allenshouse

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

Thank you for the information, but as I mentioned we have pre-purchased the AI package so won't have to worry about stocking up in port.

Can anyone help clarify whether you can obtain AI drinks in the restricted bars that Costa mention in the above reply to me.

Thanks.

Thank you G.M.T.

I have received the following reply from Costa:

Dear Sir,

On board there is a Teppanyaky restaurant, the German brewery and a Wine tasting bar, these bars/restaurants have an extra charge, so the all inclusive will be valid on the intems included, for example, at the teppanyaky, if you order water sould be included, but not a sake or a japanese beer, these item would be in the "premium brands" excluded from the all inclusive.

In all regular bars the all inclusive is valid.

Regards

Costa Cruises

I believe that this means we can enjoy drinks free if they are on the AI list even if we are in the above bars.

However, I would appreciate clarification from someone who has been on the ship.

Many thanks.

We are sailing on the Diadema from Barcelona on 9th March and have pre-purchased AI.

I have read somewhere that there are 3 bars in which AI is not accepted on the ship.

Can anyone confirm if this is the case, and if so which bars this applies to?