Dubai embarkation and drinks package

We are sailing on the NeoRiviera from Dubai next week.

Our documentation states that embarkation is from 8pm, but there are many on this site who advise that you are generally able to board from 3pm.

We arrive from Heathrow at 9.30am and plan to check in baggage at the terminal once we have transferred to the port from the airport.

Our quandary is how long to "sight see" in Dubai before returning to the ship?

Can anyone advise on their experience of "killing time", whether the 3pm embarkation is an exception rather than the rule, and most importantly if you can emabark at 3pm, whether you are able to use your costacard (with prebooked AI!) on deck (and if so, how do you obtain it without access to your cabin).

Really looking forward to this, our 4th trip with Costa, and hope that the above information will get the cruise off to it a cracking start.

As you will know from your previous Costa cruises your Costa Cards (with your prebooked AI) will only be available when you can get to your cabin. Don't know which time that is.

But don't dispear if you can't get from Costa Card at 3:00 pm, wht we have done several times is to take proof that you have purchased AI (i.e. final invoice) and just show it to the bar staff. Never had a problem.

Thank you G.M.T., very helpful.

when you drop off your luggage look for the sign stating last boarding times.

You will be able to get to your cabin once all passengers have departed ship sometimes before depending on cabin steward getting things ready.

Even if beds are not changed the cards & info are often put into cabin prior to finishing housekeeping.

Thanks tenpin.

Did you mean last boarding times? I think we can embark up to just before sailing time, which in our case is noon the following day.

We will certainly try to check the cabin ealier, and as G.M.T. suggested, blag it with our AI reservation.

Has anyone done the Dubai cruise and actually boarded at 3pm, well before the advertised embarkation of 8pm?

Hi Allenhouse

We have done a cruise from Dubaii on the Deliziosa a few years ago and arrived early morning like you. We dropped our bags off and took a HoHo and spent the day in Dubai. We merrily went on the top deck forgetting that it was hot and that our pale UK bodies had not seen sun for months. Guess what, no sunblock and we got burnt to a frazzle! Pack a small bottle of high factor sunblock in your bags to use before you venture out.

Unfortunately I cannot recall what time we were allowed to board because this was in March 2011. I do remember that we had our evening meal in the buffet and that it was packed. The AI was not so much the norm then and we bought one of their wine packages. I am pretty sure GMT is right that you can show your invoice and you'll be served as usual.

Have fun.

Alicat

Thank you alicat58.

That's good advice, especially the reminder of the need to have the sun block close to hand.

We shall look at the HoHo tours.

Just back from our trip.

To answer the question I posed, they allowed us to embark at 3pm: no queues.

You have to surrender your passport as you enter the ship. As a receipt they give you a blue card and we were told to present this when ordering drinks and the waiter would know from our room number that we have ordered the drinks package.

The passports were returned to us before leaving the ship in Abu Dhabi.

Enjoyed the cruise but this was our first time on a Neo ship and it felt like a number of corners were being cut - almost like visiting an hotel just before it closes for the winter.

Not sure whether I should voice my concerns to Costa, whether it is likely to do any good, and if so the best way to communicate.

Just back from our trip.

 

 

 

Enjoyed the cruise but this was our first time on a Neo ship and it felt like a number of corners were being cut - almost like visiting an hotel just before it closes for the winter.

 

Not sure whether I should voice my concerns to Costa, whether it is likely to do any good, and if so the best way to communicate.

Hi allenshouse,

Yes is the answer, the only way things will get changed is if people voice their concerns.

We are Costa lovers having done over 25 with them, but so disappointed with the 'NEO Ships' although the layout and décor was superb on the Neo Romantica the choice of food & service was dismal. Not a patch on our first cruise on the old Romantica back in the 90's, I did write several letters to H.O. and finally got a great offer on another cruise, pointing out that these were not complaints but concerns about the way Costa was promoting the Neo package which did not meet expectations.