demoiselle

Can anyone help me in figuring out how to make my final payment which is due today? After I log in to my reservation, I do not see anywhere to do this. Also, when I call, they are closed on the weekends. Not sure how I can make final payment if I cannot do it online and I cannot call to speak to someone.

I had that problem, so I called customer service and paid that way.

The dining room I was in had seatings at 6:15 and 9ish.

Also, on non-group cruises, Costa does not have dance hosts per se, but the cruise staff do dance with passengers. Right now they have one woman who's very good, probably silver level, who also does their dance classes. The male staff are generally good enough for the average passenger.

One of the men on the Animation team is a very good Argentine tango dancer. He'd certainly be in the advanced classes at my school.

Dancer Bob, are you going on another Costa cruise on the 21st?

I travelled on this sailing of Costa Deliziosa and enjoyed it quite a lot. There were some problems with the food (I have to eat gluten-free), but they worked with me to get better options. The music options were great, and I loved seeing all the people dancing. The animation team was lovely, gave very enjoyable dance classes, and even danced with me. I'd book on this ship again just for the music, dancing, and animation team.

We were able to find a coffee machine turned on at all hours when we looked. I sometimes got up at 5 AM and would get a coffee and sit out by the back pool. Usually, the coffee machine that was on was the one on the Lido--the center pool.

I'm taking my mother on a cruise on Costa Deliziosa at the end of January, our first mother-daughter vacation in over a decade! We are very much looking forward to it.

Unfortunately, since I booked my doctor has put me on an elimination diet (Autoimmune Protocol), and I will still be on at diet by the time we leave for the cruise.

Costa was able to accommodate me when I was just Gluten-Free. This is a whole new ballpark, however: no sugar, no nuts, no seeds, no seed-based spices, no grains, no nightshades, no preservatives, no corn, no alcohol, no dairy, no oils except olive, coconut and avocado . . . you get the idea. Basically, I can have meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, vegetables and a limited amount of fruit.

I know that someone on a Carnival cruise managed to comply with the AIP diet after meeting with the maitre d and a chef. Do you think Costa will work with me?

I'm also concerned about day trips with provided lunches.

I am so looking forward to this trip, and am sad that I have a complex (medically necessary) situation to deal with.

Can anyone give me input on this itinerary and ship? My mom has been wanting a winter trip to somewhere warm, and a cruise seems like a good option for us since she is older and I think between being on ship and booking excursions with transportation, she could experience more than if we travelled "freestyle."

What are the entertainment options like on board? Are the bands good and receptive to dancers, like they were on Diadema? How are the theatre shows?

Was the food generally OK to Good?

It will be my mom's first cruise. She really wants to see Mayan Ruins (and historical and nature/animal things, more than swimming and beachy-time), so it's a good selection of ports.

Actually, input on Delizioza in general would be good, because there is another cruise on her that I'm considering for later, in the Eastern Mediterranean!

My husband and I (Americans, but rather odd ones) booked Costa for our second cruise, after enjoying our first on Carnival Fascination. As much as we enjoyed that Carnival cruise, we felt we were not the right demographic--the music was too loud, the "fun ship" thing was a bit too much for us, there was too much smoke in the bars, and we were disappointed because we had hoped for better music and dancing opportunities (our fantasy was to dance every night--partner dancing like swing and tango, salsa and chacha). Carnival had great service and food, and we liked a lot, but it wasn't "us." (Though I doubt that would stop me from booking another cruise on them someday).

Costa was recommended for the dancing and music, and we were delighted. The vibe was much more sophisticated, volumes were a bit lower, smoking inside the ship was not permitted except in a sealed cigar lounge. The food was Ok to Good, with maybe one bad meal for each of us over a week. In the end, that is a price we are willing to pay again to get to experience the live musicians playing music we can dance to (and even doing so on purpose, after seeing what we liked to dance!).

Costa Diadema was a very good deal in terms of the price we paid versus the value we received. It did not bother hubby and I at all that we were in the minority of English speakers--we mostly like to spend time with each other, relax, read, eat nice (or nice enough) food, and dance together. Staff was not pushy in trying to sell us extras, which was appreciated (and we spent more on the ship as a result).

We did not find Costa Diadema disorganized. Everything flowed very well. There was a tendency for people not to respect queues which grated, but that is a cultural difference that American visitors have to accept.

I don't know what Royal Caribbean is like. I wish I could offer more direct comparisons.

I would like to book another Costa Cruise, but was interested in doing it through Expedia. Can anyone tell me if I will still get the Water USA package if I am an American booking via Expedia?

I also want to join the Costa Club, but the website is giving me trouble . . . it won't accept my registration. Frustrating!

We love coffee, but we didn't have a drinks package so we got espresso on shore as part of our sightseeing. We miss it badly (especially with the jetlag)!

Hubby and I are very sensitive to smoke and it can drive us out of rooms. We had no problems with smoking on Costa Diadema, as it was only allowed outdoors. There were a couple venues where some lingering smoke was noticeable around the doors, but we could always find smoke-free places both inside and outside.

It's always nice when OPs report back after their cruise, especially if they liked it. Makes answering questions all the more worth while.

 

Thanks

Aw! Thanks! I wrote the above message while working, so I couldn't say much, but I think it would be worthwhile for me to come back and answer my own questions from when I started this thread:

1. Hubby and I love dancing, especially tango, though we also dance various other ballroom and social styles. Are there venues we should check out on the ship?

Most nights, we had no shortage of opportunities to dance and were limited only by how tired we were from walking around all day sightseeing. One night out of seven had rather little music that appealed to my husband, but every other night we were able to dance if we wanted.

There were at least five dance floors, three of which we danced on more than once. Diadema had a variety of live musicians and all were (in my opinion) very enjoyable. The best venue for us ended up being the Country Rock club, where both groups played a lot of music we could swing to, plus some cha-cha, rumba, and a couple numbers we could do tango to (they were "alternative" to be sure, rather than classical).

The Grand Bar had a very nice trio and a busy dance floor, though there was more bachata and merengue than we liked (since we don't really dance them) along with waltz, quickstep, swing, tango, cha cha and more. Some nights the floor was even a bit crowded--so nice and unexpected!

The Project Band in the Theodora Lounge was also very good, and though some of their sets were better for listening than dancing, we got in some tango, swing, and cha-cha at this venue as well.

In short, Costa Diadema was a big hit for us in terms of live music and opportunities to dance. We will certainly be doing Costa cruises in the future.

2. We have only been on a relatively small ship (900ish passengers). What can we do to take advantage of being on such a large ship and to get the most out of our time in ports?

We needn't have worried--Costa dealt with the number of passengers with ease and we were rarely in line for more than a few minutes to get on or off the ship.

3. I unfortunately cannot eat wheat anymore. I saw on Costa's site that they can accommodate special dietary needs . . . but I'm uncertain how to let them know that I have some. Do I need to do this in advance?

I called ahead and informed Costa that I required gluten-free food, and reaffirmed when we arrived and in the dining room.

Overall, food was OK but not as amazingly good as when we were on Carnival Fascination. To compare is a little unfair, because when I was on Carnival I could still eat wheat, but my husband tried all my dishes and we agreed about the experience. His food and my "special diet" fare were basically equal in quality, and every night at dinner I had two to three options for the appetizers and main dishes.

For breakfast, I had the option of going to one of the restaurants where they would bring up a special plate with gluten-free breads, cookies, cake and pastries. There was also a buffet with fruit and similar fare to what was on the main buffet on the Lido. Hubby found the regular pastries in the breakfast restaurant less fresh than in the main buffet, so I ended up assuming the "risk" of eating some wheat accidentally and had my corn flakes, fruit and cheese in the main dining hall, forgoing the gluten-free breakfast.

I also had the option to have a gluten-free lunch on board, but during limited hours, in the same restaurant. We went there only once, during our sea day, because we were on shore at lunch time most days and got back to the ship too late for the restaurant. The time we went we had a nice sit-down lunch, and I had my own menu to choose from. We were pleased with it, but the limited hours meant that I did get a late lunch at the buffet (again, at my own risk of being cross-contaminated). There were enough non-wheat options for me most days.

I am wheat-sensitive, not allergic or celiac, so I had more freedom in my eating because all I risked was a bad tummy ache. I think Costa did very well for me, and could only wish for longer hours for lunch so I could have taken advantage of the gluten-free menu more often.

Food was the weakest point of the cruise for us, but it was still satisfactory to good.

4. What are the best smoke-free places to hang out? We don't intend to spend much time in our cabins, and we love to sit out, relax and read.

Hubby and I had absolutely no problem finding smoke-free places to hang out, both inside and outside.

Costa suited me and hubby much better than Carnival did (though we enjoyed that cruise, too). We loved the sophisticated feel, the live music and dancing, and the smoke-free venues. We didn't mind being in the minority as English speakers, and we had no problems communicating with staff.

Thanks to everyone who

I am interested in taking my mother (who is 75) on her first cruise this winter, someplace warmer than upstate NY. So far, I have only cruised with my husband, and we of course shared a cabin. That is probably not a good idea with my mother, who is an extreme introvert with a different sleeping pattern from me.

I am not an experienced cruiser, having only been on two in the past. Are there good ways to get deals for adjoining cabins, or are we doomed to pay more than 2x as much?

We recently returned from our cruise on the Diadema and had a wonderful time! We especially appreciated the live music and busy dance floors.

Alas for me, I cannot eat wheat so I suppose I won't be having the fantastic pasta. :'(

Nevertheless, we are very excited about the upcoming departure!

i cant say it better myself - so true

We actually prefer to NOT go back to an American bubble when we travel, so I guess we will be OK!

Dancer Bob, you actually were the one who recommended that my husband and I check out Costa for a future cruise after we returned from our first ever cruise on Carnival. :-)

We dance Argentine tango, and really like alternative tango. However, we dance a number of other styles (less well). The opportunity to dance will be much appreciated--we missed that on the Carnival cruise.

Thank you so much for all the information! We are very excited about the cruise and hope we can dance the nights away.

Greetings!

My husband and I have recently booked an interior room on Diadema for late September. This will be our second ever cruise (our first was in the Caribbean last winter on Carnival Fascination) and I am looking for any advice to make our trip more enjoyable and smoother. I have several questions:

1. Hubby and I love dancing, especially tango, though we also dance various other ballroom and social styles. Are there venues we should check out on the ship?

2. We have only been on a relatively small ship (900ish passengers). What can we do to take advantage of being on such a large ship and to get the most out of our time in ports?

3. I unfortunately cannot eat wheat anymore. I saw on Costa's site that they can accommodate special dietary needs . . . but I'm uncertain how to let them know that I have some. Do I need to do this in advance?

4. What are the best smoke-free places to hang out? We don't intend to spend much time in our cabins, and we love to sit out, relax and read.

We are very excited to be going on this cruise, though I was nervous booking Costa after reading so many negative reviews. I am hopeful that it will be a good experience, nonetheless.

Why do you think Costa is basically Carnival? Is it because it is owned by Carnival Corporation. If that's the case you will have to rule out Holland America, Princess, Cunard, P & O, AIDA, and Seabourn. They are all owned by Carnival Corporation. Each line is run differently, focusing on a different segment of the cruising public.

I'm not ruling anything out based on who owns what cruise line--and I enjoyed Carnival and would book with them again, even though I didn't feel like I was an ideal patron.

I am very, very new to cruising and am just learning the reputations of different cruise lines. The guidebook I had with me on the trip said Costa was a Carnival-like experience with an Italian flair. It surprised me that it was recommended to me because I asked for advice partly because hubby and I like social/partner dancing, and Carnival didn't really have enough opportunities for us.

It looks like the book I had mischaracterized Costa.

Most of these posts are just plain wrong. Holland America- no! I'm only 67, I hope I've got 30 more years before I fit in there. Anyway, latest information, their refurbished ships, my travel agent says he won't book dance groups. Celebrity and Princess a bit more lively, but don't expect much dancing, either ballroom or tango. NCL and RCL, more or less direct competition to Carnival.

I'm guessing at your budget from NCL and MSC prices, amount of vacation from your ages, and I assume you mean Argentine Tango.

Cunard is probably out of your budget and the music is unreliable- my last experience on Queen Elizabeth excellent tempos, but other times everything was awkward and inconvenient. MSC Divina has tile dance floors, the music was also unreliable.

Costa is best if you can travel off-season. Avoid European school vacations, most travel agents are completely ignorant of Costa.

A specialist travel agent might be a good choice. Many are expensive, the one I travel with mainly does dance weekends in the Catskills but one cruise per year. She's already booked Costa Deliziosa for Jan 2018.

Dancer_Bob, Costa looks like a possibly good match for us . . . but I'm unnerved by the many negative comments! Any insights?

Most of these posts are just plain wrong. Holland America- no! I'm only 67, I hope I've got 30 more years before I fit in there. Anyway, latest information, their refurbished ships, my travel agent says he won't book dance groups. Celebrity and Princess a bit more lively, but don't expect much dancing, either ballroom or tango. NCL and RCL, more or less direct competition to Carnival.

I'm guessing at your budget from NCL and MSC prices, amount of vacation from your ages, and I assume you mean Argentine Tango.

Cunard is probably out of your budget and the music is unreliable- my last experience on Queen Elizabeth excellent tempos, but other times everything was awkward and inconvenient. MSC Divina has tile dance floors, the music was also unreliable.

Costa is best if you can travel off-season. Avoid European school vacations, most travel agents are completely ignorant of Costa.

A specialist travel agent might be a good choice. Many are expensive, the one I travel with mainly does dance weekends in the Catskills but one cruise per year. She's already booked Costa Deliziosa for Jan 2018.

Greetings, Dancer_Bob! Thank you for your feedback. I think I know the dance-weekends-in-the-Catskills group of which you speak.

You probably have a good grasp of our hypothetical budget, too. We're on the cusp of moving from 3 to 4 weeks of vacation per year, and want to be able to afford to go to interesting places for all those weeks, while still taking dance classes weekly. In order to feel able to do both, we'd probably need to be conservative about how much we spend on each trip.

Yes, we dance a lot of Argentine tango, which is our favorite. We also enjoy swing (Lindy Hop). We can hover around advanced-beginner, low-intermediate for other dances, mostly American style/social ballroom and latin. Quickstep and Viennese Waltz remain a bit beyond our comfort. We know some hustle, but my husband doesn't care for it (too bad for me).

Costa as a suggestion surprises me--isn't it basically Carnival?

Talking to my husband, we'll probably end up keeping an eye on good deals for Celebrity and Princess (especially if there are deals out of NYC's port) and MSC. Frankly, we were overall satisfied with what we got for the price on Carnival, so we may end up sailing on them (or NCL) again if we see a good deal!

The biggest unfilled desire for my husband is probably drift from smoking and a wish for more vegetarian food (though he's not actually a vegetarian).

I didn't encounter any aggressive panhandlers on our recent cruise, stopping in St. Martin, St Kitts, Barbados, St Lucia, San Juan, and St Thomas.

In Barbados we got a bit off the beaten path in Bridgetown, and felt very conspicuous, but didn't have a problem. We did return to the tourist area as quickly as possible. The taxi drivers at the Barbados port were very aggressive with their hard sell and would follow you with their pitches, even if you kept walking.

We didn't see any violence or encounter any crime.

I live in NYC, btw.

Are you encountering a lot of drift from smoking areas into other areas?

Fascination had one movie and one tv show playing on loop over the TVs, changing every 24 hours. Hubby and I considered watching Force Awakens, but we're not big movie people so we didn't see what else was playing.

Thank you so much! Your commentary about smoking on the ships is much appreciated. I can tolerate it to some degree, but even smoke drifting from other areas makes my husband flee immediately. It really limited our ability to enjoy the bars and lounges.