A travel vlogger with 1.4 million followers said he decided to review a notorious Costa Cruise after reading some scathing reviews dubbing it “the worst cruise in the world”.
YouTuber Simon Wilson noted that the Costa Cruise is run by the same company behind the ill-fated Costa Concordia which sank in 2012. Costa Cruises has also been also named as one of the worst cruise lines in the world
He told his followers: “Remember that the Costa Concordia. And the captain went to jail? Well, yeah, it’s the same company. Let’s just hope this one doesn’t sink.”
Wilson says the reviews of this ship, the Costa Fascinosa, are horrendous, with one saying: “Just don’t bother, you’ll have a better time in Syria.”
Wilson added: “Well, I’ve been to Syria, so I’ll be the judge of that.”
Other reviews he reads out says the bedding was so dirty “I wouldn’t have even let my dog sleep on that pillow. It was that filthy”.
Another said: “This cruise belongs at the bottom of the ocean. I would rather watch a hamster running on a wheel than go on this cruise.”
Before boarding at the port in Barcelona, Wilson points out the ship, when compared to a Norweigan one docked next to it, “looks dead.”
When he gets on board though, he finds the ship “rammed” with passengers who appear keen to enjoy the three-day cruise which travels to Italy, before ending up in Marseille, France.
So how did the “world’s worst cruise” measure up? Wilson and his fellow travellers, who have come from as far away as Phillipines, and Georgia, gave their verdicts – and they were in stark contrast to some of the reviews online.
The food, which is all included in the £200 price tag gets Wilson’s seal of approval. He said: “I’ve never been so healthy.”
Although he passes on the squid stew, the pasta, salad and veg combo he tucks into for his first meal and says: “Pretty nice. “I’m impressed with this.”
The best part of the trip is, for Wilson, the ice-cream bar and the two bars of chocolate for just two Euros. He added: “The cruise might have one star ratings, but this ice cream is five star. And as for the chocolates, they’re five star too.”
Navigating the ship, which has 14 decks, proves a challenge. So Wilson decides to head to the top deck and work his way down using the ship’s maps.
He said: “We have a spa on the twelfth floor. We’ve got a restaurant. We’ve got pizzeria, a casino, a couple of discos, a shopping arcade, a theatre, a chapel, oh and another theatre. There’s quite a lot to do here.”
For £300 extra, a total of £500, passengers can drink as much booze as they like. One German tourist tells Wilson that’s why he booked the trip. He said: “He’s going to drink more than £500 worth of booze, so maybe I’ve should have chosen the more expensive trip.”
Passengers are spoilt for choice with an outdoor swimming pool, two jacuzzis, a casino a spa, designer shopping, a photography studio for those wanting a record of their cruise and several discos.
“We’ve got some shops here selling Tommy Hilfiger,” points out Wilson.
The ship’s fitness facilties also get the once over and come out with rave reviews.
The travel vlogger said: “I’m not an avid gym goer, as you know, but this equipment looks all like brand new, and then you’ve got a massive line of treadmills here looking out to the sea. This does not look like a gym that should be on potentially the worst cruise in the world.”
Wilson asks a buff gym-goer for their verdict, “as good as any other,” they tell him.
“This cruise is starting to become good value for money at 200 quid,” Wilson says.
For 129 Euros, Wilson treats himself to a full spa ritual. His treatement is carried by a woman who speaks 12 languages, which gives Wilson another reason to rate the cruise.
The least impressive part of the stay is the cabin but even then it’s not that bad, as he noted: “I’ve got a stand up shower, some life vests and a few towels.
“There’s no hand soap. But it’s not bad. There are three wardrobes, one with a couple of life jackets and hangers. We’ve got a safe I guess that’s to do laundry. We’ve got a nice dresser here. There’s a hair dryer in there, but nothing in the others.
“The only other minus is there’s no drinking water tap in the room. I want to being able to drink.
“The towels look like they’ve been hard times, but again, they’re clean. To be fair this is quite nice.”
Wilson said he could find no ‘disgruntled passengers’ willing to talk down their holiday and added likening the cruise to Syria was “a compliment to Syria.”
He added: “As for saying it belongs at the bottom of the ocean. Well, think that’s definitely going a bit too far.
“If you’re looking for a luxury holiday, it probably isn’t. But if you want value for money, 200 quid, it’s definitely up your stream.”
The Express has contacted Costa Cruises for comment.
