Pranzo & Cena beverage package info please

[Bertie Doe]

Hi, we're booked on a cruise for next month, which includes the above package with lunch and dinner. Question is - how do I know from the wine menu which drinks are in the P & C package?

 

A) are they highlighted on the menu?

B) do you ask the waiter?

C) is the info displayed outside the restaurant entrance or downstairs at reception? Thanks in anticipation

Paul

 

 

[alicat58]

We have never had this package but I am guessing you will have the usual choice of wines that comes with Brindiamo and Piu Gusto. There is usually a choice of 3 whites, 2 or 3 reds(cannot remember) and a rose(AVOID!). I do not know about beers and soft drinks.

 

The only highlights on the bar menus are for Brindiamo, Piu Gusto and Indentitore. The wine menu in the dining rooms are excluded on those packages though there might be the odd one that is available by the glass that will be on the Indentitore.

 

Pretty sure the waiter will know exactly and offer what is available to you. Your on board Costa card will state on the back what your package is. In all my Costa cruises I have never seen the info displayed outside the restaurant.

 

Maybe look on "MyCosta" and see whether they give more info.

 

Riana

[the wandering two]

Hi, As alicat has mentioned, the bar menu highlights the drinks availability by package. We had the brindiamo package, your wine selection will be the same, as the menu says, wine by the glass.  In the main dining room there was a choice of one red & one white, constantly rotating between Chardonnay, Vermentino, Pinot Grigio(I think), Merlot, Cabernet & Nero d’avola. 

Some were better than others, you may get a better choice in the buffet. There are serving stations at the end of the buffet lines as well as some free standing ones serving wine & Heineken (the only beer included). 

We found that one station may have say a Cabernet, move along and the next a Merlot, so shop around when you get to know what you like. 

[envy4u]

Am I understanding correctly...... the Brindiamo package is not accepted in the main dining room for dinner?

[Bertie Doe]

On 10/25/2019 at 1:30 PM, alicat58 said:

Pretty sure the waiter will know exactly and offer what is available to you. Your on board Costa card will state on the back what your package is. In all my Costa cruises I have never seen the info displayed outside the restaurant.

 

Maybe look on "MyCosta" and see whether they give more info.

 

Riana

Thanks Riana

 

I believe commission and tips are not included in the drinks package. I guess the wine waiter is the best source of info. When he swipes your card (thus confirming that you do have a P & C Beverage pack) does he issue a receipt?

[Bertie Doe]

On 10/25/2019 at 2:54 PM, the wandering two said:

Hi, As alicat has mentioned, the bar menu highlights the drinks availability by package. We had the brindiamo package, your wine selection will be the same, as the menu says, wine by the glass.  In the main dining room there was a choice of one red & one white, constantly rotating between Chardonnay, Vermentino, Pinot Grigio(I think), Merlot, Cabernet & Nero d’avola. 

 

Yes thanks, the Brindiamo package is available at the bars but not my Pranzo & Cena, which restricts you to wine and beer only at the lunch and dinner restaurants. I selected a random fortnight cruise in summer 2020 and saw another drinks package called a Samsara, which looks identical to the Briandiamo but costs a bit more. Maybe there's extra room service?

Interestingly, I went to the Costa home page, clicked on 'Costa Experience' then on 'Drinks Package' and the words 'Pranzo & Cena, Briandiamo and Samsara' don't get a mention :- https://www.costacruises.co.uk/activity-types/dining.html

I'm not having a beef, I just wish Costa were a little more transparent.

 

[the wandering two]

As an aside, never got a receipt for any drink. Didn't have to swipe our cards in the dining room at any time. I assume our package was "in the system" so the waiters already knew what we were entitled to. All food ordering done by them on palm type devices, all very slick. 

[kremerlorraine]

We drink only white wine and I can confirm that with both the P&C and Brindiamo packages the choice is limited to pinot grigio or chardonnay (at least on the last couple and current cruises). If you develop a strong preference for one wine I'm sure the waiter will do his best to ensure you get it. We usually have second sitting dinner, and get ourselves a couple of glasses of wine from the buffet beforehand and find a nice spot to consume it (or take a glass into the theatre).

[Bertie Doe]

Thanks ref the card. Perhaps you need to swipe on day one because P & C does not allow freebie spirits with my meal.

I toyed with the idea of getting the Brindiamo package because I like a scotch in the evening and a rum mixer as a nightcap when on holiday. Problem is, my wife does not drink spirits and the Brindiamo would add £57 per cabin per day.

I hope the mods don't mind but the following list gives a single shot of spirits with mixer at under a fiver, so 4 shots would only be about £20. Not sure how old this info is :- https://www.cruise.co.uk/guides/cruise-information-drinks-prices/

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bertie Doe]

14 minutes ago, kremerlorraine said:

We drink only white wine and I can confirm that with both the P&C and Brindiamo packages the choice is limited to pinot grigio or chardonnay (at least on the last couple and current cruises). If you develop a strong preference for one wine I'm sure the waiter will do his best to ensure you get it. We usually have second sitting dinner, and get ourselves a couple of glasses of wine from the buffet beforehand and find a nice spot to consume it (or take a glass into the theatre).

Thanks for that kremerlorraine, I'm guessing the buffet has an attached bar and bartender? I've also seen a list with the words 'Draft Beer' Is there much choice, as I like a beer at lunchtime?

[kremerlorraine]

There is usually a bar near the buffet and there are bartenders at the end of each buffet line who serve wine, beer and soft drinks. At the moment their draft beer is Heineken.

[Bertie Doe]

20 minutes ago, kremerlorraine said:

There is usually a bar near the buffet and there are bartenders at the end of each buffet line who serve wine, beer and soft drinks. At the moment their draft beer is Heineken.

 

That's good news indeed. In fact I brew my own beer, so the ship's Heineken will probably taste like Champagne 🙂

 

[alicat58]

There are bars both pool decks at either end of the buffet and usually a drinks station in the buffet as well.

Have you looked at the other packages available to see how that would work for you. There is a beer , water and coffee package which I have not noticed before €69 (7 beers, 7 liter bottles of water and 14 coffees).

 

The wines vary but if one takes your fancy you will find the waiters and bar staff will get to know you and look after you. Hubby also only drinks white wine and does not like chardonnay. He usually has the Grillo. We have not cruised since Febr/March but this has always been one of the choices in the past. I drink red wine at night because the whites give me heartburn (too much information?!). The merlot is perfectly OK. None of the wines are topnotch but if you want to spoil yourself you can order a bottle off the wine list. They will seal it at the end of the evening if there is some left and put your name on it for the next time.

 

You can also pay as you go for the other drinks you might want. The only issue would be that anything extra will have the service charge on.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise. Also hope you have some sun down in Devon. Sort of trying to peek out here in deepest Essex.

 

Riana

[Bertie Doe]

1 hour ago, alicat58 said:

There are bars both pool decks at either end of the buffet and usually a drinks station in the buffet as well.

Have you looked at the other packages available to see how that would work for you. There is a beer , water and coffee package which I have not noticed before €69 (7 beers, 7 liter bottles of water and 14 coffees).

                                                                  <snip>

Hope you enjoy your cruise. Also hope you have some sun down in Devon. Sort of trying to peek out here in deepest Essex.

 

Thanks Riana. Fortunately my taste buds are less than sensitive, so the P & C drinks package is fine for middle-order whites, reds and beer. I'm happy to spend say €21 per day extra for 4 spirits based drinks.

Italians are world famous for their espressos, flat whites and cappuccinos. My favourite is 'macchiato' (espresso with just a teaspoon of the frothy stuff) 🙂 If the earlier mentioned price list is correct, 2 cups in the morning will hit the spot.Drinking coffee in the evening gives me insomnia. 🙂

You're right about the weather down here in Cornwall. We're enjoying a brief sunny snap. Pleasant change from the two days of downpours.

Paul

[gerryuk]

Last year I did Barcelona to Buenos Aires on Fascinosa with the Brindiamo package. At the end of the cruise I must have had around 6 / 8 glasses of beer. in total. For me the package was a waste of money. This year I am doing the same cruise and was thinking of just paying for each beer as I buy it. Does anybody know the price of a glass of beer on board? I cant find a price list on their web site. They do a beer only package for around 95 euros which again seems rather expensive to me as I am not a heavy drinker, thanks.

[Bertie Doe]

2 hours ago, gerryuk said:

Last year I did Barcelona to Buenos Aires on Fascinosa with the Brindiamo package. At the end of the cruise I must have had around 6 / 8 glasses of beer. in total. For me the package was a waste of money.

 

Costa prices are around average for the cruise industry at €5 per bottle. Def not worth you buying a package.

 

[gerryuk]

2 hours ago, MrSilversurf said:

 

Costa prices are around average for the cruise industry at €5 per bottle. Def not worth you buying a package.

 

Thanks, just out of interest does the cost of drinks packages fluctuate like the cost of cabins? For instance if not many people sign up to the packages, does the cost of the drinks package come down nearer the cruise start date or are they always static prices?

[envy4u]

4 hours ago, gerryuk said:

Thanks, just out of interest does the cost of drinks packages fluctuate like the cost of cabins? For instance if not many people sign up to the packages, does the cost of the drinks package come down nearer the cruise start date or are they always static prices?

 

4 hours ago, gerryuk said:

Thanks, just out of interest does the cost of drinks packages fluctuate like the cost of cabins? For instance if not many people sign up to the packages, does the cost of the drinks package come down nearer the cruise start date or are they always static prices?

No prices stay the same on the website. However, if your drink package comes with your cabin selection than they can go up and down.