Eastern Mediterranean Cruises

‘Costa Cruise’ Category

Costa Serena and her sister ship Costa Concordia, are the largest and longest ships in the fleet. The prestigious Samsara Spa spreads over two decks and will be a haven of wellness and relaxation. The beautiful Samsara Suites have direct access to the Spa. Over 500 cabins will have balconies. Choose from 13 bars and 5 restaurants. There are 4 swimming pools, two with retractable glass roofs. The decks are spacious and panoramic, and the stylish public areas are designed with your comfort and relaxation in mind.

Costa Serena is casual, with informal style and no need for tuxedos. The two of four pools feature retractable roofs, great for winter cruises, it has an industry-first Formula One race-car driving simulator. It’s certainly one of the best family cruises.

Dining

Dinner times reflect Southern European culture: 7:30 p.m. for the early sitting and 9:30 p.m. for the late.

There are two main dining rooms, Vesta at the centre of the ship and Ceres at the aft, allocated according to the location of your cabin. Each spans two decks. I preferred Ceres (at the aft end of the ship) as it has lovely views of the ship’s wake. The menu in each is the same, typically, three appetisers, two pastas, two soups, three main courses and a couple of salads.

Food was average with a dash of surprisingly good; the pastas, risottos and soups were excellent (particularly a stunning cheese risotto and a rich tomato soup), but salads indifferent and surprisingly small, and mains inconsistent. Veal is a big favourite of Italians and featured regularly. Fish tended to come with cream or wine-based sauces. My companion ate lamb or beef most nights, but struggled to find anything memorable.

Both restaurants are also open for breakfast and lunch, with waiter service and open seating.

Public Rooms

The overall theme of Costa Serena is Greek and Roman mythology, which becomes apparent the minute you enter the nine-deck high atrium lobby, with gold moons and suns on metallic blue adorning the walls, and figures of gods, clad in outfits from the famous Verona Opera, gazing down from clouds suspended from the ceiling.

Deck 5 is the social hub of the ship, one long string of bars and lounges from forward to aft. Because each area has its own theme, it’s like walking through a series of scenes in a movie, with a crooner in one bar followed by the ker-ching of the casino and then, the flashing lights and thudding music of the disco. Specifics are provided in the Entertainment section.

Cabins

Costa Serena has 1,500 cabins, 575 of which have a balcony and 28 of which are designed for disabled guests.

Decor is calmer than elsewhere onboard, with warm woods and blue and apricot colours. My standard balcony cabin was a decent size — 220 square ft. — and laid out exactly like the cabins on the newer Carnival ships. Two big mirrors give a further illusion of space. One has a decoration of coloured Murano glass smack in the middle where your face would be if you’re anything over five feet six. There are no bathroom amenities at all apart from soap and shower stuff, although you can ask for shampoo and moisturiser.

Top marks for the 99 beautiful Samsara Spa cabins and suites, highly recommended if you plan to make good use of the spa. These have bamboo-effect doors and restful decor — orchids in vases, calming colours combined with more sumptuous bedding than the standard cabins, as well as eco-cotton bathrobes, herbal teas and a lovely box of Elemis goodies in the bathroom. The spa cabin package includes a welcome consultation, two spa treatments, two classes, two tanning sessions, dining in the Samsara restaurant and unlimited access to the thermal suite.

Spa & Fitness

On the top decks, there are three main pools: one forward, with a waterslide; one at the centre, surrounded by a two-deck-high gallery and flanked by weird yellow Jacuzzis (this area has a retractable roof); and a supposedly adults-only pool at the aft, which was always full of children. There’s also a baby pool in the kids’ club on Deck 10.

The Samsara Spa on Costa Serena is gorgeous, festooned with beautiful shimmering tiles and various influences of feng shui – splashing water, wind chimes and teak Buddhas. There’s a huge variety of treatments, including proper ayurvedic therapies by a qualified practitioner and treatments tailored to men and couples. Individual rooms have private outdoor areas looking onto the solarium, where you can relax with herbal tea after your session.

Thirty five euros buys a day pass to the thermal suite. It’s expensive, but something of a sanctuary, particularly the big thalassotherapy pool, with bubbly beds and jets. There are two steam rooms (one with aromatic steam) and one big relaxation room with stone heated recliners and floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a rest area with Balinese day beds. A row of tanning beds looks out to sea, apparently popular with Italians in winter on cloudy days.

Family & Children

Being Italian, Costa carries huge numbers of children (800 on my cruise), who are catered for in the Squok Club on Deck 10. Being Italian, most of the passengers go nowhere near it and keep their kids with them all day, swarming over the pools and running around the ship.

Although babysitting is offered, late at night Deck 5 was packed with exhausted toddlers crashed out in buggies or slumped on tables.

In the club (Squok is its mascot, half dolphin, half shark), kids are divided into three groups: 3 – 6 year olds, 7 – 11 year olds and 12 – 16. There’s always an English-speaking counsellor on hand. Activities are pretty standard: treasure hunts, games, books, movies and computers. Rather sweetly, there is a children’s choir on the Christmas cruise.

source: costacruise.com, cruisecritic.com

The Costa Victoria is a cruise ship that reflects the warmth and spirit of Italy. Intended to be one of the most exciting and stunningly beautiful ships of our time, the Costa Victoria is a modern masterpiece offering every comfort, convenience and amenity for her guests enjoyment. Her avant-garde design set new standards of excellence. From the breathtaking panoramic Concorde Plaza to the sparkling indoor pool, ultramodern Pompei Spa and incredible Planetarium Atrium spanning seven decks, the Costa Victoria combines the elegance of European style with the sophistication of American comforts.
With Costa Victoria, you can expect a stylish Northern Italian decor combined with modern facilities, romantic candelight dining on formal nights. It is also considered as one of the best South America Cruises and best ships for travelers with disabilities

Dining

Overall, the food was good — especially the pasta.

Costa Victoria has two dining rooms: Sinfonia, aft of Deck 5, and Fantasia, in the middle of the same deck. Both offer traditional, two-top dining in the evening at 7 and 9:15 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. Evening meals in the dining room always have six courses — appetizers, soups, a choice of two pasta dishes, a main course, salad and cheese — and dessert.

Fantasia is also open for breakfast and lunch. Hours varied, but, generally, breakfast was from 7:30 to 9:15 a.m., and lunch ran from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

The Bolero Buffet, on Deck 11, is open for breakfast from 7 (6:30 on some port days) to 11:30 a.m. and for lunch from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. (3 p.m. on some port days). Afternoon tea is served there from 4 to 5 p.m. It is closed for dinner.

The Pool Grill and Terrazza Grill, the former by the pool, the latter at the Cafe Terrazza at the aft of the ship, serve burgers, hotdogs, fries, pizzas, fruit and more and keep the same lunchtime hours as the Bolero.

Cabins

There are 964 cabins, ranging from insides and oceanviews to balcony rooms and suites. Six cabins have disabled access. Sizes range from 11 square metres (118 sqare ft.) for inside cabins to 42.5 square metres (457 square ft.) for suites. Outside cabins are 13.5 square metres (145 square ft.) and balcony cabins are 18.4 square metres (198 square ft.), including the veranda.

All rooms have mini-bars, safes, hair dryers and old-fashioned, chunky TV’s, which get satellite news stations and play about half a dozen films during a seven-night cruise, each in a different language every day. For instance, “Sex in the City” was on in English in Fujairah, in German in Dubai, in Italian in Bahrain and so on. The days and films didn’t always correspond, so if there was one you really wanted to see, it was worth switching on the TV each day to check.

The bathrooms in the standard inside, outside and balcony cabins have toilets, basins and showers. No toiletries are provided.

Suite passengers get all of the above, plus pillow menus, bathrobes and slippers, and lunch and dinner menus are delivered each day. Bathrooms have showers and tubs, and toiletries are provided.

Standard cabins with balconies are on Decks 9 and 10, and mini-suites with balconies are on Decks 11 and 12. Suites do not have balconies. Balconies come with a couple of upright chairs and small tables — ideal for watching the sea go by, but they’re no good if you want to sunbathe.

Some cabins had plenty of storage space for a week or two at sea, but also had a dire shortage of plugs. That was probably not an issue when the ship was built in 1996, but it is now, as we all have cameras, mobile phones, iPods and laptops to charge.

Spa & Fitness

The spa is hidden away on Deck 6 and offers massages, manicures, body wraps and facials, courtesy of Elemis. Prices are at the top end and are especially expensive for Brits, now that there is parity between the euro and the pound.

The spa also has the only indoor pool in the Costa fleet. You have to be at least 18 years old to use it.

The gym is compact, with just four running machines, three cycles, one hand cycle, two step-machines and weights. There is also a daily fitness programme. Aerobics and body toning are free, but there is an €11 charge for Pilates.

Family & Children

There are separate children’s and teens’ clubs on Costa Victoria, but the rooms are small and sparse, a bit disappointing for kids who are used to the facilities provided on big, American ships. Costa can also be a problem for British kids, unless they happen to be good at languages. However, parents like Costa because the under-18’s cruise for free if they share rooms with two adults.

The Squok Club, open daily on sea and port days (for children, ages 3 to 12), is split into two age groups: Mini Club for ages 3 to 6 and Maxi Club for ages 7 to 12. Both offer activities from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. with breaks for lunch and dinner. Parents can leave the children in the club for free if they want to go on an excursion.

The teen club is for 13- to –17-year-olds and has limited activities through the day — a basketball tournament one day, T-shirt-painting on another — but comes alive with discos and parties late at night.

source: costacruise.com, cruisecritic.com

Departure Port: Venice, Italy

Departure Date: October 24 & 31, 2009

Ship: Costa Victoria

Rates:

• Inside – $1,049
• Oceanview – $1,309
• Veranda – $1,649
• Suite – $1,999

Itinerary:

• Day 1 – Venice, Italy
• Day 2 – Ancona, Italy
• Day 3 – Cruising
• Day 4 – Santorini, Greece
• Day 4 – Mykonos, Greece
• Day 5 – Piraeus/Athens, Greece
• Day 6 – Corfu, Greece
• Day 7 – Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Day 8 – Venice, Italy

Shore Excursions

• Ancona – The Treasures, of Urbino, Frasassi caves, Visit of Ancona and the Conero Coast, Fabriano “The City of Paper”
• Santorini – Oia, Oia Village, Volcano Hiking, Santorini Shades of White and Blue, Santorini 4×4
• Piraeus/Athens- Acropolis and Plaka, Acropolis Birthplace of Greek Civilization, Souvenir from the Acropolis, Ancient Corinth and the Canal, Cape Sounion, The Acropolis and the Archaeological Museum, Corinth Canal Crossing
• Corfu – Visit to Corfu and Achilleion, Visit of Paleokastritsa & Corfu Town, Jeep Safari
• Dubrovnik – Tour of Dubrovnik, Ragusa: Ancient Fortress City and Naval Power
• Venice – Saint Mark’s and Surroundings, A Glimpse of Venice, Murano and Burano, Romantic Venice from a Gondola

Each excursion will take about 3-5 hours and will cost about €50-60 per person.

Departure Port: Venice, Italy

Departure Date: October 25, 2009

Ship: Costa Serena

Rates:

• Inside – $849
• Oceanview – $1,079
• Veranda – $1,329
• Suite – $2,019
• Wellness – $1,809

Itinerary:

• Day 1 – Venice, Italy
• Day 2 – Bari, Italy
• Day 3 – Katakolon/Olympia, Greece
• Day 4 – Izmir, Turkey
• Day 5 – Istanbul, Turkey
• Day 6 – Cruising
• Day 7 – Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Day 8 – Venice, Italy

Shore Excursions

• Bari – Bari by Bicycle, Bari Panorama
• Katakolon/Olympia – Archaeological Museum, Souvenir of Ancient Olympia, Mythology and Modernity, The Flavours of Ancient Greece
• Izmir- From Homer’s Times to the Present Days, Ephesus, Saint John and the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary
• Istanbul – Relaxation and Shopping, Topkapi: Treasures, Fascination and Flavours, The City of Sultans, The Essence and Treasures of Istanbul, Along the Shores of the Bosphorus, The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Bazaar (am), Tour of Istanbul, Super Istanbul, The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Bazaar (pm)
• Dubrovnik – Tour of Dubrovnik, Ragusa: Ancient Fortress City and Naval Power
• Venice – Saint Mark’s and Surroundings, A Glimpse of Venice, Murano and Burano, Romantic Venice from a Gondola

Each excursion will take about 3-5 hours and will cost about €50-60 per person.

Costa Fortuna has drawn inspiration from the grand Italian steamships that provids regular passenger services between Italy and the Americas. Throughout this Costa cruise ship, scale models of historic cruise ships have been incorporated into the style and design of the Costa Fortuna’s various restaurants and other public areas. For more recent history of these cruise ships, guests can view a tribute to the first (and leading) Italian Cruise Company by glancing up at the ceiling of the main lobby known as the Costa Atrium where models of 26 past members of the Costa fleet are displayed.

With Costa Fortuna, you can have a European cruise experience mixed with American-style comforts, red arrow Elegant breakfast buffet in the main dining room, multiple entertainment options in cozy lounges and the same lay-out as Carnival sibling Destiny.

Dining

Mealtimes on Costa Fortuna generally follow cruise traditions rahter than set the pace for new innovations. At breakfast, expect casual fare in Restaurant Buffet Colombo 1954 — the usual suspects, including omelets made to order, along with cold cuts and cheeses, which are generally more appealing to a European palate.

At lunch expect more of the same, with the addition of an outdoor grill out by the pool, where you can get twice-cooked burgers and grilled chicken and French fries. There’s a daily “tea time” in the buffet venue. Lunch in either of the dining rooms (though Restaurant Michelangelo 1965, located aft, has three sides of windows) is a fantastic treat — particularly on sea days. The menu offers daily specials (the risotto quattro formaggia was divine), and you can always get grilled chicken or steak.

Dinner, as befits a European-style cruise, is the big event on Costa Fortuna — and most of the attention is focused on a more formal-style meal that can last three hours. Alternatives are basically limited to the Restaurant Buffet Cristoforo Colombo 1954, which is transformed into a candle-lit pizzeria from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m., and the chic-chic Club Grand Conte 1927, at the top of the ship, which is quite swish (and has a piano player) — the ultimate onboard restaurant for a romantic experience. The latter has a 23 Euro service charge.

Room service is limited, as is fairly typical on European ships. Continental breakfast (cappuccino and cafe Americano, pastries, juices, cereal and yogurt) is available. There is also a space on the breakfast request form where you can write in a hot dish — though there’s no menu from which to select. Otherwise, the 24-hour service is limited to a snack selection — a choice of three sandwiches. For a “snack,” there’s a service charge of 2 Euros.

Public Rooms

As Costa Fortuna’s design scheme pays homage to classic Italian ships, cruise history fans will be intrigued by the public rooms. Some are literal interpretations of rooms found on some of these classic vessels (whose provenance ranges from 1921 – 1965), like the gorgeously elegant Conte di Savoia 1932 Grand Bar, a terrific dancing venue, and the Classico Roma 1926 Bar, for after-dinner cognac and cigars.

Others are more whimsical; the fabulous Conte Rossi 1921 Piano Bar is decked out in a red color scheme (as befits its name), and naturally, the Neptunia 1932 Casino and the Vulcania 1927 Disco are much more contemporary than the originals.

Other features of the “inside” portion of the ship, which spans Decks 4, 5 and 6, include a dynamically designed library-card room (with so few books we urge you to bring your own), the Virtual World arcade (designers didn’t even try to come up with a vintage ship inspiration on this one) and the three-tiered Rex 1932 Gallery, which is the ship’s main show lounge. The shops and photo gallery are also located here.

The Costa Atrium, located on Deck 3 and stretching up to Deck 9, is a great meet-and-greet spot (not to mention a superb place for people watching). Definitely don’t miss the ceiling that covers part of it — cardboard (you can’t tell, though) models of every one of Costa’s ships through history (we counted 26) hang upside down.

Cabins

Of Costa Fortuna’s 1,358 cabins, 522 come with balconies. Sizewise, they run about average — inside and staterooms with a window are fairly basic, with a queen that converts to twins, one chair, a vanity/desk and a mini-fridge. Standard verandah cabins boast one extra amenity — the balcony. All of these feature compact bathrooms with shower. This is a ship where, if budget allows, it’s a good idea to upgrade to a mini-suite, which features a pull-out couch (same bathroom); even nicer are the suites which have separate seating areas, marble bathrooms with whirlpool baths, and a double-wide balcony.

Spa & Fitness

Costa Fortuna has four pools (including one that’s kid-dedicated). The main pool area features two pools, a waterslide, three huge whirlpools, a theater area with professional-style lighting and tiered levels of lounge chairs. We loved that when weather got cool, crew members decked each chair with a variety of wool tartan rugs in different colors and plaids.

Our favorite pool area — we appreciate peace and quiet — is the Lido Colombo, which can be covered in inclement weather. It’s got two huge whirlpools.

It must be admitted — the spa is rather utilitarian. If you’ve been on a Carnival Destiny-class ship you’ve seen it, down to the whirlpool in the center of the fitness facility that appears as if carved out of rocks (that’s the most interesting thing about it). The fitness area is well-enough equipped.

More interesting is the ship’s tennis court — it comes with stadium seating (for big-audience events), unique to Costa Fortuna. There’s also a running track.

Family & Children

There’s the Club Squok, the ship’s kids’ facility. There’s no breaking down of rooms per age category (kids from 3 – 12 head to one room), although teens do have their own rather utilitarian area next door.

source: costacruise.com, cruisecritic.com

Departure Port: Venice, Italy

Departure Date: October 26, 2009

Ship: Costa Fortuna

Rates:

• Inside – $699
• Oceanview – $1,049
• Veranda – $1,199
• Suite – $1,849

Itinerary:

• Day 1 – Venice, Italy
• Day 2 – Bari, Italy
• Day 3 – Katakolon/Olympia, Greece
• Day 4 – Santoni, Greece
• Day 4 – Mykonos, Greece
• Day 5 – Rhodes, Greece
• Day 6 – Cruising
• Day 7 – Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Day 8 – Venice, Italy

Shore Excursions

• Bari – The Enchanted Sassi of Matera, Tour of Bari, Excursion to Alberobello, Bari by Bicycle, Castel del Monte, Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Ostuni “The White City”
• Katakolon/Olympia – Archaeological Museum, Souvenir of Ancient Olympia, Mythology and Modernity, The Flavours of Ancient Greece, Taste and Tradition
• Santorini – Oia, Oia Village, Santorini Shades of White & Blue, Santorini 4×4
• Rhodes – Tour of Rhodes, Lindos, Kamiros Site and Rhodes, Lindos and Ancient Rhodes
• Dubrovnik – Tour of Dubrovnik, Ragusa: Ancient Fortress City and Naval Power
• Venice – Saint Mark’s and Surroundings, A Glimpse of Venice, Murano and Burano, Romantic Venice from a Gondola

Each excursion will take about 3-5 hours and will cost about €50-60 per person.