get a taxi to take you to the Panama Canal to see ships going through the locks. The one excursion we did book through the ship was the Stingray City and Island Tour. Unfortunately, the seas were quite rough that day and all water tours in Grand Cayman were cancelled. Speaking of rough seas - we found the Allegra to be quite unstable. Two nights were particularly bad, so if you have a problem with seasickness, we would suggest you use a patch. The ship does supply dramamine for free. Our last night was very calm, so most likely the instability was a combination of ship size and ocean conditions.

 

There was no shortage of deck chairs and towels, even on sea days. The pool is very small, but on this cruise not many people used it. By the way, it is salt water. There are three hot tubs.

 

The passenger makeup of the ship was roughly 60% American, 40% Europeans and other nationalities. The average age was approximately 65. We heard that future cruises would be more Europeans than other nationalities.

 

The food was good, but not the quality of other cruises we have been on.

We only gained about five pounds each. LOL

 

Overall, we were very pleased with the dollar value of the cruise. If you're looking for a 5 star cruise, then this isn't the one for you, but it is certainly worth the price being paid. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a budget priced cruise.

[Linda-B]

Tom and Carol,

Thanks so much for your review. Sorry for the all the anxiety you must have felt getting to the ship. (Costa really was great agout the luggage problems) It sounds as if you enjoyed the cruise.

We too will be arranging our own tours.

 

What did you do in Montego Bay and Puerto Limon?

 

We have the rest of the ports covered.

Linda

[Linda-B]

Tom and Carol,

I forgot to ask about the dress code on non formal nights--especially for the men. How many nights were jackets or suits required.

Did the men wear jackets and ties--jackets without ties--slacks and shirts, and about how many times. My husband is trying to decide how many jackets to bring.

Thanks,

Linda

[hondorner]

Linda, thanks for all your questions; they're helping me, also. Betsy and I, along with Marty & Ellen, are booked on the Allegra for the 2/10 sailing. All of the reviews and comments have been very helpful. Like some of the others, we are from Florida and booked through Legendary Journeys. We have no tours schedled except the Panama tour offered by LJ; I'm a little disappointed to hear the review of that tour, but, on the other hand, you get what you pay for, and it was reasonably priced.

 

The same goes for the cruise as a whole; it was really almost an impulse purchase for the 4 of us after Marty saw an ad with the heavily discounted LJ price.

 

One thing we're not sure about is the staterooms. We're booked in Category 3 inside staterooms on the Lautrec deck (Deck 4), near the front of the ship. Some of the deck plans indicate these staterooms cannot be converted to a Queen bed; others are not clear. What was your experience? It's not that important since we expect to spend little time in the stateroom, but I guess it's one more thing to worry about...

 

Betsy will be disappointed to learn there is no Toga party on the Allegro.

 

I'm almost addicted to Diet Pepsi, and I find most ships offer Coke products. We have taken cruises with refrigerators in the room and I bring my own sodas, but, of course, the inside staterooms on the Allegra will not have such an amenity. Is ice easily available?

[bobthek]

We were on the Allegra Jan 08, 2006 cruise. I have posted a Review earlier. We also booked through Legendary Journeys, and had about 250 others who did the same for the same reason (low price). We had an outside cabin on Deck 4, but met others who had an inside. Not much difference in size, and we were only in the cabin to sleep and change clothes.

Right, no TOGA PARTY! Bummer! Also, 3 formal nights, not two. This was OK with us, but we would have liked to have been warned.

I also posted a negative review of LJ's Panama Canal & City Tour. I also wrote to LJ and they told me that this was the same operator as the ship's tour. This tour was a waste of time and money, and LJ said that they will investigate and reply to my complaint.

Ice was available through Room Service at any time. I am not sure that the inside rooms have a fridge, but ours did.

Overall, we fully enjoyed the Allegra and miss her. Hope your trip is as good.

[nurse2trav]

Don,

My husband, Bob, and myself are also in the LJ group on 2/10. Sounds like our cabin is near yours. We are very much looking forward to the cruise. This is our 7th. All our other cruises have all been very much the same. For better or worse, I am looking forward to something a little different.

See you soon.:)