Very good if you know how to play the Costa game

I had a fine time on the Costa Favoloso on a repositioning cruise from Savona, Italy to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.  I joined the cruise in Barcelona, Spain and disembarked in Martinique after a total of 23 days.

The food aboard the Favoloso is mostly Italian style, and usually delicious.  Even the duds were pretty good, and it you don't like something just ask for something different.  The breakfast buffet didn't vary much.  Eggs, bacon, prosciutto, fruit, yogurt etc.  The lunch buffet was varied and featured roasts, stews, vegetables, and pastas.

I stayed in an inside cabin and it was comfortable, and well designed.  The cabin steward made up the room promptly and at least twice a day.  It was carefree living.  The evening entertainment was very professional looking with good lighting, a good sound system and entertaining acts.  The passengers aboard the ship were very international with Italians, Germans, and French forming the majority.  English speakers were only about 10 percent of the passengers.  Announcements, and most entertainment was done in at least four or five languages, but during the evening meal, the assigned dinner seating was with English speakers so we could visit and compare experiences for the day.

Now for the Costa game part.  Costa doesn't serve some items as part of their standard menu.  Primary among these are ice cream, pizza, and most drinks including pop, but with a little creative thinking you find substitutes.  The lunch buffet always featured an interesting selection of focaccia .  It's just pizza without the sauce.  Evening dinners would frequently serve frozen parfaits, which is practically ice cream.  Stay away from the fancy coffee beverages and just drink the coffee provided at breakfast and dinner.  Drink water instead of pop, and if you want an alcoholic beverage, consider buying a drink package.

Was I satisfied?  Yes very satisfied with two exceptions.  I received no disembarkation package when I was about to leave in Martinique.  They said it was because they hadn't printed it out in English.  Baloney!

A side trip to Marrakesh was marred by the fact they didn't tell us that were would be time to visit the market to do some souvenir shopping.  There was about 45 minutes available, but it wasn't listed in the brochure or made plain by the guide.  We raced from stall to stall without pause, salivating at some of the interesting goods for sale there.  A simple sentence saying that we would have time to shop at the end of the tour would have sufficed.

Would I go again?  Yes, in an instant.