BlueSky_ShinySea Posted May 4, 2015 #1 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Hi Everyone - My husband and I are thinking about the Costa Pacifica cruise to Northern Capitals in August. We are reading very mixed reviews about whether there is an evening buffet. Does anyone know? Does the specific ship (Pacifica) matter? And we can't figure it out from Costa's website. We cruised in the Eastern Med a couple years ago on MSC...also a very port intensive cruise...and we were so exhausted each night that we just wanted to grab a couple things from the buffet and not go through an entire dinner service. We might especially feel that way if dinner in the MDR isn't great. Really appreciate anyone's responses and input!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdermott Posted May 5, 2015 #2 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Dont know about the Pacifica but have been on Diadema and Luminosa in the last 3 months and neither had any buffet after afternoon tea .If you have a premium cabin the room service menu would surfice they also had pizza for 4euros which was really good and better than the pizza they were serving at lunchtime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancer Bob Posted May 8, 2015 #3 Share Posted May 8, 2015 (edited) Likewise, no personal experience on Pacifica, recently on Luminosa and Mediterranea. The charge for pizza ($8 US in the Caribbean) is fairly new, used to be included in the fare, so any review more than a year old is probably out of date. A bit pricey considering it's food you've already paid for and you're paying a mandatory service charge even if you don't eat in the MDR. I have seen buffets on nights when there was a late sailing, also a limited Childrens Buffet on formal evenings. I found that with a late breakfast and a late lunch, skipping the MDR in the evening wasn't all that bad. Edited May 8, 2015 by Dancer Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancer Bob Posted May 11, 2015 #4 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Forgot to mention- Costa's pizza is pretty good by European standards. But if you want really good pizza, stay home- US pizza is way better than anything I've had in Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSky_ShinySea Posted May 11, 2015 Author #5 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Thank you mcdermott and Dancer Bob for your replies - that helps. We are still researching this cruise. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EDLOS Posted May 27, 2015 #6 Share Posted May 27, 2015 Hi Everyone - My husband and I are thinking about the Costa Pacifica cruise to Northern Capitals in August. We are reading very mixed reviews about whether there is an evening buffet. Does anyone know? Does the specific ship (Pacifica) matter? And we can't figure it out from Costa's website. We cruised in the Eastern Med a couple years ago on MSC...also a very port intensive cruise...and we were so exhausted each night that we just wanted to grab a couple things from the buffet and not go through an entire dinner service. We might especially feel that way if dinner in the MDR isn't great. Really appreciate anyone's responses and input!! Just off Magica NO EVENING BUFFET!!! Two seatings 6:30 and 9:00 PM MDR and if you are late getting back to the ship i.e. ships shore excursion twice returned at 7:00 PM, only choice wait til 9:00 PM for second seating, pizza at additional cost or room service (one hour plus wait because they were not staffed up for what they knew what would happen ! Very calloused attitude by staff " If you were stupid enough to take our ship's tour you deserved what you get !" is what their attitude is. Can't remember any other cruise line (more than 30 cruises) that could not make a dining adjustment for THEIR shore excursions !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg2014 Posted May 27, 2015 #7 Share Posted May 27, 2015 During last week in other topic about neoRomantica it was said that dinner buffet is available every evening on all "neo" ships of Costa. This information I also received from PCC on other Costa ship so it is sure. On the other hand, when I was on Pacifica and Luminosa during last year, alternative buffet was also available in ports where we spent night (f.e. Istambul) during first evening and in ports where departure was really late (after 10pm - f.e. Southampton). I hope it will help:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EDLOS Posted May 28, 2015 #8 Share Posted May 28, 2015 During last week in other topic about neoRomantica it was said that dinner buffet is available every evening on all "neo" ships of Costa. This information I also received from PCC on other Costa ship so it is sure. On the other hand, when I was on Pacifica and Luminosa during last year, alternative buffet was also available in ports where we spent night (f.e. Istambul) during first evening and in ports where departure was really late (after 10pm - f.e. Southampton). I hope it will help:-) No Buffet on overnight in Casablanca two weeks ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomvet Posted June 22, 2015 #9 Share Posted June 22, 2015 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'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.M.T. Posted June 22, 2015 #10 Share Posted June 22, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalkanCruiser Posted June 23, 2015 #11 Share Posted June 23, 2015 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'! 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. Thats clear then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomvet Posted June 23, 2015 #12 Share Posted June 23, 2015 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 comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFido Posted June 29, 2015 #13 Share Posted June 29, 2015 (edited) I just got back from a 7-day cruise on the Costa Mediterranea. I had only been on NCL before, and once on Holland. I confirm that there are no buffets in the evening (except in Venice where we stop for 13 hours) and food options are quite limited. There are 3 options: (1) dining room (6:45 and 9:15), (2) pizza (4€ for what looked like a small or medium sized pizza, a salad and a small dessert) and (3) a 25€ specialty restaurant (that I didn't go to). I should mention that if you didn't make your assigned time at the dining room, you were out of luck because the maitre d' wasn't very helpful accommodating you at a later time. On the first night, we didn't know about buffets being closed in the evening so we didn't try to make our 6:45 dining time. When we showed up around 8pm looking for food (after realizing the buffet was closed!), the maitre d' said we needed to be there on time or else... we could try to come back at 9:15 but there were no guarantees of getting a table. We came back and did get a table in a corner but the service was very poor. They clearly want you to make your assigned time. The maitre d' said tomorrow, be on time. I don't like having to dress up when I'm on vacation (I don't do formal nights!) and I don't like to follow a strict schedule. I enjoy always having the buffet as an evening option. I was disappointed to see that we were forced to go to the dining room for 6:45 every night. I realize I could have paid more and not have to worry about dining times but I didn't think it was going to be a problem before I got on the ship. Hope this is helpful (first post!!). :cool: Edited June 29, 2015 by MrFido Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.M.T. Posted June 30, 2015 #14 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I just got back from a 7-day cruise on the Costa Mediterranea. I had only been on NCL before, and once on Holland. I confirm that there are no buffets in the evening (except in Venice where we stop for 13 hours) and food options are quite limited. There are 3 options: (1) dining room (6:45 and 9:15), (2) pizza (4€ for what looked like a small or medium sized pizza, a salad and a small dessert) and (3) a 25€ specialty restaurant (that I didn't go to). I should mention that if you didn't make your assigned time at the dining room, you were out of luck because the maitre d' wasn't very helpful accommodating you at a later time. On the first night, we didn't know about buffets being closed in the evening so we didn't try to make our 6:45 dining time. When we showed up around 8pm looking for food (after realizing the buffet was closed!), the maitre d' said we needed to be there on time or else... we could try to come back at 9:15 but there were no guarantees of getting a table. We came back and did get a table in a corner but the service was very poor. They clearly want you to make your assigned time. The maitre d' said tomorrow, be on time. I don't like having to dress up when I'm on vacation (I don't do formal nights!) and I don't like to follow a strict schedule. I enjoy always having the buffet as an evening option. I was disappointed to see that we were forced to go to the dining room for 6:45 every night. I realize I could have paid more and not have to worry about dining times but I didn't think it was going to be a problem before I got on the ship. Hope this is helpful (first post!!). :cool: Welcome to CC and the Costa forum, first hand knowledge is always helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSky_ShinySea Posted June 30, 2015 Author #15 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Hi Everyone - Thanks again for all of your very helpful replies. Have another question for all of you who are more experienced with Costa. Did anyone go for the drink package? I'm looking at costs and wondering if it will be worth it...since it includes specialty coffees and mineral water, maybe. Does anyone remember what a typical wine/beer/cocktail costs? I'll look at other postings about the drink package too...wanted to also ask people who had insight into food/drink. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salve Posted June 30, 2015 #16 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Hi Everyone - Thanks again for all of your very helpful replies. Have another question for all of you who are more experienced with Costa. Did anyone go for the drink package? I'm looking at costs and wondering if it will be worth it...since it includes specialty coffees and mineral water, maybe. Does anyone remember what a typical wine/beer/cocktail costs? I'll look at other postings about the drink package too...wanted to also ask people who had insight into food/drink. :) Drink package is good value for us. The drinks we like are around 9 Euros each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.M.T. Posted July 1, 2015 #17 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Would travel without dear MIL BUT never without the ALL inclusive DRINKS package - great value. Typical drinks cost: Bier - €4.95 Wine (glas) - €5.00 Cocktails - €7.45 Spirits: Normal - €6.25 Premium - €9.00 (not in AI) Is it worth it? Only you can judge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFido Posted July 1, 2015 #18 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I don't drink alcohol but I can tell you that we got demineralized still and sparkling water (from bottles) at the dining room for free without a package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.M.T. Posted July 1, 2015 #19 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I don't drink alcohol but I can tell you that we got demineralized still and sparkling water (from bottles) at the dining room for free without a package. I have never seen this on any Costa ship, Costa would serve tap water if you asked for it in the MDR, but this was stopped about 2 years ago. US cruisers currently have a sticker on their Costa Card that says "USA Water" and withn thta they can get free pitchers of iced (tap) water in the MDR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFido Posted July 1, 2015 #20 Share Posted July 1, 2015 US cruisers currently have a sticker on their Costa Card that says "USA Water" and withn thta they can get free pitchers of iced (tap) water in the MDR. That's what our cards said but we got bottled water at the MDR for free. On the first night, I even asked twice to make sure, they checked our cards and sure enough, bottled water was free but I think that was only in the MDR, not anywhere else on the ship. That was a week ago on the Costa Mediterranea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueSky_ShinySea Posted July 1, 2015 Author #21 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Do you know if you had to choose the "WaterUSA" package when you book the cruise or is it automatically applied if you are from the US? It wasn't an option when I booked online through Orbitz but I've been reading about it on CC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancer Bob Posted July 1, 2015 #22 Share Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) waterusa is included with Costa USA bookings (and not with Costa France bookings, to my personal knowledge)- but Orbitz- I'd check, just to make sure (my experience with online and telephone agencies is decidedly bad). It's a lot simpler for the MDR staff to just serve bottled water. I have the impression this whole water in the MDR thing is something dreamed up by the corporate suits in Genoa, without really worrying about how the staff were going to implement it on the ships. (I've noticed in Europe people order bottled water in restaurants even when the local water is just fine.) Edited July 1, 2015 by Dancer Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFido Posted July 1, 2015 #23 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I live in Canada but I booked the trip on an american website (so I guess I was considered an American for that purpose). I didn't pick any water/alcohol packages and my card said WaterUSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABlueMoon Posted July 13, 2015 #24 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I was wondering about this since we got water on an MSC cruise we took. We're Americans but booked through the German site because we couldn't finalize through the US site. I guess we'll have to wait and see? Did anyone call Costa to request? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila3 Posted July 25, 2015 #25 Share Posted July 25, 2015 I have never seen this on any Costa ship, Costa would serve tap water if you asked for it in the MDR, but this was stopped about 2 years ago. US cruisers currently have a sticker on their Costa Card that says "USA Water" and withn thta they can get free pitchers of iced (tap) water in the MDR. Wow! I am from the Netherlands and am planning a cruise with Costa. I am definitely going to ask for the sticker for 'free' water in de MDR. Quite ridiculous that Europeans should pay for tap water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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