alicat58

You made me have a giggle. Our guide said she thought those passport control people were specially thought not to smile!

I agree with you , if you wait till later in the morning to get off the ship you will find longer lines. The Tour companies seen to pick up early (our second morning was 07h25) and it is really quiet then. It was also a breeze returning and we diced to spend our roubles in those curio shops in the port last moment.

We were in SPB on 11 and 12 July on the Costa Luminosa. One our first day there were 3 other ships and on the second we had 6 ships in port ( plus the three in the centre of SPB).

We berthed at 8 am and was supposed to meet out guide from Alla at 08h30. Costa had 2 exits. One for people taking their excursions and other for the rest of us. We left the ship at probably 8.15 and waited for our guide. Found the passsport people very serious and unsmiling but through in next to now time. You just need your excusion ticket in your passport. Thye remove it and put a temporary paper visa in your passport which they take when you get off the ship the next morning.

At first there were only a few booths open but specially getting back they probably had 6 or more booths open and freindly yound staff directing you to available booths.

I was a bit stressed about the proposed wait but it was totally unfounded. If you want to have a long lie in on the mornings the situation might be a little different.

SPB was absolutely amazing and so was Alexandra from Alla tours. Be prepared for places to be crowded though. Have a wonderful time whem you go.

I would look at the itinerary first and foremost. Give Casablanca and Tangier a miss and go to the islands instead. Though I have not been to any of them anything should be better than the aforementioned.

We did a similar cruise on the Serena a few years ago. It included Valencia and overnight in Lisbon. Thought Casablanca was awful. We paid a taxi to take us to the mosque which was beautiful but no lights on because too expensive! Other than that nothing. We went to the market and it was horrible. Tiny little tortoises(live) for sale etc. He wanted to drag us into another shop and we said no. Cost us over a 100 euro. Your other alternative from there is to go to Marrakesh but it means ages on a coach.

We joined a Costa excursion in Tangier and the guide referred to me ,whilst speaking to hubby, as "your woman". Did not go down to well seeing as he told us how free women were in their society.

All the other ports were great.

I would definetely make my own arrangements for excurtions because Costa often cancels tours because of lack of English speakers. It's easy enough and much more fun to do your own thing. We took excursions in virtually every port 11 years ago when we were on the Magica but since then we rarely do so.

We have just been to Cadiz and Lisbon on the Pacifica. We were going to take an excursion to Gibraltar which was fortunately cancelled. It was pouring with rain on the day and it would not have been fun to be exposed to the elements on the Rock and I am sure the monkeys would have been hiding somewhere.

I had a look at the Costa website and all those October cruises are very reasonable. I don't think you would get anything similar cheaper on another line.

Good luck with your decision.

Hi

Thank you very much for the info. I am hoping to be sitting somewhere on the ship drinking a Prosecco in 2w.

Regards

Alicat58

Hi D66D66

We are on this cruise in a couple of weeks. I am very excited. We have booked our St.PB tour with Alla.

We are not keen on the HoHo buses. I understand the distance from the Tallinn port to the old city is not great but uphill. We plan to do a bit of walking there.

How far are the Stockholm and Helsinki ports from " the action"?

Is the food on the Luminosa the standard Costa fare or are they at least trying some of the local stuff?

I am glad to hear the music in the bars are good. The last few times with Costa we did not think it was that great. They virtually played the same songs where ever you went.

Thanks for any info.

Alicat58

The pay for pizza is in the pizzeria. They are individually made ( maybe 12 different ones)and it is table service. On the Diadema the pizzeria is in one of the areas you walk through. On the Pacifica it was on deck 10 I think. So totally out of the way with no through traffic. On the Diadema I did not see Costa staff but it was never full.

I did not really look at the pizza on the buffet lunch or evenings. I find them quite dry and plain.

The pizza in the Pizzeria is not bad at all and I have no problem spending the money on them. I think they are quite cheap considering the salad(or olives) and pudding you get. I love those little lemon tarts.

We have just been on the Pacifica and ate in the Pizzeria nearly every evening because we were allocated the late sitting and it was too late for us.

The pizzas were a decent size with thin crust. I thought they put too much cheese on but asked them to cut back and they were happy to do so.

We did not get salad but a large yummy bowl of mixed olives. There were a few dessert choices: Apple pie, lemon meringue, tiramisu and maybe one other.

That cost 6.50 Euros. I don't think that is too bad though lots of people feels late night pizza slices should be included.

They also had very expensive burgers available from something like 21h30. Never even looked though we would probably have paid for the variety.

I agree with regular Costa cruisers on the forum that the food is not great on Costa. I think the cruises from the UK are extremely reasonable and we usually plan some decent lunches ashore. For us being on the ship and eating is a little part only.

I am sad that the Magica is now a little tired. She was our first cruise and she was very new then(2005 I think).

Hi John Bull

Hallelujah

Found it. Now to see if I clicked the right box.

Alicat58

Hi GradUt

I thought I responded but somehow did not post it.

Thanks for the info. Are there many steps/staircases?

Also, is it possible to set up my CC account so I receive a notification when I posted something? I looked through all the FAQ but was unable to see anything. I thought I'd asked someone who seems to be a dab hand on the site.

Alicat58

Thank you so much for the info. I managed to walk in excess of 10km in Lisbon recently. Hilly place. Lots of breaks of course. I don't use any walking aids so I will go for it.

Thanks again. I was unable to "open" the email. I am technically challenged according to hubby.

I hope my grammar is ok. I am desperately trying to find out just how strenuous the 2d grand tour with Alla is. I am unfit and overweight but I am able to walk reasonably well, just a little slower than some. I have 5 w to get more fit. Should I go for the less interesting comfort tour instead?

Been upgraded twice. Once on NeoRomantica fro inside to very noisy outside and once on Diadema from Balcony(not sure whether premium) to a very fancy Samsara suite with a jacuzzi on the balconi but obviously none of the privileges.

Hubby is Golden pearl and I am still Pearl. Apparently previously spent more on his card. We cruised three times last year and is just about to go on our second this year and no upgrades.It looks to me as if you need to cruise more times than the previous year before you get an upgrade during the current year. A bit of a bummer.

Leaving on Sunday on the Pacifica and cannot wait. Cats had their flee drops today in anticipation going to the cat hotel and one is so suspicious that she is refusing to come out for supper. Having said that, I also dragged her off to the vet this morning for blood tests. Bad mummy!

Hi Carryl

What a pity about your experience. We were on the Diadema in February and had a good time. We boarded in Barcelona. Much easier that Rome. Done that once and it was too much of a trek.

Touch wood but we have never been on a ship with Noro.

Hubby picked up bad infections twice in the past though. Both on the Deliziosa-we call it the "ship of germs".

Hope your house renovations go well. I don't envy you.

We are leaving Sunday week(8/5). I hope all goes well. I am very excited and got a whole new summer wardrobe. With my luck it's going to be freezing the whole time. In November we cruised from Venice and I packed winter clothing and it was so warm I was longing for my sandals.

Bye

Riana

Hi Caryl

Unencumbered by child who is at uni, we look at what's cheap, put the kitties x3 in the cat hotel and off we go. No issues at work because it's always outside of school hols.

We are thinking of going to Gibraltar when we are in Cadiz. I don't like those apes though. They look up to mischief.

Riana

Sad to hear the Magica is showing her age. She was our first cruise about 11 years ago. She was the flag ship then I think. The Concordia was still being built. There was a model of her on the ship. The first and last time I saw a crayfish tail on a costa ship and old dumbo here did not order one. My 11yr old daughter did.

The most fun we had was on the Serena.We are not party animals but it was just so festive. It was a January cruise and we had some really rough weather which did not dampen the spirits.

We think the newer ships have too many thorough fare bars. Been on Deliziosa twice and Diadema twice.

Neoromantica was OK but as it is smaller the bar entertainment is limited.

Also went on the Fortuna. Pretty much like the Magica and I think the best food. It was before they dumbed everything down to sameness. We had some curry dishes. Not as spicey as I would like but a bit of variety.

Going on the Pacifica in May from Savona to Hamburg. Very much looking forward to it.

No limit on the amount of drinks on Piu gusto. There are some cocktails excluded and premium brand spirits are not included. You'll find that the spirits included are actually adequate. Exp Gordons gin, not Hendricks etc.

Can't give you much advice on the cabins and I've been on her twice! We sailed from Venice in November and was on deck 5. We actually used the balcony because it was amazingly warm.

I am not aware of any time dining on Deliziosa unless they have changed it since November. 2 sittings in MDR I think 6.30 and 8.45.

You can buy the drinks package before you go. They have changed it. There are now different packages. The most basic one is really just that. The intermediate one costs about 29 Euro a person per day and includes water, wine by the glass(limited choice but always been fine-red;white and I think rose), lots of cocktails. If you go on the Costa site and look under already booked , you'll find it. It's really good value for money as premium teas and quite a few coffees are included. They only coffee missing is an Americano type!

Lots of bars with different entertainment. The shows are mostly OK. The occasional absolute drivel. My husband likes the costa dancers. Might have something to do with them being scantily clad. Their singers are usually good. They have a thing for ventiloquists and magicians. Not my cup of tea and thought hopeless.

You won't be taken too your caben on arrival but there are lots of signs around so it's easy. Your costa card will be on the bed in your cabin on arrival. Each passenger has their own.

Breakfast in buffet is cold foods. Lots though. Fruit salad, meats, cheese, pastries, yoghurt and salad! In the MDR you have a choice of warm breakfast like full english, american etc but also all the cold stuff.

Lunch is you are aboard is buffet or MDR. Buffet can be a bit of scrum but unlike some comments there is always lots of variety. Just look at different stations and you will find something extra. They have a pizza station and fresh pasta as well as burgers and hotdogs (pool deck end). MDR usually has about 3 courses with choices in each.

Evening meals have 5 courses: Starter, pasta, main, (salad), cheese and pudding. The portions are small but if you have all of them you will not be hungry.

There is an afternoon tea but we skip that. You eat far too much on a cruise anyway.

You will have a little newspaper in your cabin every day. They used to call it "Today" but now it's something like"Diario di bordo". It's full of info about the next day. It includes where you have to meet for excursions, which deck has the exit, the entertainment for the day and evening themes , whether formal etc. Take it with you when you go ashore because it has the local costa contact number on it.

Have a nice cruise. We are on the Diadema from tomorrow and I still have to pack!

Hi, 2nd time on Diadema sailing on Monday. Woohoo!

She's big. The food in MDR is not bad, lots of courses. We've been with Costa lots and have the option for Corina Blu in the evening which is any time. If you are not satisfied with your alloted dining time or table speak to the maitre D and they will allocate you a new table the next evening. They will seat you with English speakers if you want to share.

If you like cocktails the drinks package is a must. The speciality bars are not included in this. You can have most things on the drinks menu but premium brands are not included unless you go for the most expensive version which is a new option.

I have no idea why people moan about the lunch time buffet. There is a huge variety. Have a little walk along because they don't serve the same stuff at every counter. There are also burgers and hot dogs on the pool deck ends and they are not bad at all. Sauces available separately.Looks a little like Mcdonalds!

We have been on Magica, Fortuna, Deliziosa twice, NeoRomantica, Serena and Diadema.

We only eat in Costa Club because we get a freebie, It's not bad but not sure I would try it if I had too pay. The pizza in the pay restaurant looks quite nice and sounds reasonable. I think it's pizza, dessert and a drink for 4 euro. Never tried the Samsara restaurant.

Lots of ages on the ship. Varies from babies to very elderly!

Staff in general very good and mostly speak English. Had a few Eastern Europeans who spoke a little less but no issues. The Italian officers are rude beyond belief!

We love Costa. Our next one is end of April on NeoRivera from Istabul. Crossing fingers it won't be cancelled because of recent attacks.

Have a wonderful time!

Thanks Cruiserbruce. Never knew there was a roll call for Costa. 4 weeks tomorrow! really looking forward to cruising again.

Thank you for the advice. I'll have a go. We cruising with Costa and I have not seen any roll calls for them.

Hi, not actually new to cruising but new to asking questions.

Has anyone used smartcruisetours.com in Rome? I am unable to find any reviews other than on their website.

We'll be in Rome on 4/2 and have never seen any of it. Previously boarded there and though the train was cheap we found it quite stressful. We'll be there from 8am to 7pm

Thanks for any help

Been on the Serena January/February. Lots of cocktails included. Not the cocktail of the day but things like Mojito, Frozen Margarita and actually G+T(not premium brand gin) and Martinis. We thought is was excellent value for money.