Victoria

Published 2019-11-25 Overall Rating: 5 Accommodation: 5 Dining: 5 Service: 5 Entertainment: 5 Last June, I saw on Ctrip that they had released a 15-day, 14-night Costa Cruise itinerary that included visits to India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. Other travel websites didn't have tickets for this cruise. Even though it was still a year and a half away, it perfectly met our travel expectations, so we booked it without hesitation. To our delight, friends in our travel circle also praised the itinerary and signed up one after another. So, after a year and a half of anticipation, our group of twelve friends set off together, boarding in Mumbai on November 9th and disembarking on November 23rd, enjoying a cruise vacation of over half a month. As one couple put it, it was a "good time." The Costa Victoria cruise ship can accommodate over 2,000 passengers. While not large, its facilities are quite excellent. We are a group of elderly friends who enjoy playing cards, watching shows, and chatting together. The ship's layout and space were more than enough for our enjoyment, and the different cabin types were within our budget. The Western cuisine on this Italian cruise ship was a pleasant surprise; even one of our friends, whom we call a "Michelin-starred chef," raved about it. We enjoyed different dishes every day, especially the exquisite desserts. Even our diabetic friend didn't miss a single one, as there were always sugar-free desserts. Costa Cruises has certainly been very thoughtful in its business practices. The cruise line offers a wide range of itineraries, probably dozens. The only downside was that the tour tickets were a bit pricey compared to the cruise fare. Of course, nothing is perfect, but we were very satisfied and happy with our trip. We thank Ctrip for providing us with this enjoyable travel and vacation platform. It's also worth mentioning that we were very satisfied with Ctrip's service. Ctrip promptly helped us handle issues such as arriving in Mumbai ahead of schedule. Although we only purchased our cruise tickets through Ctrip, their customer service was responsive and helpful, promptly reminding us of important information regarding visas, language barriers, and the detailed boarding address, ensuring a smooth trip. From departure date: 2019-11-09 | From itinerary: Mumbai + Muangaroo + Kochi + Maldives + Maldives + Maldives + Colombo + Goa + Mumbai 15 days 14 nights View more reviews for this cruise

Published 2019-11-25 Accommodation 5, Dining 5, Services 5, Entertainment 5 Last June, I saw on Ctrip that they had released a 15-day, 14-night Costa Cruise itinerary that included visits to India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. Other travel websites didn't have tickets for this cruise. Even though it was still a year and a half away, it perfectly met our travel expectations, so we booked it without hesitation. To our delight, friends in our travel circle also praised the itinerary and signed up one after another. So, after a year and a half of anticipation, our group of twelve friends set off together, boarding in Mumbai on November 9th and disembarking on November 23rd, enjoying a cruise vacation of over half a month. As one couple put it, it was a "good time." The Costa Victoria cruise ship can accommodate over 2,000 passengers. While not large, its facilities are quite excellent. We are a group of elderly friends who enjoy playing cards, watching shows, and chatting together. The ship's layout and space were more than enough for our enjoyment, and the different cabin types were within our budget. The Western cuisine on this Italian cruise ship was a pleasant surprise; even one of our friends, whom we call a "Michelin-starred chef," raved about it. We enjoyed different dishes every day, especially the exquisite desserts. Even our diabetic friend didn't miss a single one, as there were always sugar-free desserts. Costa Cruises has certainly been very thoughtful in its business practices. The cruise line offers a wide range of itineraries, probably dozens. The only downside was that the tour tickets were a bit pricey compared to the cruise fare. Of course, nothing is perfect, but we were very satisfied and happy with our trip. We thank Ctrip for providing us with this enjoyable travel and vacation platform. It's also worth mentioning that we were very satisfied with Ctrip's service. Ctrip promptly helped us handle issues such as arriving in Mumbai ahead of schedule. Although we only purchased our cruise tickets through Ctrip, their customer service was responsive and helpful, promptly reminding us of important information regarding visas, language barriers, and the detailed boarding address, ensuring a smooth trip. From departure date: 2019-11-09 | From itinerary: Mumbai + Muangaroo + Kochi + Maldives + Maldives + Maldives + Colombo + Goa + Mumbai 15 days 14 nights View more about this cruise

This cruise on the Victoria was wonderful. Everywhere we went was enjoyable, from the food and activities to the staff. The crew was friendly and welcoming, and the waiters even interacted with us during our Western meal, creating a lively atmosphere. This trip was incredibly enjoyable; even after more than ten days on board, I was never bored – there wasn't enough time! I'll definitely go again next time I have a vacation! Thank you to all the staff for their hard work!

This cruise ship is old; it leaks everywhere when it rains. For the entire 15-day voyage, each room only had a small bar of soap and a small box of tissues. The pillows were greasy and smelled terrible. The food in the restaurants was awful, though the buffet was so-so. The excursions were awful; a tuk-tuk ride to two dilapidated factories cost $45.

Last June, I saw on Ctrip that the Costa Cruises offered a 15-day, 14-night itinerary that included visits to India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. However, other travel websites didn't have tickets for this cruise. Although it was still a year and a half away from our trip, it perfectly met our travel expectations, so we booked it without hesitation. To our delight, friends in our travel circle also praised the itinerary after hearing the news, and one after another, they signed up. So, after a year and a half of anticipation, our group of twelve friends set off together, boarding the ship in Mumbai on November 9th and disembarking on November 23rd, enjoying a cruise vacation of more than half a month. As one of the couples put it, it was "a good time." The Costa Victoria cruise ship can accommodate over 2,000 passengers. While not large, its facilities are quite excellent. We are a group of elderly friends who enjoy playing cards, watching shows, and chatting together. The ship's layout and space were more than enough for our enjoyment, and the different cabin types were within our budget. The Western cuisine on this Italian cruise ship was a pleasant surprise; even one of our friends, whom we call a "Michelin-starred chef," raved about it. We enjoyed different dishes every day, especially the exquisite desserts. Even our diabetic friend didn't miss a single one, as there were always sugar-free desserts. Costa Cruises certainly thought of everything. The cruise itinerary selection was also extensive, with dozens of options. The only downside was that the tour tickets were a bit pricey compared to the cruise fare. Of course, nothing is perfect, but we were very satisfied and happy with our trip. We thank Ctrip for providing us with this enjoyable travel and vacation platform. It's also worth mentioning that we were very satisfied with Ctrip's service. Ctrip promptly helped us handle issues such as arriving in Mumbai ahead of schedule. Although we only purchased our ferry tickets through Ctrip, their customer service was very helpful, answering all our questions and reminding us of important information regarding visas, language barriers, and the detailed boarding address, which greatly facilitated our trip.

The eight-day, seven-night cruise departed from Mumbai, stopping in Mengalo and Kochi, and finally arrived in Malé. The itinerary was decent, mainly because we each spent one night on the cruise ship in Mumbai and Malé, eliminating the need to find separate hotels, which was very convenient, especially considering how expensive hotels are in the Maldives. I had previously taken a Costa cruise in Europe, so I can make a comparison. Room service was average, so I won't elaborate. Restaurant service wasn't as good as my European trip. Firstly, the European menu had a Chinese version, but the Victoria didn't, so we had to rely solely on the English menu, making it difficult to order. The waiter was a bit impatient and asked us to take photos of the samples beforehand so we could order directly from the menu. We complied and from then on, we took photos and showed them to him directly at the table. The downside was less service, as a normal order includes seven courses, just like in Europe. We would have liked to enjoy that process, but we didn't want too much hassle, so we just went with the flow. The upside was the availability of hot water. The information center receptionist wasn't very enthusiastic, but they were able to resolve issues. The theater performances were particularly poor, incomparable to my European trip. Only the tenor was good; the rest were just average and quite funny. It seems like there are performances every day. So, if you're looking for an Italian-style European experience, this isn't the place for you. Ctrip customer service was excellent and patiently answered all our questions. Overall, it was a pleasant trip, and I'll definitely book cruises through Ctrip again in the future. Thank you.

This year I've taken cruises to Antarctica, the Eastern and Western Caribbean, and MSC Cruises. Compared to these, the Costa Victoria cruise ship is older, lacks facilities, the food is not great, and hot water is only available in the morning and afternoon tea time. So I wouldn't recommend it for frequent cruise travelers.

I didn't have high expectations for the service on this three-star cruise ship, but it turned out to be worse than I had anticipated. 1. No Chinese menu. Having traveled on many cruise ships around the world, even though there are few Chinese passengers, and sometimes only a few of us who don't speak English, the ships still provide Chinese menus. Dining in the Western restaurant every night is a crucial part of the cruise experience, and the lack of a Chinese menu is a significant drawback for elderly people like us who don't understand English. Moreover, there were many elderly Chinese passengers like us on this ship. Despite multiple attempts to negotiate with the ship's restaurant and customer service staff, no Chinese menu was provided. 2. After checking in, construction began on the stairs next to our cabin, producing a very strong chemical smell that persisted for several days. Some of our companions experienced discomfort, but the ship provided no explanation or apology. 3. On November 15th, the ship's scheduled departure time in Malé, Maldives, was 7:00 AM. The ship had already docked before then, but we were delayed in getting on the transfer boat to disembark. Our scheduled speedboat to other islands was about to depart, and we frantically pleaded for expedited disembarkation. The ship's staff passed the buck, and although we finally made it to the speedboat, we were exhausted.

Although I've taken 14 cruises, this was my first time on a Costa Cruises ship, and the "Victoria" had numerous problems, with both its facilities and services falling short of expectations. First, the facilities: my initial impression upon boarding was that the ship wasn't beautiful, let alone luxurious. Key cards wouldn't open cabin doors (no wonder they were kept inside the cabin instead of being given to you at check-in), and this wasn't an isolated incident; I had to exchange my card twice before the third one finally worked, and many other passengers experienced the same problem. The toilets frequently ran out of water and wouldn't flush, again, and this wasn't an isolated incident either. The cabins were too small; typically, interior cabins on cruise ships are around 15 square meters, but the Victoria's cabins were only about 11 square meters, making them very uncomfortable. As for the services, the staff's English was extremely poor. Although Italian seemed to be the ship's primary language, I doubt the non-Italian employees spoke it either. The cabins are cleaned roughly once a day (although the cabin crew are dedicated and conscientious; the ship's limited staff means their workload is heavy), unlike other cruise ships where cabins are typically cleaned several times a day. Every time you leave your room and return, you'll find it's been cleaned again. Cleaning once a day is already a significant workload for this ship. The sound of cutlery hitting the ground is frequently heard in the buffet restaurant, indicating insufficient training. Hot water is only available at set times each day, 7:00-11:00 and 16:00-17:00, only 5 hours a day, which is extremely inconvenient for Chinese people who enjoy tea. It's unbelievable that staff dared to say "no" to guests. The food is also much simpler in comparison. Since my own cruise ticket was very cheap, I have little to complain about; this is just a simple comparison. However, those who paid twice as much as me would inevitably be dissatisfied with the facilities and service. My rating is already quite generous.

Our cruise butler, Xiao Gu, was very dedicated and answered all our questions. His excellent service made our trip smooth and successful. Thank you.