The ship is sharp and well laid out . . . it is actually the same ship as the Carnival Legend/Miracle twins with a bit classier decorations and fittings.
Costa out shines everyone on embarkation proceedings . . . but is in the "not ready for prime time" class for food and tours.
Food . . . well prepared but dull compared to other cruise lines such as NCL and Royal Caribbean . . . and with poor access. A 3 hour only lunch buffet . . . less than 2 hours for served breakfast . . . and no dinner or evening buffet options were very old school. You essentially eat at your assigned dinner time or starve!