what life is like on board, services and activities

Hay dancing school at 10 in the morning on bridge 5, at 10:30 on bridge 9 and at 11 back on bridge 5 (bridge = floor, as if it were a building). He volleyball tournament It starts at 10:45 on bridge 12. At 5:00 p.m., suddenly, Gangnam Style plays, the teachers encourage and people get hooked. There are also yoga classes, aerobics, a ping pong game and a game of Pictionary. A chair game with fun condiments. Theater every night and parties with DJ until dawn to dance on the deck non-stop.

They look will rest in the bow (front of the boat), in the stern (back) and in the middle. The swimming pools and jacuzzis They have very high demand. There is a water slide and a water games area for the little ones, a children’s and teenagers’ club, a casino and stores for shopping.

The elevators go up and down constantly. People settle into their cabins which can be internal (without natural light), with a window or with a balcony.

Los crew members go from here to there attending at all hours, be it tidying up the rooms, serving food, proposing games, answering questions or reserving treatments at the spa.

Travelers also move from here to there: there are those who, after a few hours, get their bearings and move easily from floor to floor, and those who, being the last day, before getting off and saying goodbye to the ship, still do not know where they are going. go.

We are on board the Costa Favolosaone of the Costa Cruises ships that arrived in December at the port of Buenos Aires to cover the seasonal cruise itineraries in South America and it is clear that here everyone organizes their day and their vacation as you please.

For early risers There is breakfast from 5 in the morning. Those who “love to rest” They have options until 11 in the area of ​​coffee with milk, juices, muffins, toasts, pancakes, donuts, fruits, cereals, yogurt, scrambled eggs, bacon… And for those who want to sleep even morestarting at 11 you can order a hamburger with fries or wait until 12 to have lunch… at which time you will have to choose whether to eat at the buffet circulating and serving yourself between different trays or in the restaurant with service in the table

You have to try all the options. A fact: It is advisable to buy some type of drink package to be able to enjoy drinks, a beer, soft drinks on board, or even have a bottle of water to take to the cabin. It is always better to buy these “extras” when booking the cruise, since it is cheaper than purchasing them on board.

There are also other extra-cost services, such as dinners in specialized restaurants – sushi, for example -, ice cream, Wi-Fi or de-contracting massages at the spa.

After a few days on board, it is clear that the cruise is both for those who want a lot of organization and an agenda without breaks, as well as for those who are not willing to be tied to any routine, any schedule and simply want to sit down and drink. mate or a colorful drink looking at the sea.

The Costa Favolosa has room for up to 3,800 guests, 32,000 dishes are prepared every day and there are 64 people on board who wash everything. This is how Alejandro, director of the cruise, tells it one of the nights at the theater, before introducing the Russian skaters who will slide across the stage and the acrobats -Victoria from Russia and Roberto from Brazil- who generate suspense while the audience holds back the breath before bursting into warm applause.

This season the Costa Favolosa started with several mini cruises –short itineraries, of 3 or 4 days, to Montevideo or Punta del Este-, he spent Christmas and the New Year’s party in front of Copacabana beach and in January he continues fully with the one week circuits which touches different stops in Brazil such as Ilhabela, Camboriú and Ilha Grande, as well as Uruguay.

At the end of March, from the 26th to the 29th, you will have one last mini-cruise with stops in Montevideo and Punta del Este. That day, the 29th, it will leave the port of Buenos Aires in a transatlantic cruise 20 days with a final stopover in Marseille (France), on April 17.

Settled in some armchairs while we enjoy a cappuccino and the sea flows through the window, Federico Filadoro, Sales Coordinator for Latin America at Costa Cruises explains: “With mini-cruises we seek to offer an alternative to the famous getaways What can one do to the Coast or to Chascomús. “We generate the first cruise passengers.” It is also a way to extend the season and have more passenger volume.

Whether for mini cruises or traditional departures of 7 or 8 nights, the Costa Favolosa is a cruise that is presented this season fully customized for the Argentinean publicsays Filadoro. The Italian-Latin style that Argentinians like, the appropriate gastronomic proposal, the animation, the cordial and warm treatment with guests stand out.

The season is a success: “The ships are leaving practically 100%,” adds Filadoro.

“(The cruise) is a ideal product for a wide range of audiences“: families, fifteen-year-olds, single people, young adults who want to have fun with friends and corporate groups,” explains Fernando Joselevich, Country Manager Argentina & Latam at Costa Cruises, emphasizing the versatility that cruises offer due to the large number of proposals on board. .

He format is similar to that of an all inclusive: “By having the possibility of contracting most of the benefits in advance, you have complete control of expenses during the trip, since the packages include meals, drinks and activities. Passengers know in advance that the services they will receive will not change in price or quality,” explains Joselevich.

Beyond the activities that one wants to choose from the on-board agenda, there are unmissable moments: the departure, when the ship leaves Buenos Aires (or a few days later, when it arrives early in the morning) and a sunset at sea, any day of sailing.