Costa Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, is renowned for offering affordable cruise holidays across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and South America, with full-board cabins starting from as little as £50 per night. Even the drinks packages are cheap, with unlimited beverages costing £59 for two nights. However, the Italian cruise operator has recently introduced a strict €60 (£51) cleaning charge for guests found with buffet food inside their cabins.
Massive Ships and High Consumption
Among its largest ships are the Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana, which can each carry up to 6,500 passengers and serve up to 50,000 plates of food a day. In fact, passengers are said to consume more than 500kg of pasta and 1,500 bottles of prosecco daily on these vessels. Yet, passengers now appear to be under closer watch when leaving the buffet area, according to a recent notice sent to guests on board one of Costa Cruises' ships.
New Policy Details
In the letter, the cruise line explained that taking food into cabins, pool areas, public lounges, or other indoor spaces is strictly forbidden for health and hygiene reasons. "All food must be consumed exclusively in designated dining areas," the notice states, as reported by Crew Center. Costa said the policy aims to prevent food contamination and reduce the risk of parasites, all while maintaining high cleanliness standards across its fleet.
In response, Costa Cruises told Fox News Digital: "On a limited number of specific sailings, onboard communication was shared as a preventive and deterrent measure, in line with our existing policies, to encourage guests to have responsible behaviour. Costa Cruises remains committed to ensuring a high-quality, safe and enjoyable experience for all guests on board."
Mixed Reactions from Passengers
So far, Costa Cruises appears to be the only cruise line enforcing this specific rule, and the policy has sparked mixed reactions from passengers. Under an Instagram post, one person who appeared to support the change commented: "I say good, nothing worse than plates and cups lining the hallways, it's not a good look. Never ever in 47 cruises needed to take food to my cabin." Another chimed: "All cruise lines should do this because there are a lot of idiots that pile plates in the hallways on the floor instead of leaving them in their cabins. A lot of times, they would put them in front of someone else’s door." A third added: "Now other people are going to place their plates in front of their neighbors door to avoid the fines."
However, one person argued: "Let people eat where they want. Collect the dishes. It's a cost. Bear it and pass it on to the cruiser. But these kinds of policies with policing never end well for the company." Another said: "This is not room service if you are getting it yourself. I do it all the time and take back to my balcony room so I don’t have to sit with loads of people coughing everywhere and have a relaxed meal. Plus sometimes there are no decent seats free."
Past Controversies
Costa Cruises has come under fire in the past. In 2012, the Costa Concordia tragically ran aground off the coast of Isola del Giglio in Italy, partially sinking and resulting in 32 deaths. The captain, who left the ship before the evacuation was complete, was imprisoned for 16 years for manslaughter. It was later rumoured that a huge shipment of mafia cocaine had been on board (although it was never discovered) – which hardly helped the liner's name, either. Journalist Samantha Rea also recently went on a Costa cruise for the Daily Mail and discovered how the company's app has a 'chat' function being used for extremely X-rated antics.
