Magica roll call May 22-30

[kaytee38]

Is anyone travelling on the Magica on May 22 (Western Mediterranean). My mom and I are going on a cruise for the first time. Don't know what to expect. What is the food like. How does the tipping work? A friend stated she was charged approx $225US per person for tips during one week cruising (Caribbean).

 

Looking forward to meeting new friends!

[kaytee38]

Also, how can you buy the pre-cruise wine packages/kids drinks packages. I've looked online (costacruise.com) and logged in; but, I haven't found it yet.

[keith46]

Hi Kaytee38

 

Both myself and my son Anthony are travelling from the UK and joining the Magica at Barcelona on the 24th. Our cruise is 24th-31st

 

We've not been with Costa before but are looking forward to this cruise. For the Med, the itinary looks great!

 

Only just recieved our cruise docs which says the tipping is charged at

6 Euros per person per day(around $7.50US) and tipping on drinks is 15%.

 

Despite mixed feedback about the food on the threads, the food on Costa is supposed to be pretty good and we're looking forward to it.

[abs0lute]

My friend and I are also on this cruise department from Barcelona on the 24th of May. We're both from Orlando, FL. We arriving in Barcelona on the 21st and going to do some sightseeing before getting on board. We're looking forward to it!!

[kaytee38]

We're leaving from Toronto Canada on May 21 and heading straight to the boat. After the cruise, we'll be staying in Rome for one night. It is getting more exciting as the time approaches!

 

Hope to see you all on the boat (maybe...too many cruisers).

[Linda-B]

kaytee38

If I remember correctly the wine package and kid drinks(you don't need to be a kid to use it) is located on line in the area of gifts etc.(with the flowers and strawberries) If you are too late to order you can still order on the ship without the discount.

[kaytee38]

Thank so much Linda-B!

 

I found it, just in time. I must have been blind.

[Jo42]

The drinks packages are also available in the port at Savonna, in the main hallway as you embark and from the Resturaunt on the first night. Great Value!! have a great time.

[TDOTCRUISR]

Kaytee38: I too am from Toronto & just returned from the Magica on May 15-2005. Just wanted to give you a heads-up, esp since this is your first cruise. The final Gala (dress-up) night is on the Saturday, which is a little inconvenient, because you will have to put your luggage outside your room by 1:00AM for pick-up by the crew that same night. Many passengers end up having to pack & miss Saturday's show. I packed basically everything by the Friday night & only had to finish up a few things on the Saturday. The show that night was the best one on the entire cruise & believe me, some of the other entertainment left much to be desired. Don't miss it, because many did & were disappointed. The other Gala night's show on the Wed was good too, but Saturday's was by far the better. Go to the crew show too, it was fun to see Ricky, the English-speaking host perform! You'll have a great time! Rest up before going, because it is very, very hectic. I remember my first cruise, I wanted to see & do everything. This was my 4th & believe me, this cruise with 1 port a day left me exhausted.

 

Some other tips: There is an additional buffet area for lunch that a lot of people didn't discover until half way through the cruise. Look for it, if you like different ethnic foods: they offer Greek food one day, then German or Asian, etc.

As mentionned on previous threads, there is a 'tea buffet' offered during afternoon tea where you can try all the different loose teas, in an actual cup & saucer (not the plastic mugs offered on deck). I also suggest you bring some powdered drinks ex: crystal light, etc. if you have not purchased a soda deal. Unlike on other cruiselines where you find iced tea/juice/lemonade, the selection at the lunch buffet consists of coffee/tea/milk or water.

In the dining room, the wait staff have been prepped to offer you only bottled mineral water. From reading prev threads on the msg board, I asked for iced water & was met with a blank stare. Others on the ship said that when they insisted on regular iced water, they were told that it would have to be cleared with the Maitre'D. They eventually will serve reg water & after that they will bring it automically each time you sit down for your dinner.

As Jo42 mentionned, the wine pkgs that you were asking about, are offered in the waiting area before boarding the ship so don't worry.

Food: Pastas were delicious. I had pretty good meals except one> don't order the pork dipped in egg & coated in parmesan, it was pretty bad! Didn't bother sending it back, went to the pizzeria later, instead. The safest thing is to order the fish dishes or Italian dishes. They were by far tastier & better seasoned(unanimous as per our table). There are very specific times for everything, so read your bulletin carefully. The pizzeria operates differently than the reg sliced pizza time. After 9:00PM, the pizzeria is open & offers a choice of 3 diff pizzas everyday. You have to order from the waiters that are strolling around & they will make it for you specifically. The pizza was by far better than the sliced ones offered throughout the day...fresh & hot!

There are so many other little things that will come to me later. If you want, I will think of some more & will continue to post. I am sure everyone else has tips for you too.

[kaytee38]

Thanks for all the info TDOTCRUISER, I really do appreciate all of it. If you do think of anything else, please let me know. I wrote in one of your other posts...how did you find the tours that you took in Tunisia, Palermo, Mallorca and Genoa. I've only booked one (Caves of Drach--sounded interesting).

[nellie21]

We are a party of 4 also leaving from Toronto . TDOTCRUISER, Did you book your cruise through Sunquest. We are leaving June 4th. Can you tell me how many formal nights there are and which days?.How was the flight going over? Did you do the tours from the ship, or are there some we can do ourselves? I hate the idea of being so close to Rome and not seeing any of it...... Did you meet any other Canadians? Would LOVE to hear more tips and suggustions.

[TDOTCRUISR]

Hi Nellie21 & Kaytee38: Yes, I did book through Sunquest. Everything is pretty smooth as far as the fllight & the transfers, etc. I was a little concerned re: return flight, ship docks at 8AM, flight scheduled to leave at 12PM. Ship has to clear & then passengers allowed to disembark in groups according to a color-code system. You then have to pick up your luggage from the holding area & take it to the bus. Ride back to Fumicino airport is approx an hour. I called my T/A before leaving & was told not to worry,Sunquest charters the plane & will hold it since next flight out for Sunquest passengers is a wk later. Many passengers not aware return flight stops in Trieste for refueling, flight back was 12-1/2 hours in total. The seats on Sky Service extremely tight, if you're tall, your knees will be pressed up against the seat in front of you. Quite a few Canadians on board & you get to meet them at a Sunquest gathering. I too am disappointed that I didn't get to see Rome(didn't have time to extend my trip)& you don't see any of it on the way to the ship unfortunately. 2 formal nights> Wed & Sat.

Don't know if there are any changes now to the website, but I had problems with shore excursion listings ie: no tours available in certain ports & only a few listed for some ports(even though Sunquest brochure mentionned others). I believe ship offered a Palermo tour that wasn't even listed in the actual Costa cruise pkg(it's available at the excursion desk). I didn't pre-book any tours because of the website catastrophe. Had no problem doing it all on board. There is no detailed tour talk offered-found 1 on tv for Italian group only. So read your materials carefully. Sometimes they give you city street maps, sometime they don't. Ask at the info desk, they always have them.

Savonna/Genoa:Took the "Splendours of the Genoese Republic" tour. See city on the bus, then visit a few Palazzos & spend quite a bit of time looking at paintings. The stroll on Via Garibaldi is quite nice. Some of my tablemates just went out on their own in Savonna, had no problems; found a street market & got some shopping deals.

Barcelona:Didn't take a tour. Decided just to walk Las Ramblas (main street). Ship offers a shuttle service to the bottom of Las Ramblas for 5 Euros-only a 5 minute ride, but it's quite a walk (There's also a drawbridge that is sometimes up & you will need to detour in order to get cross). Besides you'll be walking enough anyway. Shopping galore!! Tapas galore!! Get off of Las Ramblas to get the better shopping deals. NB*the farther up Las Ramblas you get, the more chique & pricey it becomes. Huge dep't store-1 full block: El Corte Ingles at Pl Catalunya-supermarket in basement (load up on water, soda pop, etc. good prices). The name of the store is at the top of the building (it's hard to spot it from the street) it's off to the right if walking up Las Ramblas.

Palma de Majorca: Took the "Tour of Palma de Mallorca"-Palma Cathedral, the Pueblo Espanol, Plaza de Toros (bull fighting ring) & a Mallorca pearl factory where you can buy jewellery. They don't spend any time re: how pearls are made etc., just take you to the store basically.

Tunis: Highly suggest you take a tour. I chose the "Panoramic Tour of Tunis & Shopping". There is a full shopping tour also offered, but you might not be comfortable in the Souk for that long a time. It can get pretty hectic & crazy in there. For obvious reasons, the locals will hover over you to try & make a deal. You need to bargain for every item..it can start at 35 Euros & end up settling at 5 Euros. Time-consuming so you have to haggle fast, because the tour does not give you alot of time in the Souk. You basically buy & run. Guide also takes you to see a carpet dealer who will offer you tea & do his 20 min demo (obviously guide makes a commission!). Tour ends with a visit to Sidi Bou Said & you will again have a little time for some shopping (street stores, not a Souk). Got back to the ship late,thank goodness it was a ship tour. No time to dress up for dinner, went to dining room 'as-is'-entire table on the same tour anyway. Remember: you basically have to eat in the dining room, because the buffet is closed at dinner time (very unlike other cruiselines).

Malta: Ship docks & you can walk right into LaValletta--churches, shopping, etc. are all accessible. My tablemates wanted to go to the Mdina & see some of the farther sites. 4 of them took a cab-paid the driver 48Euros & they saw everything they wanted to see.**Try the ricotta-stuffed puff pastries (Maltese specialty-pastizzis) in the little shops. Hot & Yummy! Local currency is Maltese Lira, they take Euros but will give you change in M.Lira. Go to casino & get small bills before leaving ship, so you are not forced to buy things you don't need just to spend the rest of your M.Lira on hand. (Remember: no s/c in casino for exchanging $)

Palermo: Tour "A Taste of Palermo"-Visited the church of the Martorana, walked in the alleys of the old city (mind your wallets, purses, bags, etc) to a street market & then visited Count Fred's Palazzo. His wife will take you on a tour of the entire palazzo, where they actually reside.

All the tours I took were ship tours. Remember, if you are late coming back, the ship will wait. If you arrange your own, they will not wait for you. We picked up a couple who missed their bus while haggling in the Souk for a purse.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I know how it feels..I was 'SO' stressed out before leaving on this cruise, so if I can help....

[Honeymoon on the Magica]

TDOTCRUISR-- thanks so much for the excursion details! This is so helpful. We're on the June 5th Magica sailing and will definitely doing the Taste of Palermo excursion and definitely going to do Barcelona (and after reading your review... THANK YOU AGAIN!) Malta on our own. You mentioned that you highly recommended doing an excursion in Tunis. Curious about why. Was it mostly because of the timing issues? We definitely want to do the shopping thing and were thinking that could be something we could do on our own.

 

Any other tips about the boat? The buffet and the water tip will be very helpful. Are there hair dryers in the rooms? What about Shampoo, Conditioner, etc? Any other toiletries (or lack thereof) that we should be aware of?

[Jo42]

There is a small hairdryer in the room, but its one of those attached to the drawer! If you are particular take your own. There is showergel in the shower but no additional toiletries. There is a sign which says they are available on request - I just took my own.

 

You are going to a great time!

[Honeymoon on the Magica]

Thanks so much! I guess I will pack shampoo and such! We are getting married Memorial Day weekend and heading to Rome on June 2, so I am trying to make sure that we have thought about everything we should be thinking about for this cruise! I still cannot get over how lucky we are to have the opportunity to see so much! This sounds like it will be the adventure of a lifetime (although if we are lucky, I suppose it will simply be the first of many!)

[TDOTCRUISR]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. As to your question re: Tunis, I think it is a matter of comfort level. I didn't have a chance to talk to anyone who ventured out on their own, most took a tour. I actually e-mailed someone off of this msg board just days before I left with some questions & he happened to mention that a travel warning was issued by the State Dept for tourists in Tunis (CNN.com). He didn't mean to scare me, but I was grateful for the heads-up anyhow. I think it was in the back of my mind & I played it safe. In the e-mail he also mentionned that there are more than 1 souk/bazaar. Apparently, the one in DOWNTOWN Tunis is bigger, better and more authentic. I don't know which one the tour took us to-I think we only saw a very small part of the souk anyhow. I may very well have been in the large one & not known it. Definitely not enough time for serious shopping on the Panoramic/shopping tour.

[nellie21]

TDOTCRUISR......Thanks for a wonderfull and detailed report....I think we're in for a busy and exiting week. BTW, on the non formal evenings was the dress what I call dressy casual (pant suits, capris and fancy tops) or still more formal.:)

[TDOTCRUISR]

Nellie21: I saw quite a range from dressy casual to formal. As long as you're comfortable I think you'll be fine. Besides, who knows what your tablemates will wear? You can't worry about it, I just strive for somewhere in the middle, so that I won't be embarassed or uncomfortable.

[nellie21]

TDOTCRUISR....can you tell me what the meal service was on the flight, and the best way to wake up and feel refreshed after leaving such a long flight.?

[TDOTCRUISR]

Nellie 21: Meal service was okay-I think it was beef, rice, sm.pasta salad, cheese & crackers and a brownie for dessert accompanied by red/white wine. Breakfast was a croissant, can't remember if it was ham & cheese or not??

and a pc of banana cake. You have to buy snacks. Be sure to buy/bring head phones. I didn't & was bored stiff. They show 3 movies on the way to Rome.

Everyone warned me not to take a nap when you arrive or else jetlag sets in real bad. Those bathrooms on the plane get pretty messy after an 8+hr flight.

Make sure you pack some freshen-up items in your carry-on, in case your luggage doesn't arrive at your cabin until later. Remember, before anything else, Nellie-go get some lunch before the buffet closes or you'll have to wait till dinnertime.

[theman1]

TDOTCRUISR ... I have two questions. Is it easy to get off the ship if you do not buy ship port excursion. Or you have to wait for a long time, because first ship escursions are allowed to leave the ships in ports? Could you also tell me if there is special menu for children during diner and lunch?

[TDOTCRUISR]

theman1: I had no problems getting off the ship without an excursion (did Barcelona & Malta on my own). Excursions did usually leave first, I'd wait approx 15 minutes & then get off the ship. However, there were line-ups at times, getting back on the ship when several tours returned at the same time. Suggestion: If you return from a tour & plan to head out on your own after, it might be better to not get back on the ship at that point. Sometimes, it leaves you with a dilemma-not quite enough time to head out again & too much precious time to waste. I didn't see a children's menu, but that might be because we didn't have any children at my table. S:confused: rry I couldn't be of more help. Maybe another member can provide theman1 with an answer??

[nellie21]

TDOTCRUISER......Where do you think it's best to exchange your money to euros, at the bank before we go, on the ship, or ATM's on location. Also, is the euro accepted everywhere (Tunis, Malta) Thankz:p

[Jo42]

Althought Malta are still on the Maltese Lira (Lm) the euro is accepted widely. If you want, you can change a few $ to Maltese Lira for coffees, 'cheescakes'! etc at the exchange bureux at Valetta's main gate. In the big shops Euros are ok. In Tunisia they actually prefer the american $, then the Euro!

[Jo42]

Did you meet any other Canadians? .

 

I was on the same cruise as TDOTCRUISER and met some Canadians. TDOT, did you meet George? He was an elderley gent, who pushed a wheeled walker? I met him up on deck and I know that others at my table met him and his wife regularly on board.

 

I know that some Americans/Canadians worry about the lack of English speaking guests on board, but everyone I met, amongst the thousands of passengers, were great and really friendly - I know you are going to have a great time!