Costa Cruises
Costa Cruise Line: background
Costa Cruises is an Italian company that's been a subsidiary of Carnival Corp. since 2000; the fleet still features "Cruising Italian Style". Ships are known for lavish artwork, not to mention gelato and home-made pasta; and if you want to take Italian classes, you're in luck.
Costa Cruise ships sail in the Caribbean and in Europe. Fares include meals, activities, kids' programs; specialty restaurants cost extra.
Some passengers find the older ships more elegant, such as the artistic Classica. Others like the newer larger ships like the CostaMediterranea, where 678 of 1,057 cabins have balconies, and one of the pools has a retractable roof.
Costa Cruises for Families:
Costa Kids Program: morning, afternoon, and evening sessions, for kids 3 to 19 in four age groups. Fun includes sail-away party, pirate treasure hunts, face painting and masquerades, pool games.
Mini Club is for ages 3 (out of diapers) to 6 years old; Maxi is for ages 7 to 10; Junior Club is for ages 11 to 14, with parties, dance competitions, tournaments, and late evening hours (10:30 pm ? 1:30 am) ; Teens is for ages 15 to 19, with sports, videos, disco hour.
Programs may vary depending on the ship and number of children participating.
Ship Amenities for Kids
? Video Arcade (nominal charge for tokens)
? Shore Excursions: no shore excursions specifically for children, but several suit kids and they get special rates.
? general family fun such as karaoke, bingo, talent show, etc.
? some ships have waterpark features and waterslide
Kids Menu and Beverage Card: a Kids Menu is served at every meal; also, kids get a beverage card for 20 non-alcoholic drinks.
Parent's Night Out: kids have a supervised buffet dinner plus fun activities.
Babysitting: Mini and Maxi Club have night-time group babysitting free of charge until 1:30 am. No night time baby-sitting for kids under three, though.
Keep in mind about Costa Cruises:
Find out more about Costa Cruises:
This brief profile is meant to introduce this resort to family vacationers; please note that the writer has not visited in person. Always check resort sites for updates.
Costa Cruises is an Italian company that's been a subsidiary of Carnival Corp. since 2000; the fleet still features "Cruising Italian Style". Ships are known for lavish artwork, not to mention gelato and home-made pasta; and if you want to take Italian classes, you're in luck.
Costa Cruise ships sail in the Caribbean and in Europe. Fares include meals, activities, kids' programs; specialty restaurants cost extra.
Some passengers find the older ships more elegant, such as the artistic Classica. Others like the newer larger ships like the CostaMediterranea, where 678 of 1,057 cabins have balconies, and one of the pools has a retractable roof.
Costa Cruises for Families:
Costa Kids Program: morning, afternoon, and evening sessions, for kids 3 to 19 in four age groups. Fun includes sail-away party, pirate treasure hunts, face painting and masquerades, pool games.
Mini Club is for ages 3 (out of diapers) to 6 years old; Maxi is for ages 7 to 10; Junior Club is for ages 11 to 14, with parties, dance competitions, tournaments, and late evening hours (10:30 pm ? 1:30 am) ; Teens is for ages 15 to 19, with sports, videos, disco hour.
Programs may vary depending on the ship and number of children participating.
Ship Amenities for Kids
? Video Arcade (nominal charge for tokens)
? Shore Excursions: no shore excursions specifically for children, but several suit kids and they get special rates.
? general family fun such as karaoke, bingo, talent show, etc.
? some ships have waterpark features and waterslide
Kids Menu and Beverage Card: a Kids Menu is served at every meal; also, kids get a beverage card for 20 non-alcoholic drinks.
Parent's Night Out: kids have a supervised buffet dinner plus fun activities.
Babysitting: Mini and Maxi Club have night-time group babysitting free of charge until 1:30 am. No night time baby-sitting for kids under three, though.
Keep in mind about Costa Cruises:
- ships have smoking in designated areas
- dinners have two assigned seatings, not "freestyle" dining
- ships offer 24-hour food service, but choices off-hours are limited. There is a midnight buffet, though.
- waterslide hours are limited
- expect to meet European passengers
Find out more about Costa Cruises:
- About's Guide for Cruises has a helpful profile about Costa Cruise Line
- Cruise Critic has details
- check guest comments at Cruisereviews.com
This brief profile is meant to introduce this resort to family vacationers; please note that the writer has not visited in person. Always check resort sites for updates.
