Costa Cruises have a reputation for fun, good value cruises. They provide lively entertainment, late nights and plenty of great Italian food. All Costa ships have a distinctive European feel in their decor and service. Costa Cruises are best suited to the young at heart and families who would enjoy a lively cruise experience. See our Costa 2008 Late Deals and our Costa 2009 Early Booking Offers for some great Costa Cruises bargains.
Costa has undertaken an extensive new-build programme recently in order to modernize its fleet. Most of its varied sized ships are well maintained, although there are inconsistencies throughout the fleet with some ships being smarter than others. All ships have a distinctive European feel to them, in their decor and service, which is very laid-back.
Giacomo Costa founded his Italian olive oil business in 1860 and his company, Costa Crociere, operated their first ship in 1924 to transport that oil. Costa’s first passenger ship entered service in 1948. The Genoese company specializes in cruises for Europeans and particularly Italians during the summer season.
Carnival Corporation, parent company of Costa Cruises and the world's largest operator, purchased the company in its entirety in 2000.
Berlitz Cruise Review of
Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises is noted for its ‘Italian’ style, ambiance and spirit. To be truthful, however, there are few Italian crew members on board its ships (although many of the officers are Italian).
The lifestyle on board is, however, perceived to be Italian – lively, noisy, with lots of love for life and a love of the casual to the nth degree.
The dress code is very casual, even on formal nights. Most passengers are Italian, with a generous sprinkling of other Europeans.
Costa Cruises does a good job of providing first-time cruise passengers with a well-packaged holiday that is a mix of sophistication and basic fare, albeit accompanied by rather loud music.
The cabins tend to be on the mean side in size, but the decor is fresh and upbeat, and the bathrooms are very practical units (some ships have cabin bathrooms with sliding doors), an excellent alternative to those that open inward, using up space).
There is extensive smoking on board. No-smoking zones and signs are often ignored to the frustration of non-smoking passengers, and ashtrays are moved at whim; many of the officers and crew also smoke (even when moving through public rooms), so they don’t bother to enforce the no-smoking zones.
English will be the language least spoken, as most passengers will be Italian, Spanish, French and German.
Expect to cruise with a lot of children of all ages during peak holiday cruises (and in Europe schoolchildren at certain times such as Easter have longer holidays, so you could book the wrong week if you don’t want to cruise with lots of kids). Without doubt, this is a cruise line for those who like to enjoy life and party.
Find out more about Costa cuisine, entertainment and cruising for families
Gratuities (tipping) and currency
US$53 per 7-day cruise per person (Caribbean cruises), or 32 euro per 7-day cruise per person (Europe/ Mediterranean cruises) is charged to your onboard account, while 15% is added to all bar and wine orders (Caribbean Cruises) or 10% (Europe/Mediterranean cruises).
You can have this amount adjusted, although you’ll have to visit the information desk to do so. The onboard currency is the euro (Europe/Mediterranean cruises), or US dollar (Caribbean cruises), depending on ship and itinerary. |
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