Debunking Another One of the World’s Worst Rated Cruise Videos
A common theme in the YouTube creator community is to make videos rating experiences with horrible online reviews.
Of course, these creators have started seeking out cruises with harsh online ratings to see if they are as bad as people say they are.
Recently, Josh from the channel @TheBurntChip decided to take matters into his own hands by taking his first-ever cruise on Costa Cruises’ Costa Toscana.
He starts off the video by sharing many online reviews claiming the cruise line is crowded, disgusting, and that people do not like the fact that one of the ships sank in 2012.
After boarding the ship with his friend Alfred, they noted the embarkation process was pretty smooth compared to what they expected after reading reviews.
Seeing as their cabin was not quite ready yet, the pair decided to head to the buffet to get something to eat.
The buffet itself was very busy, and people were pushing others around to try to get food, an experience that is not unusual on embarkation day.
Most passengers who have boarded are coming from a morning filled with travel, with some even fresh off flights, so of course, the logical thing would be to grab a complimentary meal.
Josh and Alfred finally were able to get food after a long wait, which ended up looking and tasting a bit underwhelming, though they remained hopeful that the more upscale dinners they had planned would be better.
When the cabin was finally ready, the door was fully open and they walked in to find only a single bed — unfortunately, Josh thought, based on the pictures while booking, that they would have two.
Costa Cruises does allow for king-size beds to be split upon request, replacing them with two twin-size beds, which can easily be achieved by speaking with the assigned room steward.
Pro tip here is always to read what you are booking closely to guarantee it is the accommodations you need or to figure out what your options are once onboard.
Read Also: What Are the Best Rooms on a Cruise Ship?
They were also disappointed that the casino was closed, but the cruise line details on its website state that it opens only when the ship is sailing.
The rest of the content features the creator’s experiences at parties, dinners, and even some of the ports they visited.
Unfortunately, the duo frequently harp on the fact that the ship has a 1-star review. Here is where some myth-busting comes in!
The 6,600-passenger Costa Toscana has a 2.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, which is not nearly as low as was claimed.
This is also based on only 470 reviews, which would account for less than 0.004% of passengers to ever go on this vessel. It is safe to say this is not a great sample size to go off of.
Another thing that Josh and Alfred frequently mention is that reviews warn fellow passengers about the extra expenses when it comes to internet coverage and drinks.
With a small amount of research, they could have learned that Costa Cruises offers drink and WiFi packages as most cruise lines do! Drink packages start at as low as $25 a day, and Wi-Fi packages start at as low as $7.50 a day.
Finally, they were expecting overcrowding and long lines, which is not unusual for these larger modern vessels. Thankfully, there is an easy solution — cruise on a smaller ship rather than go on the ninth largest in the world.
The video shows Josh and Alfred seemingly having a great cruising experience, though they ultimately left a 1.5-star review, which is nowhere to be found on TripAdvisor.
Hopefully, they had a better experience than they admitted to online.
What is the Deal with these Bad Reviews?
You may have seen many of these kinds of videos popping up recently, as more creators are investigating cruises with low ratings.
As the internet goes though, much of this content is clickbait to get viewers’ attention. It is working, as Josh’s new video, posted on March 20, 2025, already has 1 million views.
However, it begs the question, how much is too much when it comes to this kind of content?
Fellow YouTuber Tonio Guajardo made a similar video back in February to see if Margaritaville at Sea’s Paradise was as bad as the online reviews suggested — and was ultimately pleasantly surprised by the cruising experience.
Just days before that, Jack Pembrook posted a video about “the cruise from Hell” he took on Carnival Conquest, an experience that also ended up being enjoyable despite reviews saying otherwise.
The good news is that there is a cruise for everyone — and if you are looking for specific amenities, packages, itineraries, or even all-inclusive experiences, there is no lack of options to choose from.
Many reviews online rave about the 186,364 gross ton Costa Toscana, proving the ship may not be everyone’s favorite but it still is enjoyable for others.
At the end of the day, do not let reviews make your cruise any less fun than it should be!
Debunking Another One of the World’s Worst Rated Cruise Videos