This was our third cruise together, but the first as a married couple — and sadly, our first (and last) experience with Costa Cruises. We had hoped it would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, especially as it was our honeymoon. Unfortunately, from the moment we arrived at the port in Catania to board the Costa Fascinosa, things began to go downhill.The check-in process was chaotic. We waited in long queues under the sun without being offered even a glass of water. Eventually, we found someone handing out drinks, but they clearly did not want to be there — unfriendly, uninterested, and certainly not welcoming. You’d expect staff in a holiday setting to set a positive tone, but that was far from the case.After dropping off our luggage, we joined yet another line — again, in a stuffy area where the air conditioning could have been turned on but wasn’t. By the time they took our photo for the boarding card, I looked like I had just come out of a sauna. I thought that would be the end of the queues, but no — we were forced to queue yet again in a tent, this time for a photo we didn’t even want. When I politely declined, I was rudely told to wait in line anyway. After several back-and-forths, they finally allowed us to move on.Access to our cabin was only available at 3 PM, which is standard, so no complaints there. However, once onboard, the service only got worse.The majority of the staff — I’d say 9 out of 10 — seemed determined to make our experience miserable. When I tried to order two coffees and two Pepsis, I was bluntly told I could only order two drinks at a time. Despite having a paid drinks package, I had to fetch my husband’s card just to get four basic beverages. That level of inflexibility and rudeness is unacceptable.Dinner was another letdown. The food was shockingly poor — honestly, I wouldn’t feed it to my dogs. Plates were slammed down in front of us at the sit-down restaurant with no care or courtesy. The ship itself is outdated and, frankly, it smells bad.We also needed a UK plug adapter and asked at reception and multiple other staff, only to be repeatedly told none were available. Eventually, we found one in a shop onboard where the employee casually mentioned they’d been in stock for over two years. Clearly, no effort was made to help us.On another occasion, when returning to our cabin, a staff member blocked our access and angrily told us we had to walk all the way around the ship — simply because she didn’t want to move her trolley. A little flexibility or even basic courtesy would have gone a long way.Staff frequently bumped into us or passed by with carts without so much as an apology or even a nod. It’s the little things — an acknowledgment, a smile — that make a difference, and we experienced none of that here.And then there were the other guests — many were just as rude and inconsiderate. Perhaps the staff’s attitude is a reflection of the clientele Costa Cruises attracts. Either way, the atmosphere onboard was anything but enjoyable.In short, this cruise was an enormous disappointment. If I could give it zero stars, I would. We will never book with Costa Cruises again.
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