New to Costa

[Bizziecruzer]

Hi. We will be on the Costa Firenze to Norway early September. Whilst we have cruised before, we have never been on a Costa ship. 

Anything different that we should know? Thanks in advance for any assistance  

[At7Seas]

Costa is in the very most details just as other mass-market cruise lines, most things are as you are probably used to already. About the Firenze I can‘t tell you anything, I will sail on her in September as well, I am booked on the repositioning cruise from Kiel to the Mediterranean. Costa in general is not focused on the English speaking market, but is in core Italian and catering an international crowd. The staff has to speak English, it is for them the common working language, so for me English is the first choice when talking to somebody. All announcements are made in several languages - including English. If in rare cases it is not in English it is not for you, for example if a French guest is called to contact reception they do it in French only. Since not so many English speakers are aboard it happens that excursions in this language are cancelled. Generally spoken about excursions: Costa has sometimes really good deals, sometimes they are terribly overpriced, so do your homework. Often Italians are the largest group aboard, but on Norway cruises from Kiel you make a chance that Germans will be. Nevertheless life will be tinted Italian. Some things look as there would be chaos, but things are surprisingly exactly put to the right spot. As in Italy you will have for example a four course dinner (antipasti, primo or first course, which is mainly pasta, secondo, the second course mainly featuring fish or meat, and dolce, which means sweet). You can perfectly live without special dining, but the times I did it was great and the prices are way below comparable prices ashore. If you didn‘t book already think about a drinking package, the drink prices are not really cheap and the package prices are moderate.