Costa Fascinosa Review
Rating by category
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1. Cabin had layer of dust on furniture and carpet hadn't been cleaned in ages. It only got a good clean after complaining - only to be bitten by dust mites. Balcony furniture is in very poor shape and needs replacing. Hair dryer was broken and dangerous with parts exposed.
2. Food is mediocre and often recycled ie desserts available in restaurants the night before are recycled for breakfast the morning after or at tea time. No great variety available and tiny portions in the restaurants. Food sometimes was too salty and inedible.
3. Disastrous customer service where excursions are concerned. Although pre booked and confirmed by email by Costa nobody in the excursion office bothered to inform us that the required minimum for a particular excursion had not been reached and therefore it was cancelled. Ended up spending the day on board in Barcelona as no port wifi was available to be able to view alternative arrangements. Was eventually offered an excursion in a completely different language. Hospitality desk wasn't much help only advising me to take the problem up with the excursion office at 16.30 when the ship left Barcelona at 1700! Nobody dared disturb the tour manager to ask for compensation for the lost part of this cruise and on the last day was made to return to the cash office twice after 45 minutes as tour manager was not available before 7.30am. Local Malta agent SMS-Mondial totally unhelpful with tour leader's phone switched off and unavailable. Subsequent emails were ignored. English speaking rep Gemma promised to speak to tour manager to ask for compensation but studiously avoided me for rest of the cruise not even bothering to give any feedback on the problem. Was more interested in her British clients and my booking an alternative excursion for Marseille which had also been confirmed by Costa by email and subsequently cancelled without notice. Eventually charged me an extra €15 over and above the published price which I took to be Gemma's commission as she asked for the booking to be put on her account! Only got refunded this amount after much toing and froing and much hassle just before disembarking from ship on final day. Gemma also advised me 'to move on and forget about it and relax and enjoy the cruise'..... after it had been completely ruined by Costa themselves!
Cabin Review
Balcony Classic
For the money paid for this cabin I would say it is a rip off. Narrow with hardly any space to move, bedside table lamps not working and broken lampshades, dusty furniture and bathroom shelves, broken hair dryer with exposed parts, one socket in entire cabin for charging phones and camera batteries, dusty carpet. Expected much better for the money paid.