We booked this cruise with Costa really last minute (two weeks before we started) at a great price. This was our first cruise and we really enjoyed the whole experience. Yes, there were a lot of Italians with children, yes, Italians are louder than you might like, yes, the food is not perfect. Still - it was excellent value for money. And if you are traveling with children, Costa must be perfect. They have a lot of activities for children and Italians really love children.

There was plenty of food all the time, most of it Italian. Do not expect anything local. Food is good, but even during the gala dinners it is not perfect. Especially the beef was bit off a lot of times, either too raw or too well done. Service was really good, despite the miserable conditions those guys have to work under (make sure to tip them in addition to the "service fee", they really deserve it). We had the all inclusive drinks package and used it plenty. If you get this package, make sure to try the hot chocolate at the chocolate bar!

Both pools are really small, the larger one being in the area where most animation programs take place, i.e. not a good place for us a to relax. The gym unfortunately is really way too small and we decided not to go at all as it was always rather crowded. Read more