Costa Secrets they usually don't tell you about

[stillsailing]

I thought this was good info posted by another in a thread on irons & laundry: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=307360&highlight=irons

Laundry isn't that expensive...

 

I was On Magica June 2005 and had several shirts and shorts and t-shirts washed and pressed for about 20 euros.

 

Lily and I have just returned from 2 week back-to-back cruise Feb 12-26 on Mediterranea and we used their special deal of 40 items for $20.

 

It all came back perfectly washed and pressed the next day. Useful when you're on for 2 weeks.

 

Don't tell a soul, but yes, I do travel with an iron and do use it on ships. It's a Maxim 120 Va Model Maxsican. Very light and very inexpensive ($10 at Zellers in Canada) Put a towel on the coffee table when ironing. Keep it well hidden in your suitcase under the bed and ALWAYS make sure it's stone cold before you put it away. Magica and Mediterranea both have North American 110 Volt outlets.

__________________

Fred and Lily

 

Thanks for passing that on --- I know that I always have some shirts pressed pre cruise anyway. May as well have it done on board.:)

[lambs2]

Thought I would write an additional "hint" on this thread which I found so helpful for our Thanksgiving week cruise on the Magica. Not sure which other ships it might apply to. The only other Costa cruise we have taken was on the Atlantica and this "hint" did not apply on that ship (I think).

 

The Magica is a very large ship and the Bellagio Buffet can become a zoo at mealtimes! We chose to eat most of our meals in the main dining rooms, but occasionally found ourselves in the buffet in the mornings because we slept too late for dining room service, which was always over by 9:30 am (and the servers are none too happy with you arriving later than 9 AM) - so if we were running later than 9 we went to the Buffet. The omelet stations at the buffet are very popular and the lines can be long, but I felt it was worth worth standing in line to get an omelet or eggs made exactly like I wanted them. They will even make them with all egg whites for those watching their cholestrol! After you get your food it is worth it to climb the stairs directly behind the omelet stations and find a table up there. They even have a complete beverage station up there. but they shut off the coffee at 10:00 AM on the upstairs level. I think they also set up a buffet station up there at certain times, but we were there so little I cannot tell you what times it was available. Just know it is MUCH less hectic up on the upper level if you do not mind climbing up and down the staircase.

 

NO chocolates, mints or towel animals on the Magica - at least not in the regular and balcony staterooms.

 

Hope this helps! :)

[JeffCoud]

I love the room service cappuccino as well! A must on the balcony! Actually, I order 2-3! And I love to get off the ship as late as possible....why rush!!!???

 

Jeff

 

 

Here's a few Costa surprises that I didn't know about until I simply found out by accident.

 

7. One more delightful added touch, is that although there is a charge for a cup of cappacino in the dining room or at the coffee bar; cappacino is FREE when you order it for room service for your morning continental breakfast. I wake up late on cruises and so with the exception of those days that I have to get up early to make an early tour, I don't make it to the dining room for breakfast on time. So I have room service bring me a cup of cappacino with a croissant that I enjoy on my balcomy, and then have an omelet off the omelette bar on deck 9 after I am dressed and ready to start my day.

 

8. Last but not least, (and this may have avoided the debarkation problem for those on the recent Magica cruise), is paln a late check out. When I escort groups, I ask for the latest check out possible. We go home on charter busses, so the bus companies can arrive late and not have to wait so they love it. Even with no group, I leave the ship when I get good and ready.

 

This way I can sleep in a little later, hang around and snack on the buffet and have extra coffee, then wander around talking to the staff, and just enjoy a nice comfy chair and the scenery of the ship. Walk around and get a bit of exercise before the drive or bus ride home. If my DH and I do not have a group and our tag color is called before we are ready to leave, we just ignore it and leave when the ship is more empty. Who wants to end a vacation any earlier than necessary anyway. :)

[Newlyweds28]

Hello, I have never known you could do a late check-out! How do you do this? How late can you stay on? Do you have your carry-on with you the whole morning?

 

We have a VERY late flight out of FLL (7:40) and would love to eat lunch if possible. We are going on the Magica on 12/10.

[almitra]

Does Costa not make towel animals for the beds in the rooms like the other cruiselines? Just wondered......

[joetrizeo]

Does Costa not make towel animals for the beds in the rooms like the other cruiselines? Just wondered......

 

naw, but if you REALLY need one, i can show you a quick easy way to make a snake or earth worm :)

[lambs2]

Hello, I have never known you could do a late check-out! How do you do this? How late can you stay on? Do you have your carry-on with you the whole morning?

 

We have a VERY late flight out of FLL (7:40) and would love to eat lunch if possible. We are going on the Magica on 12/10.

 

 

There was no way you could have "hung" around on the Costa Magica to get lunch on our Thanksgiving week cruise. The staff made sure everyone was off the ship by no later than about 10 AM. And yes, you will have your carry-on with you after the time that you must leave the staterooms. For us the stated time was 8 AM, but I saw some people still in the hallways by staterooms at about 8:30. The room stewards do their best to mke sure you are out of there so that they can get the rooms made up for the incoming cruisers.

[shipshapegal]

If you are a past guest register in the Costa Club. You get fresh fruit in your cabin daily and the "good" chocolates. We also got a discount on our bill at the end. Soda's were 2.5 euro and they took off a percentage each time.

 

Sometimes they have "bag of laundry" for a flat rate. Ours was 45 pieces for 20 euro on the last day. otherwise it is pricy but they do a good job.

[lambs2]

If you are a past guest register in the Costa Club. You get fresh fruit in your cabin daily and the "good" chocolates. We also got a discount on our bill at the end. Soda's were 2.5 euro and they took off a percentage each time.

 

Sometimes they have "bag of laundry" for a flat rate. Ours was 45 pieces for 20 euro on the last day. otherwise it is pricy but they do a good job.

 

Gosh..we were pst Costa cruisers, joined the "club", but no chocolates, fruit baskets or discounts for us on this last cruise. :( We did get to go to the Costa Club cocktail party and got a free photo with the captain! :)

 

They did do the bag of laundry for $20. on the next to last night, however.

[Highlander0108]

We had chocolates on our pillows everynight and animals. We had forward portside outside cabin and an excellent cabin steward who set up the room everynight with the pullman berth for the kids. I believe he really enjoyed our kids. I agree that talking to your steward can really help. We got to know him and gave him an outstanding tip at the end of the cruise. He contributed to making our cruise outstanding. We had him empty out the minibar and used it as a refrigerator for the entire cruise.

 

The caezar's salad is listed among other items in the front of the menu as items available every night for dinner. Our waiter Mario also had the kids personal pizzas prepared the way our kids liked it, plain cheese without toppings which was a nice touch. We asked and he accommodated every night.

 

We did not have a flight as we were getting picked up curbside by relatives. We were the last off the ship becasue of that and the lines were minimal in the terminal. We waited in the main theater quite awhile to disembark, but brought fruits and drinks from the buffet so the kids had something to eat during this.

 

Because we were staying in Ft. Lauderdale before the cruise, we were able to be brought to the terminal early. We actually arrived at 11:00 AM and there were minimal lines. We were in our cabin slightly after noon! We got to spend the afternoon on the ship, getting to know it even before leaving the port. Arrive early if you can! I heard that by midday, there were long lines in the terminal. You might not have a choice if you are flying in.

[Jo42]

This tip has been much discussed, but has anyone had it on European Cruises? I asked Costa but this is what they said

 

"As per the email you sent about the x1 package it would cost 47.91 per person, you will get a booklet with vouchers in, you give the bar staff these vouchers per drink you order."

 

This is not the same thing i read about on this site!

[Thrifty]

On another Costa ship, we were told the day before disembarkation that we could stay on until after lunch as long as we were out of the cabin. However, the purser's desk refused to tell the luggage people and they routinely deposited the bags of everyone not scheduled for a cruise-related flight on the dock at 10:00 am. We were told that we had to claim our luggage promptly or risk losing it, but we found that it was guarded by the Singapore police and would probably still be safe today. They serve lunch to passengers leaving in the late afternoon or early evening on cruise-related flights, so you may be able to arrange for them to delay disgorging your bags until after lunch. The dining room, cabin and other staff on the ship (except for one we rarely saw) were an absolute delight, but the purser's desk, although civil and correct, was surprisingly cool, distant and inflexible. Try it, you may be more persuasive than I am. If you arrange it several days in advance, they may be less inclined to offend you than at the last minute when they are about to get rid of you.

[msboo18]

This is a great board to revitalize!

X1 Drink Package: Can only be ordered thru travel agent or Costa at least 14 days in advance – it’s under “special services” as the X1 individual beverage package – comes out to $11.40 per person per day and includes soda, mineral water (natural and sparkling), red wine, white wine, and beer – all by the glass during lunch and dinner only. Must be paid for with a credit card at time of ordering. Your cabin card will say x1 on it. All staff that we dealt with knew X1 - wine & beer + sparkling water at dinner saved us a ton! Once, we had 2 sodas at the pool bar during lunchtime and were charged the full price of $5.75 ($2.50 per can + tip) - (yes, they gave us a glass of ice and a can of soda) - I checked our folio account on the TV each night and saw that we were charged for the soda and was going to say something, but forgot and when I checked the next night, it had been removed. We used the x1 at any pool side bar or restaurant from 11:30am - 2:30 (lunchtime) and again from 7:30pm til at least 10:00 many nights. Our seating was at 8:30, but we’d stop at the pool bar to get a drink before – no problem. At dinner, our waiters kept a bottle of each handy and just kept refilling! No problems in getting served, again and again! White wine was chardonnay - I'm sure not the best but was just fine. Can't use it in the lounges or the theater.

[retdon]

Coopeg, We were in Tortola in Feb. and there were a lot of "private" open air tour trucks available for $20 a person. I don't know about the price for children. These are 350 trucks with seats and a top like you see in St. Thomas, etc.

We took one and had a great tour to the top of the mountain, saw both sides of the island, down to carrot bay, WOW beautiful and back to the ship. All of these are as you exit the pier and they are just waiting for the passengers who do not have a prepaid tour off the ship. This was better than a tour we paid for in St. Maarten.

There were also taxis but we wanted to go with a group and it was great.