Well, all good things have to come to an end, and so did our wonderful cruise on the Costa Fortuna from December 9 to December 16, 2007 on the South-Eastern Caribbean run. And as always in the past, I'm always up for a detailed review of our experience... So here it goes:
THE SHIP: The Costa Fortuna is a beautiful ship and is a "Liberty" class ship, which features exactly the same layout as the Costa Magica, her younger sister ship. The ship was very well maintained on the inside and is well taken care of. In the public areas you'll find some minor wear and tear, which is totally normal for a cruise ship. On the outside it appears that the Fortuna could use some paint touch ups in some areas in the very near future (bow area, anchor, etc.). Otherwise she is impressive and beautiful. On the inside the Costa Fortuna is another Joe Farcus design which is always impressive by itself: sparkling, unique, surprising and elegant. Having sailed both, the Fortuna and Magica, I personally prefer the interior design of the Magica... in my opinion she is the more majestic ship which really relays the "magic". If you sail on a "Liberty" class ship the first time, just keep Deck 5 and 9 in mind, as both decks run from the front to the back of the ship without interruptions of other common areas (such as restaurants, etc.). Of course any other decks are fine as well, if you need to navigate quickly from one end to the other, just that you have cabins on each side.
OUR STATEROOM: We originally were booked in a Suite (7282) on the Caracas Deck (Deck 7). About a week before sailing I got a phone call from Costa that they had to switch our stateroom, and that I would be able to decide if I'm satisfied with the change: They upgraded us to a Grand Suite!!!! Wow!!!! How can one NOT be satisfied with that? So we actually ended up in Grand Suite 7289... interesting enough, the EXACT same room as we had on the Magica. The cabin impresses by itself with the warm and comfy design, with plenty of wood, brass, mirrors, granite and hand-blown light fixtures. The cabin has a total of three double sliding closets, a dresser with 8 drawers, and additional closet/storage space in the dressing area, just prior to the main bathroom. The room has a large bed in front of a mirror, which stretches the entire width of the cabin, a large size leather sitting/sofa, two comfortable chairs, a desk with an additional chair. The dressing area features a large mirror a little stainless sink and a stool. The bathroom has granite tile flooring, a double vanity sink with granite counter, a bidet (yes, it's European!) and a large whirlpool tub/shower combination. The balcony had two regular deck chairs and two loungers... so plenty of room from R & R!