Costa drinks - a naive question perhaps

[BrucieNB]

Before our Costa cruise and since, I have seen that there is a lot of confusion about what drinks package to have, if any, and what each contains, what is the implication of this or that package in when and where it may be used.

 

It seems to me bizarre that a cruise line would permit confusion to persist - even to do everything to make the confusion the greatest.

 

If Costa published representative bar prices, and published tariffs for drinks packages and made everything absolutely clear, then a lot of the slagging off of the line might be stopped.

 

As things stand, the only assumption to make is that, by making people confused, the line may make more money.

 

Just publish menus like this, from Deliziosa

 

 

[ye gods, this forum does restrict picture sizes displayed!]

 

Things should not be so complex and obtuse when booking holidays.

[tenpin]

If anyone took the trouble to look at Costa web-site, the drinks package is explained on there.

[BrucieNB]

If anyone took the trouble to look at Costa web-site, the drinks package is explained on there.

 

People do. People even download the PDF.

 

Still isn't crystal clear. ;)

 

Otherwise how come there is so much confusion generally?

[talkone]

where on the costa web site......................i cant find it !

[BrucieNB]

The Costa web site has a flavour of 'all fur coat and no knickers'.

 

Very pretty, not that helpful.

 

If you look at http://www.costacruises.co.uk/B2C/GB/Support/general/GeneralInfo.htm

 

then select "Customising your cruise" then it will say

 

By entering your first name, surname and booking number in the area indicated by the Cruise Assistant, you will be able to view and print out a summary of your cruise and a wealth of other information, including the Credit Card Authorisation Form and the Tour Order Form (to be filled in only if haven't booked your excursions online), which will allow you to organise your cruise better. Additionally, you can customise your cruise by booking excursions, beauty treatments, wine and beverage packages, anniversary and honeymoon surprises, a unique evening at the Club Restaurant and much more besides. Payment will be made on board the ship. You must register to be able to customise your cruise and it is essential to use the same personal details (first name, surname and date of birth) used for registration. Costa Cruises must have this information in order to protect your privacy. Cruises can be customised online within the date shown by the system after entering the required information (5–10 days before the departure of the ship, depending on the itinerary booked).

 

To get details of packages, you need to have booked, it seems, which hardly enables a prospective cruiser to work things out beforehand.

 

Also, nowhere are there tariffs for the bars, restaurants etc - that I can see, so a comparison may be made.

 

My apologies for trying to give a helpful response, not a trite one-liner ;) I'm working on it :D

 

The drinks package document is here : DrinksPackage_090710.pdf

[CtheW0rld]

The Costa web site has a flavour of 'all fur coat and no knickers'.

 

Very pretty, not that helpful.

 

If you look at http://www.costacruises.co.uk/B2C/GB/Support/general/GeneralInfo.htm

 

then select "Customising your cruise" then it will say

 

 

 

To get details of packages, you need to have booked, it seems, which hardly enables a prospective cruiser to work things out beforehand.

 

Also, nowhere are there tariffs for the bars, restaurants etc - that I can see, so a comparison may be made.

 

My apologies for trying to give a helpful response, not a trite one-liner ;) I'm working on it :D

 

The drinks package document is here : [ATTACH]152173[/ATTACH]

 

the CC hosts should make your PDF a sticky

[mcdermott]

The reason I have not booked any further cruises with anyone not just Costa are the bar prices We live in Spain and know what the price of drink is we are not prepared to pay these exsorbitant prices and the next thing coming will be fuel charges as the cost of fuel increases so will the cruise prices we are within driving distance of many of Spains top resorts which I may add are empty so we are staying put and no longer worring about the cost of drinks I pay €2,50 for a bottle of white wine far superior to anything served on Costa

[nijh]

To get details of packages, you need to have booked,

 

That's a very optomistic view ;)

 

Even if you've booked there's no way of getting a price for, nevermind booking, the X1 or J2 on-line - unless things have changed in the past week or so.

 

That document is from the CostaClick website - you need to be a TA to get on that one!

 

If it's there I apologise, only I looked and looked and if it's that difficult to find then I think BrucieNB's point is well and truly proven.

[talkone]

14 nites j2 = £500 each thats £1000!!!! x1=£160 each.whats the price of beer on board,i take it that it is can or bottle.......... any help

[BrucieNB]

the CC hosts should make your PDF a sticky

 

writing as a host on another forum, I'm unsure whether I was actually permitted to post that document as it is, of course, copyright, and Costa may have had reason not to make it available on their public site - and have it only available to those who had already committed their money and time to a Costa cruise.

 

Crazy!

 

The reason I have not booked any further cruises with anyone not just Costa are the bar prices

 

That's your prerogative of course. For me, the point of cruising is not the drink; I would be happy to cruise with no alcohol at all, if that was what I had to do. Yes I love fine wines, and less fine ones too, but they are such a minor thing really. Ditto food.

 

I can get both within yards of my home. I can't get the rest of the cruise experience there.

 

What I do object to is making the process of making a holiday on a cruise so opaque for the first time cruiser. Costa could do it so much better!

[BrucieNB]

Even if you've booked there's no way of getting a price for, nevermind booking, the X1 or J2 on-line - unless things have changed in the past week or so.

 

we booked via Virgin and they sent us details of the costs as part of the holiday info.

 

14 nites j2 = £500 each thats £1000!!!!

 

We had J2. Unless we were much much heavier drinkers, it would never be worth having again - especially if one is off ship on trips during any days at all. To make J2 work a passenger would need to sit at the bar all day.

[lakemartin]

Were about to book a X1 package for a 17 day transatlantic cruise in May @$550 US for my wife and myself....Expensive...but we enjoy wine with dinner and with 5 days at sea during the crossing I'm sure we will have have beer and wine at lunch. I'm told that a bottle of wine in the MDR at dinner is between 18 and 25 euros which seems to make it good sense to buy the X1. Amy comments or information?

[Bextar78]

 

We had J2. Unless we were much much heavier drinkers, it would never be worth having again - especially if one is off ship on trips during any days at all. To make J2 work a passenger would need to sit at the bar all day.

 

We paid for J2 (after much confusion about whether it was worth it or not and not being able to find clear information about the cost of drinks) on our recent 11 night cruise. I was shocked at the cost of drinks, AND there was then 15% on top. Although J2 seemed expensive at the time, now I've totted up all the receipts we kept, I was (once again!) shocked at how much our bill would have been had we not got J2 (950 euros for the 2 of us).

 

That excludes the bottled water we had every night with the meal because I do not know how much they charged for this. We did have a bottle of wine every night (ok, perhaps if we were "paying" we wouldn't have had one EVERY night, but we would have drunk something else instead). We also had the gorgeous freshly squeezed orange juice with breakfast instead of the free (artificial) stuff. We got off the ship every day and most certainly were not sat at a bar all day and night. Quite simply, whatever you drink (alcohol or non) is expensive and the cost soon mounts up. I'm certainly not going to die of thirst on holiday (especially in the heat) so for us, J2 worked.

 

I do agree with an earlier comment that the price of drinks on cruises is offputting, but then again the fact is this is how they make a lot of their money.