This was the first Costa and sixth cruise overall for DDP and me. Previously we have cruised on Celebrity to Alaska, NCL Sun to the Western Caribbean, Atlantis (aboard X) to the Eastern Caribbean, Eastern Med on NCL Jade and last Thanksgiving to the Mexican Riviera on NCL Star

All in all, it was a pretty disappointing experience. Due to inconsistencies of service, food and staff, Costa failed to live up to our admittedly low expectations. But as all of us Cruise Critics know, even the worse day on a cruise is better than any day at work....and Costa's two, that's right count-em, two happy hours a day with 2-4-1 drinks at both made a positive impression on us...or at least help us forget our troubles. Of course trying to convince the bartenders that it would be easier for them and us if they put both drinks in one larger glass took most of the week!

Precruise We departed RDU aboard Southwest on Friday morning and after an uneventful flight and a plane change in Tampa, we arrived in Fort Lauderdale a little after noon. I checked us in exactly 24 hours ahead and we had boarding passes 30&31 for our first leg and 24&25 for the second. Not that they did us that much good...both flights were continuations of previous flights so they were at least half full when we boarded. We did ok though, I got an exit window and DDP got an aisle...so no middles! I had pre-booked our hotel at Comfort Suites. We ended up here through a website www.Stay123.com. This website is set up for free parking at airports and cruise ports, but they had the cheapest rate - we paid $89 for the one night and included free shuttle from the airport and to Port Everglades. Their shuttle arrived about 10 minutes after I called. Other than a racist driver, the short trip to the hotel was uneventful. We arrived there to a lobby full of folks waiting for their rooms. We got on their list for early check-in (apparently my pre-check-in faxed letter didn't do the trick) and left to find some lunch. After following the hotel's front desk clerk's directions which resulted in what the DDP called the "Pre-Cruise Death March" we failed to find the promised land of Cuban food ...so we ended up across the street at Pollo Tropicale. Which while not perfect did give us a quick and tasty Cuban fix. We returned to the hotel to be told our room was ready...of course the oh so helpful clerk told four other parties that their rooms were ready at the same time so it took almost 30 minutes to finally get to our room. The room was fine and we were only going to be there for one night so all was good. At 3 pm, I went down and signed us up for the complimentary shuttle to the port. If you stay here, be sure to sign up fast. When I went down at 3:05, the 11am shuttle was almost full so I signed us up for the noon ride. I went back about 10 minutes later to sign up some friends who were checking in later and "our" shuttle was full so they ended up on the 1 pm shuttle. The complimentary shuttle runs every hour on the hour starting at 11am. They run a second one on the half hour for $5/pp. Even though officially embarkation wasn't scheduled to start until 1:30, after reading the CC boards, it appeared we could board earlier so I was hopeful that the noon shuttle was a good decision. Read more