Costa Neoriviera - med cruise in June 2019

[iloveglee]

We're booked on this cruise, and have a brindiamo drink package attached to our cabin selection.  As Costa's pricing structure is very weird these days, this doesn't give us exactly what we'd had in the past with the drink package purchased separately from the cabin.  So far as I can see the Brindiamo is pretty comprehensive, but doesn't include cocktails.

 

In the past, we have had a package with cocktails included, but have found that so many of them have lemon or lime in them, we can't deal with them, from a digestive point of view.  So we haven't bothered with them, but didn't pay extra to have them so it wasn't an issue.  Now, if we want cocktails, we have to upgrade the package, even the two people in the party who never drink them, just so that the two in the party who do (maybe), have them, can have them.  I said it was weird.  

 

So - in order to inform us as to whether to upgrade or not, I could do with a drinks menu, that describes what the drinks are, and what they are made with.  I have seen people post photo files on here of various menus, for various cruises, and I wonder if anyone on here has access to one, or can tell me where to find one.  

 

We have avoided Costa for the last year or so partly  because of the weird pricing structure they have now, and partly because we found the service had gone downhill somewhat.  This cruise includes several ports we haven't been to though, and as   It's getting hard now, after so many cruises, not to keep going back to the same old places, we  we bit the bullet and booked it.   I do hope we don't live to regret it.  

[alicat58]

Hi

 

We upgrade on board to Piu Gusto. They charge €5 pdpp. The cocktails have nor really changed and like you I am not overly keen on all the lemony ones. If you upgrade you can have Mojito, Margarita(I know lemony but I like the occasional frozen one) and my favourite Hugo Spritz(elderflower cordial with prosecco a dash of soda water a slice of apple and a sprig of mint). They also do a Rosso of the same version which is elderberry cordial.

 

Other than that you still get all the Diabetes in a glass cocktails like strawberry daquiri and Mai tai.

 

Riana

[CASPALL]

You could just order a non alcoholic cocktail (included in brindiamo) and order the spirit separately 

having watched them make these cocktails it really puts me off.

I weakened 2 costa cruises back and paid for a Cosmopolitan at the pool bar. How disappointing! It came in an ugly plastic tumbler and was so sweet and sherbety I could hardly drink it!

caryl

[tenpin]

My advice is stick to your Brindiamo package and buy a cocktail if you would like one, you may find that they come in at 50% less than on the menu, they certainly do for bottles of wine with the Intenditore, and over 9 euro's for any other drink.

 

Just off the Favolosa, lobster & other charged dishes came at half price as did wine by the bottle, okay that is extravagant even for us on that package, but boy the white rioja was outstanding.

 

[CASPALL]

I look forward to reading your cruise report tenpin.

We have a midships suite booked on Favolosa for the repo back to Savona late August. It’s a while since we have been on Favolosa so I will be glad to read what experience  you have found with Costa this time

caryl

[CASPALL]

2 hours ago, tenpin said:

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2019 by CASPALL

[denny girl]

I have a drinks menu somewhere if I can dig it up later.

We had the Brindiamo package that cost us a reasonable sum but it was pretty restrictive.

We were stuck with it as we didn't want to fork out any more money.

A lot of stuff wasn't included and we finished up thinking we would have been better to just pay as we go.

Hubby ordered aperol and then added 7up to make his aperol spritz.

There were also fancy coffees that weren't part of the deal and had to be paid for separately.

Edited May 19, 2019 by denny girl

[tenpin]

2 hours ago, CASPALL said:

I look forward to reading your cruise report tenpin.

We have a midships suite booked on Favolosa for the repo back to Savona late August. It’s a while since we have been on Favolosa so I will be glad to read what experience  you have found with Costa this time

caryl

 

Loved this ship, we had suite 7275 which was along way from club dining room, but they loaned me a wheelchair which helped me walk using it as a walker to evening meals or self wheeling it round ship.

We found most meals were okay but beware of the constant beef dishes being offered they were a piece of meat about 2 inches square which either are undercooked or over, lots went back. Thought the lunch buffet was excellent.

 

Will be doing a review shortly but if Julius Clemen is still on board in CDR give him my regards very helpful 'Maître 'd' 

[iloveglee]

Yes, it's Piu Gusto that we have had in the past.  But we have, in the past, just added it to our basic cruise price.  Unfortunately on Costa, and also many other cruise lines, the cocktails are made using the mixes that you can get, not mixing a proper cocktail as you'd see in a cocktail bar.  I guess when you are serving so many people, it's very much quicker (and possibly cheaper), to do it this way, but its fair to say that some of them are a bit sickly sweet.  

 

I'd certainly appreciate a copy of the menu if it can be found.  We are still considering our options and I wonder how long you can be on board before you make a decision as to whether to upgrade or not.  I know it isn't that much, but for 11 days, that's 55 euros per person.  I wouldn't mind so much if we could just do it for the two people that are likely to drink them, or just for one cabin, but as we are travelling together with linked bookings (in order to sit together in the dining room!!), we have to upgrade everybody.

 

This is one of the things that annoys me about Costa.  In order to be able to sit with the people you are travelling with, you have to take an upgraded cabin, even if you aren't especially bothered where your cabin is.  Then the bookings are linked, so they are able to tell that four people are travelling together.  We haven't experienced this with any other cruise line.  On the other hand, we love the food on Costa cruises so it's swings and roundabouts I suppose.  

 

All of the cruise lines are changing things these days as to how they price and organise their cabin offering/drink packages.  

[bacarz]

Hi!

 

We are also  going on this cruise in June. We have brindiamo package. Last year we were on a Costa cruise where mineral water from the bars (by glass) was included. Now I saw on forums that it is not included anymore. Can you confirm it?

Edited May 27, 2019 by bacarz

[CASPALL]

I can’t believe Costa would take mineral water off the package. It’s the cheapest item!

I had many glasses of water on Deliziosa in March. I always take them back to my cabin and fill up a bottle I keep in the fridge.

[bacarz]

We did the same thing. Someone just posted the bar menu from Costa Magica today on Facebook... No grey dot for the mineral water...

 

Edited May 27, 2019 by bacarz

[iloveglee]

It would seem very strange to remove mineral water.  But I have to say, Costa are guilty of doing some very bizarre things lately.  Although, to be fair, we haven't cruised with anyone else for a while, so for all I know maybe they are all guilty.  The itinerary on this cruise is very tempting for us, hence why we bit the bullet and booked it.  

 

We are going to wait and see after we board as to what exactly we can/cannot have, and the recipe for the cocktails.  As the two of us that are likely to have them are not able to tolerate citrus juices we may well be very restricted and therefore would not be worth the upgrade.  Personally, as long as they provide me with a ready supply of capuccinos and  gin and tonics, I reckon I can survive!!

 

We shall enjoy it, because we always do, come what may.  

[tenpin]

rJust of Favolosa water was still available by the glass in bars with packages.

 

But come on if there are two of you that drink lots of water buy the water pack not bad value if you have to pay for it.

 

Not sure even Costa would not include a glass of water on the drinks menu.

Edited May 28, 2019 by tenpin
speeling

[bacarz]

Thanks for the replies.We will see it on the ship.

It seems a little ridiculus that we can drink as much Grand Marnier as we want, but no water 😉

We will survive somehow 🙂