Concordia - just back!

[judybee]

We sailed on the June 10th western Med. cruise and enjoyed it very much. We had a nice cabin (9207), which was spacious and very clean, with a good sized balcony.

 

The food was good and the service in the dining room was excellent. The X-1 package was a good deal for us and the waiter had our favorite Merlot and a bottle of water waiting for us every evening. Cokes, diet Cokes and other beverages were available.

 

The excursions were well organized, as was the embarkation and disembarkation. We took the ship's excursions to Tunisia and to Portofino and they were ok, but a bit expensive for what we got. We hired a guide in Malta - Joan Sheridan and she was super. (You can check the Mediterranean board for more info on Joan.) The other ports we did on our own without a problem. The ship has a staff member assigned to help those who want to tour each port on their own; this person will give you guidance on how to plan your day and how to get about.

 

There were 2700 Italians, 90 Americans and a small number of other nationalities on board. All staff members spoke English and the English speaking guests had their own special staff person (Suzanne) to go to with questions or problems.

 

There was never a wait for the computers but there is a charge and the service is s l o w, however if you are a Costa Club member the cost of computer use as well as laundry and other services is reduced by 20%. As a member you also receive a fruit assortment, a bottle of Asti Spumante and an invitation to a cocktail party and a free photo.

 

We went to a couple of shows and they were ok - nothing special. I don't know anything about kids stuff but did see what appeared to be organized kid activities.

 

It's a little difficult to learn your way around as not all decks go all the way through and you end up going up or down to the 5th deck to make your way forward or aft, but after a bit you catch on, kinda.

 

My only real gripe :mad: was was the credit card registration process. You must register your credit card within 2 days of boarding and within certain hours at certain locations. Well, there were always long lines and we gave up and went to the service desk where we were first rudely told that we would simply have to wait in line. We refused and said we would simply not spend any money on the ship - that got us a supervisor who took our credit card and processed it immediately. There is no reason that this process can't be done online before the cruise.

 

So, we enjoyed the cruise and the ports and had an enjoyable trip with Costa.:)

[kernow]

Thanks for the review. We are going on the Concordia in October and its nice to hear good things.

If you don't mind I have a few questions. We are thinking of getting the X1 package, was it easy to get drinks at lunch times? Did all the staff know about the package?

Did you embark in Rome? We have booked Costa transfers to the airport and they leave at 10.30am, what time did you have to be out of the cabin? Just wondering if disembarkation is different from usual as not everyone is getting off in the same place.

Thanks,

 

Julie

[judybee]

Every waiter and bartender was aware of the X-1 and we had no problems getting what we wanted at the buffets or in the dining room.

 

We disembarked at Civitavecchia and were off the ship before 8:30. Make sure you ask Suzanne for the red luggage stickers which indicate you will be the first ones off the ship. Your luggage will be waiting for you. We did not take the bus to the airport as we took the train to Nice but I did see buses waiting. I'm not sure how long the trip is, but I think it's over an hour so you might want to check if your flight leaves at 10:30.

 

Enjoy!

[mountainmare]

Thank you for your review, we are on the Concordia Feb 29. It is especially nice to hear that there is help for the DIY people and English speakers. I am definately going to get the X1 drink package.

[judybee]

The DIY person is called a "Port Lecturer" and has daily hours posted in the newsletter. There is an excursion office also or you can purchase excursions at a kiosk on the ship.

 

By the way, there are 13 bars on this ship! And many of the smaller ones were empty on most nights.

 

There are movies shown on the huge outdoor screen but there is a charge of 10 Euros, which includes a cocktail, or 8 Euros with a soft drink, for the audio kit for your language. I rarely saw anyone watching the movie.

 

While smoking is allowed in certain areas I did not find this to be a problem.

 

Any other questions, just ask!

[Debbierpof]

Judybee -- Thanks for the great review! It included just about everything I wanted to know about the ship. How do you become a member of the Costa Club?

[kernow]

Judybee, thanks for the info, we'll definitely do the X1 package if there are no problems. Our flight doesn't leave until early afternoon, they told us the transfer bus goes at 10.30, sounds like it might be earlier but that won't matter.

 

Julie

[judybee]

You become a member after sailing on Costa and accummulating points - 100 points for every day of your cruise, 40 points for every 52 Euros you spend on board. When you have 2000 points you become a member at the Aquamarine level and you can progress to Coral and Pearl.

 

I had to submit proof of my two previous cruises to Costa as they did not have records going back more than a couple of years. I sent photos with Costa in the background, a travel agent receipt and some other forms of proof, which they readily accepted. I scanned and emailed all of this to Lesle Thomas, thomas@us.costa.it, and she took care of it for me. When we boarded the ship our membership numbers were on our room card and we received the special gifts.

 

For more info go to their UK site: http://www.costaclub.co.uk

[jones721]

We are thinking of going on the Costa Serena next March and am interested to know about your journey to and from the airport. I take it you flew into Nice (which is what we are thinking of doing)? I know Costa offer transfers at £20 per person each way (there are 8 of us so that is £320!) but I notice you took the train. Can you give me more details about this, how easy it was, cost, etc? Thanks.

 

Tracey

[judybee]

We flew into Rome and took Costa's bus transfer to the ship, which was over an hour away, and was probably the cheapest & easiest way to get there. We were told to go to the "Meeting Point" in the Rome airport and were met there by Costa reps.

 

We disembarked in Civitavecchia and took the train from there to Nice. Sorry, but I can't give you any info about your situation.

 

I do know, however, that the port is on the eastern side of Nice while the airport is a distance to the west. I don't know what taxi fares are as we picked up a rental car in Nice for the remainder of our stay in France.

[Debbierpof]

Judybee - How formal are the formal nights? Are there 2 formal nights on the cruise? What was the dress for the other dinners? Thanks!

[judybee]

There were two "formal" nights. I wore a dress and low heels but not a long formal. I did not see anyone wearing really dressy formal attire during our seating (1st). Some people dressed casually. It really didn't seem to matter. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in and don't worry about it.

 

For the other dinners I wore slacks and a top. I brought some scarves and jewelry to dress up my clothing a bit for dinner. It was more casual than I had expected, so don't overpack. A nice pair of black slacks and some knit tops which you can dress up will work great.

[Debbierpof]

Thanks! This is a great surprise! :) How about for men? Business suit or sportscoat?

[judybee]

Unless you are going to be wearing fancy dresses, a nice sports jacket would suffice for your husband.

[judybee]

Debbierpof - if you want a table for 2 you can call Costa and make the request or you can ask the Maitre d' when you first arrive. We had table 245 in the Milano restaurant, which was on the balcony overlooking the main restaurant - it was a great location and we had wonderful waiters. If you get it please give my best to waiter John - he's a cutie! :D

 

Judy

[Linda74]

Judy, are there specific times and places one can only get beer or wine with the x-1 package, or can you pretty much walk up to any bar on ship and have a drink?

[judybee]

The X-1 is available only at lunch time or dinner in the dining room or at the buffets. The buffets were open from 11:30 until 2:00 and then in the evening from 7:30 until 9:30. When you sat down at a table in the buffet area a waiter/waitress came over and took your order - the X-1 drinks were smaller than the regular drinks but I just ordered two and before I left the buffet I asked for a couple more glasses of whatever I was drinking and took them with me. In the restaurant our waiter always had a bottle of our favorite wine on the table along with a bottle of water.

 

Before dinner we usually had the cocktail of the day which was around 4.75 euros or 5 euros for the XL version. The X-1 was not available at the bars, still it was a good deal for us and I would definitely get it again.

[Debbierpof]

Judybee - Thanks for the tip! I am so excited! We drive to Miami tonight (live in Tallahassee) and our flight is tomorrow night. Our kids stay with my parents in Miami. Cannot wait!!! Will report back on our adventure!

[judybee]

Would love to hear how you enjoyed your cruise. Let us know.

[VirginiaS]

Judybee - How long was the ship in port in Malta? What sites did you see with Joan Sheridan? We are on Costa Med in November 2007 including Malta. Thanks.

[judybee]

I can't recall exactly how many hours the ship was docked but I believe we spent about 5+ hours with Joan. She took us to more sights than I can remember and to a good seafood restaurant for lunch in Marsaxlokk, a fishing village! If you check out their web sight you will see what they generally offer and you can pick what you would like to see. We saw most of what was listed on the Malta Classic Tour. http://www.touringmalta.com/malta_sightseeing_tours.htm

 

It's a fascinating country with a lot of history and I would recommend a guide.

[Debbierpof]

Judybee - We're back! It was a great cruise! I loved the Concordia (food excelled RCCL). Malta was probably one of my favorite ports (exhausting day -- Valetta, Marsaxlokk, Mdina and a northern beach) -- we used Vince DeBono who was really informative and flexible (and low price). Barcelona and Mallorca -- not enough time! We could have been there for a full day each easily. Savona, not our favorite (should have taken the train to Genoa). Tunisia was very interesting and had a great private guide (used Tunisian Discoveries). Palermo was exciting (we had Alessandro as our guide). We visited the catacombs and other sites in Palermo, plus Monreal and Mondello Beach. Great day! Rome, well... you gotta love it. Matteo, the ship's port lecturer, was really wonderful and was very open about his opinions on the sights in port. I plan on writing a report later (still catching up at work!). Loved our room, too!

 

Again, thanks for your review because it sure did help us prepare for the cruise. Would go on the Concordia again!

[MuscleGrandma]

Thanks for the pleasant info on Concordia. We sail on her next January. Although our itinerary is different, it is the same ship. Nice to read from someone who had more positive experiences.

What did you do in Barcelona?

[Debbierpof]

MuscleGrandma - I know you are asking judybee, but I needed to respond on this one. My DH and I absolutely love Barcelona. In my opinion, the sights not to be missed are: Las Ramblas, Barcelona Cathedral and walking throughout the Barri Gotic's narrow streets, La Boqueria, Sagrada Familia, and, if there at night, don't miss Las Ramblas at night or the Magic Fountain. Again, these are just a few of the incredible sights in an amazing city. Oh, and don't forget to try the cuisine -- crema catalana (dessert) is the best and the incredible seafood or sangria!

[judybee]

I agree with Debbierpof. We loved the city. We did our own Gaudi tour. The ship has a shuttle from the port to the city and from there we took a cab to the Park Guell and then another cab to the Sagrada Familia and then went to Gaudi's Casa Batllo, a residence which you can tour. I would recommend googling Antoni Gaudi to find out more about this amazing architect before you leave. You won't see architecture like his anywhere else in the world!

 

From there we walked down Las Ramblas and enjoyed a drink in a cafe. This was definitely one city we would return to as there were many more things to see.

 

There was a hop-on, hop-off bus available too which you could also google. The taxis were inexpensive but ask before you get in as one driver wanted to charge us a fortune for the ride to Park Guell, whereas the other gave us a realistic estimate and used their meters.

 

Have a great trip! :)