Thread: Costa Serena - AMERICANS BEWARE!!!

We just returned from An 11 day Costa Cruise aboard the Serena from Savona Italy to the Mediterranean (Canary Islands) and wanted to share, what we feel is important information for those considering a cruise with Costa, and aboard this ship. First allow me to preface by saying this was my seventh cruise, and first with Costa. I have sailed the Med and Baltic Sea before so not unaccustomed to ‘European’ cruising. One of the first things we noted with Costa onboard the Serena is the tolerance of smoking everywhere – neither myself or husband smoke, and we found this prevalence distasteful in bars, restaurants and common areas (including poolside). Also, we noted the abundance of children on-board and the lack of adequate programs to keep the children engaged. Although it is more common for Europeans to travel with their children than Americans, we found unattended children significantly detracted from our ability to fully relax and enjoy peace and quiet.

Also it is important to note there is a remarkable “sell” mentality onboard which, again, not commonly found among the American lines. From the moment you board we found the constant “push” for you to purchase extra’s incredibly tacky and distasteful. People walk around at dinner trying to sell you appetizers on trays, extra desserts or drinks – unreal. Also, there are drink “packages” available to purchase to include, soft drinks, wine and water (yes bottled water). We purchased the bottle water drink package 29.99 euros for 13 bottles – equivalent is almost $50 (USD) for 13 bottles!! (and we only used 8 of our allotted tickets – no refunds) you would do better to purchase the water as you disembark for port days. Also, you should know Costa charges 10 euros (almost 17 USD per person) for a shuttle bus at the various ports you arrive to take you to the town! First time we ever paid to get from the ship to town. Just another illustration of the constant nickel and diming we found tacky and uncomfortable.

Service was another area we found disappointing. Yet, another example of the constant nickel and dimming is charging for room service, this is the first cruise we have ever been charged for room service! One of the reasons we enjoy cruising so much is the service we receive. On Costa – service is provided at a flat fee – meaning, at the end of your cruise you are charged a flat rate for the services provided while aboard. Essentially this removes the incentive for staff to provide service to guests, and often – as a result - we found completely disengaged staff – who simply shrugged when requests were made of them. This includes the customer service folks at the front desk – many of whom disengaged when we asked specific questions

FOOD: Aside from the service, and general peace and quiet – we also enjoy cruising for the excellent variety and quality of food. We found this element with Costa - incredibly disappointing. Breakfast and dinner wasn’t too bad – typical eggs, bacon, fruit for breakfast and dinner 5 course meals. Lunch and the midnight ‘snack’ another story altogether. Lunch; hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries all buffet style – stale rolls and some off fruit. Food lines were well beyond what you would you would see on an American ship. The buffet also consisted of PIZZA constantly – Many complaints were overheard about the amount of money spent for such poor quality and choice - not impressive overall.

Cleanliness was an issue. Our cabin was – very comfortable and well appointed and cleaned twice daily (our Cabin Steward was EXCELLENT). However the common areas were often in disarray and dirty. Poolside tables were left unclean for long periods, hallways often cluttered with debris. In our cabin we had a balcony, a portion of which was glass. This went unclean for 8 of the 11 days while onboard and as a result we couldn’t see out of it. In our opinion this was a waste of a purchase of a ‘balcony’ due to the obstructed view. We asked for it to be cleaned and was told exterior cleaning of the windows would only be facilitated at a certain port (which was correct) unfortunately that port was not reached until the latter portion of our trip.

ONSHORE EXCURSIONS: BECAREFUL with Costa!! We researched each of our ports to find alternative activities by going on the internet and to the local tourist information sites. Several identical excursions offered by Costa were available at the ports sometimes at half the cost!! When we raised this issue to the excursion desk we were informed “it’s a business and we have to get our cut to”. We did do two excursions with Costa – the trip to FEZ in Morocco and horseback riding. The Fez trip was not at all what was represented in the brochure and not recommended for those wishing for “free time to shop at the souks”. In fact there was only shopping allowed at two shops which were owned / operated by friends of our tour guide. Many on the trip wondered how much his cut was at the end of the excursion!

Overall, Costa is not RCCL or Princess – it is a budget European product. Unfortunately Americans (like my husband and I) presently pay more for the product than normal since the sagging dollar – as such - you would get better VALUE for your money somewhere else, for certain! IF you are considering sailing Costa Cruise Lines – and this ship – I STRONGLY encourage you to speak to as many people as possible who have experienced their product. We found our overall experience well below expectations and are providing this input to hopefully assist those who are considering investing their money and, subsequently, hard earned vacation time.

We wished we had had some of this information before making our decision.

Sorry you were disappointed!! Maybe it would be good next time if you try a different line to join a cruise forum there are so many that have reviews and can asswer your questions before you go, then you would know what to expect!! Good luck on your next cruise!!

Sorry to learn of your disappointment with Costa. I hope you filled out the comment card, mentioning all of the above things you were disattisfied with. Hopefully, things like the cleanliness of the public areas and food will be corrected.
In Europe, many things are different, such as smoking in public places, etc, so don't expect many if any changes. (edited) I reread your post about the flat (not service fee), and as Pete pointed out, that is the automatic gratuity which all cruise lines charge. When Costa is plying the Caribbean from their only US port, things are different. Remember they cater to the European market in Europe and to the US market when they are sailing the Caribbean. I was on the Costa Magica in March, 2007, on an Eastern Caribbean cruise, and it was nothing like I'm reading here except for the prices onboard for certain things, which were higher than many US lines.

I agree with Sue. Before trying a new cruise line, talk to your agent and read reviews written by others so you'll know what to expect. Your agent can be a wealth of information and can help you with what to expect and prepare you for the cruise.

Costa is definitely a European-style cruise line, being an Italian company, and, as such, has a different outlook on how to provide a quality product. They hire more Italians and Europeans to work on their ships, compared to a more international crew on other cruise lines. I'm not saying this is good or bad, it just a different mix and therefore provides a different type of service than what we've become accustomed to.

Also, cruising with Costa in the U.S. is a bit different than cruising with them in Europe - not alot, but it is a little bit different. And although they do provide a nice alternative, you need to be prepared before going on a Costa cruise as they are not equivalent to RCCL or Princess. They simply offer a different experience.

One thing about being 'charged a flat rate for services', this is a pre-paid gratuity and Costa is not the only cruise line that does this. Princess, for example, does the same thing.

We did the Costa Magica to the Western Caribbean and had a very nice cruise. The food was good, the service was good, and the ship was very nice. Not one of my personal favorites, but it has good things to offer those who don't mind some of the short comings. The younger crowd tends to like Costa more than the older crowd. But since we're with the older crowd, we much prefer Holland America and Celebrity when doing such cruises.

I hear what you're saying about shore excursions, but Costa is not alone in overcharging for them. Almost all of the excursions offered by any of the cruise lines can be purchased elsewhere for less money. For example; we did a tour on Harley Davidson motorcycles in Aruba - Princess wanted $355 for 3-1/2 hour tour. We bought it through the local Harley dealer for $155 and it was the exact same tour. We bought the helicopter/dog sled tour in Juneau for $325 - Holland America wanted $425.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but hopefully you've learned some valuable things to assist you in the future. I noticed this is your first post on CLF. I hope you'll stick around and help others with your experiences. We'd also like to hear about the ports you visited and what you did - you didn't mention anything about the ports and whether they are worth visting or not.

Pete

I have to agree with Sue on this one. Most of the reviews of Costa mention the high number of smokes. That is one of the major reasons why I will never cruise Costa. A bit of information would have given you a much better cruise experience (probably not on Costa!)

Stick around the boards and spread your wealth of knowledge. This is a great place to discover things you might like and things you will despise about all lines and ports (for example, don't expect much in the way of formal dining on Windjammer.....).

Stay around for a while!

maybe should have tried P&O or oceania

We took one cruise on Costa to the Caribbean and enjoyed it. The ship was marketed in the US and that make have made a difference. Since you were cruising in Europe and the ship used the Euro for pricing, the weak US $ had a big impact on the cost. I know that the smoking rate is much higher in Europe so that also contributed to your displeasure.

I too am sorry you had a bad experience. I hope it does not turn you off to cruising.

Hey Gang,

Thanks for all the info. Having lived in Europe for several years and presently residing in Doha, Qatar we are not unaccustomed to 'differnet' things and rather relish new experiences. We did complete and submit a review at the end of our trip and much of what we detailed we had heard echoed by other passangers on board, mainly European. It may be different in the Carribbean but we are not going to take our chances again with Costa to find out... once is more than enough for us.

I think they attrack the 'younger' US crowd b/c they are owned by Carnival who definately markets to the younger, more budgeted crowd.

Overall, we felt strongly the product (Costa) was definately not a good value for our money, many Europeans on board felt the same.

Thanks again guys and happy sailing!
T

Originally Posted by cullen1224

Hey Gang,

Thanks for all the info. Having lived in Europe for several years and presently residing in Doha, Qatar we are not unaccustomed to 'differnet' things and rather relish new experiences. We did complete and submit a review at the end of our trip and much of what we detailed we had heard echoed by other passangers on board, mainly European. It may be different in the Carribbean but we are not going to take our chances again with Costa to find out... once is more than enough for us.

I think they attrack the 'younger' US crowd b/c they are owned by Carnival who definately markets to the younger, more budgeted crowd.

Overall, we felt strongly the product (Costa) was definately not a good value for our money, many Europeans on board felt the same.

Thanks again guys and happy sailing!
T

T, you all must have had some really bad experience. This is their newest ship, not even a year old yet, and I'm sorry to learn of you, and your fellow passengers dissatisfaction with Costa. When I was aboard the Costa Magica, most of the passengers were a mix of older Europeans, Russians, Danes, and other nationalities, including an age mix of Americans, not many very young Americans, most from Florida, and a few from other parts of the US.

They are a budget cruise line here too, we got a great deal, a balcony cabin for US$899, and the 3rd person paid US$599. We were very pleased with the cruise, so much so that we were planning to cruise from Savona, Italy later this year, but the monetary situation with the dollar and my vacation schedule couldn't facilitate that trip. I am willing to cruise with them in Europe, just to experience what goes on there, and if I don't like it, it would be my last cruise with them over there.

I would have invited you to fly over to Ft Lauderdale, FL, and take a Caribbean cruise with Costa, but your displeasure with the line rules out that possibility.

The laws regarding smoking, and cleanliness, are enforced here on ships that sail from US ports. Smoking is only allowed in the Casino and in a passenger's cabin. No smoking is allowed in other public areas of the ship. Health Inspectors board cruise ships unannounced and inspect the ships galleys for any unsanitary conditions, check that the cold food is being stored at the correct temperature, etc, and then give them a score. Other areas of the ships are looked at carefully as well. Customer Relations is another key aspect that is taken seriously here by the cruise lines.

Children are not allowed to run amok the ship either. They have programs to keep the kids and teens occupied, so what I'm learning from you is a total shock. I'm a travel agent, and when I attend Costa's webinars, and learn about their service in the Western, Eastern Med. Dubai, Asia and Western Europe and the Baltics, I get a vastly different picture from the one you painted. We are told about the kids programs, great food, pleasant atmosphere onboard, and all the good stuff we are accustomed to here.

Hey, not every cruise line fits everyone, so get yourself a good travel agent, sit down and talk to him/her about what you are looking for as far as the ship is concerned, their service, itinerary and the time of year you wish to cruise.
I hope you have a better cruise next time on another line.

Do come back again, we look forward to your contributions here at CLF.
Please stop by the 'Introduce Yourself' thread on the home page and introduce yourself to the members here.

Originally Posted by smitty

maybe should have tried P&O or oceania

Smitty, you'll be just fine.