Cruise Ship: Costa Magica
Cruise Destination: Western and Southern Mediterranean -- Rome, Savona, Barcelona, Palma, Tunis, La Valetta, Palermo, Rome
Cruise Dates: November 20 - November 27, 2005
Guest Contributor: George
Page 2 of Cruise Review of the Costa Magica --
Good Deals Onboard the Costa Magica
Buy 13 liters of mineral or sparkling water for 23 Euro, much cheaper than sodas and better for you. The 44 Euro soda card is a value too if you just gotta have Cokes or Diet Cokes. This card also gets virgin drinks, shakes, specialty coffee drinks, and fruit drinks.
The Magica moves to the Americas the last few days of November, so catching the last Med run gives you cool weather and a lack of tourists in the ports. Sales are 75% off on Med-branded clothing before they relocate to Florida or Brazil for the winter.
To increase bar revenue, Costa used to take shorebought alcohol and hold it until the end of the voyage. Similarly, they take and hold alcohol purchased onboard. Costa is testing a new and much more common sense policy on the Magica -- buy all you want ashore or on board and bring it directly to your cabin. Costa has realized that old policy annoyed passengers and cost too much for screening, holding, and moving all that booze multiple times.
Not So Good Deals Onboard the Costa Magica
The spa is expensive and offered very few discounts during the week.
No wireless internet anywhere on board, and no free wireless in port. The Internet cafe is still quite high at 30 Euros per hour and runs at barely 56K over satellite. Pay wireless is available only in Malta, but it's high speed and cheap.
The casino has no conventional poker tables. I guess the world's Texas Hold'em craze evidently has not reached the Italians.
There are unusually long lines to get on the ship in port. Costa cut back on security and there is often just one guy to process hundreds of returning passengers.
This route is not a good choice for the first time cruiser, who should do Costa's 7-day Venice to Istanbul run or an 11-day trip featuring Athens, Cairo, Turkey, and a few spectacular Greek islands. For the Magica, we suggest that Costa drops the ports of Palermo and Savona in favor of Monaco, Nice, Cadaques, or Sete.
Hello to Jan and Bob, and shop 'til you drop Celia and Jimmy!
Happy cruising,
George and Eleanor
