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Cruise to "hell" on costa fortuna

annejoejarocki@gmail.com

By annejoejarocki@gmail.com,
in Costa Cruises

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Middleager

Middleager

Posted
Posted
Actually, I valued that person's opinion since he was on the ship. However, he lost his credibility when he used a-- word

I'm the same. We'll be going on the Fortuna in March. I look forward to all reviews, good or bad.

 

When he used the a** word, that's when he destroyed his own credibility.

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guxu

guxu

Posted
Posted
I'm the same. We'll be going on the Fortuna in March. I look forward to all reviews, good or bad.

 

When he used the a** word, that's when he destroyed his own credibility.

So, we will be on the same ship! :cool:

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emaoffive

emaoffive

Posted
Posted

We had a wonderful time on this cruise! We were eight people with four inside cabins: me and my husband, our five children ages 12, 19, 21, 24 and 25, and my 86 year old mother.

The cabins were very nice with refrigerators, nice size bathrooms and plenty of storage space. Our cabin steward (Monette) was so lovely and wonderful.

I thought the food was quite good; typical of other cruises we've been on (Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Holland America). It usually arrived warm instead of hot but there was a nice selection. None of us eat meat so I can only speak about vegetarian and fish, but there was grilled or poached salmon offered for every meal and lox every morning for breakfast in the dining room. The ice creams and sorbets in the dining room were superb as well as the NY cheesecake offered every night. I personally loved a pasta dish offered at every meal and the buffet that turned into a charming pizzeria every night from nine pm to one am - with red and white checkered table cloths and candles! We hardly ate in the buffet during this cruise because it wasalways very crowded and long lines - but this was a holiday cruise at full occupancy. The first two nights in the dining room were a bit unorganized but I think this got better as the cruise went along. Anyways, it's not like we had to get somewhere in a hurry - it's vacation!

The ship was absolutely beautiful! Also, because of its size, no one in our group experienced any sea sickness as in prior cruises. We never got to the pools but they looked to be enjoyed by all. Several of us spent time reading on deck and always were able to secure loungers and towels.

 

We've been on four previous cruises and this is the first time there were ballroom dance teachers on board - my husband and I went to six dance classes in the main lounge and thouroughly enjoyed ourselves. Kudos to George and Judy - it is the main reason I would cruise on Costa again. (That and I loved playing Bingo on this ship - the caller, Manuela (who by the way is married to Cruise director Max was so funny and charming, that I loved going just to listen to her call out the numbers in five languages - and I didn't even win!)

I enjoyed every show in the theater - the tenor was excellent, my husband loved the rock show through the decades, the Elton John impersonator was very funny and I'm told he also did a fun late comedy show another night, the final talent show on Toga night was a hoot.

All in all a great cruise, a great vacation, I wish I was there now instead of this frozen wasteland...

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Dancer Bob

Dancer Bob

Posted
Posted

I'm on the Fortuna right now. I'll agree it's not perfect, but it's still the ship I prefer above all others. (Obviously, I like dancing.) And yes, watching bingo in 5 languages is entertainment in itself.

I will admit buffets are not a strong point, but no real problems. The restaurant menu is broken into 7 courses, if you order every course then service will look slow. Anything less than 3 stars, I'd suspect the credibility of the poster. And someone can't even use a spell checker, let alone proof-read for grammar and clarity, definitely is not credible.

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Rumball

Rumball

Posted
Posted

I was on the Christmas cruise and the New Year's cruise on Fortuna, with family and friends. I sailed on Magica in '06, and on Mediterannea in '08, and on MSC Orchestra in '09. I posted a lengthy review after Orchestra comparing MSC to Costa, concluding they were similar but Costa had a bit of an edge.

 

However, many of the negative comments posted to date about the Fortuna's last two sailings are not inaccurate. There are problems. Based on my experience on Fortuna I would have to conclude Costa has lost its edge. The food was not terrible. But it is not as good as it was on the last two Costa cruises we enjoyed. The lobster tails were really good. The surf and turf lobster was not. I found the service in the dining room to be inferior to previous Costa cruises. Our room steward this time happened to be discourteous. These things did not ruin our vacation, but I note them for those who care. We had different servers each week, and note that service was universally very slow and uneven in the dining room. While our servers did an adequate job I saw other tables fare even worse.

 

The build of the Fortuna, sister ship to the Magica and a few others, is not my favorite. I prefer the Mediterannea/Atlantica build which allows better flow of passengers from one end to the other, and seems classier and less crowded. True, the ship was filled to capacity both weeks, but I always sail in peak season and have taken that into account in my assessment.

 

Entertainment:

 

The Elton John impersonation was not my favorite either. But it wasn't bad, and the entertainer, Stephen Sorrentino, is obviously quite talented. His talent was on better display during the late night comedy routine he did on a different night. That was perhaps my favorite show - his Vegas-style stand-up act is worth watching. The acrobats are good too, and we enjoyed the Italian tenor. The classic violin/double bass/piano trio ("Summer Trio") in one of the aft lounges on deck 5 every evening is a secret pleasure! I would say the entertainment on the Fortuna is one of the few areas that have actually improved since our last two Costa sailings.

 

The complaint made about the ridiculously prolonged tendering process in Cayman is, sadly, accurate. This was our third time visiting Cayman, always by tender of course, and Fortuna couldn't have messed it up worse than they did. Inexcusable delays and a lack of information kept passengers waiting in the theatre for HOURS!!! What a great way to leave folks with a lasting negative impression! I don't blame Costa for the many bad weather days we endured, but there really are a lot of problems on this ship. The ice machine in the forward pool area seemed to never work, so an ice bucket would sometimes be placed there, with everyone digging their hands into it. We tried to be careful about washing hands but it became impossible not to catch whatever bugs were circulating and nearly everyone in our party developed the "Costa cough" by the second week of our trip. Costa really ought to do a better job of preventing the spread of illness. Ice machines that work is a good start. Using kleenex in the public bathrooms for people to dry their hands is a dumb idea...buy cheap paper towels made of reused brown paper like other lines use! I could go on, but...

 

I wish Costa did NOT schedule Nassau as a stop every week. We visited Grand Turk on Costa Med and found it to be a delight! No doubt some people like Nassau but unless you pony up to spend a day at Atlantis it's mostly dull. We went to Atlantis and weren't that impressed. If I want Vegas I'll go to Vegas. Ochos Rios wasn't much better (although we hear the Dunn's River Falls is a nice excursion). Perhaps Fortuna is too large for Grand Turk?? I will look forward to Costa changing up its itineraries and prefer stops like Roatan, Grand Turk, and Cayo Levantado (north side of the DR). Enough of Nassau!

 

Customer Service on Fortuna was a disaster. Their office was overwhelmed by the end of both weeks. I spent an entire day trying to get my key cards to work when they all of a sudden stopped working near the end of the first week, and I had to visit the customer service office 6 times in one day to fix them! Their office was overrun with passengers, and the line up was easily over an hour in length (after the first few waits I ended up going straight to the front of the line, as I felt being locked out of my room constituted an "emergency" and waiting in line each time I tried the new key card that didn't work would have been unconscionable).

 

The bottom line: The Fortuna has problems. My experience aboard MSC in March was better, and I look forward to my next cruise on MSC this coming March. I may book with Costa again as I enjoyed Mediterannea and would like to try the Atlantica, but never again on the Fortuna for us. Costa...what are you thinking?:confused:

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Middleager

Middleager

Posted
Posted

Thanks Rumball, for taking the time to share your review.

 

Hope Fortuna fix up the tendering problem to Cayman, because we sail on it Mar. 14. Costa is cheaper for a reason. The port stops are shorter than other lines. Just hope the food would be alright.

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jannandjohn

jannandjohn

Posted
Posted
and there are many like him who never post until they have something to say, I believe the poster.

I retract my remark, thanks for pointing out that fact reedoll;

 

this is the other conflicting post that is spoken about, compare it to the one he started here..

 

Originally Posted by Real Person viewpost.gif

I went in the reveiws to see how this ship Costa fortuna is and i can't belive all the peolpe crying about the little stuff that happend to them and how mad it made them.

Like the guy who asked for a pitcher of water and got a glass.

And the waiter that did not say hi to him and tell him his name.

The lady that got off the boat and it was raining,thats not Costa's fault you dummy.

The couple that did'nt get a fruit basket in the room,big deal go get it yourself.

The man that had to wait in line longer than he wanted,SO WHAT on travel days,on and off the ship or plane be expected to wait and wait,make fun with it don't get mad,some of the funest times my family and i have are in lines waiting,your on a trip deal with it.

One lady didn't like the comedian on the ship,SO WHAT then don't go to see him next time,the comedian is not what you planed your cruise around is it,sitting next to you is worse thing that could happend to me.

People, try to stick with important issues,not all this little crap that happends in our every day lives..I want to know if the thing floats or not?

 

 

Originally Posted by Real Person

Not in any order this is how i saw things.

1.Never any ice in the machines at the buffet.

2.4 Table Tennis paddles,check them out on 3 floor,tables on 11 th floor. people never returned them.

3.Opening and closing buffet with people in line.

4.Ice cream machines never cold ,soupy cream.

5.Chef was more interested in getting his picture taken then getting food out.

6.Waiting 1 1/2 hours for a cold dinner.

7.Long line of complaning people at customer service,1 hr min.

8. Big gaps in railings,easy for kids to fall between,my son has a big cut on his knee now,on board doctor looked to be drunk.

9.Overflowing pool,water was flowing everywhere,very slippery.

10.Good luck finding food after 9pm.Unless you sit and order a personal pizza,that takes 30 min and you can't leave and come back.

11.If the ship has a deal of 50 dollars on board credit ,IN WRITING with you good luck,don't waste your time trying to get it,let them keep it,they won't give it up.

12.Don't leave any shoes or clothes on chairs,they will be stolen.

13.Bring your own silverware,people walking all over the place looking for spoons and napkins.

14.Slot machines would'nt take paper money,have to feed them coins.

15.Breakfest is a joke,raw or chard. bacon sits in 2 inches of grease,

eggs full of water,pre cooked toast,hashbrown dish always empty,

NEVER BEEN TO PRISON,BUT I WOULD THINK THIS IS WHAT THE FOOD

LOOKS LIKE.

This is not a complaint,Only the facts.

My family and i had a great time.

Next time it will be back to RC.

Spell cops kiss my ass.

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jerryzip

jerryzip

Posted
Posted

We were on the Fotuna for the 2010 New Years sailing. Before this we have been on 9 other ships and I can only tell you that what Anne and Joe say is very very true,

The staff is not only rude but very inconsidert. If Costs gsve me a free cruise I would not take. That is how bad our trip was.

 

Jerry

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jannandjohn

jannandjohn

Posted
Posted
I can only tell you that what Anne and Joe say is very very true,

.

Jerry

but WHICH version??

read both his posts again that I put on..(from 2 different threads)

1 for...sounds like he wasn't on it, because he said he had a look at the reviews to see what the ship was like..

..1 against..says he was on it.

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Capricruiser

Capricruiser

Posted
Posted

Jerryzip, you're a new CC member but have already been on nine cruises. Can you give us some specific examples of what you were unhappy with on the Fortuna, and maybe also give a comparison with the other nine cruises you've been on? It would be helpful for us to understand better what's really wrong with this ship. As always there have been contradicting posts. Thanks.

p.s. I find it interesting that the OP (Anne/Joe) has made this one extremely negative post and hasn't been heard from since.

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guxu

guxu

Posted
Posted
but WHICH version??

read both his posts again that I put on..(from 2 different threads)

1 for...sounds like he wasn't on it, because he said he had a look at the reviews to see what the ship was like..

..1 against..says he was on it.

I guess the 1st one was posted BEFORE he was on the ship. He had high expectation. He did his research. He did not like the reviews. He still kept his high expectation.

 

Then, he found the ship does not meet his expectation. So he came back with the 2nd version.

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Cruise4Andy

Cruise4Andy

Posted
Posted

We just got back from the Fortuna today, after cruising the Eastern Caribbean from 01/10-01/17/2010. This was our second trip on the Fortuna, and I have to say, we have had the same wonderful experience, as we had in the past.

 

I am currently working on a complete and very detailed review, which I will post here by tomorrow or so.

 

We have been around the ship a lot, from the casino to numerous (maybe all?) the bars, from the theatre to the buffet, from the dining room to the information desk, from the spa to the pool deck. With all honesty, I have not encountered ONE SINGLE rude, inconsiderate or unfriendly crew member. No matter what rank or position, everybody is friendly, greets you with a smile and a "Good Morning", "Good Afternoon, Sir", or "Good Evening". I really can't understand where those "rude and inconsiderate" staff members were working... couldn't find one.

 

The security which checks you in and out when going off the ship is friendly and greets you properly, the bar service crew is always attentive, the room stewards/butlers always greet you when you're in the hallway, even though your room is not in their section, the senior crew members always say hello, the Maitre'D always stopped by to inquire how we were doing, the waiter/assistant waiter were awesome (even though they were new), the casino staff (dealers) were funny and friendly and the cruise director Max, is just hillarious and energetic.

 

Jerry... if you get a free cruise from Costa, I'll be happy to take it!!! :D

Just in case...

 

We had yet another wonderful Costa experience and we'll be DEFINATELY back for more!

 

La Dolce Vita... Thank You Costa!

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dutrie

dutrie

Posted
Posted

My wife and I just returned from the same cruise as Cruise4Andy. I paid special attention to some of the objections voiced on this thread when I was on the ship having read this thread before we left on this cruise.

 

Yes, I found an ice machine empty, once, but I walked about 20 feet and found one that was working. The great majority of the time there was ice in each machine I tried. The ice cream machines worked too well!! Sure, with the volume of people that move thru the buffet during meal times it is not surprising that machines run out, but there is more than one machine in the buffet area.

 

The pizza was wonderful. We were able to get pizza by the slice instantly or wait for a personal pizza to be made.

 

The cruise staff was so much fun and Max is probable the best CD I have sailed with.

 

We found all staff we dealt with to be friendly and helpful. We had a very good waiter and a great room steward. Our waiter didn't talk a lot, but he was accurate and efficient. Sure, dinner usually took about 1.5 hours, but I have never been on a cruise (we have gone on many) where it didn't take that length of time. In our experience, that is "cruise style" dining.

 

We had two occasions to use "Customer Service". When our safe did not open, someone was sent to fix it in less than 15 minutes. Another question about the medical services was answered pleasantly and accurately.

 

Was this our favorite cruise ever? No, but we had a good time.

Costa has its faults, but no cruise line is perfect and each person has to find the one that suits them best.

 

Our biggest complaint about this cruise on the Fortuna was the amount of smoking in the ship. This may not be problem for a lot of people, but it was a deal breaker for us since my wife is very sensitive to smoke due to her asthma. If Costa would eliminate this problem we would book Costa again, but I think this unlikely since they rely on European passengers for the majority of their cruises. We did not find smoking like this in the interior of ships when we cruised Celebrity, Princess and NCL, so we would definitely prefer one of these lines over Costa.

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