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I Survived a Week on Cruise Critic's WORST RATED Cruise Line

Emma Cruises
Emma Cruises
πŸ…Authority
πŸ‘οΈ 1.4M viewsπŸ“… 3 years ago⏱️ 25:58

Key Moments

Editorial Summary

The creator documents a seven night Mediterranean cruise aboard the Costa Miralda to determine if the negative reviews regarding the cruise line are justified. After booking a budget friendly fare, the creator explores various aspects of the ship including the dining options, entertainment, and cabin accommodations. The experience reveals a significant cultural divide, noting that a majority of guests speak languages other than English and that dining times follow Italian customs. While the creator expresses concerns regarding the ship design, specifically the poor visibility in the theater and the high number of children on board, they also highlight several positive aspects. These include the high quality of the multilingual staff, the convenience of the Costa mobile app, and the impressive variety of entertainment in the central Coliseum. The creator concludes that while the ship presents certain challenges, such as language barriers and unconventional layouts, the service and overall value provided a surprising and adventurous experience.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.

How This Review Compares

This review's score for Costa Smeralda
Mild Gripe
All-time creator consensus for Costa Smeralda
A Nibble

This review is more critical than the all-time creator consensus.

What This Creator Said
Creator Warns AgainstFull Ship ReviewπŸ…Authority Creator
πŸ‘Ά Best for Family (Young Kids)Mediterranean Β· 7 nightsFrom BarcelonaOccasional Cruiser

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

Creator's Key Takeaways

this ship is not for English speakers

somebody said that monkeys could do a better job than the crew

the ship was anti-food

I have never never ever seen so many babies in one place

Creator's Tips & Advice

βœ“Arrive at least an hour early for shows in the Coliseum to get a good seat
βœ“Consider buying a soft drinks package as water is not included in main dining rooms
βœ“Be prepared for a different dining schedule, with buffet closing at 5:30 PM and reopening at 8 PM for dinner

πŸ†•New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Language barrier with staff and entertainment β€” The crew are multilingual and entertainment often doesn't rely on spoken words; English speakers can manage.
Food quality based on negative reviews β€” Food was good in this cruise, but consider trying specialty dining for better quality.
Crowds and seating for shows β€” Arrive very early for shows or use rehearsal times to get good seats.

Questions This Creator Answers

QIs the worst-rated cruise line as bad as the reviews say?
QCan English speakers have a good experience on an Italian cruise line?
QWhat are the pros and cons of cruising on Costa Smeralda?

Topics Covered

Service Crew3Β½ Happy BaconLoyalty Program3 Happy BaconValue Pricing2Β½ Sad BaconKids Family2 Sad BaconDining Buffet1 Sad BaconEntertainment Shows2Β½ Happy BaconShip Condition1Β½ Happy BaconCrowd Capacity3 Sad Bacon

Port Highlights

Barcelona2Β½ Happy Bacon
Civitavecchia
Majorca2 Happy Bacon
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon β€” creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon β€” creators took issue with this
Meh β€” no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = β€œmeh”, 5 = β€œbacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology

Video content sourced from the creator's original upload. Watch on YouTube