Costa Magica Baltic Cruise Review
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There are few good deals on board the Costa Magica as those accountants have their hands constantly in your pocket. Spa services such as massage run $2 per minute or more. They will tell you ANYTHING to sell spa products, including pseudoscience about your "toxins" and skin care that would send any stateside dermatologist directly to jail for fraud. Hour long gym classes, formerly free in the "old days", are now $15.
The internet café is the worst ripoff at $35 per hour for 14-28k in this age of fatpipe wireless, which, by the way, isn't available at all, even for a fee. Getting any drink other than water or coffee or tea is 2-3 Euro. The buffet staff treat the free orange juice machines like prized champagne fountains, opening them only for a few hours a day and allowing only half a glass at a time so as to discourage use. Formerly free shuttles from the ship to town now cost $7 roundtrip with long lines for tickets. The casino offers house-heavy games such as blackjack, slots, and roulette - no poker.
Tips: Buy 13 liters of plain or sparkling mineral water for $30. Into wine? Buy a multi-bottle package your first day on board. And since this was the last cruise of the Baltic season, everything Baltic goes on sale midweek for 75% off. Looking for a great make-out spot? Walk all the way forward on Deck 9 to a private panorama overlooking the bow.
Hey, enough about the ship. We were here for the scenery.
This time of year, the weather could not have been nicer for touring. Tallinn, Estonia, is a classic medieval town recovering from Soviet occupation and a struggling economy. Russian St. Petersburg, formerly Leningrad, has the vast Hermitage museum and way too many tourists surging through. Helsinki is a typically clean, well-run, cloudy Scandinavian capital whose tour guides constantly remind you how much they still distrust the Russians. Despite being one of the most peaceful countries on earth, Finland still refuses to remove landmines on their Russian border. Stockholm is the most beautiful of the Baltic capitals, with canals and islands and rivers and grand architecture connected by the world's best mass transit system. Skip the Costa-sponsored 83 Euro Ice Bar tour and do it yourself for 15 Euro. A very fun experience, drinking Absolut vodka at 20 or so degrees in provided ice parkas! (There are also Ice Bars in London and Milan).
Having attained enough points from previous cruises, we reached "Pearl" status which is the highest past passenger level. Pearl gets a bottle of cheap prosecco, a little fruit basket, 10 Euros for the casino, a small model of the boat, an advance copy of the menu every night, and a cocktail party with 800 others. Yawn. This just doesn't reflect benefits wanted by super-frequent passengers. Note to Costa accountants -- put terry cloth robes in the room, provide free internet, private kitchen tours, and free soft drinks for equally inexpensive and much more appreciated perks!
Finally, Italian and Spanish women will routinely cut in front of you on tours or to exit the boat. Tell them nicely to go to the back of the line. Despite the fact they will pretend not to understand, repeat it and they will comply. At buffets, it is an accepted practice once you hit the tray line to dart in and out, unlike waiting your turn like you learned in grade school. If you're an obese North American woman, leave those shorts in the cabin. You'll be helping international relations immensely. If you don't like any of the food, just politely set it aside. Barking criticism at the dining staff is embarrassing for everyone. They really can't help how lousy the food is. Blame the accountants.
Bottom line: Take Princess or RCI to the Baltic. They will cost more and take a few more days, but you'll be glad you did!
Hello to John and Joann, Ray and Lynette, and Ice Bar mates Terry and Julia. If you found this review useful, please let us know. Happy cruising -- George and Eleanor
There are few good deals on board the Costa Magica as those accountants have their hands constantly in your pocket. Spa services such as massage run $2 per minute or more. They will tell you ANYTHING to sell spa products, including pseudoscience about your "toxins" and skin care that would send any stateside dermatologist directly to jail for fraud. Hour long gym classes, formerly free in the "old days", are now $15.
The internet café is the worst ripoff at $35 per hour for 14-28k in this age of fatpipe wireless, which, by the way, isn't available at all, even for a fee. Getting any drink other than water or coffee or tea is 2-3 Euro. The buffet staff treat the free orange juice machines like prized champagne fountains, opening them only for a few hours a day and allowing only half a glass at a time so as to discourage use. Formerly free shuttles from the ship to town now cost $7 roundtrip with long lines for tickets. The casino offers house-heavy games such as blackjack, slots, and roulette - no poker.
Tips: Buy 13 liters of plain or sparkling mineral water for $30. Into wine? Buy a multi-bottle package your first day on board. And since this was the last cruise of the Baltic season, everything Baltic goes on sale midweek for 75% off. Looking for a great make-out spot? Walk all the way forward on Deck 9 to a private panorama overlooking the bow.
Hey, enough about the ship. We were here for the scenery.
This time of year, the weather could not have been nicer for touring. Tallinn, Estonia, is a classic medieval town recovering from Soviet occupation and a struggling economy. Russian St. Petersburg, formerly Leningrad, has the vast Hermitage museum and way too many tourists surging through. Helsinki is a typically clean, well-run, cloudy Scandinavian capital whose tour guides constantly remind you how much they still distrust the Russians. Despite being one of the most peaceful countries on earth, Finland still refuses to remove landmines on their Russian border. Stockholm is the most beautiful of the Baltic capitals, with canals and islands and rivers and grand architecture connected by the world's best mass transit system. Skip the Costa-sponsored 83 Euro Ice Bar tour and do it yourself for 15 Euro. A very fun experience, drinking Absolut vodka at 20 or so degrees in provided ice parkas! (There are also Ice Bars in London and Milan).
Having attained enough points from previous cruises, we reached "Pearl" status which is the highest past passenger level. Pearl gets a bottle of cheap prosecco, a little fruit basket, 10 Euros for the casino, a small model of the boat, an advance copy of the menu every night, and a cocktail party with 800 others. Yawn. This just doesn't reflect benefits wanted by super-frequent passengers. Note to Costa accountants -- put terry cloth robes in the room, provide free internet, private kitchen tours, and free soft drinks for equally inexpensive and much more appreciated perks!
Finally, Italian and Spanish women will routinely cut in front of you on tours or to exit the boat. Tell them nicely to go to the back of the line. Despite the fact they will pretend not to understand, repeat it and they will comply. At buffets, it is an accepted practice once you hit the tray line to dart in and out, unlike waiting your turn like you learned in grade school. If you're an obese North American woman, leave those shorts in the cabin. You'll be helping international relations immensely. If you don't like any of the food, just politely set it aside. Barking criticism at the dining staff is embarrassing for everyone. They really can't help how lousy the food is. Blame the accountants.
Bottom line: Take Princess or RCI to the Baltic. They will cost more and take a few more days, but you'll be glad you did!
Hello to John and Joann, Ray and Lynette, and Ice Bar mates Terry and Julia. If you found this review useful, please let us know. Happy cruising -- George and Eleanor
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