(Luckily) Returned from Luminosa - Baltic

[andersj]

We returned from our second Costa cruise today, with Costa Luminosa from Copenhagen to Tallinn, Saint Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm. We had a Balcony cabin on deck 4 (those with a big balcony)

 

Leaving the port in Copenhagen was a hair-raising experience! We leaved the pier at about 18:45 with fully sunshine, but on the way out we met a cloudburst with heavy storm from east blowing directly on the right side of the ship wich pushed the ship to the left against the mole, and made the ship tilt so much that the tableware was sliding on the floor in the MDR. We were sitting at the window in the MDR at deck 3 and saw the mole just few meters away, while the ship was sailing very fast, to get out af the mole. If she had been just 20 meters longer, or was sailing at normal harbour-speed she would have hit the mole.

Due to the massive rain and the tilting water was flusshing under all the doors from the "lifeboat-deck" on deck 3, and into the elevator-areas, before they spread towels infront of the doors.

 

That was very spooky. The cloudburst was also the worst in Copenhagen since 1955.

 

We had some different experiences:

Positive:

-Sitting with some other danish people in the MDR, through we was 4 persons.

-Fantastic theater with a stunning light-show.

-We arrived 5 Hours before in Tallinn (but the Today wasen't updated about the new itinerary)

-3-4 nice and beautiful pool-buffets at lunch during the cruise.

-Excellent service in the bars, buffets and MDR.

 

Negative:

-3 shows with "The Starlight Dancers" without anyone singing. But they are still great dancers!

-Our cabin steward was not as friendly, and caresome as the one on Atlantica.

-Our balcony was full of breadcrumps, and wasen't cleaned (but the rest of the ship was very clean)

-The passport control in St. Petersburg is terrible slow and very bureaucratic. We had booked an excursion for 13:45 and the bus leaved at 14:45, due to the passport control! But the excursion (in our bus) was one hour longer than the other busses on the same excursion :D

-The ****ty "water-ice" in the buffet (soft-ice is with cream and not water!)

 

So if you have any questions, then go on!

 

But answer my question first :) : How many pizzas are baked daily on the Costa Luminosa?

[dizzy1948]

No question - but about 10,000 pizza's baked daily ???????????:p:D:D;) Sould get some interesting replies for your teaser

[cat25herine]

Hello,

 

I was on the Luminosa from 5th to 11th July! :)

 

Loved it.

 

Thanks for the review.

 

What an experience leaving the port. At least I am sure that renewed passengers interest in the emergency drill the following day. ;)

 

I think Costa is usually good at seating you at diner with people of same profile, when they can.

 

Um, we also had the early arrival in Talinn, after the "dimension of the ship had be recalculated" as they said.:confused: One would hopre they had known the dimension of the ship before we left. ;)

 

I was quite lucky with with passport control in St Petersburgh. Maybe 2 minutes on the way out and 2 and half on the way back.:cool:

 

Were you "affected" to the English speaking hostess?

 

8534 pizzas !?

Cat25herine

[G.M.T.]

 

Were you "affected" to the English speaking hostess?

 

8534 pizzas !?

 

Cat25herine

Please enlighten us about the English Speaking Hostess!!!:confused::eek::cool::D

 

439 pizzas.

 

Ron

[Brian Raine]

The immigration officials in St petersburg are notorious, second only to the ones at Newark Airport in my estimation. On our last visit of 3 we had to go on a "tour" as it was the only way to get off the ship without a visa. Our major visit was on a river cruise , for which we had a visa , and we broke ranks with the tour guides "You cannot do that" they said watch us , we did and we found a MacDonalds.I would like to know if the Russian tour guides have improved at all from the "it is written in stone what you can do or not do" very totalitarian.I suppose when you are educated in the Russial Communist way it stays with you for life.One of the funniest things on our river cruise was the realisation that the crew had memmbers of the family on board as well and they were using our leftovers(not that many) to feed them.It was brilliant except for the food and the speech from the Cruise Director, who let it be known she was a share holder in the new company who owned the boat and hse had made a profit that year on her holdings. Only in Russia.

[andersj]

5th to 11th July? St. Petersburg to Flam? :)

 

They where sailing through the Øresund Fixed Link instead of the Great Belt, and saved 5 Hours.

 

We luckily diden't attend to the information meetings, but we was told that she was awful (we also saw a bit of her on the TV, and agreed) The one on Atlantica (Simon) was way better, and turned every meeting into a little show with intro music and jokes.

 

Calm a little down with the pizzas. They are big, and about 20 slices per pizza. So every passenger should eat 4 pizzas every day, if they baked 8534 :D

[cat25herine]

Oups, my bad. 5th to 11th of June (silly me).

It was the same route as you. Talinn, St Petersburgh, Helsinski, Stockholm and back to Coppenhagen.

 

 

So every passenger should eat 4 pizzas every day, if they baked 8534

 

Some of them seemed to be doing just that. ;)

I got the calculator out and came up with 30. So I shall put the calculator back in the drawer and I will guess 1000.

 

English Speaking Hostess : We had two on my trip, as one was new (probably the one you had) and was being trained by the other one, Rebekah. Now Rebekah was great. I call her the Mary Poppins of the sea. She would check on us at the table at diner, that way she made sure she met those who had missed the meeting (there is no escaping her...). I think because the English speakers were in low number she wanted to make sure they did not feel isolated or bored. She organised a few getogethers and seem to remember everybody's name from day one.

[andersj]

Oups, my bad. 5th to 11th of June (silly me).

It was the same route as you. Talinn, St Petersburgh, Helsinski, Stockholm and back to Coppenhagen.

 

 

So every passenger should eat 4 pizzas every day, if they baked 8534

 

Some of them seemed to be doing just that. ;)

 

Yeah, thats right. I was eating a slice one evening, and after 9pm there are more than just tomato-sauce and cheese on! Got one with prawns :P

But it's a sin to eat pizza when there is so much delizious food for lunch and evening.

 

I need some more guesses on the pizzas. The reward is "all you can eat pizza" on your next Costa Cruise :D

 

English Speaking Hostess : We had two on my trip, as one was new (probably the one you had) and was being trained by the other one, Rebekah. Now Rebekah was great. I call her the Mary Poppins of the sea. She would check on us at the table at diner, that way she made sure she met those who had missed the meeting (there is no escaping her...). I think because the English speakers were in low number she wanted to make sure they did not feel isolated or bored. She organised a few getogethers and seem to remember everybody's name from day one.

 

We had "Nathalie" and the other "new cruisers" at our table said that she was talking fast cockney english, that was difficult to understand (even for some of the normal english speaking guests) We diden't saw her at all on the cruise.

[cat25herine]

 

I need some more guesses on the pizzas. The reward is "all you can eat pizza" on your next Costa Cruise :D

 

2000.

Um, I'll make sure to check the catalogue in case the pizzas go from the "included in the rate" column to the "extras", along with the breakfast in cabin.:(

 

We had "Nathalie" and the other "new cruisers" at our table said that she was talking fast cockney english, that was difficult to understand (even for some of the normal english speaking guests) We diden't saw her at all on the cruise.

 

Yep, she is the new one. I thought the accent was from the North of England...

[andersj]

I don't think we get more guesses on the pizza, so here it is:

 

500 big (60 cm or so) pizzas baked daily from noon to 1am with about 20 slices each. That is:

-10.000 pizza slices a day

-A pizza every 1,5 minute

-3 slices per passenger (if fully booked) every day.

 

So Ron, you a the lucky winner of free pizza on our next cruise :D

 

Now the a last one, if there is anyone still reading this :)

 

How many croissants are baked daily on Costa Atlantica? (probably the same on all "big" Costa ships)

[G.M.T.]

So Ron, you a the lucky winner of free pizza on our next cruise :D

You're on!

 

How many croissants are baked daily on Costa Atlantica? (probably the same on all "big" Costa ships)

Depends on how many French passengers are onboard.:eek:

 

But as the French never stop talking their croissant consumption would not make much difference to the total amount.

 

1500 croissants daily.

 

Ron

[cat25herine]

Well French people will not be impressed by the quality of the croissants and other pastries on board compared to the one they can get at their corner boulangeries. This is why they would not affect the consumption.

 

I would say 752.

[dizzy1948]

I reckon 2000. (was wrong with the pizza's - but nearly right:D if I had said "slices":o:o ) Love this little game

[andersj]

Well French people will not be impressed by the quality of the croissants and other pastries on board compared to the one they can get at their corner boulangeries. This is why they would not affect the consumption.

 

I would say 752.

 

I agree that the croissants, the other breakfast pastries and the bread-rolls is poor quality, compared to our famous danish pastry :)

 

On the Costa Atlantica they are baking 4,000 croissants every day. I don't know if that also include the other breakfast-pastries, but on my paper it just says "Croissants"

[Capricruiser]

The so-called Costa croissant is really the Italian "cornetto." Why they call them croissants is beyond me. All the pastries they serve at breakfast are the same or similar to what you'd find in any coffee-bar or pastry shop in Italy, but not nearly as good.

[ronnie82]

Is the food on board good though? This is going to be our 1st cruise on the Luminosa and I hope that the food is nice - in fact it is our first cruise full stop. I am travelling with a 1 year old, 4 year old, my husband and our in laws. So what suits the kids may not suit the in laws if you know what I mean. Am sure my kids would be happy to eat their share of pizza slices.

[G.M.T.]

Food is very subjective, but just the thought that I don't have tp prepare it and washup after is good enough for me to enjoy the food.

 

There is plenty of different dishes to choose from, if you order something that does nto meet your tastes just have a quiet word with your waiter and he will gladly bring you another dish. If by chance there nothing on the menu that makes your mouth water, there is spagetti, chicken or salmon always available.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Ron