Cruises, Cruise Deals & Cruise Holidays

My husband and I cruised this Ship from Dubai to Singapore in March. I agree 100% with the review apart from our Cabin Steward was great. We did a 3-week cruise, and only had air conditioning for the final four nights. Complaint after complaint went in until I husband fetched the Engineer out at 2am in the morning for him to tell us the valve to our cabin was closed! I had been sleeping on deck! The Officers were rude to the point of mimicking passengers in front of us - the supposedly English Speaking rep was rude and arrogant - even told my husband he couldn't be bothered it was only the British who complained. We felt we had been discriminated against as we were British!!! There was an Italian Night, an italian Mr & Mrs Nights - all nationalities were on the boat. The 5euros per person per day were a bone of contention to us too - we were told that we should have checked this out before we purchased the cruise, which was done with Virgin Holidays on the telephone. We knew nothing of this charge until our deposit had been taken! Five euros each per day over 21 days adds up! Three times I requested a breakdown of this money, am still waiting. Was told all kinds of stories! The self-service on one side of the boat was out of commission for the first 4 days, then the other side was out of commission for a further 10 days - we have photographs of the work going on. A serious accident waiting to happen! Indeed, there were a few on board. The waiters, waitresses, stuards, restaurant staff exceptional - Costa do not deserve staff like them! The managers were rude and insolent to their staff, shouting and verballing abusing them in front of passengers - they just did not care! I am diabetic and also disabled. I had to fill in a 17 page report for Costa, including a letter from my GP, and with all this paperwork I requested diabetic meals on the plane and also assistance at the airport. Both Virgin and Costa were told this, but I got neither! Treatment was appauling! The Restaurant Staff were exception I only got food I was supposed to have, even to the fact that I was presented with 8-9 small diabetic biscuits each evening - a birthday was held on our table, but our waiter refused me a piece of cake! What a wonderful gesture! I did appreciate it. He looked after me exceptionally well. Some of the berthing areas were very bad - Goa saw us in the middle of a coal field, Mumbai we were behind the Indian Navy, when we arrived at Patong beach (2 days supposedly) it was wonderful - we actually anchored off the beach - the boat look good fromthe shore! We were looking forward to having a trip around, coming back to the ship for a nap, then heading ashore for some night life, but this was not to be! The Captain decided he was taking us to the other side of the island and we had to be on board for 10.30, sailing at 11pm for a rat-infested field about a 15 minute taxi ride from anywhere - and by the way, the taxi drivers wanted $60 one way, and no bargaining! We had travelled on a Costa Cruise in 1992 and we said then that if this had been our first cruise, it certainly would have been our last! We thought we'd give them the benefit of the doubt and try them again, the itineraly what what we were looking for, but if anything I think its worse. Virgin told us Classica was a 4 star boat - I souldn't reckon it to a 2 star floating butlins! Plastic Chairs, Rude officers, Exceptionally rude Managers over staff, and for the english speaking rep - he needs sacking! Very poor indeed.

ty well sums up our cruise on the Classica from Dubai to Singapore.