Costa vs. RCI on Suez Canal Cruise to Dubai

[DGF]

We are planning a cruise from a European port through the Suez Canal to Dubai and then possibly a short seven day cruise around the United Arab Emerates ports

Have found four cruise lines with itineraries- Seaborne, Regent, RCI and Costa. Given the economy, have decided to rule out Seaborne & Regent; although itineraries tempting

Any experiences/ recommendations on Costa vs. RCI Brilliance of Seas would be greatly appreciated- accommodations, food (quality, selection & service), entertainment, shore excursions, etc.

Thanks

[Member]

I'm interested in the Egpyt/Dubai sailing via the Red Sea in winter time there too. I like Costa's 2-consecutive-at-sea-days at the open ocean better. But I heard its Savona, Italy port has no airport. RCL does offer more English-speaking activites, including the shore excursions.

[DGF]

I'm interested in the Egpyt/Dubai sailing via the Red Sea in winter time there too. I like Costa's 2-consecutive-at-sea-days at the open ocean better. But I heard its Savona, Italy port has no airport. RCL does offer more English-speaking activites, including the shore excursions.

 

Thanks

We presume nearest airport is then Rome?

Do you know what the distance is?

[kasi1979]

nearest airports for Savona are:

Genova

Nice

or Milano

 

Rome is pretty far away.

[DGF]

nearest airports for Savona are:

Genova

Nice

or Milano

 

Rome is pretty far away.

 

Thanks

 

Will check international flight routings out of Canada to see which one works best

[Member]

nearest airports for Savona are:

Genova, Nice or Milano. Rome is pretty far away.

 

Torino is pretty closed to Savona and offers 2-3 hrs. direct train too.

[G.M.T.]

Torino / Turin, in only a provincial airport. The main International Airport is Milan, the best airports for internal European / connecting flights would be Nice or Genoa. Costa has bus transfers fron Milan, Genoa and Nice not so sure about Torino.

 

Ron

[Member]

I didn't know Costa offers such a transfer for its passengers. Has anyone tried it? Is it for non-air/hotel package passenger too? What is the price, what are the schedule and where to catch the said bus?

[DGF]

Thank you all for your information.

Anxiously await more info comparing the two cruise lines- RCI and Costa, the latter with the new ships. Costa certainly has the most appealing itinerary; but recommendations are leaning towards RCI as a better ship= going to be a difficult decision

I have figured out how to get to the ship. Costa advises the provide a shuttle from Genova which is reported 28 mile trip, at a cost of $39.00/ person each way. Shuttle leaves at 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM.

Same cost from Milan which is 77 miles away, but has only one shuttle departing at 12:00 noon

For those of you who are awaiting for the 2011 itinery, Costa reports should be out by the end of the year

[G.M.T.]

Thank you all for your information.

 

Anxiously await more info comparing the two cruise lines- RCI and Costa, the latter with the new ships. Costa certainly has the most appealing itinerary; but recommendations are leaning towards RCI as a better ship= going to be a difficult decision

 

I have figured out how to get to the ship. Costa advises the provide a shuttle from Genova which is reported 28 mile trip, at a cost of $39.00/ person each way. Shuttle leaves at 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM.

 

Same cost from Milan which is 77 miles away, but has only one shuttle departing at 12:00 noon

 

For those of you who are awaiting for the 2011 itinery, Costa reports should be out by the end of the year

Costa will have two of its newst ships on this route, mid range size about 2200 passenger (I personally don't like ships any bigger) also both with 68% of cabins with balcony. Don't undertsand how RCI has better ship as one of Costa ship will be delivered this winter and the other in May 2009. I would think the itinerary is the most important aspect of such a cruise.

 

With regards to 2011 Costa cruises, pratise has shown over the last few years that Costa is one of the last cruise line to publish their routes, normally in mid to late February.

 

Ron

[Member]

We're checking on the Costa Luminosa 11/23 sailing to learn that the disembarkation time at Dubai shall be Dec.12 midnight so the passenger can catch the midnight flight out. I'd rather leave the said port at dawn instead.

[G.M.T.]

We're checking on the Costa Luminosa 11/23 sailing to learn that the disembarkation time at Dubai shall be Dec.12 midnight so the passenger can catch the midnight flight out. I'd rather leave the said port at dawn instead.

Leave the ship at midnight and catch a flight at midnight - a touch of Beam me up Scotty.:)

 

Looks like you gave 3 days / 2 nights in Dubai on the ships, in theory one could leave at anytime.

 

Ron

[DGF]

Costa will have two of its newst ships on this route, mid range size about 2200 passenger (I personally don't like ships any bigger) also both with 68% of cabins with balcony. Don't undertsand how RCI has better ship as one of Costa ship will be delivered this winter and the other in May 2009. I would think the itinerary is the most important aspect of such a cruise.

 

With regards to 2011 Costa cruises, pratise has shown over the last few years that Costa is one of the last cruise line to publish their routes, normally in mid to late February.

 

Ron

 

Thanks for heads up on timing of providing info on itinerary

 

Lady on the telephone was a little unsure

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

I have a simmilar question about the seven nighters around the Gulf. I am from the Gulf and need to go to Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Fujarah for personal reasons in either December or April and as a cruise lover the best way to do it is by ship! But I can either travel cheaply on RCI and eperience their Radiance calss ships (something I always wanted to do), in April, but risk that I may be very busy at that time of year, or I could travel with Costa on their flagship in Dec for sure. The only problem is all the bad things I have heared about Costa don't make things seem very umm.. attractive. It seems that there is no organization and the passengers, well some of them, are very rude. Is this true?

[G.M.T.]

I have a simmilar question about the seven nighters around the Gulf. I am from the Gulf and need to go to Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Fujarah for personal reasons in either December or April and as a cruise lover the best way to do it is by ship! But I can either travel cheaply on RCI and eperience their Radiance calss ships (something I always wanted to do), in April, but risk that I may be very busy at that time of year, or I could travel with Costa on their flagship in Dec for sure. The only problem is all the bad things I have heared about Costa don't make things seem very umm.. attractive. It seems that there is no organization and the passengers, well some of them, are very rude. Is this true?

To write about the organisation or lack of it would just be repeating what has been said many time, it seems that you have read the previous message so you have the knowledge to make an assumption about it.

 

What is rude.:confused: What is rude for one country is culture and tradition for another. There are many nationalities on a Costa ship, infact Costa could be classified as a miniature Emirate.

 

Ron

[CtheW0rld]

Looks like you gave 3 days / 2 nights in Dubai on the ships, in theory one could leave at anytime.

 

Ron

 

:eek: that is WAY too much time in dubai. unless you're a shopoholic, there's not much to see or do there. very polluted air, massive traffic and no native culture per say. one day was more than enough for me.

[DGF]

Thanks for all of the advice

 

Please keep it coming

[Capricruiser]

I posted a review of my cruise Savona-Dubai on the Costa Europa in Dec. 2007. It's in the CC Costa cruise reviews. It should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

[DGF]

I posted a review of my cruise Savona-Dubai on the Costa Europa in Dec. 2007. It's in the CC Costa cruise reviews. It should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

 

Thank you. Will look it up and read

[DGF]

Lets see if we can collect more information on Costa Luminosa

Recent threads on Brilliance of the Seas are raising concerns as to food and condition of the ship

Thanks

[DGF]

Lets see if we can collect more information on Costa Luminosa