Costa Magica....I'm back....
 

Hey all...I am back from the Costal Magica. I had a good time! I had
somewhat dimished expectations in some ways based on some bad reviews I
had read over the years, but I was surprisingly pleased about any number
of things....

It's clearly a "fun ship" Italian style...which leaves something to be
desired at times lol, but there were places one could relax of course,
and the adult pool in the aft. The food turned out to be the biggest
suprise....it was generally quite good! Room service breakfast
.....awesome chocolate croissants and free capuccinos! But then again,
there were a couple nights in the dining room when there were dancing
waiters and blasting music (like...unreal loud on Italian night and
Island night.) Excellent pizza...prosciutto and nice cheeses on the
buffet line, as well as calamari and mussels on the buffet as well! It
was a spring break crowd of sorts, aka, lots of families, kids,
teenagers, etc., but nothing totally out of control, although the main
pool area was nonstop activities and party...not my thing but then again
I went to the aft pool. Huge ship with 2500+ on board, and only the
pool area felt crowded. Everything else seemed to work out alright,
even the buffet area. I thought Toga night was a riot actually. Some
excellent musical acts, dance floors in every bar and lounge, and people
dancing in multiple venues well past midnight every night. In fact,
this ship didn't start slowing down until 1 am ever.

Some very pleasant areas of the ship from a design/decor standpoint and
some really ugly ones, lol. In fact, the ugly dining room I have ever
eaten in....but some very nice rooms as well, such as the main theater,
the piano bar, the Spoletto lounge. So a mixed bag on that front. Some
awful art and decor (big laser prints I called them) and some very nice.

In any case, I was glad I went and had wonderful folks at my table and
of course met a variety of other interesting people as well, and not so
many obnoxious ones, but certainly some, and of course some drunk teens lol.

Jeff

Costa Magica....I'm back....
 

Want pictures of toga night, LOL. Welcome home!

Diana

"Jeff" wrote in message
news:AvGVf.11194$6%2.4820@trnddc08...
Hey all...I am back from the Costal Magica. I had a good time! I had
somewhat dimished expectations in some ways based on some bad reviews I
had read over the years, but I was surprisingly pleased about any number
of things....

It's clearly a "fun ship" Italian style...which leaves something to be
desired at times lol, but there were places one could relax of course, and
the adult pool in the aft. The food turned out to be the biggest
suprise....it was generally quite good! Room service breakfast
....awesome chocolate croissants and free capuccinos! But then again,
there were a couple nights in the dining room when there were dancing
waiters and blasting music (like...unreal loud on Italian night and Island
night.) Excellent pizza...prosciutto and nice cheeses on the buffet line,
as well as calamari and mussels on the buffet as well! It was a spring
break crowd of sorts, aka, lots of families, kids, teenagers, etc., but
nothing totally out of control, although the main pool area was nonstop
activities and party...not my thing but then again I went to the aft pool.
Huge ship with 2500+ on board, and only the pool area felt crowded.
Everything else seemed to work out alright, even the buffet area. I
thought Toga night was a riot actually. Some excellent musical acts,
dance floors in every bar and lounge, and people dancing in multiple
venues well past midnight every night. In fact, this ship didn't start
slowing down until 1 am ever.

Some very pleasant areas of the ship from a design/decor standpoint and
some really ugly ones, lol. In fact, the ugly dining room I have ever
eaten in....but some very nice rooms as well, such as the main theater,
the piano bar, the Spoletto lounge. So a mixed bag on that front. Some
awful art and decor (big laser prints I called them) and some very nice.

In any case, I was glad I went and had wonderful folks at my table and of
course met a variety of other interesting people as well, and not so many
obnoxious ones, but certainly some, and of course some drunk teens lol.

Jeff

Costa Magica....I'm back....
 

It was fun! I didn't take pictures on toga night...but someone at my
table may well have! I will find out. I barely had room for my room
key and cigarettes, lol...there are no pockets on togas!!!

Jeff



D Ball wrote:

Want pictures of toga night, LOL. Welcome home!

Diana

"Jeff" wrote in message
news:AvGVf.11194$6%2.4820@trnddc08...

Hey all...I am back from the Costal Magica. I had a good time! I had
somewhat dimished expectations in some ways based on some bad reviews I
had read over the years, but I was surprisingly pleased about any number
of things....

It's clearly a "fun ship" Italian style...which leaves something to be
desired at times lol, but there were places one could relax of course, and
the adult pool in the aft. The food turned out to be the biggest
suprise....it was generally quite good! Room service breakfast
....awesome chocolate croissants and free capuccinos! But then again,
there were a couple nights in the dining room when there were dancing
waiters and blasting music (like...unreal loud on Italian night and Island
night.) Excellent pizza...prosciutto and nice cheeses on the buffet line,
as well as calamari and mussels on the buffet as well! It was a spring
break crowd of sorts, aka, lots of families, kids, teenagers, etc., but
nothing totally out of control, although the main pool area was nonstop
activities and party...not my thing but then again I went to the aft pool.
Huge ship with 2500+ on board, and only the pool area felt crowded.
Everything else seemed to work out alright, even the buffet area. I
thought Toga night was a riot actually. Some excellent musical acts,
dance floors in every bar and lounge, and people dancing in multiple
venues well past midnight every night. In fact, this ship didn't start
slowing down until 1 am ever.

Some very pleasant areas of the ship from a design/decor standpoint and
some really ugly ones, lol. In fact, the ugly dining room I have ever
eaten in....but some very nice rooms as well, such as the main theater,
the piano bar, the Spoletto lounge. So a mixed bag on that front. Some
awful art and decor (big laser prints I called them) and some very nice.

In any case, I was glad I went and had wonderful folks at my table and of
course met a variety of other interesting people as well, and not so many
obnoxious ones, but certainly some, and of course some drunk teens lol.

Jeff

Costa Magica....I'm back....
 

"Jeff" wrote in message
news:AvGVf.11194$6%2.4820@trnddc08...
Hey all...I am back from the Costal Magica. I had a good time! I had
somewhat dimished expectations in some ways based on some bad reviews I
had read over the years, but I was surprisingly pleased about any number
of things....


Hey Jeff..
Welcome back!
So the food was good, and the atmosphere was a bit noisy at times..probably
because of the spring break crowd.
What about the smoke, did you find that a problem? You often hear that as a
complaint on Costa, so I am wondering.
Dancing waiters?? Ala Carnival style? Was the crew primarily Italian or was
it international?
Sounds as if you had a great time..would you take the Magica again?
So where to next?

--Jean---hoping like Diana to see some toga pictures of Jeff! ;-)

Costa Magica....I'm back....
 

In article , Jean
O'Boyle wrote:

What about the smoke, did you find that a problem? You often hear that as a
complaint on Costa, so I am wondering.

He is a smoker.

--
Charles

Costa Magica....I'm back....
 

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
. com...

"Jeff" wrote in message
news:AvGVf.11194$6%2.4820@trnddc08...
Hey all...I am back from the Costal Magica. I had a good time! I had
somewhat dimished expectations in some ways based on some bad reviews I
had read over the years, but I was surprisingly pleased about any number
of things....


Hey Jeff..
Welcome back!
So the food was good, and the atmosphere was a bit noisy at
times..probably because of the spring break crowd.
What about the smoke, did you find that a problem? You often hear that as
a complaint on Costa, so I am wondering.
Dancing waiters?? Ala Carnival style? Was the crew primarily Italian or
was it international?
Sounds as if you had a great time..would you take the Magica again?
So where to next?

--Jean---hoping like Diana to see some toga pictures of Jeff! ;-)

After a cruise on Costa a while back I can recall the smoke being so bad
that I wouldn't even consider the line again. Their smoking restrictions are
so relaxed it turned me off completely. Also the announcements were in 5
languages which could drive anyone nuts after a few days.

Costa Magica....I'm back....
 

Hi Jean!

Yes, a bit noisy, or rather, boisterous I would say! Very high energy,
which some folks might really like....it's a non-stop party in the main
pool area....I'm a little quieter than that and do like more shade than
sun!

Surprisingly, even though I am a smoker, the smoking issue was
interesting. There are no smoking tables at all in any bar or lounge --
only the bar area itself is smoking permitted. There was one lounge
(Spoletto lounge) which was entirely non-smoking. There were some
smoking tables up by the pool area though, and the casino seemed to be
largely smoking permitted though. The side with the tables was smokey,
but the side with more of the slots seemed less so.

Yes...dancing waiters ala Carnival....not my thing! It generally came
after the main course and before dessert....so I fled to go to the
bathroom and have a cigarette etc., which generally I do before dessert
anyhow.

The staff consisting of officers, cruise staff, shops and photographers,
etc. were predominately Italian. The cabin stewards and waiters etc.,
were predominately Asian, seemed like mostly Phillipino. So I had less
of an "italian" feeling than MSC in that regard, although my cabin
steward Michael was one of the best I've ever had.

Would I sail Magica again -- yes, although -- I think maybe one of the
somewhat smaller Costa ships like Classica or Victoria might be a better
size for me, but who knows. Costa often seems to come in at a fairly
low price point so I found it to be a very good value actually, given
that there are some negatives, but not enough to spoil my fun.

Jeff


Jean O'Boyle wrote:


Hey Jeff..
Welcome back!
So the food was good, and the atmosphere was a bit noisy at times..probably
because of the spring break crowd.
What about the smoke, did you find that a problem? You often hear that as a
complaint on Costa, so I am wondering.
Dancing waiters?? Ala Carnival style? Was the crew primarily Italian or was
it international?
Sounds as if you had a great time..would you take the Magica again?
So where to next?

--Jean---hoping like Diana to see some toga pictures of Jeff! ;-)