Looking at Costa for first time

Hello,

We are looking to do a cruise in eastern Med next year.

Cruised twice with Celebrity and once with Disney.

There is this cruise Venice to Istanbul that seems nice on Costa Celebration, but there is little to almost no information at all on Costa website about the Costa Celebration. Is it a nice ship ? They say it's a small ship but is it really small ? Tried to look for videos of the ship and nothing, not much also as pictures. Any info or intel will be appreciated about that ship.

And about Costa, is it nice or just a "meh" average cruiseline? We love Celebrity, wondering if Costa is so different. We know all cruise lines are different, but seeing some good reviews about Costa and some other not so good, just trying to weigh all in. Costa as been around here a laughing matter since Concordia, in the news and in people talking in general. So wondering if it's that bad.

Would be our first European cruise, so having a European cruiline is appealling to immerse ourselves in the culture.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you

I went on honeymoon this year on celebrity - reflection and constellation

I was on the Costa Luminosa last autumn

Very different ... Loved both!

Celebrity was clearly more luxurious in every way except the Samsara spa on Costa which was amazing. But not sure the celebration has samsara.

The costa food was really good. Lots of menu choices but only 1 main dining room, buffet not generally open in evenings. The food in costa used lesser ingredients, but in my opinion was as well, if not better executed than on celebrity. Particularly the soups and pastas on Costa. There was no steak on our costa cruise, but it was always available on Celebrity.

Bars on celebrity more glamorous but the cocktails on Costa were fab! Also the all inclusive drinks package is a steal @ €19.50 a day per person.

Clearly celebrity is more expensive generally in Europe than Costa because the product is of a higher class. Service in celebrity full on and fab! Costa more European, no small chat!

I'd say go for Costa if the ship looks ok. But there is a chance you'll hate it if you are looking for an American cruise ship experience !!

Btw, if you are looking for the Celebrity experience on a Costa ship, then neoromantica is the ship for you.

It has a very misleading 3 star rating but in my opinion looks 4/5 star

Google "neoromantica Flickr" To check out photos as the ones online are generally out of date

Thank you kfowinst for your reply

Actually there is only 1 cruise that Costa offers that interests us and it's on the Costa Celebration, but the ports it does is pleasing to everyone who might go.

But your answers settles my mind on some issues, and we are not looking for an American experience, but more of a change completely, so yes Costa might be welcomed.

Now back to ggogling for more info on the Celebration.

Thank you

I believe the celebration has just entered the costa fleet (from carnival) hence why you can't find info or pictures

The ship is about to be refurbished

There is talk of a 6 million upgrade which isn't much in ship terms

Apparently the neoromantica refit was 90 mil ($)

The Costa Celebration used to be the Carnival Celebration until 2008, when it was transferred to Iberocrucieros (the Spanish line owned by Carnival). Since that line is closing, it is going to Costa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Celebration

I have no idea about the amenities of the ship having never sailed it or anything in its class or vintage, or even sailed Costa. But it is an older, smaller ship.

We are just back from a July Baltic cruise on the Fortuna. We have sailed on the Celebrity Equinox twice (as a point of reference). We looked forward to having an Italian cruise experience on Costa also. We were happy with the choice. Food and service was great. The cabin steward was perhaps the best we have had and English spoken by the passenger service crew.

The Costa US web site is clunky (it was perhaps the negative comment I gave Costa on our experience). For more English information try the UK site, your travel agent or Costa directly. We ended up booking a premium cabin in order to be able to choose the restaurant and time slot we wanted (and free room service which we normally don't use). We would have saved a few dollars with a water purchase package which they offered onboard our sailing. I wish we would have understood the evening meal options, as on our cruise a full buffet line was only available the first evening, although room service delivered some great food on days when our excursions created time constraints with early dinning and one evening we had custom made pizza at midnight at the pizza parlor.

For the price point Costa delivered a top notch cruise. If the price and itinerary were the same we would choose Celebrity. That said, we look forward to sailing on Costa again in the future. Then again, one of the highlights on the Fortuna was having wonderful octopus carved for us at the buffet for lunch.

The Costa Celbration is one of four 'Neo' ships small in size but offering little extra luxuries like wine matched with meals and selected menus, usually spending a little longer in the ports than the bigger ships.

They all have limited on board restuarants and spas ect, but make up for it in style.

Costa are mainly multu-lingual but you are seated with your langage in the MDR's Costa now do very little if you eat in the buffet in the evening which closes down about 9pm aparts from Pizzas. evening are geared to intimate bars/shows and MDR chat. you now have a section of what time you eat on most Neo-Ships in MRD not quite anytime diner but close, as well as the traditional times.

As said Premium Cabins do offer extras like Cooked breakfast at no charge or 5 euros P.P a day in the standard cabins.

AI drinks packages are a must if you like more than three wines/beers and two coffees a day

Hope this helps been on Costa 20 times and although very different We enjoy them

In fact there is only / will be 3 "neo" ships, NeoRomantica, neoRiviera and soon to be neoClassica (from December 2014).

Celebration will not be converted to a "neo" ship.

In fact there is only / will be 3 "neo" ships, NeoRomantica, neoRiviera and soon to be neoClassica (from December 2014).

 

Celebration will not be converted to a "neo" ship.

According to Costa site the Classica is now registered as a Neo & my information tells me the Celebration is being considered.

That said all these smaller Costa ships are much better than the later ones in my view, finished the fleet this year with the Favolosa & Fascinosa and booked on the Diadema early next, still think the best has gone over to Thomson fleet when the Europa left and my all time favourite was the Tropical. Back on the Romantica in six weeks for the forth time, and does take some beating for that extra touch.

Hello,

I'm Italian and I don't think that Costa will assure you an "Italian/European" experience, but, simply, a "Costa" experience: until the 2000, more or less, the Costa Cruises was synonyms of Italian style (Costa Riviera, Classica, Romantica, Marina, Allegra, Victoria, etc..) but then I think that It has become an odd European branch of Carnival (Costa atlantica, Mediterranea, Fortuna, etc...).

I suggest you to travel with an American line if you can ( complimentary water, 24h buffets...) but if you would like to try an European company, probably msc will give you a more Italian experience, at least as for the ship interiors. While, as for the guests, It is about the same.

Hope It helps. Regards,

ItalianGuest