Costa Cruises - Cabins & Drinks Packages

[Raj.K]

I cannot see anywhere clear indication of what is or not included in Costa Cruise fares. So would really appreciate insights.

 

1. Is drinking water generally provided in cabins and at meal times as standard? How about in premium cabins or suites?

 

2. Do the drinks packages generally include drinking water, does this include in cabins, bars and restaurants?

 

3. Does this vary from ship and region? I am considering a cruise on the Mediterranea this summer (Northern Europe). 

 

Thank you

[tenpin]

Speaking as a UK resident water is available in the buffet only, unless you have a package.

All drinks under 9 euros by the glass is roughly included in drinks packages which are reasonable. Water is available by the glass or purchased in cabins/bars. Water by the bottle in MDR's is charged for .just under 3 euro's Only suites & the Intenditore package hand out bottles in the cabin. ( the US has a deal that gives water free in MDR's)

 

Booking in the UK having a suite or premium cabin normally gives you one of the packages which as said above covers all drinks by the glass up to 9 euro's. Overall depending on 5 drinks a day these packages are good value even for Classic cabins.

 

Having a Suite & Intenditore is the best value about 50 pp per day included.

 

There are several other options including water/beer/wines packs once you have booked.

Edited May 28, 2019 by tenpin

[Raj.K]

4 hours ago, tenpin said:

Speaking as a UK resident water is available in the buffet only, unless you have a package.

All drinks under 9 euros by the glass is roughly included in drinks packages which are reasonable. Water is available by the glass or purchased in cabins/bars. Water by the bottle in MDR's is charged for .just under 3 euro's Only suites & the Intenditore package hand out bottles in the cabin. ( the US has a deal that gives water free in MDR's)

 

Booking in the UK having a suite or premium cabin normally gives you one of the packages which as said above covers all drinks by the glass up to 9 euro's. Overall depending on 5 drinks a day these packages are good value even for Classic cabins.

 

Having a Suite & Intenditore is the best value about 50 pp per day included.

 

There are several other options including water/beer/wines packs once you have booked.

Thank you Tenpin for this response.

 

I am also a UK resident looking at booking an Iceland Cruise for this summer. The ship is the Mediterranea in the Balcony Premium cabin which includes the drinks package Brindiamo. Would you say an upgrade to the Intenditore package is good value?

 

Also, if you don't mind me asking, would you say booking an excursion on the ship is cheaper?

 

Any insights on the Mediterranea experience?

 

Thank you once again for the information.

 

Raj

[tenpin]

Depending on how much you drink each night, but on the whole the Brindiano is perfectly okay for most people, you can always just pay the extra for any other drink without costing you the price of the upgrade.

 

You will be okay in a premium balcony which gives you choice of dining times & Suite on Mediterranea are not much bigger, she is now classed as a small ship but we do like her (4 times) ship excursions are more expensive than DIY however the Icelandic cruise is a one of & maybe you are better off sticking to ships tours which we did & enjoyed them.

 

The  ship is different to others of the fleet as deck two is the main entertainment deck, but she is just about the right size & does not seem as crowded as the much larger ships.

 

Once you have booked (25% deposit) you are only charged £50 each if you pull out before 56 days, then you can go to their web site and look at all the tours being offered, food, water, wine, restaurant's, by going to mycosta at bottom of page.

[Raj.K]

29 minutes ago, tenpin said:

Depending on how much you drink each night, but on the whole the Brindiano is perfectly okay for most people, you can always just pay the extra for any other drink without costing you the price of the upgrade.

 

You will be okay in a premium balcony which gives you choice of dining times & Suite on Mediterranea are not much bigger, she is now classed as a small ship but we do like her (4 times) ship excursions are more expensive than DIY however the Icelandic cruise is a one of & maybe you are better off sticking to ships tours which we did & enjoyed them.

 

The  ship is different to others of the fleet as deck two is the main entertainment deck, but she is just about the right size & does not seem as crowded as the much larger ships.

 

Once you have booked (25% deposit) you are only charged £50 each if you pull out before 56 days, then you can go to their web site and look at all the tours being offered, food, water, wine, restaurant's, by going to mycosta at bottom of page.

I cannot thank you enough Tenpin for the detail and speedy response. Sorry for asking more guidance/thoughts.

 

Do you find the cost of excursions if booked on the ship is cheaper due to discounts than booking them online prior to the start of the cruise? As we are a family of four (children in their late teens), the cost of excursions for all four of us comes to nearly £5000 for the 9 ports/excursions on this Iceland (Scotland and Germany) cruise from Amsterdam! No discounts are shown on "mycosta".

 

We have only been on large ships before RCI (Grand Suite)  and MSC (Yacht Club) on all our previous 9 cruises which as you will know come with certain privileges. But these are now becoming a bit too expensive. Hence looking at other family cruises. So don't know if we should go ahead and book on the Mediterranea. Sounds like we should from your feedback.

 

A BP cabin towards the front of deck 6 is the only choice I have at the moment. Should I try and see if another cabin on higher decks become available? Thoughts?

 

Thank you once again for your time and comments.

 

Raj

Edited May 28, 2019 by Raj.K

[tenpin]

Hi,

Well seeing that you are a family of four do research all your POC's as usually a taxi is best option for four people, most ports on that cruise are doable either via taxi direct  or try Cruiseexcurtions which we have used.

Not absolutely sure the Mediterranea is a good ship for children although sailing from Amsterdam would give you more English speakers' on board  and the kids club is very good, is there any sea days on the itinerary?

 

Costa are multi-lingual & do look after the children but depends on the number of English speaking on board. If there are mostly port days then they will enjoy the experience.

A direct phone call is better for cabins, get them to phone you back to discuss your requirements often Amsterdam is block booked, but next Port has better cabins on offer we often get on at Dover rather than Amsterdam same price but no flights to pay for, ask to speak to Silvia or Simona if you are able to join somewhere else better.

[Raj.K]

11 minutes ago, tenpin said:

Hi,

Well seeing that you are a family of four do research all your POC's as usually a taxi is best option for four people, most ports on that cruise are doable either via taxi direct  or try Cruiseexcurtions which we have used.

Not absolutely sure the Mediterranea is a good ship for children although sailing from Amsterdam would give you more English speakers' on board  and the kids club is very good, is there any sea days on the itinerary?

 

Costa are multi-lingual & do look after the children but depends on the number of English speaking on board. If there are mostly port days then they will enjoy the experience.

A direct phone call is better for cabins, get them to phone you back to discuss your requirements often Amsterdam is block booked, but next Port has better cabins on offer we often get on at Dover rather than Amsterdam same price but no flights to pay for, ask to speak to Silvia or Simona if you are able to join somewhere else better.

Hi Again Tenpin,

 

I think I did take a brief look at Cruiseexcurtions and they have no availability on some of the dates/ports. On some they are more pricey than the Costa excursions. Will keep looking....

 

(Though I call them children, they are really young adults in their late teens.)

 

As a family we can entertain ourselves (in fact it is during holidays like this that we spend a lot of family time). On MSC Yacht Club cabins come with the exclusive Top Sail Lounge with all drinks included with the best forward views and so is the exclusive restaurant. But as you say, if the ship is small, we should be able to find space to relax in a lounge or bar, right? 

 

Where on the ship is a good place to see the fjords and get the best views when cruising on the Mediterranea, Tenpin?

 

As for this particular cruise, after Amsterdam the next stop is the Shetlands. So I have a choice of Bremerhaven (Germany) or Amsterdam. And I think it looks more convenient to get to Amsterdam from London than Bremerhaven.

 

Only 4 sea days out of the 14 nights. So I guess we will be busy during the day and only want to relax and find something to do on the ship on those 4 days. 

 

Thank you for the names (Silvia or Simona). I will indeed call and ask to speak to them. Would they know "Tenpin"?

 

I will perhaps call Simona or Silvia and ask what sort of discounts might be available on board on excursions. I know that our choice of excursion may not be available when booking on the ship, but a good deal will mean we get to see/do and will make our next holiday affordable 😉

 

I really appreciate your time and responses. Thank you.

 

Raj

 

[alicat58]

Hi Raj

 

Have you looked at the Port info on the boards? There is some recent info about some of your ports. Ideas for excursions. We rarely use the ship excursions but sometimes there transfers are the best options. Specifically if you have short port days and just want to get a flavour of the place without being stressed about getting there and back to the ship. Bremerhaven was a good example of this. The coach drops you off right next to the old town centre and you can then do your own thing for a bit before getting back on it. The day we were there the traffic back was diabolical. Being on a ship excursion you know they will wait for you. The rest of the time, just busk it with the help of info on CC and TA.

 

We usually go for premium balcony and because we like the odd cocktail we upgrade our drinks package to Piu gusto for €5 pdpp. There are some premium brands on the Indentitore but we're not bothered. Hubby likes a G&T and on Piu gusto you can ask for Gordons or Beefeater. He's happy with not having Bulldog etc.

 

Having cruised with a teen some years ago, she just stayed with us. The kids club is really better from the younger children.

 

We loved the Mediterranea. Lots of nooks and crannies.

 

Riana

[tenpin]

Hi Raj.K,

             As Riana said some of those ports are busy and ships tours sometimes are the best option, it really does mean a lot of researching & as we now rarely venture ashore things do change quickly.

 

Best deck for sightseeing, well Suites aft are wonderful for me I can view those, drink wine & nap to my hearts content.

 

I guess deck 9 & ten (Armonia & Cleopatra) but if you are up early Aft by the Apollo Bar on 9 is best spot, but balcony cabins are second option I guess if you like it quieter.

 

They should know me by tenpingeo but Geoff & Pat from Kent should do.

[Raj.K]

8 hours ago, alicat58 said:

Hi Raj

 

Have you looked at the Port info on the boards? There is some recent info about some of your ports. Ideas for excursions. We rarely use the ship excursions but sometimes there transfers are the best options. Specifically if you have short port days and just want to get a flavour of the place without being stressed about getting there and back to the ship. Bremerhaven was a good example of this. The coach drops you off right next to the old town centre and you can then do your own thing for a bit before getting back on it. The day we were there the traffic back was diabolical. Being on a ship excursion you know they will wait for you. The rest of the time, just busk it with the help of info on CC and TA.

 

We usually go for premium balcony and because we like the odd cocktail we upgrade our drinks package to Piu gusto for €5 pdpp. There are some premium brands on the Indentitore but we're not bothered. Hubby likes a G&T and on Piu gusto you can ask for Gordons or Beefeater. He's happy with not having Bulldog etc.

 

Having cruised with a teen some years ago, she just stayed with us. The kids club is really better from the younger children.

 

We loved the Mediterranea. Lots of nooks and crannies.

 

Riana

Hi Riana,

 

Thank you for the suggestion that I look at the Port Information on boards. Will get onto it now. 

 

I have also done our own excursions in East and West Mediterranean - usually just getting off the ship and taking a taxi/guide or using local TA. But on northern Europe and Norway cruises we have mostly used the cruise line excursions. 

 

Does the Brindiamo drinks package include wine and water during dinner/lunch in the main restaurants? We do enjoy the odd cocktail, but will be happy with beers, wine, G&T, and whisky. So I guess at €5 pdpp to get the option of the cocktails added to a 14 night cruise is a very good idea. Cheers! Is there a drinks menu that shows what is available on which packages and costs if paid for? How do I know what is in the Brindiamo package?

 

Thank you once again Tiana for your time and comment.

 

Raj

 

[alicat58]

I was hoping to be able to attach a link but I am technically challenged alas. If you look on page 3 of the Costa Boards: Sorry it is coming out massive! Scroll down and all three packages have been scanned in by Greg2014. I only have an ancient (stolen) bar menu at home. This is recent and will give you the info you need.

What drinks are included? by claudiaYVR.

 

[Raj.K]

6 hours ago, tenpin said:

Hi Raj.K,

             As Riana said some of those ports are busy and ships tours sometimes are the best option, it really does mean a lot of researching & as we now rarely venture ashore things do change quickly.

 

Best deck for sightseeing, well Suites aft are wonderful for me I can view those, drink wine & nap to my hearts content.

 

I guess deck 9 & ten (Armonia & Cleopatra) but if you are up early Aft by the Apollo Bar on 9 is best spot, but balcony cabins are second option I guess if you like it quieter.

 

They should know me by tenpingeo but Geoff & Pat from Kent should do.

Hi Tenpin,

 

Suites aft and sipping on your favourite drinks and relaxing whilst enjoying the sights sound good to me. I guess we have to buy bottles of these to be able to do this as the packages only include "by the glass".

 

Thanks for the tip on the Apollo Bar.  

 

There are no suites available and I don't think I will be lucky with any upgrades as we are new to Costa. But as I am generally positive, fingers crossed.

 

Thank you for the responses.

 

Raj

 

[Raj.K]

12 minutes ago, alicat58 said:

I was hoping to be able to attach a link but I am technically challenged alas. If you look on page 3 of the Costa Boards: Sorry it is coming out massive! Scroll down and all three packages have been scanned in by Greg2014. I only have an ancient (stolen) bar menu at home. This is recent and will give you the info you need.

What drinks are included? by claudiaYVR.

 

Thank you Alicat58

 

Searching the forum form Greg2014 meant I found the post you were referring to easily.