MrFido

I'm not a party expert but I can tell you that there was definitely a white hot party on our last Costa cruise which seemed pretty big and elaborate but not as big as the ones I've seen on NCL. This was on the Costa Mediterranea in June 2015.

As I mentioned before in this thread, you can ask to have it during the cruise (if you're planning on using it while docked) and I think they have to give it to you. I'm not sure what would happen if you refused to give it to them, or if you asked to have it back during the cruise without a specific reason.

Good news: they had to stay an extra day in Kotor where the stop is only 5 hours.

Bad news: they skipped Argostoli (beautiful place).

:D

I don't remember ever seeing an open buffet after 5-6pm, and I was on the hunt for those. Costa really wants you to go to the main dining room and limits your other options to an absolute minimum.

If you have kids, make sure to pick the earlier dining time, not the 9pm+ one.

Yes, in Europe they hold it for the duration of the cruise and yes you have to surrender it when you embark (as soon as you physically get on the ship, someone takes your passport). They do that in hotels too, sometimes.

This may only apply to non-Schengen residents though, and only when traveling between Schengen countries and non-Schengen countries within Europe, but I'm not quite sure about that. I believe it has something to do with certain immigration requirements that would be way too difficult to meet for the ship if they didn't have all the passports in their possession at all times.

I took that cruise with my 16 year-old son at the end of June, 2015. I had never been on a Costa ship before. Here are my thoughts:

Day 1 - Departure from Trieste (Italy) 7pm

We flew from Montreal to Venice and took a Costa transfer to Trieste. We were going to take a train because we hadn't seen anything about this transfer when we booked, but when we saw a lady holding a Costa sign at the airport, we followed her and decided to take her up on her offer to take us to Trieste on a bus for 30€. Embarkation was smooth and easy. Nothing unusual to say.

Day 2 - Split (Croatia) 1pm-7pm

Don't forget they have their own currency (the Kuna) and they generally don't accept euros at all. It's a very beautiful place to visit. We walked to the other side of Split where the Hajduk stadium is (Stadion Poljud). We also climbed the mountain that leads to Cafe Bar Vidilica (incredible view) and to a museum that wasn't open (Prirodoslovni muzej) and some sort of weather station.

Day 3 - Kotor (Montenegro) 9am-2pm

Climbing the mountain (3€) to St. John castle is definitely worth doing if you're capable. The view is breathtaking but the climb takes about 45 minutes. The old town is impressive. We also walked to Hotel Fjord, which is an abandoned hotel by the sea. We walked around and saw that the tennis court is being used by locals.

Day 4 - Argostolion (Kefalonia-Greece) 10am-8:30pm

The first agency that you see when you get off the ship is Avalon Tours. They offer great tours at very reasonable prices. I highly recommend them. If you want to optimize your time there and see a little bit of everything, get the Discover Kefalonia Tour. If you like beaches, make sure to go to Myrtos Beach (Discover doesn't *stop* there - you only see the beach from a road up a mountain). If I remember correctly, we paid 40€ a person for the Discover Kefalonia tour. They leave on time and they get back exactly when they're supposed to. We wanted to see as much as possible but we also wanted to swim if we could. When we got back to the ship, we were told by the local tourist center (right on the dock) that there was a nice beach just 4-5 minutes from there by foot. We probably spent an hour in the water there. It was amazing and beautiful.

Day 5 - Corfu (Greece) 7am-4pm

Aside from the Costa excursions, we couldn't find a local travel agency that could take us to all those places on a bus. Some taxis do offer to drive you around but for about 100-150€. We talked to locals in a cafe and we found out that you can go to the local bus stations and take a blue bus or a green bus. For 2-3€ per ride, you can get pretty much everywhere (including Achilleion Palace, Palaiokastritsa, etc.). This is definitely the way to go in my opinion.

Day 6 - Dubrovnik (Croatia) 7am-1pm

If you're a fan of Game of Thrones, make sure to visit Fort Lovrijenac, which is a little out of the way. This is where they film the series. Also, the cable car that goes up the mountain is a must see in my opinion, but get a two-way ticket (not just one way) because the walk (or run) back down is *very* long (I did it, and I got a little nervous at some point!). The old town is amazing and the walk on the city walls is breathtaking. A lot of people don't know this but if you purchase a ticket to the city walls, you can use the same ticket to visit Fort Lovrijenac.

Day 7 - Venice (Italy) 9:30am-10pm

You should get a 24 hour vaporetto ticket (we got one with Alilaguna for 30€ and it includes Murano, but I think ACTV - the other company - has more stops and is a little cheaper). This is a must if you want to see Murano and go from one place to the other quickly in Venice. There were very long lines everywhere so we had to prioritize what we wanted to do on St. Mark's square.

Day 8 - Trieste (Italy) 7am

We didn't really enjoy our time in Trieste and we had plans to go to Slovenia anyway so we got a rental car and drove to Slovenia. It's very close (some 20-30 km depending on where you go). We spent the night in Piran. If you have time, it's definitely worth it in my opinion since "you're in the area".

General comments on Costa Crociere

I had never been on a Costa ship before and I was a little shocked to see how limited food options were. In the evening, you absolutely have to go to the dining room at your assigned time (6:45 or 9:15pm). If you don't/can't make it, you can have a small pizza and a salad at a restaurant that stays open until about midnight every night for 4€, or you can go to a specialty restaurant (25€ per person, formal). Maybe this is what you're used to, but I thought I should let you know. I didn't see any chocolate buffets or special food event at the buffet, and you can't have an ice cream cone and stroll out on the deck in the evening.

Pools and hot tubs close very early (around 7pm every night). Everything gets very quiet at night, except perhaps the disco (which I never went to). I'm not sure if people need their sleep or it's just not a nightlife crowd. It didn't bother me at all but if you're into late night parties and nightlife, you may be disappointed.

This cruise makes a stop every day. I absolutely loved that aspect and it's the main reason why I booked that cruise, but if you want to really see and do everything, you have to be in good shape, go to bed relatively early so you can get off the ship early (some stops are early in the morning and are only 5 hours), be ready to walk a lot and maybe even climb (there's some serious climbing if you're interested), etc. I didn't book a single Costa excursion because I'm not interested in museums, churches and shopping and I walk very fast (I like to do literally everything at full speed), but if you're going to book Costa excursions, book early, especially if you need a tour in English (less demand, less availabilities). Waiting until the night before is too late.

If you have the waterUSA package (free, available to North Americans), you can drink sparkling or still water at the dining room for free. If you want to have bottled water when you leave the ship, go to local grocery stores (where locals shop). You'll pay pennies for 1.5L bottles. I can't help you with wine/beer packages as I don't drink alcohol.

This is my first review. I hope it's clear and helpful to people who are considering booking that cruise. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to provide more information.

We cruise to see the world, and the ship is for "a place to sleep and something to eat" as my husband says, and if that's your goal, then Costa will suffice. If you want luxury and to be catered to, then it's probably best to go elsewhere.

I completely agree with that. I thought entertainment was terrible and food options were way too limited, but I see the ship as a method of transportation, a hotel and a restaurant, and I focus a lot more on the destinations.

They keep your passport, even in Croatia, unless you specifically request to have it, which I did in Dubrovnik on my last cruise (I was considering going to Bosnia-Herzegovina - which is very close - but I later changed my mind). There was an exception: if you're on the Mediterranea and you go on the Medjugorje excursion in Split, you will need your passport because you will travel to Medjugorje by bus (which is in Bosnia-Herzegovina), spend the night there and rejoin the cruise in Kotor, Montenegro.

Do we know if this is now the case on all Costa ships or just the Fortuna? We were on the NeoRomantica last fall and the buffet was open for dinner and the food was plentiful--especially the ice cream!

The Mediterranea is exactly as described by OP (big disappointment!).

Wow! I am from the Netherlands and am planning a cruise with Costa. I am definitely going to ask for the sticker for 'free' water in de MDR. Quite ridiculous that Europeans should pay for tap water.

Technically, I never got tap water when I ordered water in the MDR. I got bottled water (sparkling or still).

I think it's a little too tight but I know Costa will accommodate people who need to catch a flight at a certain time by letting them off the ship first.

We`re about to book this ship with the Venice-Trieste-Split-Corfu itinerary.

 

Our 1st European Cruz.

 

ANY and all feed back would be welcome, as to the ships, water availability, ports, drink packages ANYTHING-Thanks in advance!

We went on that cruise at the end of June and I'll probably post a short review soon but just a few things that come to mind:

1. I had never been on a Costa ship before and I was a little shocked to see how limited food options were. In the evening, you absolutely have to go to the dining room at your assigned time (6:45 or 9:15pm). If you don't/can't make it, you can have a small pizza and a salad at a restaurant that stays open until about midnight every night for 4€, or you can go to a specialty restaurant (25€ per person, formal). Maybe this is what you're used to, but I thought I should let you know. I didn't see any chocolate buffets or special food event at the buffet, and you can't have an ice cream cone and stroll out on the deck in the evening.

2. Pools and hot tubs close very early (around 7pm every night). Everything gets very quiet at night, except perhaps the disco (which I never went to). I'm not sure if people need their sleep or it's just not a nightlife crowd. It didn't bother me at all but if you're into late night parties and nightlife, you may be disappointed.

3. This cruise makes a stop every day. I absolutely loved that aspect and it's the main reason why I booked that cruise, but if you want to really see and do everything, you have to be in good shape, go to bed relatively early so you can get off the ship early (some stops are early in the morning and are only 5 hours), be ready to walk a lot and maybe even climb (there's some serious climbing if you're interested), etc. I didn't book a single Costa excursion because I'm not interested in museums, churches and shopping and I walk very fast (I like to do literally everything at full speed), but if you're going to book Costa excursions, book early, especially if you need a tour in English (less demand, less availabilities). Waiting until the night before is too late.

4. If you have the waterUSA package (free, available to North Americans), you can drink sparkling or still water at the dining room for free. If you want to have bottled water when you leave the ship, go to local grocery stores (where locals shop). You'll pay pennies for 1.5L bottles. I can't help you with wine/beer packages as I don't drink alcohol.

5. In Corfu, you can go to the local bus stations and take a blue bus or a green bus. For 2-3€, you can get pretty much everywhere (including Achilleion Palace, Palaiokastritsa, etc.). Aside from the Costa excursions, we couldn't find a local travel agency that could take us to all those places on a bus. Some taxis do offer to drive you around but for about 100-150€.

6. In Argostoli, the first agency that you will see when you get off the ship is Avalon Tours. They offer great tours at very reasonable prices. I highly recommend them. If you want to optimize your time there and see a little bit of everything, get the Discover Kefalonia Tour. If you like beaches, make sure to go to Myrtos Beach (Discover doesn't *stop* there - you only see the beach from a road up a mountain). If I remember correctly, we paid 40€ a person for Discover. They leave on time and they get back exactly when they're supposed to.

7. In Croatia, don't forget they have their own currency (the Kuna) and they generally don't accept euros at all.

8. In Dubrovnik, if you're a fan of Game of Thrones, make sure to visit Fort Lovrijenac, which is a little out of the way. This is where they film the series. Also, the cable car that goes up the mountain is a must see in my opinion, but get a two-way ticket (not just one way) because the walk (or run) back down is *very* long (I did it, and I got a little nervous at some point!).

9. In Venice, you should get a 24 hour vaporetto ticket (we got one with Alilaguna for 30€ and it includes Murano, but I think ACTV - the other company - has more stops and is a little cheaper). This is a must if you want to see Murano and go from one place to the other quickly in Venice.

10. In Kotor, climbing the mountain (3€) is definitely worth doing if you're capable. The view is breathtaking but the climb takes about 45 minutes.

11. Since this cruise doesn't go to Slovenia and I really wanted to see that country (I can never get enough!!), I rented a car in Trieste and I drove to Slovenia. It's very close (some 20-30 km depending on where you go). We spent the night in Piran. If you have time, it's definitely worth it in my opinion since "you're in the area".

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions and I'll post more if I think of anything else.

I visited Corfu and Kefalonia last week and everything was fine. Corfu's economy doesn't seem as healthy as Kefalonia's but all in all, cruisers really enjoyed their stops in those two islands. Beaches were packed and tourist spots were bustling. I don't see why one would avoid getting on a cruise that stops in Greece simply because of the economic instability.

I live in Canada but I booked the trip on an american website (so I guess I was considered an American for that purpose). I didn't pick any water/alcohol packages and my card said WaterUSA.

US cruisers currently have a sticker on their Costa Card that says "USA Water" and withn thta they can get free pitchers of iced (tap) water in the MDR.

That's what our cards said but we got bottled water at the MDR for free. On the first night, I even asked twice to make sure, they checked our cards and sure enough, bottled water was free but I think that was only in the MDR, not anywhere else on the ship. That was a week ago on the Costa Mediterranea.

I don't drink alcohol but I can tell you that we got demineralized still and sparkling water (from bottles) at the dining room for free without a package.

I just got back from a 7-day cruise on the Costa Mediterranea. I had only been on NCL before, and once on Holland.

I confirm that there are no buffets in the evening (except in Venice where we stop for 13 hours) and food options are quite limited. There are 3 options: (1) dining room (6:45 and 9:15), (2) pizza (4€ for what looked like a small or medium sized pizza, a salad and a small dessert) and (3) a 25€ specialty restaurant (that I didn't go to). I should mention that if you didn't make your assigned time at the dining room, you were out of luck because the maitre d' wasn't very helpful accommodating you at a later time. On the first night, we didn't know about buffets being closed in the evening so we didn't try to make our 6:45 dining time. When we showed up around 8pm looking for food (after realizing the buffet was closed!), the maitre d' said we needed to be there on time or else... we could try to come back at 9:15 but there were no guarantees of getting a table. We came back and did get a table in a corner but the service was very poor. They clearly want you to make your assigned time. The maitre d' said tomorrow, be on time.

I don't like having to dress up when I'm on vacation (I don't do formal nights!) and I don't like to follow a strict schedule. I enjoy always having the buffet as an evening option. I was disappointed to see that we were forced to go to the dining room for 6:45 every night.

I realize I could have paid more and not have to worry about dining times but I didn't think it was going to be a problem before I got on the ship.

Hope this is helpful (first post!!). :cool: