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At the risk of dating myself, our first cruise was on the Costa Rivera, a converted freighter ship. Other than a pizza place (where they gave you the whole pizza), the only dining area was the dining room at two fixed times. Everything on the menu was served "family style" by the waiter. There was an appetizer, a pasta dish, soup, main dish and dessert. Never saw a salad the whole week. The room was so small the twin beds were in a "L" shape and could not be put together. The closet was three feet wide with a top area for hanged clothes, and dresser space below that. No door, it was covered by a pull curtain-like cloth. One small pool in the back that you had to climb up to get into it. Skeet shooting off the back. Cash only for drinks. Once a cruise they had a toga night. Gave everyone a sheet and an instruction sheet on how to tie. If you did not wear a toga to dinner, you did not eat! This was about 1985, and we loved it because it was our first cruise. We have been on over 100 cruises now. Every cruise is special, but sometimes you have to look harder to find why!
I spent some time on both Costa Smeralda and also Costa Toscana last year, and was really pleasantly surprised given the price point. The crowds onboard did drive me mad on Costa, especially when it came to the evening entertainment. I couldn’t believe how early people would get there - I couldn’t find a seat if I got there any later than 30 minutes before the show - d’oh! Great to see you on Costa!
You’re looking fantastic Ben, love your and David’s videos, my sister and her husband are going on their first cruise next year so I sent them a link to your channel. Thanks for all your content, love it. xx
The colors and decor are great. I bet passengers get to smoke in their rooms. No way do I want to smell lingering smoke or smoke that has been absorbed into soft surfaces. We Americans are really used to there being an absence of smoking in public areas, restaurants, and businesses. I grew up in the late 1950's and the 1960's when people smoked everywhere including hospital patient rooms. Got used to seeing more adults smoking than adults not smoking. I don't miss that. Great tour. Thanks, guys.
That ship looks like a paint factory exploded inside it. Yikes. Some color is good; I hate it when everything is just shades of beige and white, but this was completely the opposite.
Just love you two, and your videos. They are fun, informative and great to watch! Always honest which is very important. Would never do Costa, any whiff of smoke is a big NO! Keep up the great work!
Very garish decor and cheap furniture (for a cruise ship). I expect the cost of my ticket to deliver on the high end of living the dream. Deffo not for me.
Wow you’re looking really good Ben! I noticed immediately. Congrats on working to improve your health. Also, I can’t help but giggle when you say “pool” or “poor”. All I hear is poo-er 💩 😂
David! Who is that svelte and sexy man you're with??? And he comes with free popcorn too??? I appreciate that the dining areas have a more elegant decor, but I actually love the bright and cheerful colors elsewhere. Can't wait to see what's gone wrong next week...
Finally a ship I've done before you....looking fwd to see your thoughts.. food was good however I avoided the buffet like the plague. I personally thought this ship was a break from the usual plain Jane's.
@@Revoncheap very limited opening hours, then lack of queuing it was just chaos most of the time. And the food in the club restaurant was superb and as being in a suite the delivery breakfast was superb.
Personally, I think MSC is better than Costa, the ships at MSC are nicer, more modern and it was simply more inclusive, you can't beat MSC for the price
My brother and I cruise together and always ask for separate beds. 100% of the time the beds are together. It’s because we’ve got the same last name. We always ask to have the beds separated. So if you both use different last names, that’s probably why you get separate beds. We’ve had the cabin stewards tell us this more than once.
Interestingly, Costa is owned by Carnival as is P.O. and many others. You'd think that they'd be consistent across the board. Nickel and diming on steroids it seems. The smoking though would be a deal breaker.
My, that carpet in Leobardos. We are suite snobs without apology. The Vath in the cabin is nice, but I think IKEA must have slept with Willy Wonka. The sink is a thing we use for cattle in Texas. I know I sound down, but many things make me happy about the ship. Those low-slung seats everywhere make my back ache. Love you two.
Myself and my husband took our first Costa cruise earlier this year on one of their older ships (Pacifica). We had also read all the bad reviews. We were pleasantly surprised. We had a great cruise, there is up charging but we took into account the cruise fare was cheap !
Ben, upon seeing you at the start of the episode, I thought to myself that you look quite svelte. Then you said that you were on a diet to slim down. Well, it already worked my friend. 😊 By the way, does Carnival give you cumulative loyalty credits if you sail on the other lines you mentioned: Holland America, Costa Cruises, P&O, in addition to Carnival?
At least you slimmed down for that balcony. And kids above you hitting Potts. Ha, ha. The flight over man that's some leg room. Loved the circle theater with the sky light. Loved the Heineken bar. The room and other area bright colors hate. The solarium is nice. Man charging for normal pizza. Man. Two hours on an elevator. Man.
Great video, guys! I usually see your videos when they’re a couple of weeks old. I’ve watched this one on its premiere day; now I have to wait a whole week to find out about the rest of your cruise! It’s ok, you’re worth the wait.😊
The Decor is Not Sophisticated but it is cheerful & wonder if it will show wear & tear quite quickly. The behavior of the people with the push & shove, cut in line mentality would not be worth dealing with on a vacation. The smoking everywhere makes this cruise a HARD NO. So thankful you posted this video so I know it is not the cruise line for me. Cheers!!
Love all your videos I have seen. We booked the Iona, so after you mentioned it early in this video, I will be searching for it. Keep up the wonderful humour. Love Ben smashing the TV and the badger's ass and pig trough comments.
You can easily get inside cabins in the $80 a night/per person range for an inside cabin on 7 night mediterranean itineries on the Toscana, it is a budget line, so your expectations need to recognise that, even if you are staying in a suite.
Yeah, it is the cheapest cruise line one can find elsewhere. Even MSC is now trying to compete at another league to say the least. I wouldn't say this ship is bad or this cruise line is bad... But let your expectations to follow the market point!
Some of the red/orange colors remind me of Italian "things" from the latter half of the 1990's. Small kitchen appliances, plastic chairs and other objects of that time period. Not bad, bright. All that is missing is some Pirelli rubber dot flooring which was a thing back in that time period.
You look great, Ben! I’ve always wondered about Costa so I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing next week’s episode. Here’s hoping you were able to get sleep with that kids club above you!!
The last thing I want to do while on ANY cruise ship, is look at and or buy Artwork. Don't get me wrong, I like art, but I feel that when you're on a crusie ship you are cruising and enjoying the sights and the fun onboard and on shore.
I really enjoyed the Costa Toscana. The skywalk, the comfy outdoor seating particularly around the after bar are fantastic on a sunny med sail away or sea day. The drinks package are among the best value in the industry. The arena venue is the most authentic night club I've experienced at sea. I personally thought the entertainment was superb. Many talented musicians and performers. I particularly went out of my way to see the saxophonist and the ariel shows. These are among the lowest cost sailings I've seen around 40-50pppn. At this cost I can absolutely understand the upcharge options. My attitude is at this price you can afford to pad out your trip with some extras if you want. My experience is the extra cost options are reasonably priced and were excellent quality for the few euros extra paid. In particular I visited the restaurant attached to the Heineken bar for some late night burgers and other end of night grub. Being a European line the late night activities go into the small hours every night. It did make getting up for those morning port calls a challenge but I managed to strike a good balance. Downsides were the included food being pretty average. Not bad but nothing special to write home about either. And I've never see a busier buffet. It was absolute madness at peak times between the limited seating and mediterranean attitude queuing. I left Toscana feeling I got excellent value for money and booked another Costa cruise within a month to see if this quality is consistent across the line or is just present on their flagship. I'll be boarding Smerelda to find out in 3 weeks. I would not be singing these praises if I paid 6000 usd for this experience. But if you shop around you can find these sailings starting at 40-50pppn and at that price range I find it hard to argue with the value proposition they present.
Dear Ben and David, I was watching my second favorite youtube channel "waterline Stories" and I had a thought. Perhaps you could review his video called "The poop cruise" as a reaction video, the whole time I was watching the ship and passengers peril I was wondering what David would say about urine sloshing up the shower drains and Ben's reaction to the open free bar idea, which did not bode well. You both have distinct personalities and your live reactions to cruise ship disasters of the past is content that does not exist on this platform. I love you guys and I wish great success , health and happiness for you and your families.
One of the worst things about Costa is that they allow smoking on the balconies. For me, even the more limited smoking areas next to the pool on RCL are too much. Smoking on a cruise is a no-go imo.
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i normally like modenrn etc. i think this is a little much. i feel i would need sunglasses insdie lol
Ben you are looking very slim!
All that running from one ship to another!
I came here to say the same!
I thought so too but I didn't want to say anything in case it's not on purpose.
Yes Ben, looking great! Could tell immediately at the beginning of the video.
Got a tapeworm on this cruise. 😮
Ben looks 10 years younger! New hairstyle is killing it too. Better start searching cruise ship wardrobes to find where David stashed old Ben.
I thought the same thing. He's pulling a Benjamin Buttons.
I love my Sundays with a new cruise video! Thanks for taking me along.
Nothing like having a room that looks like the Partridge Family bus! Looking svelte, Ben!
Looking good Ben, can't wait for your videos when you and David cruise here in Australia!
When are they coming to Oz?
What a cliffhanger!! Your videos are quickly becoming a must watch on Sundays.
On Sundays after church , I come here.
At the risk of dating myself, our first cruise was on the Costa Rivera, a converted freighter ship. Other than a pizza place (where they gave you the whole pizza), the only dining area was the dining room at two fixed times. Everything on the menu was served "family style" by the waiter. There was an appetizer, a pasta dish, soup, main dish and dessert. Never saw a salad the whole week. The room was so small the twin beds were in a "L" shape and could not be put together. The closet was three feet wide with a top area for hanged clothes, and dresser space below that. No door, it was covered by a pull curtain-like cloth. One small pool in the back that you had to climb up to get into it. Skeet shooting off the back. Cash only for drinks. Once a cruise they had a toga night. Gave everyone a sheet and an instruction sheet on how to tie. If you did not wear a toga to dinner, you did not eat! This was about 1985, and we loved it because it was our first cruise. We have been on over 100 cruises now. Every cruise is special, but sometimes you have to look harder to find why!
Ben stating that the " towels are "rough as a badger's ass" took me out ! I'm 💀! 😅
Makes me wonder how the heck he'd know what a Badgers ass feels like😂😂😂
@@sandraford3788 🤣😂🤣
Ben has the best descriptions and lines
Wow Ben! You are looking fantabulous!! You look so healthy ❤
You guys should review the new Margaritaville ship. Would be interesting to see if it is better than the other one. 😂
I spent some time on both Costa Smeralda and also Costa Toscana last year, and was really pleasantly surprised given the price point.
The crowds onboard did drive me mad on Costa, especially when it came to the evening entertainment. I couldn’t believe how early people would get there - I couldn’t find a seat if I got there any later than 30 minutes before the show - d’oh!
Great to see you on Costa!
Don’t think I would want to go travel on this ship - it does not look like the usual cruise ships so give this one a no no.
Ben you look marvelous! Hope you fill much better. Hope your health is better also. ❤
Agree Ben - your looking great!
The good thing is your reviews are honest and therefore believable.
No surprise you need to take your life jackets to your abandon ship station after the Coasta Concordia oops.
That dessert that looked like a cork is a rum baba
I'm amused to see so many people staring at you as your filming, as if they have never seen a camera/youtuber before. lol.
You look fabulous Ben. I just lost 45 lbs 20 more to go but I put my diet on hold for back surgery now it’s time to get back on track.
You’re looking fantastic Ben, love your and David’s videos, my sister and her husband are going on their first cruise next year so I sent them a link to your channel. Thanks for all your content, love it. xx
Love your videos so much guys. My fav RUclipsrs! ❤
Thanks
You two are the real deal 🎉❤
Ahhhhhhhh I can’t wait for the cruise tea! Definitely tuning in next week.
The colors and decor are great. I bet passengers get to smoke in their rooms. No way do I want to smell lingering smoke or smoke that has been absorbed into soft surfaces. We Americans are really used to there being an absence of smoking in public areas, restaurants, and businesses. I grew up in the late 1950's and the 1960's when people smoked everywhere including hospital patient rooms. Got used to seeing more adults smoking than adults not smoking. I don't miss that. Great tour. Thanks, guys.
No smoking in rooms but balcony is ok.
That ship looks like a paint factory exploded inside it. Yikes. Some color is good; I hate it when everything is just shades of beige and white, but this was completely the opposite.
Thanks for the laughs, I enjoy my Sundays with your videos, ❤️❤️
I love the humor you both have and how you subtly tease each other! ❤ Very relatable. And Ben - I can see that you've lost weight. Good on you!
Cannoli imagine. I caught that one! So clever, you are.
Do you cry out when they mention a cannoli and we can't have one? I miss my YaiYai and Aunt bringing us cannoli from NY on the plane. xoxo
Just love you two, and your videos. They are fun, informative and great to watch! Always honest which is very important. Would never do Costa, any whiff of smoke is a big NO! Keep up the great work!
Ben, congratulations on your new body style. You’ve encouraged me to get back to eating more healthy and losing some weight also. Love you guys.
Very garish decor and cheap furniture (for a cruise ship). I expect the cost of my ticket to deliver on the high end of living the dream. Deffo not for me.
I would rather have a smaller, fresher buffet than a large buffet where things have been sitting for a long time.
Ben you look fabulous! I love watching you and David! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us!
Wow you’re looking really good Ben! I noticed immediately. Congrats on working to improve your health. Also, I can’t help but giggle when you say “pool” or “poor”. All I hear is poo-er 💩 😂
David! Who is that svelte and sexy man you're with??? And he comes with free popcorn too??? I appreciate that the dining areas have a more elegant decor, but I actually love the bright and cheerful colors elsewhere. Can't wait to see what's gone wrong next week...
Been waiting for thissssssss🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Absolutely awful. I don't like the ships to be totally toned down but this is just horrible...
Wow Ben you look great. How did you do that weight loss with that cruise food? Thought Costa sold all ships to Carnival guess not.
Costa is owned by Carnival. The new Carnival ship Firenze (sp?) is a former Costa ship.
Ben you are looking great! Your efforts to eat better are clearly evident.
Love your videos ❤❤love from Canada 🇨🇦
Ben looks absolutely fantastic. Your hard work is paying off
That ship is definitely a color bomb! That’s a change from all the beiges decors. 😂😂😂
Ben. Wow. Keep it up.
🇨🇦 Hewitt. Bravo to you Ben, I am impressed with the look and the sticktuativeness(my new word).
Finally a ship I've done before you....looking fwd to see your thoughts.. food was good however I avoided the buffet like the plague. I personally thought this ship was a break from the usual plain Jane's.
Why’s that?
@@Revoncheap very limited opening hours, then lack of queuing it was just chaos most of the time. And the food in the club restaurant was superb and as being in a suite the delivery breakfast was superb.
Personally, I think MSC is better than Costa, the ships at MSC are nicer, more modern and it was simply more inclusive, you can't beat MSC for the price
All that noise and smoking would put me off of Costa
My brother and I cruise together and always ask for separate beds. 100% of the time the beds are together. It’s because we’ve got the same last name. We always ask to have the beds separated. So if you both use different last names, that’s probably why you get separate beds. We’ve had the cabin stewards tell us this more than once.
Yikes! I feel like I've been to 10 cheap beach resorts that haven't remodeled in this century.
Smoking is such a fire hazard, how can they allow it in so many spaces?
Wow, Ben, you have lost some weight and you're looking great!
Ben you look great so slim well done 👏
Sinking a ship and losing 32 passengers and crew certainly qualifies Costa as the worst cruise line IMHO.
I agree David about the colours 90s
Interestingly, Costa is owned by Carnival as is P.O. and many others. You'd think that they'd be consistent across the board.
Nickel and diming on steroids it seems. The smoking though would be a deal breaker.
Ben! Your shirt, when did they jail Popcorn and what did he do?
Looking good, Ben!❤
Ben you’re looking in great shape. Xx
Yeah, you’re right. It’s very nickelodeon looking.
Ben is killing it - looking very good!
Pleeeaasssee show us how you do 'the clean test' for your cabins. Always look forward to your videos!
Ben!!! You’re looking fantastic! Great job! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Ben you look so good! 😊
My, that carpet in Leobardos. We are suite snobs without apology. The Vath in the cabin is nice, but I think IKEA must have slept with Willy Wonka. The sink is a thing we use for cattle in Texas. I know I sound down, but many things make me happy about the ship. Those low-slung seats everywhere make my back ache. Love you two.
With the cost of dental treatment that roll isn't a dentist nightmare but a dentist dream. 😂
Myself and my husband took our first Costa cruise earlier this year on one of their older ships (Pacifica). We had also read all the bad reviews. We were pleasantly surprised. We had a great cruise, there is up charging but we took into account the cruise fare was cheap !
Yeah, Ben looking good man! Cheers!
How does Ben keep fit going to cruises all the time?
Ben your looking so slim , how have you managed it with all the lovely food from previous vids , well done ❤
Ben, upon seeing you at the start of the episode, I thought to myself that you look quite svelte. Then you said that you were on a diet to slim down. Well, it already worked my friend. 😊 By the way, does Carnival give you cumulative loyalty credits if you sail on the other lines you mentioned: Holland America, Costa Cruises, P&O, in addition to Carnival?
20 years ago, when I worked in travel Costa were popular and great luxury type cruises with my customers, they loved them.
❤️🇨🇦❤️
At least you slimmed down for that balcony. And kids above you hitting Potts. Ha, ha. The flight over man that's some leg room. Loved the circle theater with the sky light. Loved the Heineken bar. The room and other area bright colors hate. The solarium is nice. Man charging for normal pizza. Man. Two hours on an elevator. Man.
Intriguing, fun, and informative as always. I look forward to joining you on this adventure! Ben you look Marvelous! David, you are marvelous!
We were on the IONA right behind Toscana at this moment in time, this is mad!
Great video, guys! I usually see your videos when they’re a couple of weeks old. I’ve watched this one on its premiere day; now I have to wait a whole week to find out about the rest of your cruise! It’s ok, you’re worth the wait.😊
You both are looking very healthy ❤
Ben, you are looking like you lost a shed-load of weight mate. Well done! You look just right.
You look amazing, Ben. Healthy and happy!
Congratulations Ben on your obvious successful better health journey! You look fabulous and I know your family must be so pleased for you as well!
NOOOOO! Not the cliffhanger!🤭 You know I'll be watching part two for all the tea.😁
We had a suite and it was above the theatre sadly, so it was duff,duff, duff until 11pm. That's a lot of money to keep being disturbed.
The Decor is Not Sophisticated but it is cheerful & wonder if it will show wear & tear quite quickly.
The behavior of the people with the push & shove, cut in line mentality would not be worth dealing with on a vacation.
The smoking everywhere makes this cruise a HARD NO.
So thankful you posted this video so I know it is not the cruise line for me.
Cheers!!
Thanks for your honesty about every cruise you two go on. But wow Ben you’re really looking great. 👍🏼
Love all your videos I have seen. We booked the Iona, so after you mentioned it early in this video, I will be searching for it. Keep up the wonderful humour. Love Ben smashing the TV and the badger's ass and pig trough comments.
You can easily get inside cabins in the $80 a night/per person range for an inside cabin on 7 night mediterranean itineries on the Toscana, it is a budget line, so your expectations need to recognise that, even if you are staying in a suite.
Yeah, it is the cheapest cruise line one can find elsewhere. Even MSC is now trying to compete at another league to say the least. I wouldn't say this ship is bad or this cruise line is bad... But let your expectations to follow the market point!
Some of the red/orange colors remind me of Italian "things" from the latter half of the 1990's. Small kitchen appliances, plastic chairs and other objects of that time period. Not bad, bright. All that is missing is some Pirelli rubber dot flooring which was a thing back in that time period.
Looks like Shopping Centre!
Not like a Holiday Ship?
Ship looks like Private Hospital . Clinical not like a Holiday vibe?
You guys do a fabulous job…I would have lasted 5 minutes!!!😉
😊 thank you
You look great, Ben! I’ve always wondered about Costa so I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing next week’s episode. Here’s hoping you were able to get sleep with that kids club above you!!
That is how a proper crusty roll should be.
Are you saying that the ship changes themes once a month? (24:25) LOL
I think the nasty smell of cigarette smoke would bother me.
I have a few of those towels 😂. Perfect description, Ben
The yellows and blues in the stateroom-it’s like an IKEA! 😆
Ben, great job on the weight loss! I can tell you’re slimming down.😊
The last thing I want to do while on ANY cruise ship, is look at and or buy Artwork. Don't get me wrong, I like art, but I feel that when you're on a crusie ship you are cruising and enjoying the sights and the fun onboard and on shore.
I really enjoyed the Costa Toscana.
The skywalk, the comfy outdoor seating particularly around the after bar are fantastic on a sunny med sail away or sea day. The drinks package are among the best value in the industry.
The arena venue is the most authentic night club I've experienced at sea.
I personally thought the entertainment was superb. Many talented musicians and performers. I particularly went out of my way to see the saxophonist and the ariel shows.
These are among the lowest cost sailings I've seen around 40-50pppn. At this cost I can absolutely understand the upcharge options. My attitude is at this price you can afford to pad out your trip with some extras if you want. My experience is the extra cost options are reasonably priced and were excellent quality for the few euros extra paid.
In particular I visited the restaurant attached to the Heineken bar for some late night burgers and other end of night grub.
Being a European line the late night activities go into the small hours every night. It did make getting up for those morning port calls a challenge but I managed to strike a good balance.
Downsides were the included food being pretty average. Not bad but nothing special to write home about either. And I've never see a busier buffet. It was absolute madness at peak times between the limited seating and mediterranean attitude queuing.
I left Toscana feeling I got excellent value for money and booked another Costa cruise within a month to see if this quality is consistent across the line or is just present on their flagship. I'll be boarding Smerelda to find out in 3 weeks.
I would not be singing these praises if I paid 6000 usd for this experience. But if you shop around you can find these sailings starting at 40-50pppn and at that price range I find it hard to argue with the value proposition they present.
Dear Ben and David, I was watching my second favorite youtube channel "waterline Stories" and I had a thought. Perhaps you could review his video called "The poop cruise" as a reaction video, the whole time I was watching the ship and passengers peril I was wondering what David would say about urine sloshing up the shower drains and Ben's reaction to the open free bar idea, which did not bode well. You both have distinct personalities and your live reactions to cruise ship disasters of the past is content that does not exist on this platform. I love you guys and I wish great success , health and happiness for you and your families.
Thx for the Cyndi moment❤❤❤ l felt 20 years old for a smile and a chuckle but l would not relive it nope no way
I thought you looked slimmer in the last video! Looking great, Ben!
One of the worst things about Costa is that they allow smoking on the balconies.
For me, even the more limited smoking areas next to the pool on RCL are too much.
Smoking on a cruise is a no-go imo.