food on Costa Victoria

I can confirm that room service is available & mostly free for breakfast in a premium cabin, there is charge after breakfast for some items.

Thanks kind sir.

Question for AsianBohemian, did you do the 2 week cruise or 1w? Also what did you do ashore?

We have been looking at the 2w cruise for months and actually booked whilst on the Luminosa. Small problem is we leave 13/1! I would have preferred mid February but all the options were sold out and it appears Costa will not be doing this towards the end on 2018.

Would like to hear about suggestions.

Aliceatsea, I will be able to let you know more about food as well.

Alicat

...much apology....I am trying to postthis the third time…

I need to clarify that I am a frequentvisitor to the locations covered by Costa Victoria 13 Januaryvoyage. I began all my cruises from the port of Singapore and it's usuallyfor a week.

If you are visiting Southeast Asia for the firsttime, and if you can afford, it would be better to take the cultural excursions on those stops in Penang, Melaka (Malacca),and perhaps Singapore. It saves you theheadache of reading loads of materials and the tour guides should be able toexplain the unique culture in these cities although it is a lot more expensivein my perspective. Phuket and Langkawi are focused on beach activities andnature walks.

I am able to use Grab taxis in Penang, Melaka, and Singapore. My friends tookGrab in Phuket. I have not tried any excursions in Langkawi.

January is still a hot and wet season. Youcan still decide on the outdoor activities shortly before you dock in Phuketand Langkawi. Remember to carry a brolly and mosquito repellent.

If you do intend to go out on your own, doremember to negotiate for the cost of the journey before you board the taxiunless they turn on the meter. That applies to Singapore too.

Except for Kelang (Klang), I would usuallysniff around these cities for spices. The spices are could either be for condiments, cooking, traditionalremedies.

(Cinnamon, blue ginger, tumeric, old ginger,lemongrass repellent, cloves, pandan cakes, coconut products, etc)

Kelang (Klang) - this location is furthestfrom the city centre. Almost an hour ride to Kuala Lumpur. Not advisable toexplore on your own. Kuala Lumpur is notorious fortraffic congestions. I am not into cosmopolitan culture, so I skip this to savea penny for Melaka, Phuket and Penang.

Melaka and Penang - culturalcities. Many can understand English. The heart of Straits-Chinese culture. Theports are in the city. I usually take a Grab. You can reach most places within5-10minutes ride. Melaka's tourist area is at Jonkers Street; Penang's is in Chowrasta Street. I picked Costaspecifically because it's the only vessel that arrives in Penang in the morning.That allows me to explore the wet market and visit old curiosity shops, minglewith the locals in that area.There are lots of foods and knick-knacks. Mosttraditional shops and "coffee shops" close in the afternoon.

Singapore - Englishspeaking country. From the pier, it's 10minutes walk to the Tube.5mins ride tothe city. .If you are interested to visit landmarks, the tour excursion is theoption, otherwise,.you can use credit card to pay for a storevalue train ticketand go to the station master for the train station map. He should be able torecommend. Singapore is a safe citybut it is not crime-free. There are pickpockets, credit card fraud and taxitouts too.

Thanks so much AsianBohemian.

We've been to Singapore and Bangkok a long time ago. We plan to do an overnight stay with Costa in Bangkok. I looked at private tours but they were more expensive and then you have the worry of getting back to the ship on time.

We're not into beach activities so will look for something to do in Phuket. I got a few ideas off CC.

Thanks for the warning about mozzie repelant. I'll stock up before we leave. It is so soon now. We leave on 10/1 for a day or so in Singapore before we embark.

Alicat

u will get your egg and bacon lol

i was on the neo riviera on 9 Dec.

Two ways;

u go to the buffet, pick up the sausages, bacon, ham or cheese from the buffet, go to the egg counter, tell the cook how u want your egg and give him your ingredients to add. wait and take and eat at your table.

Second, u go to the restaurant, chose from the menu card your favourite breakfast, order it with the waiter, he will also pour milk, coffee, hot water, bring a platter of tea bags to chose from. u can complete your ordered breakfast by going to the small buffet proposing scramble eggs, boiled eggs, a range of the usual pastries, porridge, yogurt, etc.

Im a very picky eater, veg, no fat, no sugar, no salt, no over processed food, no colouring, no soya, no animal gelatine etc, still i ate very well on costa. Can easily pick your choice, u even eat too much lol