Hello Readers, today we are going to talk about the Costa Fascinosa Brazil Ship! The evaluation was carried out for the Cruise route leaving Santos, departing for Balneário Camboriú, Ilha Bela and returning to Santos.
Our criteria were based on packages and benefits, ship structure, itineraries, gastronomy, ship programming, crew and service. But we will also, of course, pass on tips for first-time sailors.
The Costa Fascinosa is a cruise ship that is part of the fleet of Costa Cruises, an Italian cruise company. Launched in 2012, Costa Fascinosa is known for its elegant style and modern facilities, offering passengers a unique and sophisticated travel experience.
Main features of Costa Fascinosa
- Accommodations: The ship offers a variety of staterooms, from interior staterooms to luxury suites, to suit guests’ different needs and preferences. Accommodations are designed for comfort and convenience while traveling.
- Leisure Facilities: On board the Costa Fascinosa, travelers will find a wide range of leisure facilities. This can include outdoor pools, whirlpools, sunbathing spaces, spa and fitness center, providing relaxation and entertainment during the cruise.
- Restaurants and Gastronomy: The ship has a selection of restaurants and bars offering different gastronomic options. Passengers can enjoy meals in restaurants of different styles, including international and Italian cuisine options.
- Entertainment: Costa Fascinosa offers a variety of entertainment options for all ages. There are live shows, theater shows, live music, disco and even a casino, providing fun and excitement throughout the trip.
- Onboard Activities: During the cruise, passengers have the opportunity to participate in various activities and programs organized by the ship’s staff. This can include dance classes, games, sports activities, themed events and much more.
Destinations and Itineraries: Costa Fascinosa sails to various regions of the world, including Europe, South America and the Caribbean. Itineraries can vary in duration and destinations visited, providing passengers with a wide range of options to choose from.As with any cruise, it is always important to check the details of the itinerary, accommodation options, services and specific activities offered by Costa Fascinosa to ensure that the experience meets your individual expectations and interests. Cruises can be a great way to explore multiple cities and destinations on a single trip, combining comfort and convenience on board with the excitement of new discoveries on land.
Ship packages and benefits
Before talking about the ship itself, it is important to know which package is best for you. So you should basically ask yourself three things: do I need a window or a balcony in the cabin? Do I drink a lot of alcohol? Am I a person who wants peace or to have insane fun?
If you want to wake up in the cabin and immediately know what the weather is like outside, I strongly recommend taking a cabin with a window or balcony, as these ships are huge and sometimes it takes time to move to the top or sides. (the balcony has a stunning view)
If you drink a lot or a little it doesn’t matter because just the fact that you like to drink any liquid already makes it worth adding free drinks to your package. No salesperson tells you that, but inside EVERYTHING is in dollars, so imagine paying 7 dollars for a can of Pepsi (no coke). There are some types of packages for alcoholic drinks, in my case I took the free drink package which includes Vodka, Gin, beers and others…enough to do some damage. Attention, know which color identifies your package so you don’t run the risk of consuming something outside your package and then having to pay.
About your intention to travel, if you want peace and rest, I recommend including the SPA with private access in the package, keep in mind that these cruises are full and the jacuzzis are full as well as the pools. The ship we were on had 3800 people, there are even fuller ships. My package with balcony and free drink (without SPA) is around R$3600.00 reais (760.87 dollars).
Another important tip is to sign up for free at Costa Club. If you go to the Costa Club inside, you’ll have a different card and the right to a little gift (candy) in the cabin with a free movie, among other things.
Structure of the Costa Fascinosa Ship
The word that cannot be missing from this ship is cleanliness! This applies as a rule to all ships and you will notice that they are cleaner than many 5 star hotels as there is a great deal of concern about contamination, this is the truth. So towels, bed linen, restaurants all note 10. It is also mandatory that you step on the ship to do the first aid training, very simple you will put on the vest and everyone will go down to the first floor together.
Inside, it has a panoramic elevator from which you can have a wide view of all floors (11 floors). Talking about structures, this scale saw! Be careful, if this is your first time, take a medicine for seasickness with you, as this could ruin your entire trip. I only felt unwell one day but it is very noticeable even more so if you face rain during the night on the high seas. My advice: take some drama and go dancing in the middle of the ship!
Itineraries Santos – Camboriú – Ilha Bela – Santos
The Costa Fascinosa itself offers tours in the package for these stops, but I recommend you do this “outside” because, as I said earlier, the amount is charged in dollars and can be a little more expensive.
The landing on Ilha Bela is right in the center where you can take a walk on foot and visit handicraft shops, bars, snack bars, restaurants, etc… In this same place there are tours being sold for 80 reais per person (by Jeep) and 120 reais (schooner). By schooner you can go diving and see the little fish, but if it’s drizzling, don’t go. By jeep you can hike trails, see waterfalls and take pictures at the lookout point, but if it’s raining, the entrance to diving into the waterfall closes.
Tip: If you already know the disembarkation places, maybe it’s worth not disembarking because that way you’ll have the ship all to yourself. 🙂
Gastronomy on the Costa Fascinosa
Upon receiving confirmation of the purchase of the package, you will already be informed about your dinner shift and in which restaurant your cabin is reserved. The first shift takes place around 7 pm and the second shift around 9:15 pm. Dinner is complete with bread basket, starter, first course, main course, side portions and dessert.
Tip for couples: Ask for the number of people in the cabin at the time of webcheckin, so if you want, you can have a private table for you and your partner instead of a large table full of unknown people.
The gastronomy is simply wonderful as there is food and drink practically 24 hours a day. Be it in the restaurants, be it the buffet or the snack bar. There will always be either breakfast, hamburger time, lunch, afternoon coffee and dinner. In addition, there are private restaurants where you pay for special dishes.
Ship’s Dinner
Ship’s Breakfast
Ship’s Desserts
Crew and service
The ship’s crew is divided into Crew, Staff and Officer levels. Almost all are foreigners, at the reception there are many foreigners due to the company, so keep in mind that you know a minimum of English. This is very important from asking for an excuse to a more serious problem you will need to go to the reception or call and dialogue with them.
We Brazilians don’t have the culture of tipping, but we made a point of leaving a “little box” for the crew that took care of our cabin. The crew’s work needs to be valued as they are cleaning, tidying, serving and taking care of us all the time. In our experience, everyone was very polite but not always effective.
Our evaluation was very positive and we look forward to taking longer cruises again to enjoy everything a ship of this size has to offer! If you missed something or have any questions, we would love to hear your opinion by commenting on this post or sending us a message through our contacts. We wish you a great trip!