Costa Cruises
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Our Costa Cruise Honeymoon: A Deep Disappointment
This was our third cruise together, but the first as a married couple — and sadly, our first (and last) experience with Costa Cruises. We had hoped it would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, especially as it was our honeymoon. Unfortunately, from the moment we arrived at the port in Catania to board the Costa Fascinosa, things began to go downhill. The check-in process was chaotic. We waited in long queues under the sun without being offered even a glass of water. Eventually, we found someone handing out drinks, but they clearly did not want to be there — unfriendly, uninterested, and certainly not welcoming. You’d expect staff in a holiday setting to set a positive tone, but that was far from the case. After dropping off our luggage, we joined yet another line — again, in a stuffy area where the air conditioning could have been turned on but wasn’t. By the time they took our photo for the boarding card, I looked like I had just come out of a sauna. I thought that would be the end of the queues, but no — we were forced to queue yet again in a tent, this time for a photo we didn’t even want. When I politely declined, I was rudely told to wait in line anyway. After several back-and-forths, they finally allowed us to move on. Access to our cabin was only available at 3 PM, which is standard, so no complaints there. However, once onboard, the service only got worse. The majority of the staff — I’d say 9 out of 10 — seemed determined to make our experience miserable. When I tried to order two coffees and two Pepsis, I was bluntly told I could only order two drinks at a time. Despite having a paid drinks package, I had to fetch my husband’s card just to get four basic beverages. That level of inflexibility and rudeness is unacceptable. Dinner was another letdown. The food was shockingly poor — honestly, I wouldn’t feed it to my dogs. Plates were slammed down in front of us at the sit-down restaurant with no care or courtesy. The ship itself is outdated and, frankly, it smells bad. We also needed a UK plug adapter and asked at reception and multiple other staff, only to be repeatedly told none were available. Eventually, we found one in a shop onboard where the employee casually mentioned they’d been in stock for over two years. Clearly, no effort was made to help us. On another occasion, when returning to our cabin, a staff member blocked our access and angrily told us we had to walk all the way around the ship — simply because she didn’t want to move her trolley. A little flexibility or even basic courtesy would have gone a long way. Staff frequently bumped into us or passed by with carts without so much as an apology or even a nod. It’s the little things — an acknowledgment, a smile — that make a difference, and we experienced none of that here. And then there were the other guests — many were just as rude and inconsiderate. Perhaps the staff’s attitude is a reflection of the clientele Costa Cruises attracts. Either way, the atmosphere onboard was anything but enjoyable. In short, this cruise was an enormous disappointment. If I could give it zero stars, I would. We will never book with Costa Cruises again.