Overall the cruise was good…but nothing special to write about. It has been a while since my last cruise (I have cruised on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean in the past) so I knew what to expect but was aware things may be a little different now. The ship was as expected, elegantly decorated and the room was very spacious and well kept (we had a premium balcony). I was most cautious about smoking areas, which were never a factor, and the mentality of Europeans, which were not as rude as some reviews had reported, however I am very well versed in European cultural and have learned how to fit in (for example, lines don't really exist and if there is a space between you and the person in front of you they will squeeze). The boat vibrated A LOT and it didn't matter where we were on it. The food was okay at best and I was prepared for not the greatest food. It was not available all the time and having the late seating at 2130, we would want a pre-dinner "snack" but it was tough to get food some afternoons without planning our schedule around food availability. The service wasn't as attentive as I had remembered in the past. I am not sure if this due to cruise line itself or the automatic tipping policy cruise lines now incorporate. The ports were great, embarking and disembarking went smoothly.

Would I go on Costa again? Maybe, if the times worked with my inflexible schedule and went to the ports I wanted to see. Would I recommend Costa? No, but I wouldn't tell people not to go either.