COSTA FORTUNA Eastern Caribbean Jan. 27 - Feb. 3, 2008 By Mary & Vincent Finelli
This cruise was like "Old Home Week" for us. It was another wedding anniversary cruise, in the company of our son Marcello, his wife Paige and their son Marcello (6 yrs). Once on board, we were reacquainted with so many of our Costa friends, that we now dispute the old saying "You can't go home." Costa's cruising Italian style delivers distinct hospitality which is wonderful, and we basked in it for a whole week. On Day One, at the boat drill, Guest Relations Manager Martina Fantoni greeted us so warmly and by name, that we felt special. She proved to be so helpful and kind throughout the cruise, that we can't wait to cruise on Costa again. In the culinary department, we have many friends including the following: Chef Antonio De Luca, Maitre D' Bartolmeo Vitiello, 2nd Maitre D' Raffaele Bailo (Music Man), and 2nd Maitre D' Marcantonio De Candia. Later we will enumerate our new acquaintances including the elegant Captain Paolo Benini.
EMBARKATION Ft. Lauderdale is secure to a fault. Because we had an motorized wheelchair we arrived in two autos. Our son Nicolas brought his son Nicky (6 yrs.) along for the ride, just to see the ships in Port Everglades. Big mistake! We soon found out that this can be a problem, since Nicky did not have a picture ID with him. At the security gates entrance to the port, we were stopped and not allowed to proceed to the pier with Nicky in the car, so we had to go back a few hundred feet into a parking lot and transfer all the luggage into one auto. Nicky went home with his Dad, without ever seeing the ship. Nicolas was supposed to drive our car home. Instead we parked in the Port's Garage ($105 per week). There is a lesson to be learned here: Even small children cannot visit the pier without an ID. The security guards could use a bit more common sense in inspections and not being nitpick, when it is evident that a six year old boy accompanied by his father is no threat or danger to anybody. What normally takes one half hour, last Sunday took one hour. Once at the pier we had to wait for Marcello to return from the parking garage --- another half hour. Costa's boarding and check-in were swift, and we had wheelchair assistance to our cabin. Total time from home to cabin --- two hours. It was too long on the pier, but Costa's check-in time was fast.