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food on Costa Victoria


aliceatsea
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we are first time Costa cruisers for the Singapore Saverno repo cruise on the Victoria in Feb 2018. We have previously cruised on MSC Sinfonia, and that is all we have to make comparisons with. I've read a lot of reviews that trash Costa on their food.... but then I have also read many reviews trashing Sinfonia, and we thought it was the height of luxury and the food was amazing!!! I guess we are not very discerning!:'):'):')

 

Anyhow...... some practical questions:

 

1. does Costa do local-inspired menus.... eg when in Malaysia will we get Malaysian dishes, in India will we get curries, etc. I do understand that it is an Italian line, and the food will have an overall Italian theme.

 

2. Is food available 24 hrs? On MSC you could find SOMETHING to eat almost around the clock. I have heard that dining times in the buffet are less on Costa.

 

3. I've read several complaints about breakfasts on Costa. Can someone tell me, roughly, what is actually served in the buffet for breakfast?

 

thanks! we are pretty easy going and I'm sure we will have an awesome time whatever, but would just like to have realistic expectations....

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Hi Aliceatsea

 

We are regular Costa cruisers and have not been on any other lines. We have not been on the Victoria as yet but hope to go in February next year just prior to the repo.

 

The food in the MDR would be mainly Italian. There are various courses and the portions are not massive but I think just about the right size. This applies to lunch and supper. Lunch has a slightly slightly smaller menu than supper. There will usually be a starter, followed by a pasta course, then a main, salad, cheese and dessert in the evenings. We tend to have a starter or pasta, main and either a dessert or cheese. They do not serve coffee in the MDR after the meal.

 

We were on the NeoClassica February this year. The itinerary included India, Maldives and Sri Lanka. The menus were still Italian but they had curry in the buffet lunch times. We did not eat in the buffet in the evenings so I can't comment on that. They also had a buffet with curry in the MDR lunch times and these were absolutely divine.

 

Once again cannot comment on breakfast on the Victoria. On the other ships you will have the option to go to MDR for breakfast. They have "breakfasts of the world" or something of the sort. So you could have an English(bacon , sausage, eggs , beans) , American (pancakes with blueberry), Belgian (waffles) etc. You can also have eggs benedict, omelettes, scrambled egg. They also usually have buffet items in the MDR.

 

The breakfast buffet is continental style on most of the ships. No hot food but amazing pastries, fresh fruit, cheese and cold meats. On the NeoClassica it was possible to get fried eggs, omelettes and a few other bits from the grilling area where they did hamburgers lunch times. We really enjoyed these.

 

There is no 24hr food. To be honest this does not bother us because we don't eat 24 hours of the day. There is an afternoon tea usually between 4 and 5 when they serve filled buns, little cakes etc. We rarely have anything during this time either. On the India cruise they had some exotic looking fruit during this time as well. I had guavas for the first time in years as you don't really find them in the UK.

 

When on the Med cruises they usually serve some international dishes in the buffet lunch times. Look in the Diario di Bordo and just walk up and down the various stations. They don't always serve exactly the same stuff at every serving station.

 

I hope you enjoy your Costa cruise. If I can help with other questions please ask.

 

We are off again this Sunday and I cannot wait!

 

Alicat

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Hi again

 

I see in your other thread that you are South Africa. Where do you live? I was born there and moved to the UK nearly 18 years ago.

 

Your exchange rates are diabolical I agree. I thought that things are much more expensive in South Africa these days. I was in Kimberley earlier this year and was shocked at the prices. Broke my heart to pay R100 for about 200g of biltong for my vegetarian daughter!:D

 

The drinks packages are cheaper on Costa than on other lines. Very few cabins have coffee making facilities. We have been in a couple of suites(upgrades) and they had coffee pod machines. They were not free. I think they were 1.50 euro each. I have yet to see a kettle in a cabin.

 

Alicat

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2. Is food available 24 hrs? On MSC you could find SOMETHING to eat almost around the clock. I have heard that dining times in the buffet are less on Costa.

 

3. I've read several complaints about breakfasts on Costa. Can someone tell me, roughly, what is actually served in the buffet for breakfast?

2. The open times of MDR, buffet and grill will be stated in the daily program, rough idea of opening times:

Breakfast MDR 08:00 - 09:30

Breakfast buffet: 06:30 - 07:30 early risers

07:30 - 10:00 normal breakfast

10:00 - 11.00 late risers

Lunch MDR 12:00 - 13:30

Lunch buffet: 12:00 - 14:30

High Tea: 16:00 - 17:00

Dinner MDR: two sittings 18:00 and 20:30

Dinner buffet: 18:00 - 21:00

Pool Grill 1200 - 20:00

Pizzeria: Don't know if Victoria has one or if it is free or chargeable.

 

 

3. Several years ago the food on Costa took a dive for the worst, but opver the last couple of years it has improved vastly.

 

I have aquestion for you. On the MSC forum, they often comment on the fact that All Inclusive Drinks Packages are not availale on SA cruises (including repo), the reason being South Africans used to drink the ships dry. True.;p

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Cheeky comment about South Africans and their drinking habits coming from someone who lives in Bavaria and needs to attend lots of Beer fests to get ready for the cold winter;p.

 

Oh Yes, another cruise! I only work so I can go on cruises and holidays. Can see the point of it otherwise.

 

Alicat

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2. The open times of MDR, buffet and grill will be stated in the daily program, rough idea of opening times:

Breakfast MDR 08:00 - 09:30

Breakfast buffet: 06:30 - 07:30 early risers

07:30 - 10:00 normal breakfast

10:00 - 11.00 late risers

Lunch MDR 12:00 - 13:30

Lunch buffet: 12:00 - 14:30

High Tea: 16:00 - 17:00

Dinner MDR: two sittings 18:00 and 20:30

Dinner buffet: 18:00 - 21:00

Pool Grill 1200 - 20:00

Pizzeria: Don't know if Victoria has one or if it is free or chargeable.

 

 

3. Several years ago the food on Costa took a dive for the worst, but opver the last couple of years it has improved vastly.

 

I have aquestion for you. On the MSC forum, they often comment on the fact that All Inclusive Drinks Packages are not availale on SA cruises (including repo), the reason being South Africans used to drink the ships dry. True.;p

 

 

well, that's sounds quite reasonable. I was just wondering, on the At Sea days, if you sleep until 10am..... do you miss out on breakfast and have to wait until lunch? :o Or, if you get back to the ship late afternoon after an excursion, and you've missed lunbch and are starving ..... do you have to wait til 6pm when the buffet opens? :eek: But .... it sounds like there is something open somewhere for most of the time.

 

Re the South African drinks packages...... I have never done a local cruise. Both times we did a repo cruise starting in Italy, so it was classed as a "European cruise" with the same packages available as in the Med. I really don't know about the local cruises, but it wouldn't surprise me. I have heard stories about passengers embarking to find nothing left in the bars from the previous cruise...... Many of our locals will drink the ship dry and then behave very badly :(:mad::rolleyes:

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Hi Aliceatsea

.......

 

Once again cannot comment on breakfast on the Victoria. On the other ships you will have the option to go to MDR for breakfast. They have "breakfasts of the world" or something of the sort. So you could have an English(bacon , sausage, eggs , beans) , American (pancakes with blueberry), Belgian (waffles) etc. You can also have eggs benedict, omelettes, scrambled egg. They also usually have buffet items in the MDR.

 

The breakfast buffet is continental style on most of the ships. No hot food but amazing pastries, fresh fruit, cheese and cold meats. On the NeoClassica it was possible to get fried eggs, omelettes and a few other bits from the grilling area where they did hamburgers lunch times. We really enjoyed these.

 

 

We are off again this Sunday and I cannot wait!

 

Alicat

 

Hi Alice! :D

 

thanks, this food sounds awesome to me... and very similar to what is served on MSC. I'm not sure why ppl have complained so much about food on Costa, what you described seems perfect.

 

Have an awesome cruise..... let us know how it went!

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Cheeky comment about South Africans and their drinking habits coming from someone who lives in Bavaria and needs to attend lots of Beer fests to get ready for the cold winter;p.

 

Oh Yes, another cruise! I only work so I can go on cruises and holidays. Can see the point of it otherwise.

 

Alicat

 

LOL. Unfortunately he is quite right..... Saffas can easily drink a ship dry:rolleyes:

 

we are fairly new to cruising, butr I could get used to this lifestyle ... so far it's 3 in 3 years. Hubby is the one who has to work..... he says he only works to keep my horses, but how he can add cruising to the list of necessities:')

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Hi again

 

I see in your other thread that you are South Africa. Where do you live? I was born there and moved to the UK nearly 18 years ago.

 

Your exchange rates are diabolical I agree. I thought that things are much more expensive in South Africa these days. I was in Kimberley earlier this year and was shocked at the prices. Broke my heart to pay R100 for about 200g of biltong for my vegetarian daughter!:D

 

The drinks packages are cheaper on Costa than on other lines. Very few cabins have coffee making facilities. We have been in a couple of suites(upgrades) and they had coffee pod machines. They were not free. I think they were 1.50 euro each. I have yet to see a kettle in a cabin.

 

Alicat

 

We are in Pietermaritzburg, or just outside of - we farm here. Hubby is ex-Zim. Yep, things have gotten expensive here, and continue to go up and up.... Somehow we just keep "making a plan" ..... Your biltong was a rip off though..... it's usually R150 - R200/kg! How did your vegetarian daughter like it?? :o:')

 

I'm going to take my Minipresso.... what can they do? I just cant pay R100 for a coffee ... or R10k each for a Brindisi :eek:

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Hi Alice

 

Just about to start packing. Took the cats to the cat hotel because they get upset when they see the cases.

 

The vegetarian ate so much biltong on that short trip it was unreal. She also caved in when she was offered boerewors. Going back to her roots I supposed. She loves meat but with her it is a moral thing. Such a pain Christmas time!

 

We are totally addicted to cruising. It is easier now that our daughter is off our hands. You can see when she left!

 

Well, I am off to do the packing. Will over pack as usual.

 

Riana

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Hi Alice

 

Just about to start packing. Took the cats to the cat hotel because they get upset when they see the cases.

 

The vegetarian ate so much biltong on that short trip it was unreal. She also caved in when she was offered boerewors. Going back to her roots I supposed. She loves meat but with her it is a moral thing. Such a pain Christmas time!

 

We are totally addicted to cruising. It is easier now that our daughter is off our hands. You can see when she left!

 

Well, I am off to do the packing. Will over pack as usual.

 

Riana

Have a great cruise.

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  • 1 month later...
2. The open times of MDR, buffet and grill will be stated in the daily program, rough idea of opening times:

Breakfast MDR 08:00 - 09:30

Breakfast buffet: 06:30 - 07:30 early risers

07:30 - 10:00 normal breakfast

10:00 - 11.00 late risers

Lunch MDR 12:00 - 13:30

Lunch buffet: 12:00 - 14:30

High Tea: 16:00 - 17:00

Dinner MDR: two sittings 18:00 and 20:30

Dinner buffet: 18:00 - 21:00

Pool Grill 1200 - 20:00

Pizzeria: Don't know if Victoria has one or if it is free or chargeable.

 

I have just returned from a cruise with Costa Victoria a few weeks ago. If you are looking for food outside of the main dining hours, visit Deck12 Butterfly. I have visited Deck 12 at 5am for sandwiches and coffee. If you do want coffee from the espresso machine, consider their USD18 for 6 cuppa. The longest interval without food happened on the last day between my last meal onboard 1pm and disembarkation 4pm. I couldn't find any water cooler.

 

Pizzeria, also on Deck 12, is Pay Table Service. But they also do have Noodles service between 11pm and 2am.

The sweetest surprise was finding an electric kettle in my Inside Cabin.....and free room service breakfast.

 

I am not sure of the menu on other cruise days, outside of my trip. Half of the passengers were from India, so there was always a special counter serving a full range of Indian food at the buffet deck.Those were good. So were the cakes and danish. Strangely, their intercontinental and Asian cuisine on Deck 11 weren't that fantastic. I had soggy and cold pasta at the buffet deck on the first day. And I never try it again. Breakfast spread is as described by alicat58. But on hindsight, the chef and his team didn't do a very good job planning the menu. I found 'recycled' sausages( cooked, stored in the fridge and re-cooked again ---hard and dry) On the last day, there was a tray of parboiled kale and another tray of baked sliced yellow capsicum for breakfast spread. That's expensive food mishandled. At one meal, they ran out of milk for the coffee and tea (the Indians, Singaporeans and Malaysians have the habit of adding milk to their tea/coffee) There isn't a food theme associated to the port they are visiting. If you are really keen to try out Malaysian food,Try befriending groups who are from Singapore.Tag along with them when they disembark in Malaysia.They know where the real deals are.

 

Rest assured, all the staff can speak English.

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I have just returned from a cruise with Costa Victoria a few weeks ago. If you are looking for food outside of the main dining hours, visit Deck12 Butterfly. I have visited Deck 12 at 5am for sandwiches and coffee. If you do want coffee from the espresso machine, consider their USD18 for 6 cuppa. .

 

That's not too bad, but I don't think those prices will apply to our cruise, as all the excursions and packages are quote on the website in Euros.... But just in case.... is that package available to buy onboard at that price, or did you pre-book?

 

The longest interval without food happened on the last day between my last meal onboard 1pm and disembarkation 4pm. I couldn't find any water cooler.

 

Pizzeria, also on Deck 12, is Pay Table Service. But they also do have Noodles service between 11pm and 2am..

 

not sure what pay table service is .... are pizzas included in your ticket if you get from the counter? And the noodle bar? Included or extra?

 

 

The sweetest surprise was finding an electric kettle in my Inside Cabin.....and free room service breakfast..

 

YAAAAY. that wd be awesome, as I have bought one of these

https://www.wish.com/search/wacaco%20minipresso#cid=59aa548805be3f502f2732c1

 

I am not sure of the menu on other cruise days, outside of my trip. Half of the passengers were from India, so there was always a special counter serving a full range of Indian food at the buffet deck.Those were good. So were the cakes and danish. .

 

That is great news. I come from the largest Indian city outside of India, (Durban) and I love curry. and a Danish and coffee is all I need for breakfast :-)

 

Strangely, their intercontinental and Asian cuisine on Deck 11 weren't that fantastic. I had soggy and cold pasta at the buffet deck on the first day. And I never try it again. Breakfast spread is as described by alicat58. But on hindsight, the chef and his team didn't do a very good job planning the menu. I found 'recycled' sausages( cooked, stored in the fridge and re-cooked again ---hard and dry) On the last day, there was a tray of parboiled kale and another tray of baked sliced yellow capsicum for breakfast spread. That's expensive food mishandled. At one meal, they ran out of milk for the coffee and tea (the Indians, Singaporeans and Malaysians have the habit of adding milk to their tea/coffee) .

 

there are bound to be some dishes that don't work out. On our MSC cruises I noticed a lot of recycling of food ... the roast meats would resurface the following day in a sauce.... I guess its better than wastage.

 

There isn't a food theme associated to the port they are visiting. If you are really keen to try out Malaysian food,Try befriending groups who are from Singapore.Tag along with them when they disembark in Malaysia.They know where the real deals are.

 

Rest assured, all the staff can speak English.

 

Good idea, I notice that very few of the excursions come with a meal included. We definitely want to try local food / street food while on shore, so getting to know some Asian passengers is a great idea.

 

Thanks for your feedback, its all very useful!

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2. The open times of MDR, buffet and grill will be stated in the daily program, rough idea of opening times:

Breakfast MDR 08:00 - 09:30

Breakfast buffet: 06:30 - 07:30 early risers

07:30 - 10:00 normal breakfast

10:00 - 11.00 late risers

Lunch MDR 12:00 - 13:30

Lunch buffet: 12:00 - 14:30

High Tea: 16:00 - 17:00

Dinner MDR: two sittings 18:00 and 20:30

Dinner buffet: 18:00 - 21:00

Pool Grill 1200 - 20:00

Pizzeria: Don't know if Victoria has one or if it is free or chargeable.

 

 

3. Several years ago the food on Costa took a dive for the worst, but opver the last couple of years it has improved vastly.

 

I have aquestion for you. On the MSC forum, they often comment on the fact that All Inclusive Drinks Packages are not availale on SA cruises (including repo), the reason being South Africans used to drink the ships dry. True.;p

 

If I enter the buffet for breakfast and then find the food unacceptable, will I still be able to go to the mdr where I can get eggs and bacon?

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Can't see that they will stop you. " No you've eaten you can't have anymore", sounds a little like Oliver. Please sir..... They might have a grill station on the buffet deck where they will do omelettes. They did on just about every cruise we've been on this year.

 

Alicat

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If I enter the buffet for breakfast and then find the food unacceptable, will I still be able to go to the mdr where I can get eggs and bacon?

Suggest you go first to MDR for breakfast and then buffet, MDR is not pen so long.

 

Wiull you be stopped - just make sure you have no egg yoke or other food rest on your T-shirt.:o

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That's not too bad, but I don't think those prices will apply to our cruise, as all the excursions and packages are quote on the website in Euros.... But just in case.... is that package available to buy onboard at that price, or did you pre-book?

My onboard expenses were quoted in USD. The hot beverage package was on the poster in every elevator. What I did remember is drinks packages weren't published in the website when I log in to do a web check-in.

 

not sure what pay table service is .... are pizzas included in your ticket if you get from the counter? And the noodle bar? Included or extra? Onboard expenses, charged to the Costa Card.

 

Remember to download the MyCosta Mobile app before you board. It enables you to use your mobile to call each other's mobile or cabin, free-of-charge.

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Can't see that they will stop you. " No you've eaten you can't have anymore", sounds a little like Oliver. Please sir..... They might have a grill station on the buffet deck where they will do omelettes. They did on just about every cruise we've been on this year.

 

Alicat

 

Thanks. I'm in a premium cabin and it's supposed to have free room service - whatever that means. I might just settle for breakfast delivered on some days.

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Thanks. I'm in a premium cabin and it's supposed to have free room service - whatever that means. I might just settle for breakfast delivered on some days.

We are also in a premium cabin and are wondering If the 24 hr room service is available? (Not that we would be up 24 hrs! Ha! but just in case we are up at an odd time);p

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