newoncruise

Thank ypu for your answer. How many days before a planed tour do they cancel? The tour in Cherbourg is on my second day. So not much chances to arrange for another tour.

I didn't want to offend you - I was pointing out that either way I would need a bag big enough to transport a towel, so a small bag which I could also use in the evenings would not be enough. And I AM gratefull that you confirmed that the Loki bag is a goid idea.

There are hardly any options in Cherbourg and in Gibraltar and Tarragona we have only a short stay. I will visit the other places on my own. Therefore I depend on the offered excursions.

I think I will pack a Hamam towel or a long Pareo which I can also tie around the waist. My question refers to the transport of the towel which Costa offers and personal things from the cabin to the pool and back. Tank you for the confirmation - I will take my Loqi bag with me.

I am booked on a Costa cruise in September from Ijmuiden to Savona and made some reservations for excursions in English. As I read that English group tours are often canceled, I am wondering if I should change now to Italian instead to be sure that I will not be stranded at the end. I understand well Italian and can follow a conversation or explanations of a guide. But my speaking skills are better in English than in Italian. What would you suggest?

Looks great!

Hei, my bag is also from this brand! It's what I called in a former post a foldable tote bag. In many European countries supermarkets sell reusabke shopping bags made out of recycled PET bottles for a few bucks, certainly under 5€. They are bigger and more durable than the paper bag and hold also heavy items. They are not water proof but don't break when wet. Sometimes they have a nice print and often it's only a form of advertising for the shop. I usually take one of these with me when travelling and I first thought to use it for the pool. But then I would have to bring another bag when just wandering from one place to another on the ship. The shopping bag can be used in a multitude of ways too. You already listed a few things. I use the supermarket shopping bags also for recycling paper, PET and glass at home, bringing food and gifts to parties or to transport laundry to the laundromat while traveling.

I think the trick is to not to choose via destinations but to choose first one specific cruise. As my cruise didn't show up in the overwiews and I wanted to embarque in Amsterdam-Ijmuiden instead of Kiel, went to destinations/ports and chose there one of the ports. Then I entered criteria for the filter and chose my cruise.

I chose random cruises.

The screenshots for OP were from the uk page. But it works also for the German or Italien page.

2 Post, as otherwise it seams to be one pic instead of two.

On the page with the list of different cruises (or your chosen cruise) you have two buttons per offer: The yellow one on the right to choose your cabin. Tap the button on the left "See the itinerary". Tap on the pop-up again the white button "Shore excursions and activities". For each day you have slides with the proposed excursions. Tap on picture and you will see the details, incl. duration and price.

I have already booked an ocean view cabin in the middle of the ship on deck 1. It is on the "wrong" side, but as I won't see the coast from the window, it doesn't matter. Happy that I didn't choose 2468, which was tempting. Thank you for reaching out.

That would be amazing! I will report back.

Either you get an idea of a city or region you might want to visit for a longer time in the future or you can visit again a spot you like - and as a bonus you have the amneties of a cruise ship.

Shopping bags are practical when travelling and I often have one in my suitcase and I first thought to take a nice one. But then again I would need another bag to roam around the ship. Therefore it will be the foldable tote bag for both. Do many people use shopping bags to go to the pool? I think it would be very practical with kids.

I won't have a package for drinks, I just don't drink much alcohol and soft drinks. As far as I understand I would have to pay for water on Costa Fascinosa. At home I usually drink tap water and I have a Soda Stream to make bubbles. So my strategy is to pay then and when for a glass of wine, cocktail or coffee and buy or refill water as much as possible ashore. And I will have more stuff with me to carry around the ship than a water bottle (glasses, camera, sun blocker, phone etc).

My backback is practical, easy to wash in the machine and has enough space to also carry groceries or a jacket. I love it for that reason and also take it when exploring a city. It is so deep, that I most of the time feel confident to have money and passport inside while wearing it at my back. I can't see myself walking with it to the pool at the ship. Thank you for your good suggestions! Very helpfull.

I didn't mean to take spare cloths ashore. But as I wear big sizes I want to take some cloths in my backback/hand luggage with me on board. Just in case my suitcase would go missing...

Thank you very much for your very valuable answers. They are amazing and very helpfull. The backpack is my hand luggage when traveling (I am team handsfree) and I use it also for day trips in a city, the countryside or at the beach. It's practical and I can easily wash it in the machine from time to time. I will use it for excursions. A black handbag is either my personal item when flying or transported in my suitcase. Most of the time this is enough, also in the evenings. However, this handbag is a bit too big and not elegant enough for evenings on the ship - on the other hand it's too small to fit a small water bottle while on the ship. So I will leave it at home. I will pack a small bag for evenings instead. Through your responses, I remembered that I also have a foldable bag made of lightweight canvas. It has a Monet motif, is very light and saves space. This is what I will use for the pool and to walk from deck to deck during the day. Thanks so much for your help!

Ladies, I need your help! I will hopefully soon book my first cruise for the end of September (Costa from Kiel to Savona). While I know which shoes I will pack, I am struggeling on which bags to take. The backpack, in which I can store spare clothes or a bath towel and a large water bottle, is very practical, but not nice. Then I guess I need a chic little bag for the evening. And a beach bag to go to the pool and a nice bag which fits a small bottle of water? This is somehow too much! What do I put on over the bikini in case I want to take a quick dip in the pool in the morning? What did you take with you on your first cruise but didn't need? And what did you miss?

There are countries which require that passports will be valid for another six months after leaving the country. It makes sense not to wait until the last minute to renew it.

I am very greatful for your answer At7seas and I had a lot to digest. Finaly I decided that I am not ready to pay for a balcony cabin as I don't see the coast line and there is no availability on deck 7. The cruise seems to be booked well and there are not many choices left. • From Amsterdam I can choise between 2234 in the front with the theatre on deck 3, 2290 close to the atrium or 2468 in the back corner (I read somewhere that there are vibrations of the ship and noise from the engine). Or 1240 and 1244 on deck1 in the front. • From Kiel: 2222 in the front and below the theatre, 2328 below the kitchen, 2450 below the restaurant. Or 1208 and 1220 in the front. Which one should I choose? And I have also decided that I want to take this cruise, even as it is uncertain that I can take the excursions I want do badly. On the other side, I speak also some Italian and understand even more. I am sure that I can follow the explanations of a guide. Thanks again for all your help.

Thank you so much for your answer, Essiesmom. I think that meanwhile the thread has been moved to the Costa forum. I am so greatfull for the advice about the ship's lights, I will not take an oceanview cabin on deck 6. It makes sense that the ships sail some miles away from the coast - I just not in my imagination. Therefore I will probably stick to the oceanview cabins. Deck 2 (Rigoletto) is below the deck with restaurants, kitchen, bars and the theatre (in the front). So I think I would choose a cabin in the back of the ship and certainly avoid to be right under the theatre. Is there a service room next to cabin no 2458/2466? And would I hear the noises in no 2468? If I sail from Ijmuden instead of Kiel only no 2468 (in the corner) and 2290 are free. The latter is very close to the atrium. A no, I guess? https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/Costa-Fascinosa