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Costa Smeralda Cruise - We Have Cruised 60 Times And This Was Our Worst Experience Yet!

Paul and Carole Love to Travel
Paul and Carole Love to Travel
🥉Knowledgeable
👁️ 18K views📅 6 months ago⏱️ 41:33
What This Creator Said
Creator Warns AgainstCruise Vlog🥉Knowledgeable Creator
❤️ Best for CoupleAsia · 7 nightsFrom DubaiVeteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

It sucked. Um, as specialty dining goes, this is the worst experience I've ever had in my 60 cruises.

The level of smoking on this ship was something we've never experienced before, especially as you're allowed to smoke on your balcony.

The standard of passengers on this cruise was something we've never experienced in our 60 previous cruises.

The ship is beautiful. Loads of outside space, one of the best half bars of any ship we've ever been on, and a fabulous and practical atrium, too.

Creator's Tips & Advice

Haggle politely for tour prices in port, as you may get a better deal.
Agree on taxi prices before getting in.
Be aware that specialty dining may have extra charges and restrictions on drink packages.

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Dining experience in specialty restaurantsBe prepared for extra charges and potential disappointment; stick to what you know if adventurous food isn't appealing.
Passenger behavior and social skillsBe aware that low price points may attract a different passenger demographic; consider this when booking.

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhat was the overall experience on the Costa Smeralda cruise?
QWould the creators cruise with Costa again?
QWhat are the pros and cons of the ship and itinerary?

Topics Covered

Dining Specialty5 Sad BaconPort Destination4 Happy BaconService Crew3 Happy BaconValue Pricing2½ Sad BaconShip Condition2½ Happy BaconCabin Balcony4 Sad BaconDining Main2 Happy BaconEntertainment Shows3 Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Doha2½ Happy Bacon
Muscat2½ Happy Bacon
Dubai2½ Happy Bacon
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description

Our last episode in our Costa Smeralda Cruise Vlog Series, takes us to a new destination, and meet up with some cruise vlogging friends. Onboard we have a very interesting and frustrating dining experience in Archipelago, show you more of the ship and give our verdict after 60 cruises of our first experience of cruising with Costa! We spent 7 nights on Costa Smeralda cruising from Dubai, to Muscat in Oman, Doha in Qatar, and Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates. We booked a Cruise Only Fare, in a Sea Balcony, with a My Drinks Bevarage Package and we paid £855 per person. We cruised on Costa Smeralda in February 2025. Check out our balcony cabin review and tour here - https://youtu.be/OoVWM8C5Qb0?si=dZOcM1TPbsBxP0wG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ⛴️ Join us on one of our GROUP CRUISES - Find all the information how to here - https://paulandcarolelovetotravel.com/group-cruise/ 🌎 WEBSITE - Visit our website Paul and Carole Love to Travel - https://paulandcarolelovetotravel.com for more cruise and travel inspiration 🗺️✈️ 📧 NEWSLETTER - Sign up for our Newsletter here for all our news and group cruises information - https://paulandcarolelovetotravel.com/sign-up-for-our-newsletter/ 🌊 CRUISE BOOKING - Our recommended travel agent is Dan Hammond of GoCruise&Travel. We have been using Dan since 2021 and he has always looked after us very well. Whether you're craving a Caribbean cruise getaway or a land based Mediterranean escape, Dan has you covered. Contact him today via email at dan@gocruise.uk.com or give him a call at 01622 891895 to start planning your perfect trip. If you prefer, simply complete our booking form for a no-obligation quote: https://paulandcarolelovetotravel.com/bookings/ ⚓ 🌍 CRUISE MAPS - We are loving our Cruise Maps and if you would like to receive 10% off your order - use our affiliate paulandcarole link here - https://thecruisemaps.com/products/cruise-map?dt_id=2085122 🎥 SOCIAL MEDIA - Don't miss a moment of the action! Hit that subscribe button (it's free!) to stay updated when our new vlogs and videos are published. And for even more exclusive content, follow us on Instagram @paulandcarolelovetotravel Facebook https://www.facebook.com/paulandcarolelovetotravel/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@paulandcarole?_t=8kV3CjIInSa&_r=1 X (Twitter) https://twitter.com/paulandcarole. 🌟 MEMBERSHIP - Plus, if you want to support our journey and unlock special perks, check out our Patreon at patreon.com/paulandcarolelovetotravel or you can join this channel as a You Tube Member to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpnRH1jL_EKoVv5VWoyiB0A/join Your support is very much appreciated! 🌟⛴️ 🛜 ONLINE SAFETY - Stay safe on line by using a VPN. We use Surfshark - Find out more here - https://links.surfsharkbiz.com/u/click?_t=c7117ac13602475283b7d8224bf8726f&_m=be3004b90c5f4661b78099b19fc49cae&_e=xtzHA-2i95JbQEUlnHHmzb36O4rZcRNxguPued6a6ayFT5Oxp7cxzYhvlfHQK-lbAXybvvSRKWsuc4kSL-WonBRc1kQoGtsJ-JqAiti-aci0-9mg8TfFCpDonMo2-W7VITJVrupOmbp926k1tn9jmWSjASmhygkW50nkqNaXDMmJjUs-sEZbZ21bJltSb2inGef5rg-5e49NdHsw3e1MMyVqXsOPb1mbMXh5jQbMh5LT-x2MT4LpBxCILUt34qEr3-tpt1DwYx1XSRxBk9HT2Q%3D%3D 🚢⚓ SHOP - You can also support us through our Amazon Shop https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/paulandcarole 🎒✨ SUPPORT - If you enjoy what we do, subscribe, like, and share with your family and friends! 🌊⛵ #CostaCruises #CostaSmeralda #MiddleEastCruise #Cruiseship #Cruise #Cruising #paulandcarole