Communication leaves something to be desired.

Item: Costa Toscana
Rating: 3.9
Author: geology48

Costa Toscana Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

geology48

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 60

Overall rating:

3.9 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 09, 2023

Ship: Costa Toscana

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 4204

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

This cruise was a 13 years olds birthday present. We were disappointed with the food desert times. There were 2 stretches of time where only food, you had to pay extra for, was available. Not being able to download and use the Costa app put us at a disadvantage. We were not told that we were assigned a table number. When the restaurant opened, people just ran everywhere and we did not know we had a table number until a waiter looked at our Costa Card. We also thought that we could eat at any of the included restaurants, but were told we had to eat in the same restaurant every night. After 2 days of horrible table service, we opted to use the buffet for the rest of the cruise.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Could not hear announcements.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Main dining room dinner time assigned was the late seating even though we asked for and were told we would have the earlier seating. The first night our table was set up for 4, even though we were a party of 5. They just set an extra chair at the end. We waited 90 minutes before our first course arrived and we finally left after almost 3 hours and still were not served dessert. The next night we did get the early seating, but the service was no better and we still had a table for 4. The buffet was okay, but the traffic pattern left something to be desired and we often couldn't find seating. There were several hours during the day that no food was available unless you wanted to pay an additional fee. We returned from an excursion at 5 and there was no food available until the buffet opened at 7. With all the different schedules that people have, food of some kind needs to be available for customers without expecting an added charge. We did try the pizza restaurant one night because it was all that was available at the time we wanted to dine. It was okay, but I resented the fact that we had to pay an added charge.

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

The swimming pools were overcrowded. We did try the hot tubs twice and they were okay. At 75, there were no activities that were geared to me. I don't play bingo, rock climb or use a fitness center. Info on the next port would have been nice on the night before we arrived.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

The shows were nice, if you could see them. The seating in the Colosseo left a lot to be desired. If you could not get a seat on deck 6, you only had obstructed views of he shows. There were columns and extended floors that blocked your view. If you sat further back than the front row, you were lucky if you could see 15% of the show. I don't know who designed then theater, but it was less than optimal.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Staff was friendly and accommodating, except for the waitress in the main dining room. 4 hours for dinner was unacceptable, since about 3.5 hours of that was just sitting. We had to ask multiple times for drinks.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Ship was clean. The design was confusing. Not all elevators went to all floors.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Cabin was a good size, the bed was comfortable and the staff kept the cabin clean.

Ship tip

Be aware that if you are from the US, you cannot download the Costa app and it leaves you at a disadvantage when it comes to the schedule. The staff kept telling us to check the Costa app, when we asked for info. NO HELP! We were told over and over to download the app, but US citizens cannot. Staff kept telling us how to download despite the fact that we told them we had tried and it was not available to us.

Thumbs up