Just got back Costa Magica 3/12 - 3/19

[ColKlink]

Were Back and all I got to say is fantastic. This was our fourth cruise (the other 3 were Carnival cruises) and this was the best. Carnival does a good job, but the service, cleanliness and beauty of this ship was impressive. I have so much to write that I do not know where to begin. Here we go:

 

The Ship

The ship itself is beautiful, very ornate and well designed. It is a big ship at 115,000 tonne but you did not feel overcrowded. Our cabin was in the lowest class on deck 1, but it was still roomy and very nice. More than anything I was impressed with how clean this ship was. It was kept immaculate, and there was very little wear on the rugs and walls. The large waterslide was very fun and the pools were drained and cleaned regularly.

Grade for the ship - "A"

 

The squawk club (for kids) and the gym

The gym was excellent, it was by far the best gym I have seen on any cruise or hotel. The machines are all top of the line and it was very spacious with a large jacuzzi, dry and wet saunas and an incredible view.

The squawk club for kids was a very nice surprise. It is totally free and our kids did not want to leave. They had great activities and the staff was absolutely incredible with our children.

The squawk club (for kids) and the gym "A+"

 

The service

Costa's service is more low key, the waiters are not in your face constantly or bubbly and full of games. Carnival's waiters may be more fun, but the level of service was the same. Our wait staff took care of us very well and accomodated our every wish. They will let you bring wine to your table. I asked both the crew that lets everyone on board and our waiters and both said that you may bring 1 or 2 bottles of wine on board and have them served at your table. They frown on people that want to bring a case of alcohol on board. 1 or 2 bottles or a couple of beers and they will not bother you. I also brought a 12 pack of diet coke on board without a problem. Our room steward was great also. The service on board this ship in general was very good.

Overall service - "B+"

 

The food

I loved the food, it has an italian flair to it. The food was as good or better than Carnival's. The pasta dishes made on board are out of this world (The gnocci was incredible). I have no complaints at all about the food, there was plenty of it and all of it was very good. I had 2 lobsters and a prime rib one night. Just tell your waiter to bring you as much as you want and they will.

Food - "A-"

 

Itinerary

The itinerary could have been better. I enjoyed Ocho Rios very much. We used phil lafayette to take us to Dunns river falls and river tubing. It was fantastic. Cozumel (because it is so damaged), Cayman Islands (our second time there did not like it either time) and Key West (not a very good destination in general) are all second rate destinations. I would have enjoyed something like Belize and Roatan much more. Poor Cozumel, usually it is a very good destination, but now it is a poor remnant of what used to be. Cayman Islands is way too expensive and too commercialized. The traffic was terrible and it cost $12.00 per person (including kids our were 3 and 5) just to travel to the turtle farm. Then you have to pay to get in and it takes a whole 20 minutes to see the whole place. If you do end up in Grand Cayman take a tour to sting ray city because nothing else is worth it. Key west was a tonne of bars down one strip of land and that's it. The aquarium was one of the worst I have seen. The Butterly conservatory was the only place worth visiting.

Itinerary "C-"

 

That's it folks, if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask. Also for you haters of the Magica all I have to say is "get a life" this ship was great.

 

Last of all make your toga at home and bring it on board you will get lots of compliments.

Thanks

Klink

[JPhotoz]

Is the tubing suitable for 2 young girls (6&8) Is it like a lazy river or more rapids?

 

TIA.

Jordan

[itsmlf]

He is so right it was a fantastic ship and Id go again in a minute

[LinnieNJ]

Thanks so much for your GREAT review!! We're leaving on April 9th and I can hardly wait!! The recent reviews of the Magica on this board have been incredible and really helpful. I started reading these boards about 9 months ago, right after booking our cruise and at first I was a little worried about Costa. But now, it seems like Costa is the cruiseline of choice! I'm so happy that so many cruisecritics members have had such a wonderful time on the Magica and I'm truly looking forward to our cruise.

Thanks again;)

[ColKlink]

I took my 3 and 5 year olds tubing in Jamaica and they were fine. It has some very small rapids but nothing too hard. I kept my son in my tube while my daughter stayed in my wifes. It was great, you'll enjoy it.

klink

[skolega]

We were on the same cruise. We had a party of 30 from Kansas. Our cabins ranged anywhere from cat 2 (inside) to mini suite. We found the service somewhat bad both from our cabin steward to the table waiters. We had to resort to having the waiter fill every glass on the table with water because we were never refilled. After a long day in the sun, we were parched and needed a lot of water. The food was very good. We had a lot of kids and they always found something to their liking to eat. The pasta was awesome. The ship is beautiful and very clean. I would have liked to have seen some hand sanitizer available at the buffet area but maybe I missed it. One of our biggest disappointments was our mini suite amenities. We were advised that a mini suite was to receive "suite" amenities. We received fresh fruit every day, champagne and canapes on arrival, invitation to captains cocktail party, and invitation to VIP disembarkation area. We did NOT get the butler, robes, or option to order room service off the menu, or dinner in the pay extra restaurant. We could have cared less about the butler service, but I was kind of looking forward to having some meals on the most awesome balcony on the ship. I would have packed a robe too!! I was also looking forward to the pay extra restaurant. Our balcony was HUGE..almost too big. We had our group of 30 over for drinks on many occasions. If anyone has any questions, I will try to answer them for you.

 

We had great excursions...and I planned most of them from research here on these boards. Costa should avoid going to Cozumel. The beaches are in bad shape. We went to San Francisco Beach and were waited on hand and foot. We received our tender tickets at 9:30 and we finially arrived at the beach at 11:30. I can't believe it took 2 hours to get off the ship. They are using tenders that hold 500 people.

 

We used Marva Shaw in Jamaica and the day was wonderful. She took us river tubing first thing and then to the falls and then to Reggae Beach. The beach is beautiful.

 

Grand Cayman tendering was fast. We used Native Way and they were very good. I had asked for the videographer to accompany our tour but someone had called in sick so we didn't get one. I was really dissappointed with that. They did give me a discount on the tour because I had booked so many people.

 

Any questions, just ask.

[kuhelani]

Thanks for your thorough review. We are going 4/16/06 with our two children, 8 and 10 years old. We were thinking of doing the Dolphin Touch Encounter which is $98 per adult and $88 per child. Can I get a better rate without going through the ship? Our outside standard cabin with window is on deck 11 - Tiepolo, which is next to the beauty salon. Any ideas on pro's and con's for our cabin location? The threads indicate strongly that Cozumel is pretty damaged. Any thoughts on what to avoid or what to do if we don't do the Dolphin tour? In the back of my travel document book it says that they are going to charge a service fee for restaurant and cabin services of $8.50 per day per adult and $4.25 per day per child. This ends up being at least $130. I figured this cost was already a part of the cost for the cruise. In addition, they are already charging a 15% automatic gratuity when ordering drinks, etc...It feels like I'm getting triple dipped on tips. I would rather tip based on service and be in control of where my money goes. Any way to avoid the auto debit?:)

[mondello]

Kuhelani, The automatic charge for tipping is done for the cruisers convenience and to ensure that the cheapskates don't stiff the service staff. The $8.50 per person/per day is earned by the room steward and restaraunt staff that serves us every day. The 15% added to all drink orders is earned by the bar staff. This is definitely for our convenience because Costa is a "cashless" ship and you just sign for all drink orders. There is no need to carry money around the ship for tips every time you order a drink. I thought the service was excellent on the Magica and I gave both my room stewardess and our waiter each an extra $20 to reward their excellent service. It was traditional in the early days of cruising to tip everybody on the final day of the cruise and there were envelopes provided for this purpose. Tipping has always been extra and was never part of the initial cruise rates. Costa's policy is very convenient and is actually on the low end of the scale. We were in the Costa Smeralda dining room each night (2nd seating) and received great service. I find it hard to beleive that another CC poster never got a refill of their water glasses. Did they suffer in silence? The maitre 'd/head waiter was all over and always asked our table if everything was fine. We had a waiter and his assistant and between the 2 of them, our every need was met. A 6 course meal with great food and excellent service, I can't wait to go back. Our room stewardess was also superb. She stopped by our cabin right after we arrived to introduce herself and always provided great service with a cheerful attitude and a friendly smile. These people work at least 12 hours a day and I have no doubt that they earn every penny they make.

[itsmlf]

We also found the service to be above average. Best waiter Ive ever seen and the room steward could not do enough. A great experience

[Chrisobrn]

My son wants me to ask anyone if the slide was open upon arrival to the pier or the hours there after..Thank You!

[quimmee]

are --each day not at sea 11:30 - 12:30 // 2:30 - 4:30

 

days at sea 10:30 - 12:30 // 2:30 - 4:30

 

lst day in Ft. Lauderdale not open at all.

 

Don't forget to go to the arcade the lst day as soon as you get aboard the ship. Games are free.

 

Don't forget to check out the spa. Gorgeous... the gym is through the Spa doors, go right to the womens area, and go through the changeroom area, to the gym... even just check it out.. flat screen tv's on the thread mills... Have a great time... i just got off the ship, and iam jealous...................

[jee]

Thanks for the comments on the gym - haven't seen a lot before.

 

Did it tend to be crowded? Did you find there were some hours better than others? If so, what were the best times. And can you recall how many treadmills?

thanks

[quimmee]

since I didn't get my sorry butt up and go to the gym. Oh well, I was on vacation. Gym opens at 6am. The track was pretty crowded with runners and walkers by 6:30 am. I guess people just join in on the direction in which you want to run. They say it did get quite crowded and the sun was pretty strong at that time of the morning. Inside was crowded but not enough that you couldn't get a thread mill. I think there is 4 threadmills with tv's on the front of them. There is also a tv in the room to watch if you are on other equipment. During the day, the track was shaded and I did notice a lot of walkers and runners mid afternoon. Our weather is around 80 degrees and so it wasn't too hot to run in the afternoon. There is always a breeze up there on the track. I did walk the track in the afternoon with the kids a few days. There was always people walking in their bathing suits, and running shoes. It was real cool. Great view from the gym too...... Have a great time. We did...

[hadleys9538]

This is to the Kuhelani post . . . Please, please, pleeeaase don't stiff the staff. They work so incredibly hard, and are away from their families for months. Tipping is something one should always expect to do on a cruise. I've been cruising now for thirty-plus years (yeah, I'm old) -- and that has never changed. What has changed is that it is now much more convenient to do so through many of the cruise lines (like Costa and RCCL). Seriously, if you can afford the trip, you can afford to tip.

[lesndave]

Dolphin touch encounter was exactly that. We touched a dolphin with our fingertips for about two seconds. Not worth the money. Dunn's River Falls was the coolest thing I have ever done. A total blast, exhausting, but in a good way. Cozumel's Playa Mia beach club was fun, and worth the money if you drink at all. In Grand Cayman we did the Island Tour w/ Stingray City, Quick stops(about 15-20 minutes) around the island then on the boat to Stingray City. I would do it again tomorrow, great fun! All our excursions were arranged through the boat and we had no trouble getting on the tenders quickly. The longest it took us to get off the boat at any port was about 25 minutes. I even won $50 in the casino. The whole experiance was great. The time of our lives.

[kuhelani]

Mondello,

Thank you for the education. It's been a while since we were on a cruise and the last one we tipped everyone on the last day. I know those people work hard and probably don't get to see their families that often. Thanks to you I feel much better and we are very much looking forward to our trip.

[kuhelani]

Thanks for the information. How do we get info on the Dunn's river falls?

[VonS]

Were Back and all I got to say is fantastic. This was our fourth cruise (the other 3 were Carnival cruises) and this was the best. Carnival does a good job, but the service, cleanliness and beauty of this ship was impressive. I have so much to write that I do not know where to begin. Here we go:

 

The Ship

The ship itself is beautiful, very ornate and well designed. It is a big ship at 115,000 tonne but you did not feel overcrowded. Our cabin was in the lowest class on deck 1, but it was still roomy and very nice. More than anything I was impressed with how clean this ship was. It was kept immaculate, and there was very little wear on the rugs and walls. The large waterslide was very fun and the pools were drained and cleaned regularly.

Grade for the ship - "A"

 

The squawk club (for kids) and the gym

The gym was excellent, it was by far the best gym I have seen on any cruise or hotel. The machines are all top of the line and it was very spacious with a large jacuzzi, dry and wet saunas and an incredible view.

The squawk club for kids was a very nice surprise. It is totally free and our kids did not want to leave. They had great activities and the staff was absolutely incredible with our children.

The squawk club (for kids) and the gym "A+"

 

The service

Costa's service is more low key, the waiters are not in your face constantly or bubbly and full of games. Carnival's waiters may be more fun, but the level of service was the same. Our wait staff took care of us very well and accomodated our every wish. They will let you bring wine to your table. I asked both the crew that lets everyone on board and our waiters and both said that you may bring 1 or 2 bottles of wine on board and have them served at your table. They frown on people that want to bring a case of alcohol on board. 1 or 2 bottles or a couple of beers and they will not bother you. I also brought a 12 pack of diet coke on board without a problem. Our room steward was great also. The service on board this ship in general was very good.

Overall service - "B+"

 

The food

I loved the food, it has an italian flair to it. The food was as good or better than Carnival's. The pasta dishes made on board are out of this world (The gnocci was incredible). I have no complaints at all about the food, there was plenty of it and all of it was very good. I had 2 lobsters and a prime rib one night. Just tell your waiter to bring you as much as you want and they will.

Food - "A-"

 

Itinerary

The itinerary could have been better. I enjoyed Ocho Rios very much. We used phil lafayette to take us to Dunns river falls and river tubing. It was fantastic. Cozumel (because it is so damaged), Cayman Islands (our second time there did not like it either time) and Key West (not a very good destination in general) are all second rate destinations. I would have enjoyed something like Belize and Roatan much more. Poor Cozumel, usually it is a very good destination, but now it is a poor remnant of what used to be. Cayman Islands is way too expensive and too commercialized. The traffic was terrible and it cost $12.00 per person (including kids our were 3 and 5) just to travel to the turtle farm. Then you have to pay to get in and it takes a whole 20 minutes to see the whole place. If you do end up in Grand Cayman take a tour to sting ray city because nothing else is worth it. Key west was a tonne of bars down one strip of land and that's it. The aquarium was one of the worst I have seen. The Butterly conservatory was the only place worth visiting.

Itinerary "C-"

 

That's it folks, if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask. Also for you haters of the Magica all I have to say is "get a life" this ship was great.

 

Last of all make your toga at home and bring it on board you will get lots of compliments.

Thanks

Klink

 

I am extremely surprised at your negative comments regarding Grand Cayman. I own a home there, and we take our guests to the Turtle Farm often. The least amount of time we have ever spent there has been 90 minutes. I am very sorry that you did not take the time to truly experience the Turtle Farm and enjoy the educational experience which it offers for very little money. By the way, did you enjoy ANYTHING on your cruise? If it was a bleak as you have described it, you have my deepest sympathy.

[VonS]

Thanks for your thorough review. We are going 4/16/06 with our two children, 8 and 10 years old. We were thinking of doing the Dolphin Touch Encounter which is $98 per adult and $88 per child. Can I get a better rate without going through the ship? Our outside standard cabin with window is on deck 11 - Tiepolo, which is next to the beauty salon. Any ideas on pro's and con's for our cabin location? The threads indicate strongly that Cozumel is pretty damaged. Any thoughts on what to avoid or what to do if we don't do the Dolphin tour? In the back of my travel document book it says that they are going to charge a service fee for restaurant and cabin services of $8.50 per day per adult and $4.25 per day per child. This ends up being at least $130. I figured this cost was already a part of the cost for the cruise. In addition, they are already charging a 15% automatic gratuity when ordering drinks, etc...It feels like I'm getting triple dipped on tips. I would rather tip based on service and be in control of where my money goes. Any way to avoid the auto debit?

 

I certainly hope that there is NO WAY for you to avoid to pay the tips! These people work really hard. For you to deny them this miniscule amount of money is totally disgusting. If you cannot afford to tip, PLEASE STAY HOME! Think about: it $8.50 is the tip on a $40.00 dinner. I am sure that you will enjoy much more than 40.00 per day worth of food and services while cruising. Heck, when staying in a hotel, which we do often due to work, we normally leave the housekeeper $5.00 per day. You are getting off CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP at $8.50 per day. SHAME ON YOU!

[ColKlink]

Hey VONS,

 

Did you even read my review. There was nothing negative except for the money grubbing Grand Cayman island. If you call the small, unimpressive turtle farm an excursion then you need to travel more. I have been to every major island in the carribean except grenada, bonaire and aruba. Except for sting ray city, Grand Cayman is the biggest rip off in the carribean. I paid $110.00 total for my family to do Dunns river falls and river tubing in Jamaica. They wanted $80.00 total for a cab driver to take me to the turtle farm and hell. Both locations are not even worth my family paying $20.00 total.

To all cruisers if you are not going to Sting Ray city, take my advice stay on the ship.

Klink

[grumpee]

I read somewhere that Costa only allowed shoes with WHITE SOLES in the gym. Is my memory correct? In stores, there seem to be very few inexpensive white soled gym shoes for men.

We are cruising on Atlantica starting 16 Oct 08.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.