Cruise Ship Review: The Costa Mediterranea

The Costa Mediterranea is an interesting cruise ship. It will surprise most guests from America who board this ship that it does not feel like an American based cruise. Because Costa cruises cater to a European clientèle, their ships are set up to appeal to that targeted customer. In fact, Costa is considered the premier cruise line in the Mediterranean Sea.

The interior design of the Costa Mediterranea will catch your eye right away.

Unlike most cruise ships that routinely make their travels from ports in the United States, Costa Cruise Lines patterned the decor in this ship after 17th and 18th century Italian palaces. You will either be wowed by what you see or find it extremely garish and overdone. It will not leave you without an opinion. Whether you are impressed by the decor, you will find it to be consistent throughout the public areas of the ship.

In keeping with the theme, many of the ships officers are Italian.

Despite the heavy European influence, American travelers should not have problems communicating with the staff. They are quite fluent in English. Generally, all of the staff is helpful and available. They are eager to resolve problems and satisfy the guests aboard the ship.

You may find announcements to be tedious.

While all cruise ships make generous use of the ship's intercom, on the Costa Mediterranea, every announcement is repeated in five languages. You will be treated to each announcement in English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish. The first few times are interesting. After hearing ten or fifteen, they just become long.

American cruisers will find themselves in the minority on Costa ships.

Because Costa is heavily marketed in Europe and has a strong reputation, many Europeans travel to the United States to cruise on their ships. American passengers make up about 20 to 30 percent of the total. The difference in cultures will be much more marked on this ship than on other cruise lines.

The food in the dining room is excellent.

Because of the Italian theme, the Costa Mediterranea offers a pasta course between the appetizer and the entree. This makes the meals seem quite large even by cruise ship standards. The one shortcoming would be for those guests who like a second entree, the extra course almost guarantees that your second entree will not arrive at your table. The desserts were a little less than expected for a cruise ship.

The entertainment and shore excursions are cruise ship standards.

Because the Costa Mediterranea stops in all of the expected ports of call for Caribbean cruises, the shore excursions are identical to those offered by the other cruise lines. This is partially because Costa is now owned by Carnival Corporation. The evening entertainment did not reflect the Italian and European influence. Whether dance extravaganzas or comedy routines, the offerings could have been on any other cruise ship.

The Costa Mediterrranea is a large ship.

While it does not compare to the 5,000 passenger behemoths that are now being rolled out, it does carry over 2,000 passengers and over 900 crew. You will enter the ship inside of a large atrium that rises many stories to the top of the ship. It is somewhere between elegant and extravagant. You will find plenty of open deck space with hot tubs and swimming pools.

There are plenty of balcony staterooms to go around.

In a departure from Costas earlier ships, the Mediterranea has a large number of balcony staterooms. It follows the pattern of most modern cruise ships in this regard. The passengers are demanding more balconies, and cruise lines are delivering them.

The level of service matches any other cruise line.

Each stateroom is well maintained and serviced twice per day. The cabin attendants are understated but extremely competent. They are also well versed in meeting the passengers' needs. Eating options include the dining room, the buffet line, and numerous other food outlets around the ship, as well as, a limited room service.