Costa Magica 3/5-3/12 revisited...

I submitted my review a week ago, but CC is still backlogged or they didn't like my review. That's a shame because it was a long and detailed narrative of a fantastic trip. I offer this post with the hope that others with upcoming Magica cruises will find it informative and those of you who are back can live vicariously. This was the first cruise for me (46) and my wife (38). I chose this trip because it was the best price I found for a 7 night eastern Carib. cruise and was totally unfamiliar with Costa prior to this. I joined CC in my search for info about cruising in general and Costa & Magica in particular. I must say there were many bad things posted after the first of the year and I was a little leery about the trip. But hey, a week in the Carribbean, how bad can it be? Because the rock-bottom airfare I found was only available for flying to PBI/West Palm Beach instead of FLL, I accidentally managed to fly on non-cruise days. Arriving a day early and spending an extra day in Florida made for a much more relaxed vacation. We stayed at Sleep Inn Fort Lauderdale pre-cruise and I think that it is the perfect hotel for cruisers. Free Airport/CruisePort shuttle and the best free hotel breakfast I've ever had. Walk across a side street to a Publix grocery (great for stocking up on drinks to repack in your bags before the cruise) and 2 restaraunts. Our cruise was a full ship of about 2,700+ and we all arrived at the Port at the same time or so it seemed. We arrived at close to 1:30 and our checked luggage was taken curbside. The line was out of the terminal onto the sidewalk, but it moved and we made it through security and registration. I think it was about 45 minutes and we were aboard and headed to the Welcome Buffet. I guess the peak time for arriving at the Port to embark is between 12:30 to 1:30, so we were right in the worst of the wait. We had a bottle of wine in a carry-on bag and I had a soft-sided cooler full of bottled water atop my wheeled carry-on and had no problem getting aboard. That saved me $50 right there. Our cabin was Deck 9/Giotto and the Welcome Buffet was aft on the same deck, so we dumped our carry-ons and were about to head to the buffet after a quick look around our cabin. Our room stewardess stopped by to introduce herself and informed us that she would be responible for our cabin. I slipped her a $20 as I think it's good practice to have the help lookin' out for ya. The next time I saw her, I asked if she could empty out some of the mini-bar when she had a chance and I had room to chill my drinks. The cabin was very nice with 3 closets in the entrance hall and more storage under the bed, plenty of room for 2 people. The bathroom was good sized but the shower was a tight fit. We had an inside cabin and I guess if the bathroom light (and fan) are on then the AirC. kicks off. We brought a nightlight, but it wouldn't fit in the plug. We slept with various lights on or in the dark and even with the thin mattresses we slept good. We made it to the buffet and when I had a chance to sit down and think, that's when the "wow" factor kicked in and I thought that this is what a cruise ship should look like. From the time you board the Magica and as you travel throughout the ship you can't help but notice all the artwork everywhere. During our week aboard we walked all over exploring the many features of this floating pleasure palace. Besides the multi- story atrium, the other high point would be the Teatro Urbino, the splendid theater of the Magica and hub of all the nightly shows. I was very impressed with the quality of the sound and lighting system for the shows. We saw several of the shows and my wife loved them. The cruise director, Max Bartolotto, emceed the shows and was very entertaining. A few things about the Magica: Costa is a cashless ship and your Costa card is used like a credit card on the ship, you just sign for your purchase. The first 2-3 days of the cruise you register your credit card and the final night of the cruise you receive a list of all charges to your room. Besides the items you should have receipts to compare with the tally on the bill, there is a service charge for each occupant of the cabin, which is the staff tips earned during the cruise. I found the service on the Magica to be excellent. The staff works at least 12 hours a day and provide great service. The 15% added to bar orders is earned by the bar staff. Each cabin receive a mini-newspaper each day to remind you that a world exists out there beyond our little cruise world. To keep you informed of the daily activities you receive a 4-page "Today" each day crammed full of information about everything you need to know about what's what, when, and where. Each day is themed and that day's theme is tied into the dress code, menu, and entertainment so it helps to be in the know. The one thing that triggers the wide variety of discussion is the food. I thought the food was very good on the Magica. We were 2nd seating in Costa Smeralda for dinner each night and dinner was not to be missed. I splurged and bought a couple of sportcoats to go with my best suit and I was glad I did because it was almost an "event" to get dressed and go to dinner every night. A 6 course (count 'em, appetizer, soup, salad, pasta, entree, dessert) with multiple choices for each course. There were items I tried for the first time (the escargots were a delicious appetizer). The Bellagio buffet each night was casual dress and offered the pretty much the same food as the Smeralda and Portofino dining rooms. The common knock on the food was the dessert offerings; much of the Italian/European desserts are pretty to look at but aren't rich and sweet enough to satisfy American sweet tooths; however, there were usually enough choices to satisfy every palate. We were only up for breakfast a couple of times because of late nights in the casino and lounges but they had a very extensive selection of every imaginable item for breakfast. Lunch was more of the same, plenty of choices to satisfy all but the most picky eaters. Fresh fruit to be had all the time, pizza galore (I wasn't a big fan of their pizza, but I ate it too). Back to dinner, between our waiter and his assistant, we received excellent service every night. Briefly, the ports varied. We didn't use any ship excursions. Took a local bus ($2) to the ferry to St.John and had a beautiful beach day at Trunk Bay. Catalina Island was another beautiful beach day with an excellent beach barbeque lunch put on by the Magica kitchen staff. This is a private beach on a little spit of an island off the coast of the Dom. Rep. Didn't go off at Casa de Campo/La Romana. San Juan was okay, took a minibus tour up to El Morro fort and walked thru Old SJ before dinner. Couldn't win anything after dinner at the hotel casino by the pier. Nassau was better, won $750/slots at Atlantis and oogled the majestic yachts in the marina. Needless to say, we had a fantastic time on the Costa Magica and hope to make it an annual cruise vacation. I found out too late that cruising is addictive. That brings to mind my famous, painter friend Donald, "I'll try anything once, then I do it to death, but I ain't ever satisfied." Hope your cruise rocks!

I found out too late that cruising is addictive.

oh me too! I was on your same cruise and now I am busy making our scrapbook to keep me from sinking into the no-cruise blues.

I agree with everything your review said - especially your comments about La Romana and San Juan - I have visited those places twice now - the first and the last time!

Anyways, anyone looking for a great cruise, the Costa Magica is not to be missed!

MANGIA! MANGIA!

San Juan was okay, took a minibus tour up to El Morro fort and walked thru Old SJ before dinner

Was the Fort still open? This is something we would like to see, but we thought the Magica gets into port too late.

San Juan was okay, took a minibus tour up to El Morro fort and walked thru Old SJ before dinner

 

Was the Fort still open? This is something we would like to see, but we thought the Magica gets into port too late.

We received conflicting reports on the closing time at the fort. We were under the impression it closed at 5:00PM, which is also the scheduled arrival time of the Magica. We arrived in port earlier than scheduled and found out that the fort was open until 7:00 that Tues. evening. We just hired a tour on a minibus right outside the pier terminal, $10PP. Our tour was just a sightseeing trip up the hill with the driver pointing out the sights. We stopped for a photo op at the top with a nice view of El Morro and the sea. Our driver then dropped us off in the heart of Old SJ to shop and stroll down the hill to the piers. I would suggest you get off the ship as quickly as possible and hire a taxi to take you straight to El Morro if you want to tour the fort. Be sure to confirm the fort's closing time and the cost of the taxi before leaving the pier. This is a very common tour as the walk from the fort back to the ship is relatively easy (downhill) through Old SJ with plenty of shops, bars, and restaraunts along the way. I think the fort and most of Old SJ are smart enough to remain open when the big ships are in port. We had a brief shower while walking which was our only rain all week. Hope you have a great cruise!

oh me too! I was on your same cruise and now I am busy making our scrapbook to keep me from sinking into the no-cruise blues.

 

Anyways, anyone looking for a great cruise, the Costa Magica is not to be missed!

 

MANGIA! MANGIA!

Suzy, I didn't know you southern girls got the post-cruise blues. Glad to hear you had a great time, too!

Hi Mondello,

Was it the sleep inn and suites in dania, fl. 1500 se5th Ave. We have

reservations there on 4/7 and 4/8. It did look like a nice place with

free shuttles, did the publix sell liquor too or just beer and wine?

Thanks,

Lisa 4/9 Magica:)

Hi Mondello,

 

Was it the sleep inn and suites in dania, fl. 1500 se5th Ave. We have

reservations there on 4/7 and 4/8. It did look like a nice place with

free shuttles, did the publix sell liquor too or just beer and wine?

 

Thanks,

 

Lisa 4/9 Magica:)

Hi Lisa, Yes, the Sleep Inn was actually in Dania Beach area, not far from FLL and the Port. I'm not positive if the Publix sells liquor. They did have a very large selection of wines and champagne in their wine department. I had packed a collapsible cooler in my luggage when I flew down; filled it with a 1/2 case of water and packed the rest in our checked luggage. The Asti we stuck in my wife's bag and just rolled the small cooler atop my carry-on. I decided to buy the wine late Sat. night after dinner and Publix was closed. Florida law only allows sales after 12:00 noon on Sundays, so I walked over and bought it after I checked out and before I caught the Port shuttle. You should buy your liquor on Sat. after you arrive. If Publix doesn't have what you want I know that there are liquor stores nearby, but I don't know if they are within walking distance. I had a rental car because we flew into PBI/W Palm Beach. Even if you had to take a taxi to get the liquor, you could save plenty of money by bringing your own booze. Please note that in some states the liquor sold in grocery stores is not the same as that sold in a liquor store.