phider
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Posts posted by phider
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I realise that this is quite a late post following on from the others, but having read all the information from other cruisers about this package have decided it is definitely worth it. so, into the costa website, into our booking and try to book it. nothing. the website brings up a window saying request is being processed then nothing. there is a basket showing, which i presume will contain what you have bought and also presume you the checkout and pay, much as you would do with any online shop. unfortunately, the basket will not open so that i can proceed to payment. have tried to do this 3 times, and with two different browsers. no joy. has anyone else had any problems with purchasing anything, drinks or shore trips with costas website. i have made sure i am registered in the correct country (uk), but this simply does not seem to want to work. am i missing something here, doing something wrong, or is the website just useless.
Just an idea, have you considered calling Costa directly? I know it's a wild fetched idea, but give it a shot. They can actually also add it to your booking.
As an alternative, you can purchase the Extra AI onboard the ship on your embarkation day.
Philip
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Thats the problem really. My wife doesn't drink and will quite happily put away litre bottles of water all through the day. Opting for sparkling in the dining room while I enjoy a glass or 4 or wine. We don't drink much during the day (apart from water that is) and by the looks of it water is by the glass. :(
We generally have a couple of pre dinner drinks but this is not always the case.
We could benefit from the coffee in the morning but at the moment it doesn't look as if it would provide any real saving for us.
Well, then buy a package or two and get it over with.
Philip
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Sorry but thats how it was and the bar tender told us it has just changed recently:confused:
Well, I am not doubting or challenging your statements whatsoever. I can just not relate to your experience from my own experience.
I am sure you have experienced what you state, but I am not too sure if it is because your expectations are far from mine, if you are more sensitive than me or if there can be such a vast difference between service levels across their ships.
Philip
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I'll tell you what...... I'm still none the wiser. :confused:
To AI or not to AI?
I suppose I need to break down what sort of usage I am expecting to get from it?
Have you looked at the bar menu posted on this thread several times. I think that will give you the complete overview of how many drinks you need to purchase to break even with the 19.50 euro pppd.
Philip
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Just back from 20 nights on Favolosa
It is so good to get a decent cup of tea I must say! I agree with the previous poster - the teabags are awful! The water from the machine is never hot enough so that makes a difference too. We ordered tea from the bar service on our all inclusive package and it was ok. They came with a pot of very hot water and a tea bag each.
As regards wine at dinner on our cruise. Hmmm! No chance of a bottle being left anywhere near us - or at any table around us. It was even difficult to get a top up some nights! Our waiters were really good with everything else but they really held back on the wine pouring. On several occasions my husband had to ask for another glass.
This is all part of the cut backs. It was also annoying to only be given half a can of diet soda in a small glass when you asked for a coke. Always ask for a big one - with NO ice then you will get a decent measure!! Same with water!
A bar tender told us that this is now the policy because passengers wasted so many drinks when on the all inc. They would ask for a bottle of water, take 2 sips from it and then leave it - same with cans of soda.
Its all very frustrating but the all inclusive is still a great deal - even if you just drink sodas and coffees.
One thing I couldnt get over was the very small glasses of Prosecco they served - like a glass you would get in business class when you fly - really tiny!! They charge 5 euros for this!! I asked for a double prosecco in a wine glass as my drink only lasted a short while and the service is so bad - one time I waited 25 mins to get another!!!
This experience seems very different from my experience on the Deliziosa.
Wine was by the glass, but top ups was urgent and frequent, and it was very easy to get in contact with a waiter, as there was two waiters for every 5 tables! In 12 days, we never had a day where we had to wait more than 5 minutes. One was focusing on delivering food, one was focusing on delivering drinks and removing used plates, e.g. one was the main waiter the second was a waiter assistant.
Prosecco was delivered and poured in normal size restaurant glasses that you expect to have it delivered in. This was the size of glass we was presented with:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prosecco_di_Conegliano_bottle_and_glass.jpg
You always had a choice or still water or bubling water, and the glasses was completely normal sizes that you get in any restaurant on the planet.
The service was top notch and very attentive, and ALWAYS with a smile, and food serving was really fast - there was never more than 5 minutes of downtime between dishes, which was top quality.
Regarding any kind of soda order under the Extra AI. All soda's, such as Coca Cola was delivered to the table with the can (33cl) and a glass, either with ice or without ice depending on your order, which they always asked your preference for.
To summerise - I am having a really hard time to recognise your experience from my own.
Philip
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I don't know if this is the way I thank everyone for their comments on my posting. Someone asked when do we arrive in port, (8:00) and when does our plane leave (11:00). It does appear that with proper planning, we should not have a problem.
-Thank you for the map. It really does show the proximity.
-I guess I was referring to the Extra All Inclusive that seems to cost around Euro 19-20. I guess my question there is that if we have an External Premium cabin that includes a continental breakfast with room service, are we charged for the coffee separately?
-I did not ask questions about Rome and Florence as we've visited those cities several times and will probably just revisit favorite spots. We are clueless regarding Mallorca, Savona, and Marseille and would appreciate suggestions for them.
-Another question: are high seas the rule or the exception during a winter Med. cruise?
Regarding the Extra AI. If it is just normal black coffee in a pot, then no - you will not get charged for it. If it is a Cappuccino or any other kind of special coffee, you will be charged for it. I have attached the Bar Menu for you. Everything in it, except the ones marked with a red star, is included once you have the 19.50 euro Extra AI.
Ok, cant give any excursion recommendations on Mallorca, Savona, and Marseille.
There are rough seas in these seasons, but usually nothing wild I would say.
Philip
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Yeah!
I've been searching for the current menu for a month.
Sorry to hear that. It's available directly on Costa's website:
http://www.costacrociere.it/B2C/SharedResources/allinclusive/pdf/All-inclusive_premium.pdf
I have attached the menu as well.
Philip
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why do you lie about it? easy enough to prove you a liar:
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=244815
"This went rapidly down hill when we realised Costa had such a bad Smoking Policy. All areas had smoking areas, but the problem was that non-smokers were overwhelmed by the smoke from these areas. Every night we went to our cabin smelling of smoke. I caught a cold after a couple of days, which was made worse by cigarette smoke."
pathetic or would that be pathological?
I think she was just referring to another posters review, and was looking for more reviews of TA cruises. She wasn't the one that posted the review about smoking.
Philip
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I don't understand those reviews about Costa's smoking policy, especially references to it being a Bad policy. Bad for whom? Try and stop being an egocentric person and look at it from other perspectives - just for a short while.
Having said that. I am not a smoker, and I have never had any issues with the smoking on board the Costa ships.
The ventilation system works very well, and I was never bothered with the smell of smoke - I really only noticed it when I was in the Casino, but it was nothing near annoying.
People that write about smoking issues on Costa ships, must be OVERLY sensitive or have a psychological disorder, e.g. just looking at someone smoking makes them smell smoke and cough, even though they are nowhere near the smoke itself.
Regarding the eatery choices. I do agree that I also would like to see Costa do something more in terms of eating options - I guess you can never go too far on that part as a cruise liner. However, I don't understand why people wouldn't opt to use the two specialty restaurants, Samsara and Club. The cover charge of 25 euros pp is a BARGAIN. Switch between the MDR, the Samsara and the Club and you have a lot of verity.
Costa could make a huge difference by logistically planning and placing their buffet stations differently, or separate them with gangway separators. The way they are now, people stand in the buffet queue, just to get to the omelet station and pasta station etc. this is annoying. And it also makes for confusion, as many Brits and Americans thinks that "Europeans" are jumping the queue, when they are in fact just knowing that you don't have to queue for the whole buffet just to get to a specific specialty station.
Gangway separators would be a great introduction, so it would be more visible, that these stations have their own queues, and not and extension to the whole buffet. They would have to come up with a solution as to how you get from the normal buffet queue to the station, to avoid having guests to queue twice.
Philip
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-We have a late morning flight from the Barcelona airport on February 17. Is it possible to keep our luggage with us in our cabin overnight to expedite our debarkation?
You would have to speak with the ship reception once you are on board and ask if they can accommodate your request and whether it is necessary.
Typically, if you don't make special arrangements, they will request you to have your luggage put outside the door on the night before your disembarkation day, before 01:00.
To be honest, if it is necessary, I am sure Costa will be able to do something for you once you are on the ship.
-How long will it take us to get to the airport and what suggestion do you have for transportation...are taxis readily available? I'm really worried about missing our flight!
Costa usually offers shuttle bus transportation from the ship port to the airport at a very little charge - highly recommended. I used it from Savona to Milan and it was perfect.
Call or write an email to Costa for a quote and possibilities. You should have this in place before you embark.
If that turns out not to be an option, taxis in Barcelona is reliable and readily available from the port. The Barcelona airport is practically just besides the ship port, and takes about 30 minutes by taxi.
-If anyone has sailed this route, do you have any advice/suggestions for sightseeing in Palma de Mallorca, Savona, Marseille?
You don't state all your port of calls?
-We are not big drinkers, especially when on high seas. If we just want coffee or tea for breakfast, and maybe one glass of wine, a cocktail or beer for dinner, is it really worth it?
What are we talking about here? The Extra All Inclusive? I would say, if you are a "normal" drinker, it is worth it. If you don't drink anything else but water and juice, its not worth it. Coffee is around 3-6 euros and drinks are around 6-7 euros. It doesn't take much before you at least break even to the 19.50 euros pppd.
I don't think there are any cruise lines that can compete with Costa's drink package and price.
Philip
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i would say that is highly unlikely. they want you ordering (and paying for) room service. fyi - the allegra had kettles and instant coffee. sadly, she was scrapped.
I believe that Samsara and above cabins has kettles in the stateroom:
•Tea kettle and tea cups with selection of ayurvedic tea filters
Philip
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i would say that is highly unlikely. they want you ordering (and paying for) room service. fyi - the allegra had kettles and instant coffee. sadly, she was scrapped.
Premium cabins has free 24h room service. The cost of a premium cabin opposed to a classic cabin is something around 20-40 euros, and gives you many more benefits than just the free 24 room service.
•Privileged cabins in terms of size and position
•Free continental breakfast in your cabin (on request)
•Free service in your cabin
•Option to book dinner for a specific time in the restaurant
•Extra 10% discount on your next cruise in Premium
•Enjoy all the services and facilities available on the ship
CostaClub: accumulation of twice the usual number of points
Philip
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As far as I know, whether you have access to Vesta or Ceres is decided by Costa based on the allocation of your cabin. Also, as far as I know, they serve the same menu, so it would probably mostly be a matter of location.
Alternatives is the Samsara and Club restaurants which costs an additional cover charge of 25 euros pp. Personally, I think it is well worth it, and would recommend going to either of the two besides the main dinning room every second day. The cost is so low, and you get a much more quiet experience, and better food for a very little extra.
Philip
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Holy smokes!!!
Costa replied within five minutes -
"Dear William,
Greetings from Costa!
As exception, just for this booking, we have transferred your booking from Jan 29 to Jan27, 2015.
Updated confirmation letter is sent to you separately.
New booking details..."
I'm astounded (and very happy)! However, I did lose my first choice of stateroom (went from 1109 to 7107)... but that seems a small price to pay for the convenience and the money I'll save not having to travel and spend two nights in hotels.
A+ for Costa's customer service!
Excellent. Glad it worked out with a good solution. Happy sailing.
Philip
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Philip, again thanks for the reply. I am led to believe that we have 10.5 hours from leaving the boat, need to check that though. I have a guide book for Rome but never been there and thought that the boat excursion would save a lot of hassle although it is quite expensive I think.
Do you know if the boat excursions get cheaper the nearer to the cruise or do they stay the same right the way through.
Looking forward to it as we've never cruised before and it's an itch I'd like to scratch as they say. Again thanks.
I understand. No, I have not seen that the excursions get cheaper the closer you get to the departure date of the ship.
Philip
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Here's the crazy part -
I've booked the cruises directly with Costa on their Asia/Pacific site because with single supplement for my Cats. - BP & IP respectively - the Fascinosa cruise is $1000 less than on their U.S. site (or with a TA)... and the neoRomantica is $800 less - they really 'stick it' to Americans & Canadians.
The Fascinosa cruise ends Jan. 27, 2015 at Civitavecchia and the nR is in Civitavecchia on the same day. You'd think this would be perfect - just get off one ship, walk over and get on the other. However, for some reason, you can't book the nR directly with Costa (on any of their sites) from Civitavecchia (only Savona & Marseille)... although U.S. & Canadian TAs can book it from there... for $800 more than I have.
I'd book both cruises out of Savona, but the two ships do not meet there on the same day - the itineraries are such that if I book the Fascinosa out of Savona it arrives back there the day after the nR leaves.
I understand, but call Costa and ask how they can assist you. If they don't, you might reconsider if you have chosen the right liner to go with - I mean - you have booked two consecutive cruises with them, which should warrant them to go a little out of their way to make the switch as easy as possible.
Philip
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Thanks for the info. We are going on the Favolosa. I can book on the Costa site, have been able to since I booked this last September. Have booked the AI already. Embarking from Barcelona and have 4 days there after the cruise. Rome was the big one for us and you are right that it is quite expensive. Basic tour including return trip is around £200 for the family, so it is quite expensive.
Thanks for the info, really appreciated.
Ok. If you decide to DIY for Rome, you will get jumped by external tour sellers and taxi caps twice. Once when you leave the Port Shuttle Bus, which transports you from the ship out of the port area, and second once you leave the shuttle bus area (door to the right of where you get put off from the port shuttle bus).
I would recommend to say NO to any of them. The taxi caps will offer you rides to Rome for around ~150 euros roundtrip, and will sell them as tour excursions to different sites - but none speaks anything near English.
Of course - no one tells you about the 20 euro round trip train option either.
How long do you have at the port from you are able to leave the ship, until you must be back?
By the way - Rome tourist attractions are scuffed with beggars and people that want to sell cheap souvenirs - takes some of the experience in my opinion. Try not to look like tourists if possible.
Philip
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Hi Barante,
Quick question for you. What kind of electrical outlets do they have on the Costa? Is it European 2 prong style 220 V or US 110 V? Just wondering what kind of power adapters we will need to bring. Everything we need to charge will be dual voltage...
Thanks
Here are pictures of the electrical power outlets on the Deliziosa. I don't know if it is applicable throughout their whole fleet.
One is from the cabin, the other from the bathroom. If you need to charge many devices, I would recommend bringing a power extension socket.
Other power sockets around the cabin used to power lamps and the flatscreen panel is European sockets.
Philip
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Here are pictures of the public train ticket from Civitavecchia to Rome (you get two separate tickets, one from Civitavecchia to Rome and one from Rome to Civitavecchia).
I have also included a picture of the shuttle bus tickets you can purchase from the Costa Tour Office on the ship the day before arrival at the Barcelona port. If you buy them from one of the self service portal stands directly with your Costa Cards they look different (its a machine print out from those stands).
Philip
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First time cruiser, so really am a novice. Doing a Med cruise in July. Question is should I book the ships excursions early or leave them to closer to the time of the cruise. We are a family of four with 12 & 16 year old girls. Cruise is Barcelona, Majorca, Ibiza, Cittaveccia, Palermo and Savona. Thanks for any replies.
You probably won't be able to book your excursions yet but closer to 2-3 months prior. The point about booking safely in advance, would be to ensure a spot, but it is possible to book on the ship subject to availability.
Be aware that the Costa excursions are somewhat expensive, and can run you up quite a lot of money. Of course, its relative depending on your pocket, but you could also choose a few specific port of calls where you get on excursions, and do it yourself on the rest.
Rome is 1 hour and 10 minutes away from Civitavecchia by train, and costs 10 euro pp roundtrip. The train station is about 500 meters from the port drop off area (you get driven from the ship disembarkation area out of the port by shuttle bus for free). Once at the Roma Termini, you could opt for the hop on/hop off bus (the completely turn around time for the hop on/hop off bus is around 2 hours and 15 minutes, excluding the time you stay at each spot of course) or simply walk to different sites, such as the Colosseum, which takes about 30-40 minutes on foot or about 8 minutes by taxi and costs about 10 euro.
You should easily be able to do something yourself in Barcelona. Costa provides shuttle busses for 6 euro's per person roundtrip to and from the ship and into city center. You can purchase these tickets directly on the ship at the automatic portal stands or at the Tour Office the day before.
By the way - never buy any souvenirs offered at any tourist locations or street sellers, and don't get lured into having pictures taken by people in costumes (my advice anyways).
When you do things yourself at port of calls, just make sure you're off the ship first thing, so you get as much out of it as possible.
Philip
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Which beers are on the package?
Thank you.
Just got back from the Deliziosa, and it was Carlsberg.
Philip
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Well, since you asked. We'll be boarding the Luminosa for Christmas next week, and I have three questions:
1) Are cappuccinos readily available and included with the AI package?
2) Is there anything to drink that is self serve or does everything require a cruise card and a trip to a bar/counter?
3)Off topic... do you know if there is any type of input connection on the room television(HDMI, composite)? I'm hoping to be able to connect my ipad to it.
Thanks for any info!
1) Yes
2) Regular/Decaf coffee and juice at the buffet and lido area/deck.
3) It's normal flatscreen panels, so it should be possible if you have the appropiate apple kit.
Philip
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Here I am in Singapore typing this in the departure lounge. Over the past three days, the Costa Victoria Internet has been out of service for more than 24 hours. "Temporarily" but repeatedly.
I said earlier that the Victoria's Internet was quite fast. I also reported that it did not tell me how much time I had left. I then apologized for making that claim. I now take that apology back, because the timer works only intermittently. It's also difficult to find; it is not part of the automatic logout process as it is on HAL.
I don't know why we have had these Internet blackouts, but I have idea. The Costa billing system is all screwed up. On our 17-day first leg I bought 10 hours of Internet time but Costa billed me only for 3 euros worth. That's what their record shows.
As a cruiser I am delighted at this bargain. As a Carnival stockholder I am appalled.
While I do like some parts of your blog, please be more observant.
Internet charge on the first day
Regarding the 3 euros on your first day - this is clearly stated as an extra fee when activating the service. The 10 euro's that you are missing will be charged at least the day after. See photo.
Internet minutes used and left
It's part of the navigation start page. You can also choose to bookmark it as a favorite. See photo.
Link to the navigation page (only accessible on-board the ship's wifi for Deliziosa - change according to ship): http://onboardportal.deliziosa.costa.it/Portal/Templates/NavigationDetails.aspx
Internet logout
Just bookmark the page "http://logout.wifi" (only accessible on-board the ship's wifi).
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One thing I will add though, is that their Internet access prices are a complete rip-off.
Philip
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Thanks. I'll take the train(s) and spend the first night in somewhere in Genoa, then splurge for the second at the NH in Savona. It looks like you wake up to a view of your ship a stone's throw away.
Any recommendations for Genoa hotels?
Have you considered asking Costa is they can assist you? You sure the ship isn't continuing to Savona?
Philip
Costa All Inclusive Drinks Package
in Costa Cruises
Posted
Well, good thing you didn't kill yourself then.
Ok. Good for you - if it makes you safe.
Philip