Costa Serena Cruise Reviews - Reviews

17 Cruises , 2 on Costa. Considering the price this is by far the best italian cruise company. Good meals, clean enviroment, well thought out itinerary Water , coffee and tea available all day Full ship but still enough room for romantic moments and quiet times

As an American, I expect a certain level of customer service. Costa Cruise lines did not meet my expectations at all. For example, we were sold a room directly below the kitchen. It was so loud that there was no chance of us sleeping. We complained at least 2-3 times/ night (I even cried I was so upset about my trip being ruined by lack of sleep). We were put off for 5 days being told that the manager would be leaving a note at our room to let us know what they could do for us. They never left any note and had no intention of doing so. It was just a way to get rid of us for the moment. Day 5 of the cruise we finally sat down with the boat manager who told us that there was nothing that he could do. When asked if they would compensate us in any way, he said that that is not their policy. Apparently, the customer is always right has not made it into their culture yet. It was the worst vacation of my life. And, we could barely walk through the ship because of all of the cigarette smoke. My advice--stick with an American cruise line.

The ship itself is great. It's large and well laid out. It's a little on the gaudy side, but I think that's typical of cruises (I don't go on many). There were too many children there for my taste, but again, that's probably typical for a cruise.

The places visited are fantastic but I consider instead of BARI ( in italy) it should include another place in Greece or similar such as an island.

Costa has been expanding their ship fleet very quickly. In doing so, they forgot that its more than steel that matters: customer service is what brings back customers. 1. The itinerary did not leave much time to explore each port, even with the shore excursions 2. The 'free time' at the end of each shore excursion was no more than 15 minutes! 3. The ships crew boarders on the rude. 4. Not enough bar service waiters on board, have to wait 30 minutes for a drink! 5. on board prices are very high (although that is really a Euro/$ weakness) 6. SELL SELL SELL: there is a 24/7 seliing going on board. You can't walk down the hall without crew trying to sell spa packages, water, bingo tickets etc. 7. No excercise equipment! to use the gym you have to have a cabin on the Samsura deck: an additional $1000/week upgrade from a balcony deck! (or arond $2500 upgrade from cheapest fare!) 8. Food was mediocre.

Service wasn't necessarily bad, just failed to be excellent in some important cases. Guest services was at times unresponsive and always over-crowded, and there were fairly consistent language barriers when trying to resolve issues such as room maintenance needs and onboard accounts. Some staff --bussing service in buffets as well as onboard photographers-- were too aggressive at times. Room maintenance staff disregarded our "do not disturb" sign repeatedly and at one time walked into the room while I was not fully dressed and calling out "no". Food was not as available as we've seen on other ships-- after 10 PM there was nothing available other than a few kinds of pizza; open breakfast closed too early; ice cream machines were not run very often, etc. Time allowed at some ports of call was much too short; cruise itinerary attempted too many sites and therefore limited time at each. Excursion options were limited, and for those accustomed to active excursions, --hiking, kayaking, etc.--unfulfilling.

This was the rudest group of people I have ever seen!!!! Everybody pushing, getting in your personal space, stepping on your feet constantly. This ship is not prepared for this many people, especially rude people!!! During buffets, they acted like vultures who had NEVER had a meal before. The dinner staff never introduced themselves or asked how our day was and the service was extremely slow-not just Italian laid-back. Embarkment was so uncooordinated taking hours to get on the ship.

Thanks for everything. We expected and got a nice vacation on your ship 'Costa Serena'.

The ship was very decorative. The staff was helpful when we had a problem. However, because it was an Italian ship, the language was geared to them and even though English was spoken, there were many misunderstandings because of language. The "before trip" information was totally lacking. Many problems would have been avoided if we had more pre-sailing info. Costa was not quick to answer questions because we did not book directly through them.

Exellent very clean and elegant.

Multilugal crew was amazing with all announcements in Italian,French, English, German and Spanish. Tours were punctual as was the entertainment. Shows ended with enough time to get to our cabin and cleanup for our seating. Everything was scrubbed and clean. Evening dining was enjoyable, seating was arranged so that you are with people speaking your language. The italian night was great!

The ship was very nice! The staff also was very nice and they all spoke english so that was a plus! The problem with the hot tubs and the pools was that the rule that no children are allowed was never enforced, I love kids so I'm not complaining about them being loud or playing around, but sometimes it just got to the point where the hot tubs were full of kids and you couldn't even get in! The color of the water in the hot tubs was almost greenish and didn't make me feel like it was very clean! The cabins were the most spacious cabins I have ever found on a cruise ship. Overall it was very nice, the food was the best I have ever had on a ship!

Great ship, great swimming pools, great staff, great atmosphere

This was our family's first cruise and we enjoyed the experience. We didn't take the ship excursions, simply went off on our own and toured or hired a guide. Enjoyed the stops, especially Turkey and Croatia. Food was fine, ship was great, embarkation slightly confusing for first-timers. Found additional fees added up - be sure to budget cold drinks, better coffees and bottled waters into your trip.

He hecho ms de 15 cruceros en casi todas las compaias, Costa Serena es el peor barco con diferencia.

Costa Cruise is worst every year. We have cruised with Costa several years ago and were better. The food is bad, bad, even the italian pasta.

I WAS TAKEN AT 7TH JANUARY 2008 AT COSTA SERENA CRUISE TO MEDITERRANEAN WEST IT WAS A VERY WONDERFULL EXPIRENCE I WANT TO MAKE ALL THE CONGRATULATION TO ALL DE COSTA SERENA CREW ESPECIALY TO MY STEWARD ROON AT WAITER TABLE AT CERES RESTAURANT AND THE GUY JOSE MANUEL SPANISH CORDINATOR MY CABIN NUMBER WAS 9277 AGAIN THAKS FOR ALL THE ATTECION

Ports of call, the ship itself and the entertainment were great. The problem lies with the food and food service which after crusing on American Lines paled in comparison. I would give the formal dining a one star at best. The formal tea consisted of a few cookies, self serve loose tea and standing in line for 15 mintues for a piece of cake! the chilled soup tasted like melted icecream.

We were the 16th cruise on the new Costa Serena. The ship is superb, and the crew gives real meaning to the words "customer service." They were terrific. This is a big ship, holdiing over 3500 passengers, but the design makes it seem more intimate. The decor is something you either like or dislke depending on your personal taste, so I won't comment on that. With that many people on board you would think that it would seem crowded, but once again the design allows everyone the space they need without feeling cramped. We found the food excellent both in quality, quantity and availability. You won't be hungry on the Serena. If it is available we suggest you purchase the X-1 beverage package which was well worth it for us. Ask about it when you're making your reservations. Make sure you're outside on the highest deck for the sail-away from Venice. It's something you'll never forget. And its fun to watch the captain dock the ship in Bari. There are people who can't park their cars that well. Enjoy this great experience.