Costa 2012 - So far

[GOLDENBONNY]

Golden Bonny

 

Although their schedules aren't out yet, try pricing with Air Transat or Sunwing....I think that Transat does charter flights to La Romana...

 

 

Arnt they only for people who goes to resort???:confused:

[Goldryder]

Arnt they only for people who goes to resort???:confused:

 

For the UK & European passengers on Guadeloupe departures they have charter flights with Air France included with the cruise fare. They might have the same setup for Canada. Recheck it when the US website updates...you never know, they might have special arrangements with a Canadian airline too.

[G.M.T.]

Ally,

 

We've bitten the bullett.

 

Just booked Costa Victoria, 17 days Singapore to Shanghai - 29th. March, third leg of the repo cruise.

 

So I'll be looking for a full review on the Victoria when you get back in April.

 

Ron

[Goldryder]

Ally,

 

We've bitten the bullett.

 

Just booked Costa Victoria, 17 days Singapore to Shanghai - 29th. March, third leg of the repo cruise.

 

So I'll be looking for a full review on the Victoria when you get back in April.

 

Ron

 

Oh brilliant Ron :)

 

Glad you finally took the plunge :)

 

Don't forget you'll both need China visa's for Shanghai ;)

 

My flight tickets were released today by the airlines (flights booked thru Costa), so my docs should be here soon. I will be doing a full report on the netbook and will paste it onto here (and my site) once I get sorted on or around the 23 April when I get home :)

[tjandluke]

Goldryder we will be passing each other on the Classica in 2012. We will be disembarking when you are embarking.

 

Even with the discussions in other thread about pricing for Australians I really want to do this cruise and will be booking it.

[Goldryder]

Goldryder we will be passing each other on the Classica in 2012. We will be disembarking when you are embarking.

 

Even with the discussions in other thread about pricing for Australians I really want to do this cruise and will be booking it.

 

Nice one :)

 

Glad you decided to go for it despite the cost differences, especially since it is exactly what you were looking for and at the right time of the year too :)

 

Should be a nice trip for you :D

[GOLDENBONNY]

Well... I guess costa dose not care for american customers any more:( no sign of winter cruises on US and Canada web site:mad:

[Goldryder]

Well... I guess costa dose not care for american customers any more:( no sign of winter cruises on US and Canada web site:mad:

 

Considering the US website has yet to have the new cruises for 2012 added, I guess you'll have to wait patiently til they are done, and then you can see whether or not the US market is being cared for or not.

 

Patience is the key....:o

[GOLDENBONNY]

Considering the US website has yet to have the new cruises for 2012 added, I guess you'll have to wait patiently til they are done, and then you can see whether or not the US market is being cared for or not.

 

Patience is the key....:o

 

OK its March 1st and no new cruises added LOL I guess I am loosing my patience towards Carnival they have good sale on now:cool:

[Goldryder]

OK its March 1st and no new cruises added LOL I guess I am loosing my patience towards Carnival they have good sale on now:cool:

 

Australia & New Zealand....and the rest of the Pacific, Middle East...have yet to get the new itineraries.

 

But since Costa is a European line, we should get first dibs anyway...and as for the Caribbean, well blame Carnival Corp for that, they have their own ships, HAL, Princess in the region and the US get first dibs on those (over and above the rest of the world), so the playing field is level for all of us...even if it appears not to be.

[tjandluke]

Although still not on the AU site, I was lucky as I knew the itinerary that we wanted and the month we wanted to go in. My TA was able to price, book etc for us. Deposit has been paid and cabin allocated (quite happy with it!) Dinner seating requested. Only thing we can't do at this stage is organise the drinks package as I have been told that this information is not yet available.

[mickey_d_mouse]

The Australia site still doesnt have the crusies for December 2011 & January 2012 up as yet, I want to book now :mad:. I rang the agent here, and asked to book on a trip I found on the Italian site from Palermo, he told me at the moment only Italians can board in Palermo, has anyone heard of that.

 

Hoping to do Rome to Rome Egypt,Israel & Greece 11 Day, on 27th December, and then France, Spain, Tunisia 7 day on the 12th of January from Palermo.

 

Waiting waiting waiting Costa, hurry up

[rossajp]

Called Costa yesterday. They will be back in the Carribean for the 2011/2012 season ported out of Miami. The Atlantica will be sailing once again and will be sailing 10-day cruises covering Eastern and Western itineraries.

We will very happy to hear this news as we are faithful Costa cruisers and hope to cruise again Winter 2012.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Called Costa yesterday. They will be back in the Carribean for the 2011/2012 season ported out of Miami. The Atlantica will be sailing once again and will be sailing 10-day cruises covering Eastern and Western itineraries.

We will very happy to hear this news as we are faithful Costa cruisers and hope to cruise again Winter 2012.

 

Aha the key word Atlantica AGAIN :cool:.I love Atlantica but how many times yo ucan cruise same ship?????????

[mickey_d_mouse]

I rang Costa today to try to book the cruises that I saw on the UK site, as the prices are already up on the UK site they have a "pronto" price for early bookings, however when the Australian Costa agent quoted me the price it was about $1500 more than the UK price converted, and my second trip was about $800 more the "Pronto" prices will not be available until they are loaded for your country, so the early bird gets bitten.

 

So be very aware other Aussies and Americans, do your price conversions from Pounds to Dollars befire you try to book on the phone or you may find you are paying a lot more than you will will they are loaded to the site.

[bendigoboy]

I contacted Costa via e mail and was informed that the Australian version of the Costa 2.012 cruises will be out "around" the 16th March. Hopefully the prices will be similar to those quoted in the UK and in italy! I'm very keen on the Grand Capital Atlantic cruises but hate being ripped off!!!

[mickey_d_mouse]

Lets see if the 16th happens, I was told 2 weeks 3 weeks ago :-), I wonder if they realize how many people book other cruise lines rather than risk getting ripped off

[Goldryder]

There is a simple answer to this.

 

Costa is owned by CCL. Now CCL have lines running out of the US - HAL/Princess/Carnival, they have a line running out of Australia & New Zealand - P&O Australia.

 

Costa is running out of Europe - as in European based company within the CCL group.

 

Costa will be under orders from CCL in Miami as to when the itineraries are released and where they are released at what time.

 

So...the US/Canada passengers will be given the US based lines in the CCL group first, in the same way that Australia/NZ will get the local company first.

 

The European company is released long afterwards to these areas to avoid toe stepping onto the home based lines in those regions.

 

We who live in Europe do not get the 2012 itineraries from the US based lines til long after they are released to the US market....and as for P&O Australia, we don't get them at all (there are a couple I would like to do but they are not open to us for booking).

 

So as annoying as it must be for those of you outside Europe to wait for the European line to open up for you....we have exactly the same problem with your local lines too.

 

T'is how CCL (& RCCL) operate...the lines within the groups do not step on each other's catchment areas until the home based lines get a decent length of time to fill ships from their own areas, only then do itineraries open up to the rest of the world.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Lets see if the 16th happens, I was told 2 weeks 3 weeks ago :-), I wonder if they realize how many people book other cruise lines rather than risk getting ripped off

 

 

I just did:cool: I booked MSC for XMAS ,price is great I cannot risk to loose it

[mickey_d_mouse]

Well the Australian Prices went up as promised on the 16th, at about 10:00pm Australian Time, and as expected the prices are quite a bit cheaper than those they were quoting earlier today via telephone, but all of that was very short-lived as half an hour later just as I was about to book the site crashed and I can't get back on.:D

[bendigoboy]

From my first brief look at the Australian prices for 2012 cruises it seems to me that they are more expensive than those quoted on the Italian and Uk Costa sites. I converted the pound and Euro to Aust dollar on both sites and they are much cheaper than on the Australian site. I think my maths is sound!

[G.M.T.]

Bendigoboy,

 

I'm sure your maths are correct.

 

We have the same problem in Germany, when I compare the European prices from the Euro sites there are cretainly descrepanices and not in our favour.:mad:

 

I think we all rant and rave about the prices, but after the first sundowner on the cruise everything is forgotten.:rolleyes:

 

Hope you find something that suits you.

 

Ron

[tjandluke]

I have booked and have to wear the increased prices for Australians. We want to go ans that is how much it costs.

 

I have not been given any reasons by anyone so it is only my assumption but on working out the price differences. it is my feeling that the strength of the AU$ had not been factored in. I am pretty sure that they are still using an older exchange rate. The price differences work out to be pretty equal to the AU$ equalling about 0.70 US$ not the current roughly parity rate that it has been for some time. Same with the rough equation in Euros.

[G.M.T.]

Tjandluke,

 

Will you have enough $$$ left over for our drink in Sinagpore on 30th. March 2012 if n ot then I'll break open the duty free? :D

 

Ron

[Goldryder]

Looks like it will be a small CC meet in Singapore on your cruise Ron, and tjandluke could be unfortunate enough to bump into me when I get on Classica ;) :D