Costa Pacifica. A Novel. We are a couple in our 40's who have cruised 12 times (HAL, X, Oceania, Carnival, RCCL, Regal Empress, NCL, MSC). We booked this cruise because of the itinerary, price and, in part, international clientele. We are independent travelers--have only taken 2 excursions on all these trips--who like to explore new cultures via interesting itineraries, and relax on board when we cruise. With the exception of the gym and library--which we hope will be well equipped and stocked- -we are not interested in ship amenities such as entertainment, activities, casinos and so on. The ship appeared well designed for persons with a disability.

We also booked before the Pacifica was launched so it was a bit of a gamble. When the reviews started rolling in, we started to sweat—needlessly it turns out! I know this cruise is not for everyone, but we had a terrific time. If you want things to be exactly like other cruises you have been on and will sulk if they are not, you may not have a good time. Open your mind and heart when you go.

Additionally our concerns were because we had sailed MSC in the Mediterranean and most people were saying the two lines were similar. I can say that in my experience the worst food and service was on MSC, and we probably had our best trip ever on the Pacifica (due to many factors besides the ship such as the great ports and flawless weather--yes sometimes the planets line up). Thankfully the two experiences were like night and day. Was "corporate" on board our sailing? How does one explain this? Read more