tomvet

We were due to sail on Opera on Dec 2nd from Genoa to Tenerife. It still leaves Genoa on December 2nd but is heading to Cuba! Looks like we will be offered an alternative cruise or refund - either I can live with but the problem is that we booked our flights independently and I wonder if MSC have an obligation to reimburse us for these! :(

If they offer an alternative cruise, are their restrictions i.e. equal length, equal value, could you transfer your budget winter cruise to a high season summer one :D

The other option is that the first 9 nights of the Grand Voyage to Cuba may be identical to the 9 nighter we booked to Tenerife i.e. we were due to disembark in Tenerife on December 11th and Opera is due to arrive in Havana on December 18th - time wise this is feasible but I am not sure if MSC would prefer to sell a 16 night Genoa to Havana rather than trying to sell a 7 night Tenerife to Havana cruise!

What annoys me most is that clearly a decision has been made, yet the Canary Isl cruises are still available to purchase on the various MSC internet sites! :confused:

There are evening buffets on the Neo ships.

 

Also a fifth choice on the rest of Costa ships, "Room Service" free if you are in a premium cabin.

Apologies, you are correct that the buffet does remain open on the Neo ships - I have not sailed on one (yet!).

As a Classic cabin cruiser I am to mean to pay for room service!:o The menu is rather basic and limited to soup and sandwiches and some pastries!

Link to review of our recent Costa Favolosa review.

http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=266&t=10245

NO buffet on any Costa ship. After 5 your choices are

1) SPeciality restaurant for €25 pp

2) Pay 25€ to eat in the Samsara restaurant

3) Pay 4€ for salad, pizza and dessert in the Pizzeria (sectioned off from the buffet upper level!

4) Eat in the MDR for 'free'!

You cannot check in until 1500 but you can head to the port early in the morning and have your luggage taken from you but then you must get out of the port to see something or else get bored waiting. We left our luggage at the airport as it was easier to return to using the spiffy Metro and it allowed us to get underway earlier - also at the time we did not know we could deposit our luggage at the port - we were told by Costa not to checkin before 1500.

As regards swimming off Telegraph Island - the sea was choppy and there was a wind chill! It was actually quite cold!

I agree with GMT. From Hamburg Airport there is a bus that takes about 1,5 hours that takes you directly to Kiel with a brief stop en route. Simples!

Why would you fly from the US to Munich (Unless you had friends and definite reason to do so) and then have a problem flying the short hop to Northern Germany!

There are two cruises bookable on Victoria (actually it really one cruise just one is 4 days longer than the other) leaves Shanghai on 28th Oct for 10 days to Singapore and 14 days to Bangkok (I think!).

I looked at it €1200 for 5 of us. Flights €1700 so not too bad!

My goodness; you must not have done much reading.

Enough to recognise a ridiculous and disrespectful post!

She was kind enough to let us in so we didn't complain. 3 pillows on the bed were like concrete so she replaced them and gave us 24 wire hangers.

I think I would have preferred the concrete pillows than trying to rest my head on the 24 wire hangers! :D:D

I'll bet that the Costa Fascinosa passengers who died in the recent terrorist attack at the museum in Tunisia would have been much happier if the ship hadn't stopped at Tunisia.

THis is the most ridiculous statement I have ever read. THe people have paid very dearly with their lives, afford them the respect to rest in peace. I am sure they had no fear or regrets and were most likely very happy to embark on their shore excursion.

What you are talking about ifs? If only the ship ported elsewhere? If only they remained on the ship? If only they booked another itinerary, another ship, another cruiseline, another date?

Why torment their families and loved ones with this type of comment? If your use of the words 'I'll bet' trivialises this into some sort of a game.

Thanks

 

Kids until 17 pay half right?

 

(i checked on Costa Site but its not very clear:eek: )

Kids under 4 pay zero and from 4 - 14 kids pay half price. 14 - 17 - full price.

The current service charge is €8.50 (since 24.11.2014) per person per day.

 

Next year (2015 / 2016) it is €9.00 p.p.p.d.

 

See attached:

That first 50c increase did not last long! €9 is hefty.

Davidcraig, yes this is the same gentlemen who was dancing.

Regarding food in the Ceres, DH had the tuna one evening much to his regret as he had to attend the medical centre the day after. We saw on the menu that against some dishes it made reference to having been frozen, have not seen this reference before on any other cruise lines menu.

Regarding the Dhow cruise in Khasab, my husband offered to help you off the bus with your buggy and also helped you on the Dhow when at one point it looked like you and your twins were going to be washed over the side as your husband was attending to your little girl.

Maybe that is why I don't remember you clearly as I am the husband! But my wife remembers you and says 'Hello and thank you'. She says she was shocked after Una got a wave into the face! :)

We had this "problem" on our January cruise. On our e-documents, I also saw 23:00 in the MDR, I spoke to Costa about it. It is something to do with their software system in that is automatically printed / included in the tickets.

 

Just forget about it, when you get to your cabin your Costa Cards will be waiting for you, on the back of it nest to the Costa Card will be "EXTRA", thus showing that you have purchased the AI package.

 

Some advice, take your final invoice and any other docuemnts that show you have the AI, this is just in case your Costa Card does not show EXTRA, then go to Guest Relations Desk with you documentation and get the card changed.

 

Don't worry, be croosing and boosing.

Unless it has changed since Jan 16th - your Costa card will not be waiting for you in your room. You hand over your passport on deck 1 or 0 upon embarkation and here is where you get your Costa card. It allows you to transact for the few hours until your cabin is available at 2030.

We have done 2 Costa cruises - Pacifica repositioning from Kiel to Savona last September and Serena in the Arabian Gulf in January. We have Favolosa booked to Norway in June and looking at Mediterannea in the Adriatic in November. Just iffy on the last one - not because it is Costa but not sure what the weather will be like in the Adriatic in November.

We are very please we have found Costa! For now, they suit our needs.

Hi All,

 

We recently returned from this cruise and had an amazing time. I had read lots of reviews so my expectations were low! Yes, the ship is tired and has strange décor, yes, the food isn't amazing and the entertainment could be a little more up to date but plenty makes up for this. The staff are superb and the place is spotless. I'm not sure I'd feel this way if we'd paid any more than we did but for around £750 including direct flights per person it was an absolute bargain.

 

We had a premium balcony, level 6 stern. 3197? Should we have wanted we could have had 4 meals a day - I'm not sure how they make any money! I realise Emirates will have a deal with them but even at £300 for flights & £450 for the cruise I can't make it stack up.

 

Quick tips:

 

Anyway, that apart, what a fantastic itinerary. Dubai is much changed from my last trip 8 years ago, we took the open bus for a look about and to kill 12 hours waiting for our cabin! If you want to go up the Burj Khalifa you get further up on a private tour - about £90 than the ship's tour.

 

Muscat - we got a taxi outside the port, they charge by the hour & you'll find things you never knew about! Ask your driver to take you to an authentic restaurant and try the lamb cooked in a pit. Day 2 we had a Dhow tour where a LOT of people were ill - I never saw the warnings for this but it was rocky on the open sea (I think a gentle tour in a Dhow is available in Kasab).

 

Kasab - we took the ship's tour up the mountain - it was awesome!

 

Abu Dhabi - URGH, this was Ferrari World - an absolute waste of time! We went for the roller coaster and after that came back so a pretty expensive waste of a day in a city which looked wonderful! We did however do the open bus there so saw a lot including the race track. Avoid Ferrari world if you don't absolutely adore Ferrari's, it feels about 5 years away from being a tourist attraction.

 

Back to Dubai and all it's delights.

 

The drinks package was worth it for us - 3 cocktails and a coffee and it's paid for itself, I'm not a wine drinker but the prosecco was passable since there was no champers. Most cocktails are included.

I always had the suspicion that Ferarri world may look and sound better than it is.

I would have loved to do the Jeep safari up Jebel Harim but it was not an option with 3 very small kids. I might have been just too bumpy. Instead we did the more sedate Dhow cruise in Khasab but that was fairly choppy too - our 3 year old got a bit sea sick and we got soaked by the spray.

Yes the walk in ticket price for the BK is a whopping AED500. Certainly not worth that. 125AED pre booked timed ticket is far more acceptable.

Don't know for sure as I've not yet been. I've never had an issue though getting taxis anywhere in Dubai. There always seems to be a rank wherever there is a location where lots of people go.

 

If you have a tripadvisor account, you could try asking there. Alternatively email them at info@dubaimiraclegarden.com[/email] to ask if there is a taxi rank.

We had trouble getting a taxi in Dubai on Thursday night at the Burjuman Mall. We were in a queue of about 20 at the Mall and when no taxi came for anyone in 20 minutes - we went onto the streets and took another 20 mins before we were lucky to get one that stopped to let a fare out. Friday night may also be the same as the Malls were heaving, traffic heavy but we used to Metro to make the final journey to the airport.

Thank you so much for this great report! I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to our cruise even more. I will also add the Burj Khalifa bto my list.

We will travel with two kids, 4 & 9, so your report was especially helpful.

Also, it was great to read that someone was happy with Costa, after all the other reports I was straing to be afraid of our cruise on the Serena, starting on the 27th of March.

Thank you for taking the time to share your exprience and pics.

Book the BK today or tomorrow as tickets open 30 days out and sell fast.

Your 4&9 year olds will love it! Have a great time and if you have any questions please ask.

We were on the same cruise and had a fantastic time.

 

We booked the weekend prior, at a cost of £169pp for an Inside cabin. Emirates flights ex GLA were reasonable, which made it all the better. We originally had began looking at the MSC Splendida or Costa Diadema in the Med, before realising that we could get to Dubai for not much more.

 

This was our second Costa cruise, having done numerous with Royal Caribbean and MSC. I feel that both Royal and MSC are a level above Costa in terms of entertainment, food and the ship itself. However, I feel that the Costa product, relative to the price, is absolutely fantastic and we wouldn't hesitate to sail with them again (Just perhaps not at £1000pp cruise only).

 

There were niggles which I believe put Royal and MSC at an advantage:

 

- As mentioned above soft drinks and water were served in small glasses.

- The late night pizza now costs extra.

- No live band at the pool or theatre (MSC doesn't have a theatre band)

- Decor is a takes a little getting used to.

 

However, service (especially bar service in lounges) was the best we have experienced on any ship. Weighing up the entire trip, we got fantastic value for money, paying around 20% of what we usually pay, and found Costa to deliver only a slightly less polished product.

 

We booked the Dhow cruise also, albeit through a private tour operator. We were also absolutely frozen and soaked on the way back. But we enjoyed the trip. Quite a unique experience. Nothing could be done about the temperature of the wind or wave height.

 

I hope what I have wrote doesn't sound negative, as it isn't intended to be. We had a great break and will definitely consider Costa for future, especially winter/last minute breaks where the price is a little lower.

 

Happy to answer any questions!

Our Dhow cruise was not a ship sponsored one! We used Dolphin Khasab Tours!

Yes, the same Dhow cruise as you, where we all got wet not from the snorkelling but from the waves and spray. We booked ages ago for the cruise, when an inside cabin was £319 per person and £50 extra for premium and more for a balcony, something like £469 each per week, so we were well and truly out of pocket as the price dropped to £149 for inside and not much more for a balcony. At the time of booking it seemed a really good price compared with Hotels in Dubai but you live and learn. The water situation was a nightmare even if you had the drinks package, as they would more often than not give you a very small glass.

Like you say there weren't as many Italians as usual, did you see the older gentleman (doing his own version )dancing on his own every night, priceless.

We booked last Sept with Costa.de and paid €399 for us 2 and zilch for the 3 kids so €798. Even when it fell to £149 with Costa.co.uk we would have to pay £99 for each of the 3 kids! So that would be £598 so for us it didn't get much cheaper and the flights did get a little dearer.

I don't remember any British on the Dhow!

We did not buy the drinks package only the 13 bottles of H20 for 32.99€. I did think having 13 was a bit mean! They could have at least made it 14 - 2 bottles per night!

I did not see the dancer but we hadn't time to bless ourselves as you can appreciate!

We were on the same cruise as Tomvet and our experience was very different. We had a premium balcony 8327 which was situated under the pool deck so was noisy. We thought the ship very garish and not to our taste. The food in the buffet was of very poor quality, the roast meat more often than not very chewy, unless you like pizza or pasta everyday very little else. The main dining room food was better but not as good as Club Barca, which offered a really good menu and service, a shame that this food and service is not the norm on Costa. We had the drinks package but alas no pinot griego only chardonnay offered and tasted like a non alcholic wine as did the draft beer.

We should have been on for a second week from 23rd-30th Jan but after my Dh was ill after eating the tuna, we decided that the only way we would stop on was if Costa imprisoned us.

A lot of people are saying it is a bargain for what they paid, but we paid almost £2000 for cruise only and sorted out our own flights with Emirates, so not really a bargain for us, as we had to sort out a weeks Hotel in Dubai.

Regarding the Dhow cruise in Kahsab, we were on the same trip as Tomvet, we saw loads of dolphins but it is a matter of where you on the Dhow, the moment they appear out of the water.

We have been with Costa before and are Club Pearl members but would I book Costa again, not on you life !!!!! not even for lead in price of £149 inside cabin in Dubai, you get what you pay for or in our case we didn't get what we paid for. Oh one thing we did like, the entertainment and people watching, Italians are great participants.

I am sorry that your experience was not as good as ours. We ate all breakfasts in Ceres and we thought it to be a very positive experience and certainly avoided the kerfuffle in the buffet. I would day less than 10% of passengers used it. I thought the dinner menu was good -not excellent but acceptable with some great dishes. We rarely had lunch on board as we were ashore - On the sea day we had burgers and chips and they were fine. After the Dhow cruise we had intended to have lunch in Ceres but out of miscommunication we ended up at the buffet where I had the carvery Turkey and honestly I was astonished with how good it was. Desserts were even better. I cannot vouch for the other days.

When you say you were on the same trip - the actual same Dhow or a similar trip on another Dhow.

£2000 seems a lot for this cruise. All 5 of us travelled in an outside and flights for significantly less than that. My advice to anyone is not to book this cruise until last minute as the flights don't seem to get expensive closer to travel date - much competition on the route I suppose.

Funny how you liked the entertainment - I didn't care much for it. It was watchable! Italians are fun to watch but this cruise there were not that many as other Costa cruises - there were a lot from Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

As non-drinkers - drinks packages or drink quality did not bother us though having to pay for water is a bit of a bug bear with me!

Think that's me decided then. Thanks!

And a lighter suitcase! :D Have a great cruise and do comeback and post a review!

Well after your recommendation, I'm now booked on the half day Dhow cruise in Khasab with Dolphin Tours. Really impressed with his response times or my emails and no money up front. Just pay them at the terminal. Less than half the price of the Costa equivalent trip too.

Good for you!

Yes AmoMondo - they are really on the ball. Just so you know, when you enter the terminal building ?Arundas? will be there with a board and a list of the passengers travelling with him. You pay him at that point and he will take OMRs, AEDs, USD and EURs - not sure about GBPs. We paid in AEDs. You travel in a minivan for about 10 mins to the Dhow dock. You may have to traverse across several Dhows to get to yours - that is not a big deal - we managed fine carrying the double buggy! After your cruise they will drop you back at the dock where the ship is. So you are back on board for lunch.

In the minivan you pass right by Khasab Castle and is worth a look. Even though they provide free shuttles into town - it is a nice town i.e clean, bright but there is nothing to see AT ALL!

Have you read Wansbrough's review of the same trip! I'll go and search for the link on CruisingMates. He had a much more enriching experience than we had! But that's the joys of wildlife viewing.

In the end we arrived at 7am, taxi to the port (£12), dropped our cases and took a taxi from the port to the Marina (the beach walk area is best) which took 35mins and cost around £18-20. stayed there until 2pm and took the metro from the Marina to Burjaman metro station which was relatively near the port. the ride was about £2 and gave us great views as the metro is essentially an elevated monorail. From there we got a taxi to the ship for around £5 where we were able to board from 3pm

 

 

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We were on your cruise also. We had the twins!

We left our luggage at the airport and took a taxi to Dubai Mall - 42AED - €11. We had breakfast, looked around the mall and the Souk. We had the 1330 time slot up the Burj Khalifa. We took Metro back to the airport to collect the luggage (20AED per case). Taxi to port 63AED. We embarked at 1630. Because we had babies we got our cabins at 1800 - we arrived in DXB at 0600 on o/night flight from AMS.

Hi there,

 

Last uear's itinerary was the same as this year but the 2 previous ones were slightly different. They also included Fujairah but had shorter times at other ports. I prefer the current schedule better with loads of time in Muscat and Abu Dhabi.

 

To be honest Dubai and Muscat is the main appeal for me and I have no problem finding things to amuse me in Dubai. It's become an annual winter break and a cheap one at that with Costa's rock bottom prices. I'm struggling a bit for Abu Dhabi this time, so am going to get a day pass to a hotel with a beach probably the Shangri La.

 

As for Khasab, I've nevr yet made it off the ship. On my first cruise I struck up a friendship with the English Dpeaking host (very blunt but funny Aussie) and she told me that either do the Dhow cruise or another trip and if that wasn't my thing (big organised tours aren't ever) to just stay on the ship because there really wasn't anything there in town. I'm half thinking of going for the Dolphin tour but not with Vista. Overcoming my laziness for a stroll into town doesn't seem worth the effort form what you and everyone else sees.

 

My circumstances are different from yours, very different. I'm solo middle aged female wanting a bit of peace, quiet and sunshine away from a hectic job and only one admission to pay (not that I tend to do stuff that have admissions). I like spas, good food and wine and just reading my book with a nice view outdoors or a stroll along a Corniche. With your gorgeous twins and Mai, Imrather suspect you don't get 5 minutes to sit down never mind hours!

 

So this annual pilgrimage is not about new destinations and new scenery but just a break from the winter. I tend to do my globe trotting to more exotic and new locations later in the year.

A day pass in AD sounds good. I think there is a Hilton on the Corniche i.e. on the beach and not across the 8 lane high way from it! Its not far from the EPH - you could pop in for a €13 Cappucino! ;)

Afternoon tea in the nearby Etihad Towers is also popular!