Luminosa

We boarded in Marseille, France, one person per cabin, and traveled through the Caribbean islands including Saint Martin, the Bahamas, ***, and Mexico before arriving at Fort Lauderdale, USA.

Costa is an Italian company and the largest cruise line in Europe. Onboard services are primarily in Italian. English service is available, and an English daily newspaper is provided. Note: Suite bookings do not include a private restaurant, or even drinks. Even water is extra when dining in the main restaurant. I didn't receive the daily newspaper for two out of six nights; I had to request it from the front desk. Unlike other cruise lines, the room is only cleaned once a day. I did not receive an invitation to a cocktail party. Paid shore excursions offered by the cruise line are primarily guided in Italian, with a few tours offering English translation. Seating is limited, so advance booking is highly recommended. One day of the itinerary was changed to Santorini due to the Athens strike; I was informed of this after boarding.

There were no Chinese daily newspapers. Dinner was served very slowly at the restaurant (we ended up eating at the buffet). The evening theater performance was of poor quality. There were often stalls selling things in the lobby bar. The itinerary was well-planned!

Food is OK. Service is good.