Costa Cruises is a prominent cruise line headquartered in Italy, specializing in providing leisure travel experiences on the seas. The company operates a fleet of modern cruise ships that offer a variety of itineraries, catering primarily to vacationers seeking unique travel experiences across Europe, the Caribbean, and other international destinations. With a focus on delivering quality service, Costa Cruises aims to create memorable journeys for families, couples, and solo travelers alike.
The company’s offerings include a range of onboard amenities, such as dining options, entertainment, and wellness facilities, ensuring guests have a comfortable and enjoyable voyage. Costa Cruises targets a diverse customer base, including first-time cruisers and seasoned travelers, allowing them to explore various cultures and destinations while enjoying the luxury of cruising. For more information about their itineraries and services, visit costacruises.com.
Costa Cruises receives overwhelmingly negative feedback from customers, with many expressing deep disappointment in their experiences. Reviewers frequently cite poor service and organizational issues, with one stating it was the "worst cruise ever" out of over 50 taken.
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Complaints about the user-unfriendly app and lack of communication further exacerbate frustrations. While some customers mention enjoyable food and the cruise experience itself, these positives are overshadowed by the numerous complaints regarding service quality and logistical failures, such as lost luggage and inadequate support during excursions. Overall, Costa Cruises struggles to meet customer expectations, leading to a predominantly negative sentiment among its patrons.
Each source counts by its number of reviews. Only reviews written by people are scored.
Rating, volume, share of the score, six-month trend and fake-review risk for each source
Source
Rating
Reviews
Weight
6-mo
Fake risk
★
Trustpilot
Imported Trustpilot reviews
1.7
67
100%
+0.6
● Low
1.7 / 5 overall
=
67 reviews across 1 scored source
How fake risk works ⓘ
Reputation trend
Monthly average rating from reviews written by people · latest review Jul 2025.
Last 3 months
1.6▲ 0.6
12-month avg
1.6
All-time
1.7
Category avg
4.0
Monthly averageCategory average
Monthly average rating and review count
Month
Average
Reviews
Aug 24
1.0
1
Sep 24
1.0
3
Oct 24
1.8
6
Nov 24
2.8
6
Dec 24
1.0
4
Jan 25
1.0
1
Feb 25
1.0
3
Mar 25
1.0
2
Apr 25
1.0
3
May 25
2.0
5
Jun 25
1.5
4
Jul 25
1.4
9
What people praise & complain about
Share of positive (4–5★) and negative (1–2★) reviews mentioning each topic · based on the 67 most recent reviews.
Top praiseof 8 positive reviews
Customer service75%
6 mentions
Selection25%
2 mentions
Friendly staff25%
2 mentions
Professionalism25%
2 mentions
“Cruise experiences are different for everyone, it really depends on your expectations and the itinerary that you choose”
On “Customer service” · Jul 11, 2025
Top complaintsof 53 negative reviews
Customer service36%
19 mentions
Shipping34%
18 mentions
Payment issues23%
12 mentions
Charges19%
10 mentions
“Worse still, I emailed Costa’s customer service and got a generic, dismissive reply that ignored key issues”
On “Customer service” · Jul 28, 2025
How it compares
Same method for every company: overall rating, legitimacy checks, the average rating of reviews mentioning each area and the 6-month trend · Cruise Lines.
Overall rating and review count for this company and similar companies
🚨 Disappointed with Costa Cruises Shore Excursion to Rome (Code#02FY) 🚨
Just a heads-up for anyone planning to book shore excursions with Costa Cruises — especially if you're an English-speaking guest.
We paid €95 per person for what was clearly advertised as an English-speaking tour to Rome on 10 July. But when we arrived, we found out it was actually a bilingual tour shared with German guests, without any prior notice!
The guide had to repeat everything in two languages, meaning we got half the content and rushed explanations in English, while the German part was much longer and clearer. It felt like the tour was really meant for German speakers, and English guests were just tacked on.
There were 17 English-speaking guests on our bus — more than enough for a separate guide, but Costa didn’t provide one. Ironically, the Pompeii excursion the day before (also with Costa) had two guides on one bus, split by language. So clearly, it can be done!
Worse still, I emailed Costa’s customer service and got a generic, dismissive reply that ignored key issues. When I followed up with more details, they stopped replying altogether.
So if you're booking an excursion with Costa Cruises, be careful — you might end up in a bilingual tour you didn’t sign up for, and still be charged the full price. 😠
Feel free to share if you've had similar experiences — let’s make sure these issues don’t keep getting swept under the rug. #CostaCruises #ShoreExcursionFail #RomeTour #CruiseTips #TravelFairness
The worst cruise ever out of 50+ we have been on...f a Norway cruise on Costa…
WE went of a Norway cruise on Costa Diadema in June. It was the worst cruise - out of over 50 we have done on many different ships. The breakfast Buffet was a complete disaster, terribly organised, long queues, hard to access items, not being able to serve yourself - what is the point, when guests keep touching other surfaces like elevator buttons all the time? No free coffee after breakfast, many services have been removed or are now paid only. Generally, a stingy, mean, poorly organised cruise experience, much worse than other cruise lines we sailed with, and even much worse that Costa used to be.... Costa was always a low-class cruise, but at least it had a cheerful, generous Italian spirit. This is now all gone... Many standard services disappeared - for example, there is no longer salt or pepper at the tables and you have to queue separately to get some salt with your eggs... this is just insane! There are no tablecloths anywhere. everything is now charged as an extra. It is high-pressure merchandising everywhere, what used to be social activities have now turned into high-pressure sales meetings. The whole experience is low class, irritating and mean, and the buffet restaurant manager should be sacked for quietly standing by at the disastrous breakfast queues without doing anything.
Return to earlier standards of service, arrange for multi-queue self-service islands at the buffet, and generally stop treating your customers like idiots trying to make them pay for everything!
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They sell the tickets and after cancelled with all bookings from airplane London to Barcelona.days off from work .hotel suddenly they can selling all of them, even no money back.Don't trust this company to book in your holiday
We had an awful experience with Costa cruise lines.
1. Their application is not user-friendly and their informational campaign before the cruise was intended only to sell us upper package and next cruises instead of highlighting the embarking period in the onboarding day.
Lack of instructions regarding the embarkation process. We nearly miss the ship because they showed in the application "all on board 6 PM" in our onboarding day without emphasizing that customs is leaving 4 PM and our embarking hour is 3:30 PM.
2.Our cabin smells disgusting, I believe that vent system from the kitchen somehow was close to our AC system and we could smell what they cooked.
3. No free tap water in the restaurants. The first cruise ship that requires to pay our tap water.
4.Dirty cups, forks and spoons in the buffet all the time. The suspicious hygiene was everywhere.
5.Long queues in the buffet
6. Extremely humble list of dishes in the buffet. Usually, the good taste was not their higher priority.
7. On Costa Pacifica Cabin 2202 is for the crew, two separated beds that they even do not have an eye contact. They promoted this cabin as standard and assign it to our friends. For 4 nights they refused to change it because they were "full". On the 4 our of 7 nights they found a normal cabin and compensate is with champaign for 5 $ and 5 macaroons.
7. Reception team was full of non-professionals.
NEVER ever I will book a cruise with Costa cruises line. Don't do it too!
Do Not Sail Costa—Even If It Were Free
Ship: Costa Pacifica
Duration: 14 days
Staterooms: Interior and Balcony
Total Cost: ~$10,000 for four passengers including excursions
Redeeming Features: None identified
This was, without question, the worst cruise I’ve experienced in over 20 years and more than 50 voyages. I’ve sailed with budget lines like Carnival and luxury lines like Viking, so I understand different standards—but Costa’s performance fell drastically below even the most basic expectations for safety, sanitation, service, and organization. I’ve never submitted a negative review before—until now.
🚨 Safety & Sanitation: Inexcusable Failures
- Crew inexperience: A majority of onboard crew seemed to be on their first cruise or first contract. They couldn’t accurately locate muster stations or provide assistance—an alarming oversight given Costa’s recent safety incidents. - Sanitation: Public restrooms on Deck 5 and near the buffet were frequently out of order. In staterooms, only one toilet worked at a time—thankfully, we had two rooms. Out of 19 hand-sanitizer stations, 13 were empty or broken. This violates basic maritime health codes. - Hygiene breakdown: Illness spread rapidly across the ship. A fellow passenger openly urinated in a public hallway—a scene that sadly didn’t seem out of place. Glassware and plates were often so poorly cleaned that my 8-year-old asked why the water “tasted funny.”
🍽 Dining: Inconsistent, Often Inedible
- Only 3 of 14 dinner nights were genuinely enjoyable. On the others, well-intentioned but overburdened staff struggled to serve basic needs. - Drink woes: Even with a drinks package, water was hard to come by. Wine or beer—never more than one drink per person over a two-hour dinner unless chased repeatedly. - Buffet blunders: Spoiled yogurt, green cheese, and almost nonexistent butter were regular features. Lines took 15–20 minutes, and disputes even turned physical. - I’ve never had to grocery shop during a cruise before—but this time I did. Food quality was so unreliable that we bought staples ashore. On the plus side—I lost some weight.
🥤 Drink Package & Water Access: A Waste
I purchased Costa’s “My Drinks” package expecting value. But with broken water dispensers and long bar lines, a bottle of store-bought water and local wine would have been more reliable. Unless you drink heavily and can wrangle a second pour, don’t expect it to deliver.
🛳 Excursions & Shore Access: Mismanaged Chaos
- Ports changed four times—three pre-cruise, once mid-voyage. Our main port, Mykonos, was removed with under 24-hour notice and minimal explanation. - No shore access without Costa excursions—tender ports meant up to three hours of waiting just to disembark during a six–eight-hour stop. - The “My Excursions 3-pack” deal was abruptly cancelled by desk agents, even though it was active in the Costa app. - At Argostoli, four lifeboats handled all passengers on a 40 °C day—families stood under relentless sun with no shade or seating for over an hour.
📱 App & Wi‑Fi: Completely Unreliable
The Costa app was required for menus, programs, and excursions—but it seldom worked. Full internet access was purchased by a member of our party—and still we faced multiple horizon-wide connectivity failures with no compensation or fallback. No printed menus were provided. If the app failed—which it often did—you could only get help by waiting in another line.
🛏 Cabins & Staff: The Only Bright Spots
When the toilets functioned, the cabins were fine. Stewards were attentive and hardworking—but it felt like they were holding up a collapsing system.
👧 Kids Club: Disastrous
Our daughters, usually thrilled by cruise kids clubs, went once and refused to return. Their verdict: “It’s just coloring. No games, no fun.” That’s it.
🛑 Bottom Line: Avoid Costa at All Costs
I would have disembarked early if not for logistical constraints. Costa offered zero compensation or apology for widespread failures. Two weeks of vacation were wasted. At this price point, any other cruise line will deliver a vastly superior experience. DO NOT CRUISE WITH COSTA—NOT EVEN IF IT’S FREE.
This was our third cruise together, but the first as a married couple — and sadly, our first (and last) experience with Costa Cruises. We had hoped it would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, especially as it was our honeymoon. Unfortunately, from the moment we arrived at the port in Catania to board the Costa Fascinosa, things began to go downhill.
The check-in process was chaotic. We waited in long queues under the sun without being offered even a glass of water. Eventually, we found someone handing out drinks, but they clearly did not want to be there — unfriendly, uninterested, and certainly not welcoming. You’d expect staff in a holiday setting to set a positive tone, but that was far from the case.
After dropping off our luggage, we joined yet another line — again, in a stuffy area where the air conditioning could have been turned on but wasn’t. By the time they took our photo for the boarding card, I looked like I had just come out of a sauna. I thought that would be the end of the queues, but no — we were forced to queue yet again in a tent, this time for a photo we didn’t even want. When I politely declined, I was rudely told to wait in line anyway. After several back-and-forths, they finally allowed us to move on.
Access to our cabin was only available at 3 PM, which is standard, so no complaints there. However, once onboard, the service only got worse.
The majority of the staff — I’d say 9 out of 10 — seemed determined to make our experience miserable. When I tried to order two coffees and two Pepsis, I was bluntly told I could only order two drinks at a time. Despite having a paid drinks package, I had to fetch my husband’s card just to get four basic beverages. That level of inflexibility and rudeness is unacceptable.
Dinner was another letdown. The food was shockingly poor — honestly, I wouldn’t feed it to my dogs. Plates were slammed down in front of us at the sit-down restaurant with no care or courtesy. The ship itself is outdated and, frankly, it smells bad.
We also needed a UK plug adapter and asked at reception and multiple other staff, only to be repeatedly told none were available. Eventually, we found one in a shop onboard where the employee casually mentioned they’d been in stock for over two years. Clearly, no effort was made to help us.
On another occasion, when returning to our cabin, a staff member blocked our access and angrily told us we had to walk all the way around the ship — simply because she didn’t want to move her trolley. A little flexibility or even basic courtesy would have gone a long way.
Staff frequently bumped into us or passed by with carts without so much as an apology or even a nod. It’s the little things — an acknowledgment, a smile — that make a difference, and we experienced none of that here.
And then there were the other guests — many were just as rude and inconsiderate. Perhaps the staff’s attitude is a reflection of the clientele Costa Cruises attracts. Either way, the atmosphere onboard was anything but enjoyable.
In short, this cruise was an enormous disappointment. If I could give it zero stars, I would. We will never book with Costa Cruises again.
Costa has never been a top-class cruise company, but a sense of easy-going fun and Italian good humour have compensated for an atmosphere mostly catering for a less demanding mass audience. Alas, things have gotten much worse in recent years, especially since Carnival took over the company. Cruising with Costa is no longer much fun due to its nasty penny pinching policies, and pushy attempts to extract as much money from gullible customers as possible. Here is just a partial list of the mean and intrusive penny pinching reductions in service on our recent cruise on Costa Diadema to Norway –
- they no longer provide salt and pepper on any restaurant table
- they no longer provide butter with the dinner rolls in the a la carte restaurant
- no printed menus anywhere, your have to struggle with their unreliable QR codes
- there are no longer tablecloths in the a la carte restaurants
- only flimsy paper serviettes in the buffet restaurant
- no tissues provided in the cabin, although one was provided on requests
- no toiletries in the cabin, only a small packaged soap
- Costa Club receptions no longer feature the usual glass of prosecco
- minimalist menu choices in the a la carte restaurant
- no free coffee after meals anywhere
- no Nescafe available
- sugar only provided in a disgusting plastic bottles, not in hygienic packages
- tea bags locked away except at breakfast time
- no decaf option even at breakfast
- all other coffee to be paid for in automatic coffee machines
- watery orange and apple juice only at breakfast time
- no water in a la carte restaurant
In addition to these nasty reductions in service, the organization of the catering services is also unacceptable. In the buffet restaurant, customers are forced to queue in a single endless line (!) for up to half and hour before they get near the serving counters. Service is incredibly slow, as everything is served by hand at every station, no self-service at all anywhere. At every station new plates are used, portions are not self-chosen – so the food waste is incredible, and every meal produces 6-8 dirty plates per customer. Other cruise lines (like Norwegian, Royal Carribean and Holland America we recently sailed on) have long revised their buffet systems to use multiple, freely accessible stations, reducing crowding and queuing time, giving customers random access to different food categories and reducing food waste. Costa alone continues with the ridiculously inefficient practice of forcing people into interminable single queues? Service in the full service restaurants is also terrible. It took us half an hour even to order after sitting down, and the dinner took 2 ½ hours altogether. Is there anything good to say about Costa? Well, yes. The food quality is still quite good for low-class cruise line, especially in comparison with MSC, but the terrible organisation and slow service destroys the experience. The crew are still very hard working, efficient and friendly but the senior management is hopeless, forcing them to work in a system that largely defeats their efforts. Costa is no longer a good choice at any level – avoid this cruise line if you have other options…
Viajar en el Costa Diadema trae epidemia de regalo
Viajar en el Costa Diadema (crucero del 29 de mayo al 6 de junio de 2025) ha sido la peor experiencia de viaje de mi vida. Contratamos un paquete “Todo Incluido” con cuatro excursiones, creyendo que íbamos a disfrutar de un crucero cuidado y bien organizado. En realidad vivimos una pesadilla sanitaria, logística y contractual que la compañía ha ignorado por completo.
Nada más llegar al camarote, encontramos una carta informando de un brote de gastroenteritis activo desde la semana anterior. Este aviso no fue comunicado antes del embarque, por lo que no pudimos tomar decisiones responsables. Todos los miembros de nuestra familia enfermamos a bordo con vómitos y diarrea. En mi caso, tengo un bypass gástrico, y la situación fue especialmente grave. Vimos incluso a camareros saliendo de cocina camino del servicio médico, y se mantuvieron bufés abiertos sin refuerzo sanitario ni desinfección.
Las excursiones fueron un engaño: sin contenido, sin comida (a pesar del “todo incluido”), sin horarios claros y mal organizadas. Una de ellas se anunció de seis horas y fue de tres. No hubo ni un simple picnic para jornadas de más de seis horas. Los guías improvisaban o no estaban preparados, y no se cumplieron varias paradas prometidas.
Además, nos perdieron una maleta con comida y medicamentos dentro, que apareció 4 días después en otra ciudad sin explicación, y otra llegó dañada. El itinerario de regreso, que debía ser un vuelo directo, se cambió a última hora por un infierno de cinco transportes seguidos (autobús, avión, tren...), sin asistencia ni compensación.
Durante el desembarque en Geiranger, mi padre resbaló en una pasarela mojada y sin señalizar y sufrió un fuerte golpe en la cabeza y la espalda. No hubo personal para ayudarle ni revisión médica.
Para rematar, actividades estrella anunciadas en el programa, como “el Mar de Estrellas” o la “Meditación Friluftsliv”, nunca se celebraron. Y cuando retiraron nuestros auriculares en cubierta, al día siguiente nos acusaron falsamente de no devolverlos y quisieron cobrarlos.
Costa Cruceros se niega a asumir responsabilidad por absolutamente nada, responde con frases estándar y ni siquiera menciona los hechos más graves. Somos decenas los pasajeros que hemos interpuesto reclamaciones ante Consumo. Parece ser una práctica habitual: ocultar, minimizar y no compensar. No hay buena fe ni preocupación por el bienestar de los viajeros.
⚠️ Si estás valorando un crucero con Costa Cruceros o el Costa Diadema, piénsalo dos veces. Sale carísimo. Hay alternativas más responsables, más honestas y más humanas.
The Salon and Spa in Costa Toscana have thieves don’t trust anyone there they sell you produces 4 times the actual price. They lie that you need that. You can return those products as is they give some reason not to take it back or refund you in any way. I left my sunglasses in the Spa and they didn’t give it back to me and they said they haven’t seen it.
I’ve never taken a Costa cruise, however, I am desperate to take my family on a last minute cruise. The website is the definition of terrible. It’s glossy and is enticing but every time you click through there is nothing available. Hey Costa, if you are listening, don’t make cruises that are not available, available to click through to when a filter has been applied. Or at least have a filter for available or all cruises.
I've taken over 80 Costa cruises.ive just disembarked the diadeima.in keil .they dumped us at the blue terminal.not enough buses .no public transport.over one thousand people trying to get taxis I saw two fights.took two hours to get off the boat and the custom officers just laughed at us.then taxi charges six of us €50 to go less than five km to the train station missed train then my flight.im finished with Costa..and many people sick with bug on board including me.informed reception they just looked at me.there are procedures for that they didn't want to acknowledge.
Drei positive Sachen finde ich - der Kaffee ist grossartig, das Essen sehr lecker und die Zimmer sehr geräumig.
Danach bleiben mir leider nicht mehr sehr viele positive Worte.
Die Mitarbeitenden sind zwar grundsätzlich freundlich, aber die Unzufriedenheit ist den Leuten ins Gesicht geschrieben. Die Mitarbeitenden werden ausgenutzt & schlecht behandelt.
Es gibt abends zwei Essenszeiten - wir hatten die erste Essenszeit. Die Bestellung durften wir jeweils nach 20 Minuten Wartezeit aufgeben. Danach warteten wir weitere 25 Minuten auf die Vorspeise, auf die Primi weitere 20 Minuten und den Hauptgang erhielten wir dann eine Stunde nach Bestellung. Das Dessert kam jeweils erstaunlich schnell. Somit sind bereits zwei Stunden des Abends durch.
Es gibt einen Erwachsenenbereich mit Pool, der im Tagesprogramm zur Erholung der Erwachsenen angepriesen wird. Naja - es hat zwar Erwachsene in diesem Bereich, aber noch mehr Kinder. Das interessiert niemanden. Wir haben über mehrere Stunden via verschiedene Wege (Rezeption, höheres Kader, Housekeeping, Security, Deutscher Reiseführer) versucht, dass der Bereich kinderfrei wird - leider ohne Erfolg. Es hat keinen Bademeister, der für Ordnung sorgt (Getränke im Pool, Hereinspringen, Kinder) - niemand fühlt sich verantwortlich.
Im öffentlichen Bereich sind permanent die Toiletten verstopft, die WCs mit Wasser überlaufen oder die Lavabos funktionieren nicht. Saubere Toiletten sucht man.
Das Schiff ist allgemein in einem heruntergekommenen Zustand - (z.B. kaputte Liegestühle, es tropft von der Decke, kaltes Wasser beim Duschen).
Alles in allem sind diese Probleme darauf zurückzuführen, dass es viel zu wenig Personal hat und die noch vorhandenen Mitarbeitenden ausgenutzt und schlecht behandelt werden. Die oberste Etage interessiert sich nur für sich & das Geld. Es wird gespart, wo man nur kann - das auf Kosten der Gäste & Mitarbeitenden.
Bewertung bezieht sich auf Reise im April auf der Costa Pazifica.
Big hygiene issues, never again. Our kid got very sick because of the food in the restaurant. We filed in our complaint at the reception. The staff couldn’t care less.
empresa cobra servicios no prestados!
estabamos del crucero por Caribe, nos enganaron y cobraron los 350 euros sin ningun aviso o informacion, por otra parte cobraros los paquetes encima.
al reclamar, parece que les da igual, porque no responden y no devuelven dinero!
despues de las vacaciones, un disgusto increible!
Wij hebben in oktober een cruise geboekt bij Costa via Stipt Reizen. Al meteen viel op dat het lang duurde voordat we te horen kregen of een mindervalide hut beschikbaar was. Toen dit eindelijk bevestigd werd, moesten we direct een flinke aanbetaling doen van €1.173. Nu eist de organisatie ook nog een restantbetaling van €500, terwijl wij door een onredelijke beslissing van Costa genoodzaakt waren om de reis te annuleren.
Costa keurde mijn elektrische rolstoel af vanwege de accu, ondanks dat dit nooit eerder een probleem was bij andere reisorganisaties. Zonder mijn eigen rolstoel ben ik niet zelfstandig, wat betekent dat mijn man continu voor mij zou moeten zorgen en hij ook geen ontspannen vakantie zou hebben. De enige “oplossing” die werd geboden was een handbewogen rolstoel, wat voor mij geen werkbare optie is.
Nu blijven we achter met een verloren aanbetaling en een reis die we niet kunnen maken.
Wij vinden het onacceptabel dat zowel Stipt Reizen als Costa Cruises zo omgaan met rolstoelgebruikers. Er is geen enkele coulance of begrip getoond, terwijl wij tijdig en correct hebben gehandeld. Wij voelen ons gedupeerd en raden andere mindervalide reizigers aan om goed na te denken voordat ze met deze organisaties in zee gaan.
Date: 16/02/2025
Itinerary: Dubai, Oman, Qatar, Abu Dhabi
Ship: Smeralda
The experience on this cruise was beyond disappointing. The staff were neither professional nor friendly, speaking to guests in a condescending manner as if reprimanding them rather than providing service. The outdated decor only added to the overall dreary atmosphere.
The entertainment was a complete disaster—poorly scheduled and executed. One show would be on the 6th floor, and then 45 minutes later, another would be on the 18th, creating unnecessary chaos with the elevators. There was never enough seating, forcing half the audience to stand uncomfortably. To make matters worse, the quality of the performances was subpar and hardly worth the effort.
The service was just as appalling. One night, I simply requested a bottle of water from the bar before heading to bed, only to be rudely refused because of a private party. I was told to go to another bar, even though I had an ankle issue that made walking difficult. My cabin was on the 16th floor, and the nearest bar was on the 8th, yet the bartender showed zero empathy, coldly suggesting I try room service instead of offering any assistance.
The food was another nightmare. The buffet on the 8th floor was consistently filthy, overcrowded, and filled with an unbearable smell. The restaurants were slightly better, but the food itself was completely tasteless. In an entire week, there was only one dish that could be considered genuinely good.
To top it all off, the attitude of the staff was appalling, especially if you didn’t have a drink package. It was as if not purchasing one automatically labeled you as inferior. I have health issues that prevent me from drinking alcohol or coffee, so I didn’t opt for the package—but I still paid for my bottled water and mocktails. That, however, didn’t stop the staff from treating me with unnecessary judgment and unprofessionalism.
And then there's reception—I don't even know where to start! It was always crowded, with people shouting and looking incredibly frustrated. I had to visit reception three times, and not once was I helped. Either the staff didn’t know anything about what I was asking, or the area was so chaotic that it was impossible to get any attention. Seeing at least 50 people in front of the desk with frustrated faces really shows just how hectic everything was on this ship.
In Abu Dhabi, my daughter's passport was randomly selected for an extra security check at the port—something I was never informed about beforehand. Instead, I was rudely woken up at 6 am on the same day and told to rush down to reception with her passport. When I arrived, the staff had no idea what was going on. I had to wait 15 minutes before someone finally came and took my daughter's passport. When I asked when and how I would get it back, I got no clear answer. The receptionist just kept repeating, "You’ll get it, don’t worry," which was not at all reassuring.
At 9 am, we left the ship, and that’s when everything went wrong because we were never given any proper instructions about the process, which, by the way, turned out to be quite simple. Instead, the security staff shouted at us from the ship all the way to the port security. It was an awful experience! The lack of communication and the chaos caused unnecessary stress, and it felt like no one cared to help us properly.
Overall, this was an unpleasant experience from start to finish. The lack of hospitality, poor service, dreadful entertainment, and terrible food made this cruise an absolute disappointment
We were charged a daily fee that we were never notified of. The crew was indifferent, nasty and uncaring. The food was miserable at best. Such as ham and cheese omelets with no ham or cheese. The shrimp and prawns still had the intestines intact, should have been removed. In our opinion spaghetti and meatballs tasted like canned, onion soup was like onion gravy, spaghetti with mushroom sauce was more like canned mushroom soup. Nickel and dime us everywhere. Kept walking around and offering specialty restaurants. Photographers stalked passengers. Never given an option for seating in the dining room. Never asked when we needed to disembark so we were forced to carry our own luggage off the ship with my husband in a wheelchair. Stateroom wasn't cleaned until we issued a complaint and no turn down service. A meeting was organized with department heads and we felt like it was an inquisition. Daily "activities" were a joke. All in all, we will never cruise with Costa again, we would rather stay home. It was a miserable experience.
Checklist of bad for the Costa Toscana
* Complete disorganization, cruise employees will give you different answers.
* At least 50% of the guests were coughing, after two days, so was I. I am still coughing. It's a sick ship. Even the employees cough.
* The staff works 7 days a week, 10 or more hours per day. They struggle to cope. Costa lures in people from Eastern Europe, Egypt and the Philippines.
* I liked the food. I didn't like elbowing my way to get to it. The dinner would have been good if I hadn't been rushed to eat it. You are forced to eat fast to get the next group inside to eat.
* EVERYTHING is extra. WATER is only available from the buffet at meal time. You are told not to fill your water bottles. You can't get WATER from 2AM to 7 AM. Coffee is only available at breakfast, WATER is available at lunch, you get wine or water at Dinner.
*You must buy a drink plan or else no water for you.
*The shows were good, but you can't see the performance from most of the seats.
* After seven days we felt like we were freed from a prison.
Don't do it!
Bad bad bad. If you pay the extra drinks plus package you will get a lot of "I'm sorry sir, this drink is finished". A lot. I'm currently in the cruise Costa Smeralda and really disappointed about this package. Bad bad experience with drinks. Most of the premium not available, you basically pay for nothing.
This is why they have negative reviews and should be distributed by everyone.
Don't pay and alternatively reserve with a real and better alternative cruise company.
Only one good: Starlink
Expérience catastrophique : Sécurité inexistante et hygiène douteuse
Expérience catastrophique : Sécurité inexistante et hygiène douteuse
Notre croisière avec Costa a été une énorme déception, entre un grave problème de sécurité, une gestion catastrophique, un manque d’hygiène flagrant et des nuits impossibles à cause du bruit.
🔴 Un intrus dans notre cabine dès le premier jour !
À notre arrivée, nous avons découvert la porte grande ouverte et un passager alcoolisé manipulant nos affaires, renversant de l’alcool partout. Ce dernier s’est enfui après avoir déclaré qu’il « faisait une visite »… Nous avons immédiatement signalé l’incident à la réception et à la sécurité, photos et vidéos à l’appui, mais la réponse de Costa a été désastreuse.
⏳ Des heures d’attente pour une solution médiocre
Nous avons dû attendre plus de 6 heures avant qu’une alternative nous soit proposée. La nouvelle cabine était d’une catégorie inférieure, avec un balcon trois fois plus petit que celui que nous avions payé en supplément. Pourtant, on nous avait assuré que nous aurions une cabine équivalente… Mensonge total !
🚢 Un service client dépassé et inefficace
Pendant plusieurs jours, nous avons demandé des nouvelles de l’intrus qui s’était introduit chez nous. Aucune enquête sérieuse, aucune explication, aucune action concrète ! Malgré nos preuves (vidéos et photos), il semble que Costa n’ait absolument rien fait pour retrouver cet individu.
🧼 Propreté déplorable : un bateau sale et mal entretenu
En plus du manque de sécurité, l’hygiène du bateau laissait clairement à désirer :
Les moquettes des couloirs et des parties communes étaient tachées et sales.
De la poussière et des détritus un peu partout, preuve d’un nettoyage insuffisant.
La cabine qu’on nous a attribuée n’était pas propre, et malgré un soi-disant nettoyage, il restait des traces d’alcool de l’incident initial.
🌬️ Impossible de dormir à cause du bruit du vent
Comme si ça ne suffisait pas, les joints des portes du balcon étaient tellement arrachés que le vent sifflait toute la nuit. Résultat : impossible de dormir à cause du bruit infernal.
Une croisière est censée être reposante… Costa a réussi à nous faire vivre l’inverse.
💸 AUCUNE compensation juste pour les préjudices subis
Nous avons perdu du temps, de l’énergie et notre séjour a été gâché dès le départ. La seule compensation ? Un repas au restaurant sushis a 46euros, comme si cela allait compenser le stress, les heures perdues et le non-respect du service payé comme le choix de la cabine a hauteur de 200euros et le sejour de plus de 2000 euros ! IL EST OU LE REMBOURSSEMENT meme partiel ????
📉 Une compagnie dépassée par les problèmes
Chaque jour, la réception était envahie de passagers en colère – plus de 600 problèmes signalés quotidiennement pour 6000 passagers. Costa semble incapable de gérer correctement une croisière de cette envergure.
⚠️ CONCLUSION : À éviter absolument !
Aucun respect du client, manque de sécurité flagrant, gestion désastreuse des incidents et service client inexistant. Si vous voulez des vacances sereines, fuyez Costa Croisières !
Costa Cruises is a prominent cruise line headquartered in Italy, specializing in providing leisure travel experiences on the seas. The company operates a fleet of modern cruise ships that offer a variety of itineraries, catering primarily to vacationers seeking unique travel experiences across Europe, the Caribbean, and other international destinations. With a focus on delivering quality service, Costa Cruises aims to create memorable journeys for families, couples, and solo travelers alike.
The company’s offerings include a range of onboard amenities, such as dining options, entertainment, and wellness facilities, ensuring guests have a comfortable and enjoyable voyage. Costa Cruises targets a diverse customer base, including first-time cruisers and seasoned travelers, allowing them to explore various cultures and destinations while enjoying the luxury of cruising. For more information about their itineraries and services, visit costacruises.com.
