| Costa Cruises was purchased by the Carnival Corporation in 1998. Costa’s fleet of ships, itineraries and onboard experience has remained largely unchanged. But Carnival has wisely decided that the Italian line's ships best suit Europeans and South Americans, so today foreign nationals largely comprise the passenger compliment. In North America each winter, Costa sends two ships for Caribbean cruising out
of Florida. They move each spring to the Mediterranean for a lengthy European season. Elder ships in the fleet sailing in Europe include the Costa Classica, Costa Romantica, Costa Allegra and Costa Victoria all built in the 1990's. Sister ships Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea joined the fleet in July 2000 and June 2003 respectively. The 85,000-ton ships carry 2,112 passengers and features some unique public rooms. Aboard Atlantica you'll find a
replica of famous "Caffé Florian", the 18th century landmark café located in St. Mark's Square, Venice. Sister ship Costa Mediterranea features interior decor inspired by Italian art and architecture.
Parent company Carnival Corporation transferred Carnival Cruise Lines' Tropicale to the Costa fleet in February 2001 for sailings in Europe. The 36,671-ton, 1,022 passenger Costa Tropicale underwent a complete refit to transform her into a Costa style ship. Holland America Line's Westerdam followed suit in 2002, emerging from a refit in April as the Costa Europa.
In November 2003, the line's new flagship and the biggest in the fleet, Costa Fortuna, entered service. At 105,000-tons and carrying 2,720 passengers, Fortuna is the largest Italian passenger ship ever. She was constructed at Fincantieri's historic Genoa Sestri yard where the famous Italian liners Rex and Michelangelo were built. Fittingly her onboard decor is inspired by these famous ships from the past. Sister-ship Costa Magica will debut in fall 2004.
Costa will welcome another new ship in 2006. The 112,000-ton 3,800-passenger vessel will be the largest in the Costa fleet and is as yet unnamed. It will be constructed by Italian builder Fincantieri for year-round Mediterranean service.
While you may come across these ships steeply discounted in the Caribbean, keep in mind that food and service may not be up to your standards. While Costa is based in Italy, you’ll be hard-pressed to find Italians working aboard the ship. A number of years ago, Costa replaced its all-Italian crew with South Americans – largely Peruvian – and service was affected. In January 2003, Costa opened a Hospitality Training Institute in La Romana, Dominican
Republic, in association with the prestigious American culinary and hospitality school of Johnson & Wales University. The school will train service personnel for the expanding Costa fleet. This should lead to an improvement in service in the future.
If you’re considering Costa for a cruise in Europe, we don’t recommend it. Ship announcements and shore excursions are in five languages. Moreover, these ships spend too little time in port for you to more than just a glimpse of what’s important.
The Costa Experience:
In the Caribbean, English is the official language of the ship, and you'll most likely be cruising with Canadians, Americans, South Americans and some Europeans. In terms of entertainment, the big highlight of the cruise is the "Toga Party" when your evening attire is fashioned out of your bed sheets. Everyone laughs and has a merry time pretending to be Romans. Otherwise, floor shows are uninspiring and you'll be lucky to find an accomplished cabaret
performer aboard. Daytime activities are fairly standard, with aerobics, bridge, bingo, ice sculpting, etc.
In Europe, it is a different experience entirely, no matter which Costa ship you choose. Five languages are spoken aboard ship and your shore excursions may be multi-lingual (which can make it difficult to get much information from a guide). For some, the heavy-smoking Europeans will be a big damper on Europe cruises. (New non-smoking policies commenced December 2001 have helped this problem. There is no smoking in the main dining rooms and show lounges
onboard all eight vessels with designated smoking areas in other lounges, specialty restaurants and casual dining areas.) The main fault I found was the fact that little time was spent in port, so I saw much less than if I'd been aboard most other ships.
Fellow Passengers
On Caribbean voyages, the majority of passengers are Canadian and American with a smaller mix of South Americans and Europeans. In Europe, there will be few Americans and most passengers are in the 40+ age range of Europeans.
Shore Excursions:
In Europe, take the English-speaking tours. On shore excursions conducted in more than one language you’ll have a tough time grasping much in the way of information. In the Caribbean, English is the primary language; you’ll find a regular roster of snorkeling and sightseeing tours.
Taking The Kids:
"Costa Kids Club" is offered year-round and includes supervised activities and programs for children aged 3-8, 9-12, 13-17. On formal nights, Costa features "Parents Night Out" by throwing a private supervised buffet for kids. On some sailings, children under 12 may sail for $99. Babysitting is subject to staff availability and cribs may be reserved.
Tipping:
Costa's suggested guidelines, per person per day, are $2.50 for the waiter and busboy team; $1.50 for the stateroom steward/stewardess; .50 for the Maitre d' and Head Waiter team.
A 10 percent gratuity is automatically added to all beverage tabs. Bartenders, servers, deck stewards and other staff may be tipped as service is received.
Rates:
Costa Atlantica, Victoria and Mediterranea are geared to the North American market. Their Mediterranean, "Andiamo" advance purchase rates start at $1,049 for seven nights. Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea's seven-night Caribbean cruises start as low as $949 per person, $499 with advance purchase discount. In Europe, fall and winter, Best Value Cruises start at $999 for a 10-night cruise.
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