Drink Prices and Availability

We are planning a 24 night westbound transatlantic in December 2016, and are wondering about drink prices and when coffee is served in the MDR and buffet.

What is the cost of a drink, like a martini? Nothing exotic, just a regular martini. Or a gin and tonic?

Is coffee available in the MDR at breakfast and at lunch? What about iced tea?

We are trying to decide if we need an all inclusive drink package or not.

If we decide to purchase one, an AI, can this be done onboard?

Thanks for any info you can share,

tnt

A martini is €7.45, gin n tonic b etween €6.45 - €9.95 (depending on the brand). Coffee (some people actually drink the stuff) is available in MDR & buffet during breakfast and lunch, never seen iced tea beingfreely available costs €2.95.

The Costa AI is a bargain when compared to other cruise lines, it can be bought onboard, don't forget that all passengers in the same cabin (including children) have to buy the AI.

The good coffees cost €3.50. So 4 coffees, 2 iced teas a martini and a g&t comes to €26.35, the AI costs €27.99.

We always buy the AI package on ship as the cost goes towards your Costa Club spend. Just head for any bar, they can do it, you dont need to go to guest services.

We always buy the AI package on ship as the cost goes towards your Costa Club spend. Just head for any bar, they can do it, you dont need to go to guest services.

True. But depending on the ship you may still have to go to Guest Services to have another cruise card remade with AI printed on it.

All pre cruise purchases i.e. shore excursions, speciality restaurant reservations, AI Drinks Package) count for Costa Club points for omboard expediture.

If the AI is purchased online, the Costa Card marked with the AI will be in your cabin when you board (available from about 13:00 onwards). Take the card and hit the bars. :D

Why taste time onboard waiting at Guest Services agmonst a lot of whiners about this and that.

As DW says be a winer and not a whiner, I tell her I like beer hse relpies "see you started whinig already", I can be a winer or a whiner with her but never a winner.:o:)

All pre cruise purchases i.e. shore excursions, speciality restaurant reservations, AI Drinks Package) count for Costa Club points for omboard expediture.

 

If the AI is purchased online, the Costa Card marked with the AI will be in your cabin when you board (available from about 13:00 onwards). Take the card and hit the bars. :D

 

Why taste time onboard waiting at Guest Services agmonst a lot of whiners about this and that.

 

As DW says be a winer and not a whiner, I tell her I like beer hse relpies "see you started whinig already", I can be a winer or a whiner with her but never a winner.:o:)

If its now on the club spend, yes do it before you get on!!! Have to say though, the bars we purchased have always added it at the bar, never been to guest services except on our first cruise where we paid for AI prior, but it never made the card in our room. Being first time Costa we didnt realise....so after an expensive bottle of wine, had to queue with the whiners and get new cards!

Just make sure its got AI on when you grab it in the room! He is right about guest services being a depression zoned...steer clear!

We are planning a 24 night westbound transatlantic in December 2016, and are wondering about drink prices and when coffee is served in the MDR and buffet.

What is the cost of a drink, like a martini? Nothing exotic, just a regular martini. Or a gin and tonic?

Is coffee available in the MDR at breakfast and at lunch? What about iced tea?

We are trying to decide if we need an all inclusive drink package or not.

If we decide to purchase one, an AI, can this be done onboard?

Thanks for any info you can share,

tnt

Hi, would love to hear how your cruise went and what you decided to do about drinks packages. We're doing the transatlantic in March from Sao Paolo to Savona on the Fascinosa.

Enjoy your cruise.:)

uyyy

Hi, would love to hear how your cruise went and what you decided to do about drinks packages. We're doing the transatlantic in March from Sao Paolo to Savona on the Fascinosa.

Enjoy your cruise.:)

Our cruise did not go well. Am currently waiting for our review to go online, it's been 4 days now.... We were in a PS (Panorama Suite) and effective June, 2016 on the Deliziosa the Intenditore drink package was included in the cost of the suite. However, it was not on our sea pass cards when we boarded and went to Customer Service desk to get new cards with it included. We were then told by the staff, (including the Guest Services Manager), that they would need to wait for an email from Costa headquarters verifying that we were eligible for the AI drink package. Were told that if we had booked the cruise too early, that the package may not be included since prices went up after the new suite benefits were instituted. We had a copy of the Costa USA page showing the AI package as a suite benefit, but no go. Finally got it straightened out with the help of our travel agent and their Costa rep and new cards were issued three days into the cruise. Totally unprofessional and absolutely ridiculous. Just one example of how lacking their customer service is. No follow through by management or staff on any passenger issues. Truly a disappointment. No cruise, at any price, is worth the kind of treatment we received from Costa. And considering the amount we paid for a suite eliminates them from any serious consideration in the future.

Our cruise did not go well. Am currently waiting for our review to go online, it's been 4 days now.... We were in a PS (Panorama Suite) and effective June, 2016 on the Deliziosa the Intenditore drink package was included in the cost of the suite. However, it was not on our sea pass cards when we boarded and went to Customer Service desk to get new cards with it included. We were then told by the staff, (including the Guest Services Manager), that they would need to wait for an email from Costa headquarters verifying that we were eligible for the AI drink package. Were told that if we had booked the cruise too early, that the package may not be included since prices went up after the new suite benefits were instituted. We had a copy of the Costa USA page showing the AI package as a suite benefit, but no go. Finally got it straightened out with the help of our travel agent and their Costa rep and new cards were issued three days into the cruise. Totally unprofessional and absolutely ridiculous. Just one example of how lacking their customer service is. No follow through by management or staff on any passenger issues. Truly a disappointment. No cruise, at any price, is worth the kind of treatment we received from Costa. And considering the amount we paid for a suite eliminates them from any serious consideration in the future.

It sounds to me that your cruise was booked before Intenditore package was given to Suite Customers, like ours was, now I understood that to check with Head Office before given this free package to you & I would take time considering it would cost them nearly 50 Euros per day for every guest. I think three days was reasonable but it appears that you were special out of the 3000 guests on board.

I was grateful to be offered a discount on the package even though booked well before this perk came in.

It sounds to me that your cruise was booked before Intenditore package was given to Suite Customers, like ours was, now I understood that to check with Head Office before given this free package to you & I would take time considering it would cost them nearly 50 Euros per day for every guest. I think three days was reasonable but it appears that you were special out of the 3000 guests on board.

I was grateful to be offered a discount on the package even though booked well before this perk came in.

As usual, you missed the point. This perk of the AI package is for all full suites guests no matter when they booked. The ONLY exception to this is on World Cruises. There is no qualifier on the Costa website stating that the cruise needed to be booked on or after a certain date. Just a way for Costa to try and weasel out of an advertised suite perk. Read the small print... I do!

As usual, you missed the point. This perk of the AI package is for all full suites guests no matter when they booked. The ONLY exception to this is on World Cruises. There is no qualifier on the Costa website stating that the cruise needed to be booked on or after a certain date. Just a way for Costa to try and weasel out of an advertised suite perk. Read the small print... I do!

Okay firstly how could I possibly missed the point again, if that was the first time I have even read any of your posts.

The Intenditore Package was only given to cruises booked after 15th June 2016 stated clearly in the T&C's in January 2016. when the new clubs rules were announced.

I have had many disputes with Costa over the years, & each one has been resolved or explained within the set time limit. Which is no different than any other cruise line. Disputes themselves will always lead to some not being satisfied, that being the nature of things, however to me it seems that many knock Costa, without stating the full facts.

'To many Italian's on board' often heard by us.

Per the descriptions of suite services/amenities on Costa’s own webpage there are NO exceptions to this perk of the Intenditore drink package for full suites, except on World Cruises. (Check out this link: http://www.costacruise.com/usa/suites-cabins/index.html)

It reads: “SUITES

FOR THOSE WHO LOVE TO BE PAMPERED

If you choose a Suite for your cruise, you will travel in total comfort in a spacious Cabin. Expect very exclusive treatment: access to a private VIP area in the terminal; a personal valet at your disposal for the entire cruise, a basket of assorted fruit replenished daily; a bottle of Ferrari Sparkling Wine; a minibar with a selection of drinks; a jacuzzi, baths salts, bath robe and slippers; a choice of pillows; the "Intenditore" Beverage Package including unlimited drinks priced up to €9 on our bar menus (not included for guests that purchase a World Cruise); a restaurant reserved only for Suite guests; a whole day to spend in the thermal area (only on ships with a spa); and reserved front-row seats in the theatre (up to 5 minutes before the start of the shows). Choosing a Suite entitles you to earn up to 450 CostaClub points for each day of your cruise and you will receive a 10% discount on your next cruise.”

THERE ARE NO DATE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS SUITE PERK. This is on Costa’s own web site. How can you dispute this? It is in writing-plain and simple. The inclusion of the Intenditore drink package is a perk of all full suite guests-if they have paid for a full suite, regardless of when they purchased the cruise. Interestingly, another perk of the full suites is to eat all meals in the Club Deliziosa Restaurant, which was offered to us from day 1 of the cruise. Picking and choosing which perks guests are entitled to is dishonest and deceitful on Costa’s part.

The effective date of implementation of these amenities for the individual ships, (ie: June 14, 2016 for the Deliziosa), is an Effective Date and is NOT the same as a purchase ON or AFTER DATE.

We were ultimately GIVEN the Intenditore package as a perk of our suite, as should anyone who paid for a full suite on our cruise. This has nothing to do with the Costa Club and any of its T & C’s. Since, as PS suite guests, we had expected “exclusive treatment” as outlined above, but instead had to fight for it, we have decided never to cruise with Costa in the future as it does not meet our standards.

Sadly, it appears that some on these boards don’t want to hear about the experiences of others unless it meets their preconceived opinions of Costa. Good luck cruising with Costa.

Just received an email from Cruise Critic advising that our review of this cruise has posted. This can serve to fill in some of the blanks about how our transatlantic cruise with Costa failed miserably to deliver "very exclusive treatment."

Happy Cruising,

tnt10