What are your best Costa secrets?

[Gretchendz]

Veteran Costa cruisers, please share your best Costa secrets and tips here.

 

Favorite foods?  Best spaces on the ships? Internet? Drinks? Boarding process?  Please share :)

[G.M.T.]

My best secret is not to cruise with Costa.

[alicat58]

Ron is being a spoil sport. We love cruising with Costa. 

 

Boarding I think depends when you arrive unless you have priority.

 

Best place and bars on ships depend on each ship and possibly what you like. We don't dance but I like to sit and watch in the grand bar. If we find an entertainer we like that's where we'll be. 

 

You'll often find more quiet areas if that's what you want. 

 

Ignore Ron. He's gone over to the dark side 😂

 

Riana 

[Gretchendz]

Thanks Riana.

 

Is there a list of onboard credit programs available? I know that, as a part of carnival, there is the shareholder OBC. Are there others?

[greg2014]

You could also receive OBC for higher levels in CostaClub.

[alicat58]

Gretchen

 

I only know about the OBC for Costaclub. It starts at the lower levels and increase as you go up. I think you can get credits in the casino but we don't gamble. Well except that once the very first time we got OBC and you had to spend it in the casino. We had €10, I put it on my birthdate and won €300! Tried a few times after with same amount and always lost. We took the money and ran that first time. 

 

Riana

[tenpin]

English based guests rarely get OBC while those booking in other Counties sometime do.

 

I booked once while on board they quoted in Euros and gave us 500 OBC yet when we returned to UK and decided to book, they tried to charge in sterling with no OBC, took over five months before they relented and gave us the first offer in Euros with the OBC, but that is the only time in 35 cruises apart from the club bonus.

[Gretchendz]

On 1/5/2019 at 6:00 AM, tenpin said:

English based guests rarely get OBC while those booking in other Counties sometime do.

 

I booked once while on board they quoted in Euros and gave us 500 OBC yet when we returned to UK and decided to book, they tried to charge in sterling with no OBC, took over five months before they relented and gave us the first offer in Euros with the OBC, but that is the only time in 35 cruises apart from the club bonus.

 

 

Thanks--this would be US based passengers. Appreciate the replies!

[Stefan_Varong]

Club members get a small OBC, I think it is 20 € for Perla, not grown above that yet. And shareholders (at least 100 shares) get an OBC depending on the length of the cruise. Reminds me to apply for mine. Others you might get on occasion (I got one for delayed bording, since the ship wasn't in port on time), but I don't know about other regular programms.

[Gretchendz]

Thanks @Stefan_Varong

[jp2001]

On 12/11/2018 at 7:08 AM, G.M.T. said:

My best secret is not to cruise with Costa.

It's that bad? Just booked with them. Not many deals this time of the year but they had one (700$pp for 10 night with a balcony)

[jerseylily]

10 hours ago, jp2001 said:

It's that bad? Just booked with them. Not many deals this time of the year but they had one (700$pp for 10 night with a balcony)

Welcome!  Cruise companies, as others have said, are a personal taste thing.  Costa has a European feel to it.  Which I like.  I see you are from Quebec so I guess you are not unfamiliar with that "je ne sais quoi". Relax and enjoy your cruise. 

[tenpin]

No they are okay, not a patch on the Costa of the late 90's with the choices but given the prices and the Concordia.

 

However my wife & I actually still love the for the great mix of guests, in general a great cruise at low prices means we can cruise four times a year.

If it is not in English it does not concern us. ( normally last in any announcements)

[gkbiiii]

The Spa Cabins oddly, don't qualify for the Spa Dining Room?

[greg2014]

I am afraid that at Costa there is no Spa Dining Room anymore. Samsara restaurant has only spa name but now it is paid restaurant. Last year I was in spa cabin but for dining was assigned to MDR.