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Great Cruise by
Alvin J from Thousand Oaks, CA USA Sailing date: Apr 2012Pros: Stops at Santorini, Rhodes & Dubrovnic. Excellent Service Cons: None realy. Crusie was Venice-Bari-Katakolon-Santorini-Rhodes-Dubrovnik-Venice; 7 days-8 nights. The service was excellent. the food was good. Variety of food and services were good. I recomment taking the drink package if you like to have a care free vacation. It allows you the coffees, sodas, and alcoholoic drinks without the hassle of the cost and service fees of each drink (about 20 Euros per per per day). The cleanliness and constant upkeep made our trip enjoyable. We upgraded to a outside balcony room. This was an excellent choice for my wife & I. It provided more room and the constant view of the sea ans ports. Ship QualityShip was very clean for handling 2500 paying passengers of ages 1 year to 90 years old per day. Decor was typical for a cruise ship: Create color & excitement. Dining/FoodIt was decent food with a decent variety. There were two established dining times with reserved seating at the same table each night. It was enjoyable and preductable. The service was excellent froma multicultural service staff. Stateroom QualityNo compliants. Ship Staff QualityVery friendly, helpful and fun to deal with Entertainment & ActivitiesOK. I am not a big follower of the arts.  0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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  A superb experience all around! by
Nancy from Scarsdale, New York Sailing date: Jul 2007Pros: Its superb organization. This was our first cruise, and we thought it was an excellent way to see several places in a floating hotel without having to pack and unpack, without having to travel from place to place on our own, without having to scrounge around for food and land excursions. Everything was taken care of (and taken care of beautifully) - our lodging, our meals, our trips, entertainment - all with courtesy, joy, and efficiency. We were able to see places we'd never been to - Pompeii, Sorrento, Palermo, Tunis, Palma de Majorca, Barcelona, and Marseille - and we enjoyed them all. We also stayed in Genoa (another first - and loved it) before and after the cruise. All in all, we heartily recommend Costa Cruise lines and we would go with them again. Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityThe room had everything we needed and was organized very efficiently. Comfort and cleanliness - superb. Room was cleaned twice daily, second time with new towels and bed turned down.
Ship Staff QualityThe staff was excellent - always helpful, always courteous, very efficient.
Entertainment & Activities
Entertainment: We didn't really go to all the shows, but the one we did attend had nice variety. The performance area was lovely. 
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Naples, ItalyPompeii is a must see.
We went to see the ruins of Pompeii and Sorrento, a lovely coastal town. Pompeii is fascinating, and I'm glad we got to see it.
Palma De Mallorca, Balearic IslandsBeautiful!
Don't Miss: The magnificent views. Palermo, SicilyPalermo is a city of secrets.
Inside every old building is a palace or some other surprise.
Tunis, TunisiaThe beach at Gammarth and hotel pool were relaxing and breathtaking experiences.
21 out of 26 people found this review helpful.
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One of the Best by
Ray M from Redlands, CA Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: The company and staff for dinner Cons: Cost of internet usage The cruise was very relaxing with more than enough activies to stimulate new experiences. The food quality was very good. I asked our server to choose my meals, and he was perfect with every course. We were generally the last to leave the dinner table. The whole time aboard was very comfortable.
The only concern I experienced was the expense of using the internet. There must be a good reason, but it escapes me. Regardless, I highly recommend this cruise. Ship QualityThe only reason I don't give it a 6 star rating is the internet cost. Sharing our experiences at the time we experience them seems to be of good promotional value. The necessity for the high cost is not apparent. Using the internet at port stops meant less time to experience the port. Dining/FoodThe second seating was a little too late. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & ActivitiesLess marketing and more instruction. The italian language class was a bit confusing as a result of translating into several languages.
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Barcelona, SpainNot near enough time to explore. It probably should have been skipped.
Bridgetown, Barbados
Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canary IslandsThe best port visited.
Don't Miss: get out of town and take a bus ride. Funchal, MadeiraAlmost as good as Tenerife
Nassau, Bahamas
Pointe-A-Pitre, Guadeloupeunder developed and not well kept. Got offered some marijuana.
Philipsburg, St. Maarten
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Satisfying Cruise by
June L from Burlington, Ontario Sailing date: Feb 2009Pros: Decor, efficiency of services, cleanliness, planning of he daily activities Cons: Same daily b'fast It's a huge ship compared to our other ship cruises. Ship QualityOverall, excellent. Dining/FoodMenus for dinners were excellent. Stateroom QualityOverall, very tolerable. Ship Staff QualityNo doubts, excellent. Entertainment & ActivitiesExcellent daily planning. Caribbean crew dancers were hot, hot, hot.
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Cozumel, MexicoOverall, good.
Key West, FloridaNot much to offer.
George Town, Grand CaymanNot much to offer.
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, HondurasWorst place, backward.
Don't Miss: Delete from cruise schedule. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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Great cruise by
A Traveler from Elkins, WV Sailing date: Jul 2012Pros: shore excursions Cons: the abundance of cigarette smoking everywhere on the ship The ship was very nice and all the staff very courteous and helpful. Staterooms were spacious and housekeeping staff kept them very clean and neat. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
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Nice Cruise by
Shelly P. from Wind Gap, PA Sailing date: Aug 2010Pros: Wonderful Ports Cons: Some days were too short in port to really visit We had a great time on our cruise. The places were beautiful. The ship was huge and kept very clean. Staff, especially our cabin steward, were nice. Only wish was that we were alotted more time in some of the ports. Overall, really cherished experience. Ship Quality
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Bari, Italy
Dubrovnik, CroatiaAnother beautiful place. And eat!
Mykonos, Greece
Santorini, GreeceGo here! Absolutely Stunning!
Katakolon (Olympia), GreeceBeautiful!
Rhodes, GreeceEat, Eat, EAT!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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A very nice cruise by
Normand D. from Quebec, Canada Sailing date: Feb 2009Pros: Cleanliness of the ship Cons: Drawing during a meeting I would rate the ship ( overall ) very good.
The staff was very friendly and we had only good comments about the room service and waiters.
The activities personnel were very entertaining.
The only cons: The trip to San Juan, Pto Rico is too long at sea and the sea was choppy.
Also, the jewelry store held a drawing during our meeting with the activity director. In order to claim the prize ( a nice watch ), you had to be present. My wife's name came out and she could not claim her prize since we were all at the meeting. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodAlthough we had to be patient with our waiters the first night ( as everybody was on board ), but they adjusted afterwards. Stateroom QualityExcellent room service Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
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Casa De Campo, Dominican RepublicPunta Cana is not too far out. For the golfers: Casa de Campo.
Altos de Chavon tour = a must see.
There is not to much to see in town La Romana.
Don't Miss: Altos de Chavon tour. Grand Turk IslandSpend a day on the beach ( which could be cleaner ). The water is clear but the beach isn't. I strongly recommend sandals to avoid getting hurt.
Good shopping especially for jewelry.
Don't Miss: Jewelry shopping San Juan, Puerto RicoOnly good, because we got there at 5 PM and had not eaten yet and the ship was leaving at midnight which gave us only a litlle time to visit.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.Must do : island tour ( but be careful that you get what the driver describe ). We were told that we would be going to a beach during the tour, but after we boarded we were advised that we would have to pay extra to go to that beach.
Don't Miss: Nice sightseeing during island tour. 1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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It was ok for the price! by
Edwin D from Matthews, NC Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: Good Entertaintment, Very Nice Staff, Food was Good. Smooth Embarkation & Disembarkation. Cons: The ship rocked too much, a lot more than any of my previous 4 Cruises. Variety of food selection was poor compare to my other 4 cruises. Good itinerary, Nice Casino, Good Entertainment, Very Nice Staff, Very Clean Ship, Smooth Embarkation & Disembarkation. However, The ship rocked too much, a lot more than any of my previous 4 Cruises, this was the first time my wife got sick in the 6 cruises she has taken. The doctor on board was very busy with a lot of sick patients due to the rough movement of the ship. The food was Ok. Variety of food selection was poor compare to my other 4 cruises. Too much repetition in the Menu. Ship QualityElegant !!! Very Clean !!! Dining/FoodThe food was Ok. Variety of food selection was poor compare to my other 4 cruises. Too much repetition in the Menu. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityVery Nice Staff Entertainment & ActivitiesNice Casino, Good Entertainment !!!
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Casa De Campo, Dominican RepublicVery friendly, but too dirty. Trash everywhere. Colonial part of Santo Domingo not well kept.
Don't Miss: Go see the historic sites in Santo Domingo. Grand Turk IslandNothing to do, except drink & party for young people. Nice blue water, but poor looking beaches compared to the Caribbean Beaches. Also, too expensive for shopping !!!
Don't Miss: I liked the pool. San Juan, Puerto RicoA lot of history here, the place is kept in his original form looking like the colonial times. The entrance to the port is monumental. You get to see the largest and oldest Spanish Fortress in the new world in your way in.
Don't Miss: Walk around the old coblestone streets, and experience the colonial times. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.The best shopping stop in the Caribbean !!!
Also very beautiful Island.
Don't Miss: Don't miss the shopping. 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Great value! Kid friendly. by
Mike C. from Windsor, ON Sailing date: Feb 2009Pros: Kids LOVED the waterslide and pools. Cons: port of call - Dominican Republic was lousy Ship was very European. We liked the diversity and the fact that you could hear 4 or 5 different languages going at all times on board. However this was a negative for some of the Americans we encountered who complained about the "language barrier" and wished for a more "american" style boat. We enjoyed the uniqueness of the ship and how it was different from the other cruise lines. Pretty relaxed atmosphere and good service. Ship QualityShip was cleaner than last year and they added hand sanitizers outside the entrance to the buffet stations which we liked. Ship is easy to find your way around and has a good layout. Public areas were always kept very clean, including the deck on "sea days". Dining/Foodthe food improved A LOT from last year. Must be the new head chef. We never went hungry and there were hundreds of options. We ate in the formal dining room, early seating, every night and the service was really good. Grilled calamari was awesome and the pizza with asparagus and proscuitto was really good too! LOVED the pecan pie and key lime cake. Stateroom QualityWe had a nice clean inside cabin on Deck 9 about 4 cabins down from the last time we sailed on this boat. Deck 9 is great because then you are on the same level as the pool and buffet which was very convenient. Next time we are going to spend the extra money to upgrade to the outside cabin. We saw one and we really like the extra square footage and the window. Ship Staff QualityStaff were great. Very helpful. Entertainment & ActivitiesWe went to 3 shows and all were good. It isn't a $100 a ticket vegas show, but still very entertaining and the kids loved the singing, music and dancing. The variety show was the best even though it was exactly the same as last year. Children's ProgramsNothing special here. The kids went twice for a few hours, but staff here seemed just average. We like to keep the kids with us to enjoy the pool and waterslide. It did provide a good break one afternoon when they were getting on our nerves!
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Casa De Campo, Dominican RepublicThe only thing worth doing here is going to golf and you barely have enough time to do that. My wife said she will stay on the ship next time if we stop here.
Grand Turk IslandGet off the boat, go directly to the beach and grab a chair as fast as you can!
Beware of the ultra expensive margaritas at Margaritaville. I believe I paid $9.50 for a marg and $6 for a Corona.
Don't Miss: There is a great pool for the kids at Margaritaville! San Juan, Puerto RicoOnce you go once, you might not even get off the ship the next time. San Juan is kind of dumpy. If you are single or young couple, there are a couple night clubs that you can go to for a good time. If you have kids...do a little shopping then get back on the boat.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.This is the place to shop. Bottle of Drambouie was only $21.45 USD and any flavour of rum you can imagine for $8 a bottle. Get going early or you will run out of time. Megan's Bay is also beautiful.
Don't Miss: Butterfly Farm - atlhough it is overpriced at $15 for an adult and $9 for a child over 5. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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A little disappointed by
Ellen from NY Sailing date: Feb 2009Pros: beautiful ship, wonderful stateroom with balcony - all kept meticulously clean Cons: menu was wonderful, but food was boring We just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Costa Fortuna - our first trip with Costa although we have cruised three other times with different cruise lines. The ship is beautiful and well maintained. The menus in the restaurants were carefully thought out and creative however, the food did not live up to expectations. If you had chicken two nights in a row you were apt to find the same sauce both nights - and it was bland... quite disappointing. The shore excusions sounded good but several of them were very disorganized and some of the excusion staff was curt bordering on arrogant. Ship QualityBeautiful ship with a somewhat confusing layojt for the first few days. Well mainttained and very clean. Housekeeping staff were wonderful Stateroom Qualitywonderful Ship Staff Qualitymost staff were wonderful with the exception of some of the shore excusion staff - sometimes rude Entertainment & Activitiesadequate
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Cozumel, MexicoDon't Miss: Tulum Mayan ruins Key West, Florida
George Town, Grand Caymansting rays were over hyped
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, Hondurasdolphin encounter was fantastic
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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