This is Europe's Worst Rated Cruise Line. Why Did We Go Back?
Barcelona PortCarnival Corporation & plc Cruise GroupCosta Cruises Cruise LineRoyal Caribbean Cruise LineCivitavecchia PortGenoa PortMarseille PortNaples PortAIDAcosma Cruise ShipAIDAnova Cruise Ship
Costa Cruises is Europe’s worst rated cruise line on Cruise Critic, and Costa Toscana scores just 2.6 out of 5, so our Costa Toscana review starts with what other passengers say about her. We had sailed on her once before without filming and preferred her to an almost identical ship that cost us a lot more. So we spent a week on board in the Western Mediterranean to find out whether the reviews were right or we were. The reviews say she is overcrowded, the crew don’t care and you pay extra for everything. We put each of those to the test, and saved the crowding for the one sea day, when more than 6,000 passengers have nowhere else to go. Costa Toscana shares her design with P&O’s Iona and Arvia and with Carnival’s Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee, and we have sailed one of them. At the end we work out what a week on the same class of ship costs on each line once the drinks are included. She is also an Italian ship sold mainly to Italian, French and Spanish passengers, which may explain more of the reviews than the ship does. What is included on a Costa Toscana cruise? The buffet and main dining rooms are included, and the buffet is served by crew. Pizza at Pummid’Oro, burgers and several other venues cost extra. Our fare included the My Drinks package, which covers water and has no daily drinks limit. Is the Costa My Drinks package worth it? The standard package does not cover the Infinity Bar after 6pm or the Ferrari bar menu, which need My Drinks Plus. That was listed at €57 per person per day, but we were emailed an upgrade offer of €15 per person per day the week before we sailed, so it is worth waiting before you buy it. Is Costa Toscana good for English speakers? Everything on board runs in several languages and the crew generally speak five. By the middle of the week we had not heard another native English speaker, and the excursions we looked at were not offered in English. Which ships are the same as Costa Toscana? Costa Toscana is one of nine ships on the same platform, built by Meyer for Carnival Corporation. Her direct sister is Costa Smeralda. The same design is used for P&O’s Iona and Arvia, Carnival Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, and AIDA’s AIDAnova and AIDAcosma. The food, pricing, interiors and onboard language differ by line. Why does Costa Toscana get bad reviews? Most of the complaints on Cruise Critic are about crowding, indifferent service, and paying for things other lines include, such as pizza, burgers and, without a drinks package, water in the dining room. Costa sells mainly to European passengers, shows and announcements run in five languages, and excursions in English can be hard to find. Several reviewers put the split down to what British and American cruisers expect from a ship. Costa Toscana Facts and Prices Mentioned In This Film Itinerary: seven nights round trip from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, calling at Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, Cagliari and Naples, with one sea day. Price: we paid around £950 each for a balcony cabin with drinks included. By our sums that is about 28% less than the same class of ship on P&O and about 18% less than on Carnival, with drinks included on each. Cabin: our aft balcony was the largest we have had on any ship and cost no more than other balcony cabins. Smoking is allowed on balconies, and every one has an ashtray. Ratings: at the time of filming Costa Toscana had a Cruise Critic member rating of 2.6 out of 5. Costa Cruises as a line scores 3.0, against 3.3 for MSC, 3.6 for Norwegian, 3.8 for Carnival and 3.9 for Royal Caribbean (October 2026). Music All original music in this film is composed and recorded by Adam, who holds a PhD in audio-visual composition. The Nomads Club Friends of The Floating Nomads get every film a day early on Thursdays, a membership badge, and their name on the rostrum. Nomads Club members also get the exclusive B-Side, priority comments, and their name on all future main films. This week’s B-Side takes members ashore in Cagliari for a birthday. Click the Join button below. Chapters 00:00 Europe’s Worst Rated Cruise Line 00:29 Costa Toscana Reviews on Cruise Critic 01:08 Costa Toscana Embarkation in 15 Minutes 02:12 Aft Balcony Cabin and Muster Drill 07:15 Infinity Bar, Ferrari Bar and My Drinks Plus 11:21 Can You See the Show in the Colosseo? 14:35 Sea Day Buffet With 6,000 Passengers 17:17 Is Costa Toscana Overcrowded on a Sea Day? 20:45 No English Speakers and No English Excursions 23:45 Pummid’Oro, Paying for Pizza on Costa 25:44 Costa Staff and Food Against the Reviews 28:48 Costa Toscana vs P&O Iona, Price and Our Verdict #CostaToscana #CostaCruises #CruiseReview #FloatingNomads #MediterraneanCruise #CruiseShip #CostaSmeralda #POCruises #CarnivalCruise #SlowTravel #CruiseLife