Boarding time for a 12 noon departure from Dubai on Costa Mediterranea?

Dear expert cruisers,

We need to disembark MSC Splendida at Dubai & simultaneously board the Costa Mediterranea at Dubai itself for a back to back cruise.

The MSC Splendida will arrive in Dubai 1 day before disembarkation (and stay overnight in Dubai).

0) Costa departs at 12 noon, so what time do we need to board?

1) Will Dubai arrival immigration be done on the day of arrival of MSC in Dubai or the morning of disembarkation (next day)?

2) How long will it take to disembark MSC Splendida with 4000 passengers?

3) What is the earliest time we can disembark, without any VIP status?

4) Is it possible for us to carry off our own bags & quickly walk to the Costa ship in the same port of Dubai to reach Costa at least 2 hrs before departure time (12 noon)?

Thanks, drsel

What are the actual arrival and departure dates of the ships?

Would be very interesting in getting a review comparing MSC and Costa.

Sure I will oblige. But there's already a comparison on cruise critic

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Also wondering if I should do a 2nd week on the huge MSC SPLENDIDA or switch to Costa Mediterranea, for different shows, entertainment and activities

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Also wondering if I should do a 2nd week on the huge MSC SPLENDIDA or switch to Costa Mediterranea, for different shows, entertainment and activities

 

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As the old saying goes "Variety is the spice of life".

Just wondering if 7n is enough to fully explore and enjoy all the activities and facilities on such a large ship MSC SPLENDIDA

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Or would 14 nights on Splendida be overkill

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I personally would do both ships. Costa and MSC have a very similar product, doing both would help you to decide your future cruising.

With regards Dubai, Splendida is two days in port and Mediterranea 3 3 days in port, with about 36 hours overlapping. On our Costa cruise immigration was done before arrival. You can leave the ships at anytime with your own luggage (check with Costa as to the earliest time you can board).

There is never any rush to leave the ships, as aircraft are departing 24h ad ay from Dubai, so things are spread out.

I don't know how far apart the ships will be docked, there are always taxis available 24h.

Thanks, I will follow your advice and do both. We will need to leave MSC SPLENDIDA by 8am to make sure we board Costa before 10am

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My Dubai cruise next March, the cabin is shown as available from 20.00 the evening prior.

20.00 the previous night on Costa Mediterranea or MSC Splendida? We need to disembark MSC SPLENDIDA quickly. I don't think Costa allows boarding 1 night earlier (for free)

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Mediterranea. I was on MSC Divina once, I found the entertainment considerably inferior to Costa.

Costacruiseasia.com said boarding time is 8.30--10.00am same day, athough the Mediterranea is in Dubai the previous day also.

If they allow boarding the previous night, are they giving you 8 nights instead of 7 ?

Kindly compare the entertainment of MSC vs Costa.

Can U please upload the daily bulletin of any cruise?

Thanks so much, drsel

From the satellite photos it looks like you can walk between ships. I'm booked 7 days from Mar 02, although you could also book 7 days from 03 Mar (I'm with a group, then staying on for the repositioning).

MSC Divina, Caribbean a couple of years ago, as far as I can recall: Ship appeared to be a Fincantieri build, same class as Costa Serena (next size up from Vista class. Mediterranea is older Vista design, I believe last Vista built in Finland).

Main Lounge (Black and White?) dance floor reasonably large, but tile. Musicians were pretty good but contract ended, being replaced by a Caribbean group, I doubt an improvement. There was a large Armenian group which took over the lounge in the evenings, I was told most sailings had a large group. Most uncomfortable lounge furniture I can ever recall, picked for pretty pictures, not passenger comfort.

Other lounge, very forgettable, so-called dance floor was actually a corridor. Very forgettable music, the highlight of the evening was Duelling Pianos. Also very uncomfortable furniture.

Nothing memorable anywhere else, pretty much lowest-common-denominator, not much different from an American ship.