I just got back from a wonderful vacation. Missing it already. We were on the Costa Magica 4/29/07 -5/04/07 We are a family daddy31, mommy30, a 7 year old girl and 5 year old boy. I got to admit that I was thinking that I made a huge mistake booking this cruise from some reviews I had read. But the peace comes form some of the other people and I would like to thank you all for that! You know who you are! I thought well I only paid $598.00 for the cruise so here it goes. I was so scared about the service. That I decided to take the tips off the first day and if it was really that bad and I would have to go get everything my self and clean our room. Then I would just take the tip money and get me a message when I got back home. Well, I put the tips back on the forth night before it got busy down stairs on the last day. Plus I tipped my room stewart and waiter more in cash. They were more then wonderful!!! I thought the ship was very pretty and super clean. They even gave us hand wipes every time we got back on the ship. They even did this when we got on in FL. The ship was sold out and we were thinking there would be people everywhere. I do not know where the people where. We never felt cramped at all. I would have to say that the only time that we know that it was a full ship was at the shows. The seats were full and we never got a front row seat. But we did not go to the shows no more then 30 minutes early so that is our own fault.

We flew in a day early and started a day after. That was really nice to relax. We got a hotel that picked us up at the air port and had a free full breakfast (biscuits and gravy, eggs ,bacon, sausage, fruit, lots of stuff and juices and coffee and milk) There pool was nice and clean and the next day they took us to the ship. Besides that the hotel was a 2 star clean friendly and I liked that they had a huge garden of plants to talk photos with the kids (palm trees etc.) Not close to anything. But they had a restaurant not new and the one person waitress was slow. But when the food came it was hot and good and the prices were great.

We got to the ship at 11:30 and got right through the line. The serves was fast and friendly and after we did the paper work we went around the corner and the "squok club" was there to greet the kids with smiles and a Squork program for the whole week Plus they gave them bobble headbands. We were off our bus and on the ship in 30 minutes. We went right to the buffet. It was good and do not miss the parmesan cheese sticks and ---- meat and the deli sandwiches which were not the deli meat but the meat slices right from a ham and turkey! I like tea and I thought there tea was good put lots of sugar in it and coffee with real cream. When we were done eating the guy that cleans the tables came right over and talked to our kids for like 5 minutes. We went to our room to see if the keys were there. There was a key in the door. It was not our shopping key just opened the door. We went in and the keys for each of us. At first we were like we are not giving our five year old a key. (But EVERY guest has to have a key to get off and on the ship every time. We had an inside room on deck 7 (7379) We had two beds put together and one of the buck beds was done. It was big for our two kids so they just slept together in the same bed. We just only had one buck down and never used the other. So do not know how crowded it would be if you had both bucks down in the room. Our room stewart (Norman) came in with a clip board and asked what we would like for him to do. We asked that he not put the other bunk down, get a mattress topper ( thank you Joe for the heads up) two extra pillows, take everything out of the small refrigerator, get this small table out and my 7 year old asked if he could make a towel animal for her because Costa does not do that. He told my daughter not tonight he was going to be very busy but the next night he would. He got our matter topper and pillows right away. He said they only have like 10 toppers for each floor. That night well we were at dinner he folded down our beds moved the table and put chocolate mints on our bed. The next two nights he made two baby swans and then a mommy swan for the kids. He also did the other things we asked the next day. He would talk to our kids every time he saw us. He would hind there stuffed animals behind the lamps and under the covers and picking out of different places. Then on the last night we asked him if we could get him to sign the kids book in his language and then ours. He said I can do better then that and wrote them a letter on his break. We love Norman! (Yes we tipped him extra!!!!) We went swimming in the pool the salt water was hard on the eyes at first but got use to it. Then we go ready for dinner. We had asked for a table for 4 since it was our 10 year anniversary and was scared of what we would get. It was a table for 8 It was wonderful they had two great kids and everyone had manners. (HI Peter and Linda, Michael and Nick) We had a window seat in the Smeralda dining room for dinner at 5:45 at seat 220 (if you have 3 numbers you are up stairs if you have 2 numbers you are down stairs that would have helped us on the first night) I and the kids always ordered the same thing. We had bay scallops au gratin wonderful, melon and mint soup good, they also have salads and Italian pasta! Fillet of tilapia. I am not a fish person and I thought it was good and not fish tasting. Dissertsouffle al cioccolato good and I always ordered a different ice cream they have the coolest ice creams!! Our waiter was wonderful he was fast, friendly, and great with the kids. There was TWO FORMAL NIGHTS!!!! The second night was one of the formal nights and we had ESCARGOTS it was really good. I wish the kids would have been there to try them but the squak club watched them for us. It was nice for the two of us. Huge shrimps, and I do not remember the desserts it is not on my menu. Third night we had fried calamarigood. Strawberry and banana soup (soups are like melted shake kind of we liked them) and I do not like melted ice cream but as close as I can get). steak and shrimps and they were good (remember I am from the beef state so if they are good they may be really great to you, after the reviews I just ordered a step more uncooked then I would have liked, and it came as I wanted it) chocolate mille feuilles with two mousses of fruit sauce. I also ordered the cheese and was not impressed with. The carnival ship has them bet big time but it is only a cheese dessert so we are moving on. The forth night was the most formal night The waiters danced and there was a ice cream dessert but that is the night you get the Alaskan king crab cooked in butter and eggplant with parmesan cheese. The last night the appetizer was great they had this mozzarella cheese (not like we get here, soft and oh yea) and sliced ripe tomatoes. mustard chicken with glaze and I was ready for some down home cooking. Out of the five nights I ate in the dinning room I would only tell you to stay away from one thing and that was the cold potato soup it was gross and the cheese was a joke it was sliced cheese (which was weird since they keep severing these fancy cheeses. But if that is the worst then it is not really that bad. We miss out waiter and he was so great my husband asked him for copies of the menus for me so I could scrapbook them. On the carnival that is what I have copies he got me the real deal on the last night (yes we tipped him for that also on top of) Read more