Good Transatlantic Cruise

We chose this cruise to get away from the Winter and have Christmas at sea

Our Costa organised bus trip from our home town in Austria to Savona was smooth and punctual. Savona is a pleasant port, but as it was a bit chilly and windy, we elected to stay in the departure area

Boarding was a little slow and Costa could improve communication to keep people informed

Our cabin was ready and the luggage arrived quickly except for i case that was detained .This was due to a small hand steamer - this deice has been on about 10 cruises ,but this time was classified as an Iron. HERE I MUST CRITICIZE COSTA - they know who the detained cases belong to but allow a queue of about 40 or more people to wait like idiots to reclaim their baggage, instead of telling them where where to go. The enquiries desk is a bunfight and the reception staff and passengers are put under unnecessary pressure when a simple collection system would alleviate the problem

The ship was clean and everything worked although some of the external steel is showing its age. Navigating the ship with the restaurants in the middle can be a little confusing

The dining was really good in the MDR and the buffet was more than adequate. On sea days after the crossing it was a bit hectic

The theatre entertainment was generally good and the theatre was always full. The daily activities were always well attended and the passengers enjoyed themselves.The design of the ship does not lend itself to undercover relaxing areas on hot sea days as the solarium is inadequate.

It is a pity that use of the sauna is not free or a package separate from the SPA packages

The service was good and the ship was kept clean and tidy

The ports are all typically Caribbean with enough Tours available from Costa or ashore

For us the best ports were Santa Cruz Tenneriffe, Roadtown and Martinique

A message to all the unhappy passengers - Costa is an Italian cruiseline so why were you surprised the were so many Italians on board. And likewise most food menus on an Italian ship will be Italian

Costa could cut down on the multilingual promotional announcements and fix the water issue that annoy so many people

All in all a good time was had by most people