Boarding: boarding in Kiel took hours. I’m new to cruising, but it seemed rather disorganized with little possibility for seating. The terminal in Kiel was an uncomfortable , utilitarian facility. None of the screens were working, Costa Personnel were walking around with signs to tell people which groups were boarding. Ship’s decor: the ship has a musical “theme” which is so tasteless and kitschy and dated. One can see that the ship isn’t the newest. There are plenty of signs of wear and tear. The Casino takes up a lot of square meters so I suppose it is a big money maker for the ship. Cabin: we booked two premium balcony cabins. The balcony was fine, two chairs and a little table. It was a relief to be able to escape the never ending noise of the ship. Except that our cabin on deck 6 was right over a bar. So at 10 pm when we were ready to go to sleep because of a busy day in port, the music in the bar was so loud that our cabin was shaking and one could literally sing along with the songs if one was so inclined. But we just wanted to sleep! Only possible with earplugs for all 10 days!!! Shower had a flimsy cloth curtain that was not adequate to keep water from dripping all over the bathroom. And a few nervous moments when we were getting dangerously low on toilet paper. Our toilet didn’t always flush. The mattress was hard and uncomfortable. The pillows were lumpy and synthetic. You can only choose softer or down pillows in suites. The cabin steward was super polite and did a good job cleaning and tidying our cabin every day. The spa: definitely worth the €135 Euro spa pass. A very fine spa with 4 different steam baths and a super jacuzzi. And a sun room with a great view. There are only adults which is a relief as all other pools and jacuzzis are full of children. The jacuzzis are from 16+, but this is not enforced by the personnel. Small children in warm bubbly water...I’ll let you guess what it must be full of. My husband and I both booked hot stone massages that were wonderful, but the relaxation was destroyed when both our masseuses turned our massages into a sales pitch for foot cream (€30), neck cream (€40), 21 day detox cure with vitamins and tea (a bargain at €180), and 20 packets of bath salts that are almost as good as a massage (“only” €10 a packet, much cheaper than a massage”). It was very difficult to convince her that I wasn’t interested. She definitely didn’t take polite no thank you’s. So all the stress that was massaged away was right back again. I’m sure they are pressured to sell products. She tried to schedule me for another €100 massage, but you can be sure I wasn’t going to put myself through that again. I’ve never experienced that in a spa before. Fitness center: very well outfitted, also for 16+ but full of kids playing around on the machines. No personnel was present to enforce this. Several “health” seminars are offered, but they always end in being a sales pitch for insoles or detox vitamins. Food: absolutely inedible. Our assigned table was in New York, New York. Nice waiter, but he messed up our orders every time. The food was cold, dry, tiny portions that barely resembled their descriptions. The salad leaves were wilted (brown around the edges) and the seatings took almost 2 hours plus. That was a lot of sitting for so little food. My 190cm tall 24 year old son had to eat in the buffet afterwards so he wouldn’t be hungry. So we decided to eat in the La Paloma buffet restaurant. Long lines, lukewarm food, and to top it off, my 22 year old son and I both got food poisoning which kept us up all night with vomiting and diarrhea. Luckily we had two cabins! I was very careful afterwards in my food choices. The only truly tasty food was the focaccia at lunch time. The breakfast buffet was full of sweets. The rolls were small and dry. The eggs were powdered and wet. Only two types of cheese and very limited sliced meats. The “orange” juice was anything but. You could also sit down in the NY, NY restaurant for breakfast. But the buffet is exactly the same as La Paloma buffet restaurant. Only difference is that the coffee cups are smaller and the tea is served with lukewarm water and there is linen and silver on the table. The joke is I lost weight on this cruise, who loses weight on a cruise?? The gelato was super, but you had to pay for it. Entertainment: the Italian lifestyle requires that most entertainment started at 9.30-10.30 pm. Well, we arrived early in the morning in port, so I don’t know how people could party all night and have a full day of touring the next day. There were theme nights every night that it appeared that every Italian on board had the required clothes but we had received no information prior to the cruise about which outfits were required for the various parties. The white gala night, the international night, the Italian night, the French night, the masquerade night, etc....not that you would have packed for so many themes if you didn’t know about it. So we felt excluded from a large part of the on board entertainment. Excursions: we booked two excursions, Danzig and Marienburg, and two days in St. Petersburg (grand tour). Both were very expensive but we had very good guides and the food was the only tasty food we got on the trip. The buses were new and air conditioned. Our guide in St. Petersburg was great. She could get us through thousands of Chinese tour groups with seeming ease. All other destinations we used hop on, hop off buses that you can catch at the harbor. This is a much cheaper option. Destinations: great, but 5 hours in Tallinn was inadequate. Why we arrived at 1 pm instead of 8 is a mystery. I suspect docking was cheaper after 12. And three huge cruise ships at once pretty much filled the town up. Personnel: generally very friendly. We had one very unpleasant situation when we arrived I Tallinn. Many passengers had headed for the exits as we all wanted to make the most of our 5 hours. Suddenly a large Spanish guy in a white uniform started yelling at us in a very sharp tone to go away before the announcement was made to wait one floor above. We had even been sent by other crew members to wait where we were waiting. It was really uncalled for. He started yelling at Spanish passengers too. It wasn’t a friendly and helpful tone. And we weren’t a mob, there were at the most 15 people standing there. There was a daily animation program but it was quite difficult to follow in 5 languages! But kudos to the crew for trying. The internet: super expensive, €107 for 3 GB and it barely worked. In the end I actually hadn’t used my full three GB’s because I couldn’t download or upload anything because it was so slow. The social media flat is probably a better deal. We were close enough to land that our roaming worked fine most of the time. All inclusive: our package included the pio gusto drinks package. Only silly thing, they wouldn’t provide a bottle of water. Those had to be bought. And you weren’t allowed to fill water bottles at the water dispensers. So lukewarm chlorine water from our tap was the only possibility in the cabin. We bought bottled water in port. To round it up: We would never travel with Costa again, but now we know what to look for on a cruise Read Less

Review Summary The question is...Would I recommend taking a Baltic Cruise on Costa Pacifica? I will reluctantly say “Yes”. The Cruise Ship is well worth the money spent. The destinations are absolutely exquisite. The only hesitation I have is the food as it was terrible. Embarkation Getting to the Port in Kiel Germany was very easy. The Cruise Terminal is ~1 mile from the Kiel Train Station (HBF). Plenty of shops and food establishments to peruse before boarding. The boarding process was abysmal. Massive amount of passengers being funneled into 6 check-in stations. It took ~4 hours from arriving at the Terminal to boarding the ship. Baggage arrived to the cabin later in the evening. Absolutely miserable experience. Ship Experiences Food and Dining Main Dining Room was mediocre at best. Presentation of dishes was average. Quality and variety was well below average. Little to no fresh vegetables and fruits. Buffet was nearly inedible. Same low quality dishes every single day. The breads and desserts were above average. Little to no fresh vegetables and fruits. Specialty Restaurants were no better. Drink Packages and Bars were above average. This is the primary disappointment. Was expecting good Italian Dining, yet received meals that were so horrible. In addition, four of our party became violently ill throughout the cruise directly related to the food. Onboard Activities The shipboard activities were outstanding. The ship was filled with activity daily and was one of the most exciting cruise ships I have been aboard. Entertainment All of the Performances and Entertainers were excellent. One the most exciting cruise ships I have been aboard. Children's Programs No children Service and Staff The Crew were outstanding in all aspects. Very friendly and professional. Ship Quality The ship is in great shape. While the decor is very brash, it fits the energy of the cruise. Appropriate Music throughout the ship. Cabin / Stateroom Cabin is above average with plenty of storage space. Tastefully decorated. The bed and pillows were average. Ship Tip Really think about how important the quality of food is to your cruise experience. Ports Of Call Kiel, Germany No excursion. Good port for Embarking and Disembarking Gdynia (Gdansk), Poland Average port. It is a young city so in a couple of years it will be a much better port. Shuttle to city center is ~$8 Klaipeda, Lithuania Wonderful port. Lots to see and do. Walk to the city center. Very inexpensive. Tallinn, Estonia Wonderful port. Lots to see and do. Walk to the city center. Very inexpensive. St. Petersburg, Russian Federation The Crown Jewel of the Baltics. Spend as much time and money as possible in St Petersburg. Extremely inexpensive. Must obtain a Visa prior to cruise or book an Excursion through the cruise line to exit the port. No exceptions. Helsinki, Finland Beautiful port but not much to see or do. Very expensive. Shuttle to city center is ~$15 Stockholm, Sweden Wonderful port. Lots to see and do. Shuttle to city center is ~$15 Disembarkation Couldn’t get off the ship fast enough. Disembarking is typical as with other ships. Received color coded baggage tags the night before. Pack and set your bags outside your cabin by 1am. Depart the ship at time coordinated by your color code. Bags awaiting you in the Terminal. Read Less

This was my first cruise with Costa (Baltic Sea 12 days), and honesty I was very sceptic about chosing this company (mostly due to the accident with Costa Concordia). We cruise a lot with our family and tried many cruise companies but Costa surprised me totally! The ship Costa Pacifica – it is not the biggest and most splendorous one, but clean and very well maintained, which is unusual for Italian companies. Costa was bought by Carnival some time ago and you can really see the American influence on their service. My favourite place on the ship was Amarillo Cioccolateria. The best coffee is being served here, and you get advised on coffees like you were in a coffee factory! Absolutely fantastic! The swimming pool had warm water, so that children can spend hours in it and do would not get cold. ( and believe me - they do!) Waiters – nice, helpfull, always smiling We were very also positively surprised with all the maintainance services on the ship. One evening hour toilette broke down, I informed the guest service, and within 30 minutes the problem was solved! Very tasty food. You have a wide range on vegetables, bread, meet, fresh made pastas (their pastas are fantastic – my daughter was eating 2 plates of it every day! And the cook preparing them always knew what would be the best for a child). Also the food in the restaurants during the dinner was delicious! High quality, various dishes, cuisines and we were served very quickly every evening ( we were there with 5 year old child, so it was really a priority ) Entertainment. Every evening there was something worth seeing. They have an incredible tenor who was on stage 3 times during the cruise and every time got a standing ovation. Absolutely brilliant! Also on the last evening the tenor sang in the restaurant during our dinner which was a lovely goodbye for all of us. Well skilled dancers and very interesting choreography every evening. We also enjoyed the animation team. They were on duty from 10 AM till midnight every day and honesty, they kept everyone entertained. Kids club – wonderful, patient ladies who can communicate in English, German , Italian , Russian and other languages. Our daughter just loved it there. Peppa Pig is present on the ship and you can take pictures with her for your children, apart from those taken by professional photographers. That was fabulous! Not like we experienced it on other ships, where you can see the Mascot once or twice during the cruise. Children could get engaged in various activities with Peppa almost every evening, and there was a beautiful Peppa Pig playground in the top deck with pool (warm water). We were there for my husband’S birthday and he got some free “stuff” from Costa (birthday picture, cake and offer for spa treatments). Also on the gala evening we got invited to the theatre for cocktails with Captain, which was a wonderful surprise. So now we are searching for another cruise with Costa, because this was definitely worth the money and the time we spent there. I truly recommend! Read Less

Sail Date: 08 September 2017 Destination: Europe - Western Mediterranean Embarkation: Kiel Just returned from a cruise, the Costa Pacifica.We chose this cruise for the itinerary and we were not disappointed. We enjoyed every port of call, stunning scenery combined with history and beautiful buildings. The Costa Pacifica is a lovely ship with lots to offer My husband and I are cruising enthusiasts. this was my first cruise. Being both retired we have chosen cruises to have the opportunity to visit different country but most of all to discover all the entertainment on board and to meet such wonderful and charming people on board. My husband is already a Costa Club member , the last time it was on Costa Victoria. The staff was as usual fantastic and really did all what they could to keep up the hospitality of Costa. It was an excellent and very amusing experience. We dined in the New York restaurant and the food was excellent as was the waiter service. We had a fantastic wine waiter called Boaquina Santos II who was excellent at his job. The food was really good and the service was amazing. The show in the evening was good. We have been so lucky to meet people such as Beautiful Cynthia Bulka, very good and warm bar maid services with the smiling and charming Lalremruati (Remy) (Cocktail Waitress), the very beautiful friendly blonde from Portugal, Zaenal Mustopa F& B server. These persons have really touched our heart with their kindness, great devotion and most of all with the communicating friendly smile, a great thanks to them who have make our day and night a real dream. I wish them all the best in their professional and personal life. Do not change anything, be always the same .You are wonderful persons. We watched all the dance shows in the theatre and the lounge bar, the Afro Arimba dance productions were brilliant. A big thank and applause to the beautiful fantastic singer Julia & the great and talented Saxophonist Roberts for their romantic song. The everyday shows were excellent with different teams and the unforgettable show delivered by the various people (non entertainment team) on the day before our departure was just fabulous, talented and surprising Just can't imagine such good and hidden talents behind the scene. Hospitality Service well managed and very helpful with different foreign languages - Mainly the smiling Rodrigo and the charming Laura Sini. A big kiss from Costa Pacifica Boutique to the beautiful and smiling waiter 407 Michele Pereire, excuse us for not writing well the name. We will not forget our two Francophone Hospitality Service Senior Specialists namely the charming and smiling Lisa Coppola and Julia Fouquet with their unconditional devotion. They were more than helpful A big thank to the very talented photographer Alexandre Bega and his team. We did various good excursions - value for money - A big thanks for the hospitality and animation team, the fantastic and talented Josuah. Wish him Good luck VIGO City Tour Visited a city in Spain and then Portugal. Was an interesting tour. CHERBOURG The trip to Normandy was our favorite excursion of the cruise. It was very moving, our guide well informed, and the museum at the graveyard very well done. Overall it was a fantastic cruise with great values. Read Less

First of all Good prices - Wifi was too expensive and not properly received - The ship cleaned all day long and the pool well kept Our Cabin was properly done every time we needed by Ian Magdaraog - Astonished entertainment by people singing different languages - Good and various food for all tastes - Hospitality Service well managed with the help of foreign languages - Mainly Rodrigo with his smile - Very good and warm bar services - with smiling and friendly bar maids - mainly Remy and the blonde girl (forgot her name) The everyday shows were very good with different teams and the show delivered by the various people (non entertainment team) on the day before our departure was great- can't imagine such good talents behind the scene We bought various good excursions - value for money - To end : Very Good cruise to be renewed every time now and then when in need of rest Read Less

We chosen this Cruise because it was an opportunity to know dfferent places like Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallin, Riga, Port of Kleipeda and Gdingen and Gdansk finally back to Kiel. The trip was great, the Staff amazing polited and helpful. The cabin was very clean, several times a day it was checked. The food floor, nineth floor was very clean and offered several meals and the quality was very good. The special restaurant was very goo also. We only did the Ship Excursion in St Petersburg and it was very well organized and well done! The great setback is the internet connection. It would be better and more correct to say there was NO INTERNET ON BOARD. Either you have a twenty fours hours package for five euros a day, which does NOT WORK PROPERLY. Or you have choices of packages of 250 MEGABYTES or 500MEGABYTES or 3 GIGABYTES. Prices hanging from 32, 47 or 109 EUROS per package. BUT then comes the BIG catch , which you find out later written in very small letter at the botton of the page ...remember to disconnect by typing logout... What happens if you do not do so, there is a stopwatch measuring your use and then your package is gone almost without using it. An absurdity, it seems done with really bad faith!!!!!! Who after each use of your phone, whatsapp, or anything similar connect and disconnect every time. PLEASE Sirs, either you do not offer this lousy type of internet connection OR offer a reasonable one which might be used in your favor to send family and friends how we are enjoying the Cruise. Read Less

Daily, each passenger is charged 10€ for "tips". On the first day, I asked what the tips went for, and I was informed that they were given to those people who provided services: busboys, waiters and waitresses, bartenders, food servers, cabin cleaners. GOOD! These professions are often underpaid and many people do not tip for those services. The day before my cruise ended, I asked one of the service people what they were going to do with their tips at the end of the cruise. (I don't want to get anyone in trouble, so I am making the job of the person generic.) There were slightly over 3500 customers and slightly under 1000 service workers. 11 days x 3500 people x 10 € = 385000 € ! So, I talked with one of the officers of food and beverage and asked where the money went. He smiled indulgently and explained that Americans view "tips" differently than Europeans. The money, he explained, went to the people in charge of the service workers! He further justified NOT giving it to any of the service people by saying that when they signed a contract, they KNEW it was for salary only. I told him that if I had known that my tip money did NOT go to the folks who provided DIRECT service, I would have carried euros around with me to tip those folks who served me! I talked to German, Italian and French cruise mates....and asked them what they thought the "tip" money was for and they explained to me that it was for those people who provide service: busboys, waiters and waitresses, bartenders, food servers, cabin cleaners! SO, they had the same thought as I. Fortunately, there was time to give the person who cleaned my cabin a tip. BUT, all those others didn't get tips and the person who cleaned my cabin told me that it is rare! (OF COURSE IT IS! PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE GIVING EVERY DAY!) The daily excursions were pricey and there were FEW (only 2 out of 11) that had head sets for each member of the tour group. There were often 3-5 cruise ships in the port which meant that there were hundreds, possibly thousands going ashore to see THE sights that made the town famous/important etc. Each tour group was 30-40 people and unless you were directly in front of the person (obviously impossible) you couldn't hear what was being said. The tour companies were hired/subcontracted by COSTA and when this issue was raised with the excursion folks on board, they explained that there was nothing they could do. When I spoke with the tour guides, they explained that the cost of head sets was too much for them....Additionally, the tour guides seemed to routinely get paid less than what I paid for the tour itself! (Another place to tip if you enjoyed the tour.) Read Less

We have took cruise on Mediterranean, Caribbean and Baltic Sea about 8 times before. This is so far the worst Cruise. Worse in almost every aspects, hard to believe. Embarkation is chaotic and 1.5 hours queue. Buffet restaurant is very crowded, in the peak hours it is difficult to find a table, need to share a small table with other people many times. Formal dinner feels stressed, the food choice is very similar everyday. The food is so bad so whenever possible we try to have lunch/dinner in the cities we visited. Cabin is the smallest we have seen on a cruise ship, and decoration is tired, bathroom is not very clean. The staff/passenger ratio is lower than other boats we took. The shows in theatre is boring, far behind MSC, Carnival, not even to mention RCL. We only took one excursion in St. Petersburg, it is terrific, very crowed and unorganised. We would never choose Costa again. Read Less

We chose this cruise for its itemerary and price. It was a very good value. You need to understand Costa is an Italian/German line and there's not many English speaking guests on board. If this is a problem for you DO NOTGO ON THIS CRUISE, My wife and I enjoy being around people from around the world. If we want to only be around overweight people speaking English we can just go to the local Cracker Barrel. We had many interesting conversations with guests from all over the world. Unlike Americans, most Europeans can speak English in addition to their native language. Embarkation was a bit chaotic. We waited 2 hours or more in line checking in, On the flip side, disembarkation was very smooth and fast. The food was fine. Not as many choices as to where to eat as we are used to but pretty soon you figure out where to go eat during the day. If you can't decide what to order off the menu just order both choices. You have to pay for most anything, colas, ice cream, etc. The ship is called the Music of the Seas and it lives up to its name, with numerous bars with a variety of music. Our only complaint is that although most of the performers sing and play instruments quite well, they always accompany pre-recorded music. It sounds great having an orchestra behind them but I would prefer the music being all live. Evening shows were very good and good seats were usually available. We did not go on the ship excursions, preferring to arrange them on our own. We used Viator for tours in St. Petersburg and for biking in Tallinn and were very pleased. If you do go rogue and schedule your own tours beforehand in St. Petersburg be absolutely sure your documents are in order or customs won't let you off the ship which would be a major bummer. Overall, we thought the ship was beautiful. Staff was attentitive and food was good. We had a great time! Read Less