My sister and I have done quite a bit of cruising. This was our first on Costa and it will be our last on Costa. The destination was what caught my sister's imagination. She has always wanted to go to India. I didn't like India but you can't blame Costa for that bit. However, overall the trip was pretty awful. We tried to make the most of it but here's a catalogue of negative comments with one or two positives.
EMBARKATION - We arrived in Dubai airport about 8am. Despite being told we could embark at 3pm it was 8pm and the rooms were still not ready. We got access to our cabin after dinner. Our room was not made up as a twin, as instructed, and we waited a further 2 hours for that to be done. It was late, we were tired - not a good start. This followed on from discovering that there is no water available in the restaurant unless you pay for it at 3.50 a litre bottle. It worked up from there really, so many little niggles.
DRINKS - Free Tea & Coffee only available in the Cafeteria at breakfast 7.30 till 9.30, none at lunch, you can have a cup at tea time 4 till 5pm, nothing with dinner. Coffee in the cabin (no tea available) charged at 1.55 per cup. My sister was disgusted (I don't drink either). The drinks package was, in our view, expensive but in hindsight might have been worth the extra 500 each, it would have stopped the constant moaning and panic to get one.
The cabin was basic, but smelled of stale water in the bathroom. We complained, it was fixed short term by some cleaning, but kept recurring. We didn't bother complaining again. The bathroom supplies felt cheap and cheerful. Towels were yellow, but this didn't disguise the fact that they did not always appear to be very clean.
Our own fault for not reading the Diario de Bordo, but we tried to walk from the ship. It is like a concentration camp. We didn't read until later that it was illegal to walk through the port (oops). We never did get out and see the city on the first day (oh and we were ripped off by taxi getting there.
Hated it. Filthy place, placed itemised on the itinerary not even visible (through those trees). We spent most of the 4 hours+ in traffic jams.
Another port you couldn't walk out of, but at least you could take the little bus to the entrance, not far and it was a really interesting and clean town to walk around. The fish market was fascinating (and not at all smelly). Some lovely fabric shops (my favourite).
Impressive place, great tour guide. The Mosque was amazing. Would thoroughly recommend