Costa Pacifica Review

You get what you pay for

Review for the Baltic Sea Cruise on Costa Pacifica
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CruisingMomma!
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Jun 2014
Traveled with children

We saw 9 countries in ten days and the sites were fabulous! The price for the 4 of us including taxes and port fees was $2170. The ship was clean and heavily decorated in a tacky manner. This is our 3rd cruise with Costa so we knew what we were getting and what we would never get with them. The only reason we travel with them is because they drop their price so dramatically in the US market when the ship isn't filled within a month of departure. We met at least 6 other American families all of whom booked last minute when the price dropped. Most of these families were in the military stationed in Germany.

We embarked at 4:45 for a 7:00 PM departure. We were handed a flyer explaining that we had missed the life boat drill and would need to attend the 6:40 PM life boat drill which was problematic as we had the 1st dinner seating at 6:00 PM. (There is an as you wish time dining but you have to book a suite to be entitled to that.) We arrived at the dinner before they opened the doors in hopes that we could place our order and leave to attend the life boat drill. We had to carry our life vest to dinner. There is no alternative free (ha ha) dining opportunity with Costa other than pizza. If you miss dinner than you are eating pizza or paying to eat at their gourmet restaurant. There is no gentile guidance to your table. It is a free for all to fine your table once the doors are open. Our drink order was promptly taken. We were informed that no water would be served at the table unless we purchased it, and that we could be served hot tea but not iced tea unless we paid for it. After getting approval from someone the waiter agreed to bring us ice to put in the hot tea. Of course, we do not get the tea until approximately 30 minutes later and the ice comes long after that, but most disturbing is that our food order is not taken until 6:40 the same time our life boat drill is to take place.

As a result, we miss the first 5 minutes of the life boat drill so we are told we must come back early from the port the next day to attend the drill. I ask if they can allow us to watch it later that night and I am informed, "no, I must come back the next day". We get the first course sometime after 7:00 PM. At 7:55 we are served desert and the Maitre De comes by at 8:00 PM asking us to leave. We finish desert by 8:05 and in an effort to accommodate the Maitre De we ask to take the hot tea with us to finish it away from the dining room. The waiter says that is not allowed. I ask him to get the Maitre De. The Maitre De comes and accuses me of being later for dinner because he has seen me walk through the restaurant carrying the vest. When I try to explain to him what he saw he refuses to listen to me and accuses me of lying to him.

Cabin Review

The room was very small.

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