Costa Cruises Lines new pricing structure

I'd like to know what other cruisers think about costa's new pricing structure. Basically, you can have the 'basic cabin' and sort out all your own extras. Or, if you want a premium cabin you have to take the drink package. As regular cruisers with Costa, we are two couples travelling together, who obviously want to dine together, and prefer early dining, which you can't choose with the basic option.

Previously we have paid the £50 per person for a premium cabin - even though we didn't especially care where the cabin was located, nor we we bothered about cabin service for free. We don't drink so don't normally buy the drink package. We ARE bothered about dining early and together, hence why we paid the extra. Now, this is not an option. Either you take the basic cabin, but can't choose dining time or table, but instead have to do battle with the Maitre d' on the first night, risking not getting what you want, and potential ruination of your cruise, given that dining is a very important part of it.

Your option, if you want to choose dining options, is to take a drink package that you don't want, and won't make benefit of. I have to say we were not impressed last time with Costa's service, serious lack of staff, who were clearly demoralised. But having sailed with them several times, we were prepared to give them another chance. Not now though.

My reason for posting this, is I am wondering whether anyone on here has booked a cruise with this new pricing structure, and whether they are happy with it. Costa maintain the reason for doing this is that they have listened to feedback!!

I have booked the new system, but not sure I like it. It has been a while since cruising and I seem to have missed the descent of quality on Costa but I sort of resent the inability to just add what I want. In order to get a set dinner time, one needs to go up two more tiers which then includes 'benefits' I don't want but have to pay for....and as a solo traveler, that is a big boost in costs. It also means certain room locations are only available for certain booking levels. I booked for the itinerary and a familiar line, but not guaranteed to actually sail her....or if I go, that I will cruise Costa again.

Day to day, I consciously choose to avoid companies that force bundling...I may have to add travel to that decision but then MSC does it too, so leaves few choices if one is also avoiding US ports.

We have been with Costa for 21 years, Perla Diamante member's with 25 plus cruises with them.

I too think Costa are losing the plot, although we have always brought the drinks package, this latest ploy of adding a package to every cabin is just a ill conceived way of raising prices. We have just booked the Mediterranea and overall the price has gone up by 123 Euros per person (taking in our normal package)

Again we normally have a Suite, but guess what none available, due no doubt to the stupid up-grades they are giving.

With our members rank we use to have a choice of dining times, but even in the Club Dining Room we are now subjected to two sittings not knowing what time we will be eating till we board. We are back on the Diadema next week then the Mediterranea after that going back to MSC transferring our points to their club.

The trouble is nobody writes to head office about all these changes, I do & several times since our Christmas cruise with them, still waiting for reply. We need to make it clear we loyal members are not happy.

Our club points would have been just over 55,000 yet unless we continue to cruise with them three weeks a year we will be downgraded to Coral within three years.

Come on guys write a letter until they listen to us.

See my thread Goodbye Costa Club.

Further to the posts above.

The latest thing we found over Christmas, was that all dining rooms including the Club & Buffet, but excluding the Samsara, were serving the same food just two choices. So two week cruise both weeks served same menu.

Thanks for the responses, and that others are not happy either. We also have cruised several times with Costa, now on perla, but because we didn't cruise every year, went down a step!! Many of the cruise lines now are bundling up extras into one price, but most of them do allow you to choose whether to take a package or not.

I did look at msc and it is correct to say that you do have to go up a level to get a choice of dining, at least that level does allow just to book a cabin and add on if you want to. Costa doesn't even do that. Actually, we understand that many of these 'brilliant' (not) ideas are coming from Carnival HQ. Royal Caribbean have also been subject to some crazy ideas, which the staff hate, because Carnival are inflicting them.

I should hate to be the Maitre D' now on a Costa Cruise after April. He will be subject to very many angry customers, who have booked the basic just because they don't want the extras, and have to do battle regarding dining. Costa have, in this regard, kind of shot themselves in the foot anyway. People like us, travelling together, always upgraded to Premium, even though we don't care for what goes with it, except for the dining. Therefore, they used to get an extra £50 per person for the booking. Now they won't get anything because they just lost 4 pretty reasonable customers. Although we didn't take a drink package, we bought drinks on the go, and although we spent less on drinks than with a package, it wasn't a huge amount.

I do know also about writing to HQ. Waste of time. i have also tweeted my disappointment. Waste of time. They don't even bother to acknowledge you.

We sent an e-mail whilst on the Costa Victoria to state our displeasure about the dining situation. We got the most dire response, littered with spelling mistakes and nonsense.

We will probably continue cruising with them in the Med for the moment but if we want anything a little more exotic we will look elsewhere.

Alicat

You probably got an answer from Costa Far East (based in China).

As for communication with Costa, forget it, it one one big black hole. In the past I had written several time to Costa - response nothing. The only time we got an offical response from Costa was when we sued them twice.

In my younger days, it would have been "there are so many beautiful mothers with even more beautiful daughters";p, now it is "there are more many cruise lines with even more beautiful ships".

Costa is only interested in the new waves of first time cruisers. I think Costa are heading into troubled waters, eventually the cruise market will saturated even more so with the 5000 mega ships coming on stream. Local populations are up in arms about the intrusions of so many tourist, we have seen that in Venice, Barcelona and some other cities.

New motto for Costa pasengers "Costa here I go".

My money and patronage is more appreciated elsewhere.

Seems like the general consensus of opinion so far is, we're not impressed. Such a shame because we were so impressed the first couple of times we cruised with them. And such good value for money. Not any more. And yes there are so many cruise lines out there, so much choice why are Costa alienating what are probably their core customers, for the here today and maybe gone tomorrow customer.

We shall continue to follow how this works out for Costa. Personally I think it probably won't and when they do lose custom, maybe then they will re-think - or their masters up in Miami will. I won't hold my breath though, there was a day when the customer was king but those days appear to be long gone.

I only travel when I get good deals, and "per person double" isn't relevant to me, only single occupancy rates. I've gotten some excellent value booking the "premium" package with Costa France when I'm in France (which is when I take Med cruises), and I understand Costa USA is going to the same packages.

Given the whingeing about Costa Club, Costa seems to be getting huge amounts of repeat business.

They seem to have really missed the plot re the mathematics - other than a choice of dining times and free breakfast it can now be over 50% cheaper to take a basic or LM balcony inclluding adding on the drinks package yourself.