Costa is one of the most misunderstood cruise lines out there — and one of the most interesting. I’ve sailed on Costa Smeralda twice, stayed in a cabin with a feature I still can’t fully explain, and paid roughly half what I’d have paid on a comparable British or American ship. My honest reviews and guides are all here, including the bits Cruise Critic’s reviewers probably didn’t mention.
On January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia struck a rock off the coast of Giglio Island, Italy. The ship partially sank, 32 lives were lost, and over 4,200 people were on board. The Captain was later convicted of manslaughter and … Read more
You may see cruises with Costa advertised with ridiculously cheap lead-in prices and wondered how their cruises can be so cheap – compared to other cruise lines. In this article, we find out how Costa are able to charge such … Read more
I’ve just disembarked a cruise on one of the biggest and most controversial cruise ships in the world, where only 4% of guests spoke English. The ship I was cruising on was the Costa Smeralda, an Excellence-class ship built in … Read more
If you are considering cruising with Costa Cruises and speak only English, you may be wondering if the language barrier is a problem. In this article, we look at whether this is the case, and how the multiple languages spoken … Read more
I’ve just disembarked a cruise where I stayed in a cabin that had a feature I never knew existed onboard cruise ships. It certainly was a weird one and I spent most of the week trying to work out why … Read more
If you are taking a cruise on the Costa Smeralda you may be wondering if a balcony cabin is a good option for you. I took a cruise onboard the Costa Smeralda and I stayed in a balcony cabin on … Read more
If you are taking a cruise on the Costa Smeralda you may be wondering if an inside cabin is a good option for you. I’ve just disembarked a cruise onboard the Costa Smeralda and my parents stayed in an inside … Read more
If you are taking a Costa cruise, you may be wondering about the food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks are all included at no extra cost. I sailed on Costa Smeralda, and in this post, we will look at everything … Read more
Costa Cruises has the reputation of being casual when it comes to cruising and dress codes, but do they actually have dress codes, and what do they entail? In this post, you’ll find dress code guidelines for all parts of … Read more
If you are a smoker (or want to avoid smoke when you cruise) you may be wondering which cruise lines allow smoking on their balconies. I’ve personally cruised on cruise lines where smoking on balconies is allowed Can You Smoke … Read more
If you are considering a cruise with Costa cruise line you might be wondering what is included in the cruise fare. I have taken two Costa Cruises, one on Costa Luminosa ( now Carnival Luminosa) and the much newer, larger … Read more
When I took my first Costa cruise I didn’t purchase a drinks package. That was a big mistake for me. When I took my second Costa cruise on Costa Smeralda, one of the first things I did when I got … Read more
When considering a cruise, many people feel overwhelmed trying to weigh up the pros and cons! There are multiple positives and negatives to taking a cruise vacation – and cruises aren’t for everybody. I believe that almost everybody will be … Read more
Cruising with a family can be expensive. I’m often asked which cruise lines I’d recommend for families so I decided to put together this guide. I have personally been on all of the cruise lines mentioned and I have been … Read more
In this post, we look at the differences I have noticed between the cruise lines Costa and MSC. Both are Italian cruise lines, and both offer very good value for money. They are very different from British or American cruise … Read more
Despite all of my research prior to my first cruise with Costa, there were still a number of things that surprised me. If you’re considering your first Costa cruise, or just want to learn a little more, this is the … Read more