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Anyone cruised the Caribbean with Costa ?


onyx007
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Has anyone cruised the Caribbean with Costa? My parents and me think about doing a cruise with Costa Fortuna this coming winter. I've cruised there before with RCI and I'm looking for reviews of Costa bord tours for the following ports of call:

 

Guadeloupe

St.Kitts

Antigua (St.John's)

Dominica (Roseau)

Margarita Island (Venezuela)

Barbados (Bridgetown)

St.Lucia (Port Castries)

Martinique

 

There are more ports of call on this cruise, as Tortola, Grenada and St.Maarten, but in Grenada we have family and in the other two I know that we can do our thing by our own (Tortola = Virgin Gorda with Speedys Ferry and St.Maarten with public busses to Marigot or/and Maho Beach).

 

We don't care that much about beachtime, adventure or water sports and are more interested into sightseeing/nature/people. Any more infos which I might have missed while cruising with RCI would be appreciated.

Edited by onyx007
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Our first cruise was with Costa and in the Caribbean.

 

So far as ports are concerned there is little to choose between the offerings of the different lines. The cruise you identify is a reasonable selection.

 

Costa tends to have a younger and more cosmopolitan clientele than other lines. A drawback of being cosmopolitan us that announcements (of which there seem to be a lot) are repeated in four or five languages.

 

Food wise we found Costa very variables some brilliant meals and some poor ones.

 

 

Unless you particularly like the thought of being on an Italian- style ship I would opt for RCI over CostaPrincess. Celebrity and Holland America might also be worth a look, particularly in view of your third

paragraph.

Edited by Eboracum_d
accuracy
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Our first cruise was with Costa and in the Caribbean.

 

So far as ports are concerned there is little to choose between the offerings of the different lines.

 

We are from Switzerland (an my parents speak only German and French)

therefore they will bring me along as their "translator". And my parents

will not travel with any other cruise company than Costa. They are in their highest member ship class.

 

So we are set for Costa and this port of calls are on this trip with Costa Fortuna (departing 26th of dezember). We are looking what tours (booked throught Costa) people have done and how was it.

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St Kitts and Antigua both have places to visit of historical interest, particularly for the British, Brimstone Hill in St Kitts and Nelsons' Dockyard in Antigua. For both we took a taxi from where we were berthed. At St Kitts the driver stayed with us. In Antigua he came back at a pre-arranged time.

 

In St Lucia, we again took a taxi from the ship side, thus time to the Pitons.

 

In all three ports the taxis are officially regulated and the fare is fixed before you go. For all three, the taxi driver was both pleasant and knowledgeable.

 

 

I have only been in Bridgetown, Barbados to embark or disembark and have simply walked into the centre from the berth. Our Friends though took a taxi for half a day onto the other side of the Island.

 

Can't help with your other ports -- when we were with Costa they had a private island in Dominican Republic but that was very beach centred.

 

We have taken a couple of tours organised by Costa at other ports. They were ok but inevitably involved been herded around as a group.

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I don´t know many of your ports,

as we have cruised with Costa out of Miami.

 

In Antigua we took the Costa tour to see the stingrays and Play with them in the ocean, a nice, Relaxing excursion with small Groups.

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Costa tends to have a younger and more cosmopolitan clientele than other lines. A drawback of being cosmopolitan us that announcements (of which there seem to be a lot) are repeated in four or five languages.

 

All of those announcements and always in at least four languages did get old in a hurry. :rolleyes:

 

Does Costa still have Toga Night? We thought that was lots of fun! :D

 

LuLu

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I'm also Gold Pearl, I can completely understand your parents' preferences. I understand from your other post your parents are not comfortable in English, I believe the ships' excursions will be their best choice.

Can't help you much with individual islands, I often don't even get off the ship. But it seems to me most cruise lines offer pretty much the same tours.

Have you used the buses on St Maarten? If not be careful, traffic through Philipsburg back to the ship can be slow. Marigot and back, even with a rental car, took me most of the day.

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I'm also Gold Pearl, I can completely understand your parents' preferences. I understand from your other post your parents are not comfortable in English, I believe the ships' excursions will be their best choice.

Can't help you much with individual islands, I often don't even get off the ship. But it seems to me most cruise lines offer pretty much the same tours.

Have you used the buses on St Maarten? If not be careful, traffic through Philipsburg back to the ship can be slow. Marigot and back, even with a rental car, took me most of the day.

 

Thanks for your understanding of our situation. That's exactly the reason I'm asking this questions. I will be with them but on certain islands (if you book it directly with local operators or join such a tour in port, a guided tour with a german speaking guide would be probably hard to find and even if I'm with them a guided tour in english when you don't understand the language can be very tiring in my eyes).

 

So we are looking for things were we don't need a guide (taxi or public bus) or reviews of the Costa tours.

 

Yes I've used the bus on St.Maarten (from Phillipsburg to Marigot and later from Maho Beach back to Phillipsburg) and it was really easy and cheap (I've heard of the traffic jams and on the way back traffic was really slow, but I left Maho Beach in a good time so I had still about 2 hours before departure when I arrived in Phillipsburg). I also used the bus in Antigua to go to Nelson's Dockyard, that was easy as well (and less traffic then St.Maarten)

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I should probably be asking you for your advice. Up here we get a lot of immigration from the Caribbean, so island culture isn't very exotic to me. Saint Maarten is about the only island that really interests me.

Edited by Dancer Bob
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  • 1 month later...

I cruised the Western Carribbean in 2008 on the Costa Mediterrannea. Lots of French and German speaking passengers were on board. I posted a review on this board. I can't figure out how to post a link to the review, but If you do a search under "passenger reviews" and Western Carribbean" and scroll down you will find it easily.

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I cruised the Western Carribbean in 2008 on the Costa Mediterrannea. Lots of French and German speaking passengers were on board. I posted a review on this board. I can't figure out how to post a link to the review, but If you do a search under "passenger reviews" and Western Carribbean" and scroll down you will find it easily.

 

Thanks for your review. I found it. Tough, I'm more interested in information about port of calls and you had another itinerary.

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  • 2 weeks later...

..from my collection of ship-cards.

 

 

COSTA-1321.JPG

 

I'd love to have any spare cruise-cards anyone might care to send me...

my email is <pcdoctor@karibcable.com)

 

 

I'm collecting Carnival and Costa cards in particular

although the majority of the collection is all other cruise-lines as well.

 

 

Thank you for your generosity! :)

 

.

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  • 4 months later...
Has anyone cruised the Caribbean with Costa? My parents and me think about doing a cruise with Costa Fortuna this coming winter. I've cruised there before with RCI and I'm looking for reviews of Costa bord tours for the following ports of call:

 

Guadeloupe

St.Kitts

Antigua (St.John's)

Dominica (Roseau)

Margarita Island (Venezuela)

Barbados (Bridgetown)

St.Lucia (Port Castries)

Martinique

 

There are more ports of call on this cruise, as Tortola, Grenada and St.Maarten, but in Grenada we have family and in the other two I know that we can do our thing by our own (Tortola = Virgin Gorda with Speedys Ferry and St.Maarten with public busses to Marigot or/and Maho Beach).

 

We don't care that much about beachtime, adventure or water sports and are more interested into sightseeing/nature/people. Any more infos which I might have missed while cruising with RCI would be appreciated.

 

In Antigua I suggest a private taxi to, as soon as you depart they are all there. Go to Nelsons Dockyard & definitely Shirley Heights, the view is breathtaking, & most definitely the beach. In Barbados, the caves, St.lucia, very lush, a trip to the Pitons is tops, By Catamaran the easiest & a lot of fun, by land very scenic but a rough trip with all the mountains. St. Kitts we took the train trip which was boring. Enjoy!!!

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Thanks for your understanding of our situation. That's exactly the reason I'm asking this questions. I will be with them but on certain islands (if you book it directly with local operators or join such a tour in port, a guided tour with a german speaking guide would be probably hard to find and even if I'm with them a guided tour in english when you don't understand the language can be very tiring in my eyes).

 

So we are looking for things were we don't need a guide (taxi or public bus) or reviews of the Costa tours.

 

Yes I've used the bus on St.Maarten (from Phillipsburg to Marigot and later from Maho Beach back to Phillipsburg) and it was really easy and cheap (I've heard of the traffic jams and on the way back traffic was really slow, but I left Maho Beach in a good time so I had still about 2 hours before departure when I arrived in Phillipsburg). I also used the bus in Antigua to go to Nelson's Dockyard, that was easy as well (and less traffic then St.Maarten)

Sorry, I listed my suggestions prior to adding this post.

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