Costa Cruises, Costa Classica Review

“Booked 4 weeks before travelling, Costa Classica was...”

Written on: 27/10/2004 by DavidHowardBall

Good Points
Food, service, cabin, itinerary, cost (discounted).

Bad Points
Shore excursions quite expensive.

General Comments
Booked 4 weeks before travelling, Costa Classica was our first cruise (and therefore we have nothing to compare it to). The first day from Savona was quite rough, and several were seen to be sick or suffer minor bumps. However, the rest of the week was calm, and often it was difficult to tell that you were on a ship. The meals were very good, and we cut down on the number of courses ordered at dinner after the first couple of nights because of the volume. Service was excellent, and the fact that we spoke English to at least 8 nationalities of waiters was never a problem. The outside cabin was adequately equipped and well serviced, with space equivalent to the standard rooms offered by hotel chains. As a family of 4, we found the trips quite expensive, and we found that at most ports we could see the same sights (in some cases with commentary) far cheaper by taxi, which were usually plentiful and queueing at the port. On the whole, good value for money, as it was heavily discounted because of the lateness of the booking.