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Costa Cruise Line

MS CostaRiviera

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Reviewed by: Paolo Degrandi
# previous cruises: 10+
Date of Trip: July 29, 2001
Itinerary: Mediterranean

The Costa Riviera is a beautifully refurbished classic liner particularly suit for the person who love a traditional cruise experience. This ship offers the great opportunity to discover the most fascinating places in the Mediterranean area at very reasonable price.

The last refit has successfully recreated on board the elegant atmosphere of an italian transatlantic liner. there is a wide range of public lounges for a medium size cruise ship, from the larger ones as the La Scala Theater and the Vienna Ballroom, to the more intimate as the library, beautifully decorated with old french paintings and the two winter gardens ( one is dedicated to the smokers ).The most fascinating places are the port and starboard covered promenades, equipped with deck lounge chairs and tables, and the La Piazza lounge, a multipurpose space with piano bar, wine bar and pizzeria that recreates the ambience of a typical italian square.The Casino is small and there are very limited fitness facilities ( only a gymnasium and a sauna ).There is a large single pool and 3 jacuzzis.

The food served in the Portofino restaurant is excellent in quantity and quality, combining the best of the italian cuisine ( don't miss the exquisite " Bomba Vesuviana " cake ) with the specialities of the Countries visited during the cruise ( in my case Spain and France particularly ).The service provided is warm and friendly but should be more attentive to some details.There is a large buffet self service, with an outdoor covered section overlooking the pool,that offers each day a different and great choices of hot and cold dishes ( the fish was excellent ).

The cabins are large and comfortable, many with additional berths, but remember that this is a converted liner so they aren't of the modular type (the dimensions can variate even in the same category, so check carefully the deck plans before to choose your accommodation ). I suggest you to reserve a superior outside cabin on the Amalfi deck: these accommodations are very large, offering also a nice sitting area, and the cabin service provided is very attentive. The bathrooms have standard dimensions.

The entertainment is specifically tailored for european tastes, with many different daily activities in the lounges and at the pool.Each night there is a different show in the theater, wonderfully performed by experienced singers, dancers and magicians.I have particularly liked the " Flamenco Show" of the very talented spanish ballett trio " Antonio Torres ".

In 7 days I have visited some of the most interesting places of the Western Mediterranean, from the mountain Montecarlo and Portofino, to the great european city as Barcelona and Rome, to the exotic and historic beauties of Tunis.At each port of call there was always a wide range of excursions, at reasonable prices: if You love swim I suggest you to reserve the tour to Cefalu'( Sicily ).

The CostaRiviera caters well all the categories of passengers. on board there was a good mix of ages, with many families and honeymooners.If you have a child choose this ship offers dedicated spaces like the " Nautilus Submarine " playroom and two small splash pool, and a very attentive and professional animation team.All the on board activities and the excursions are in several languages: at first italian, and after in the order, french, spanish, english, german and Portuguese.