Costa Toscana Blog

[alpencoolcruiser]

10 hours ago, maryann2 said:

I will be flying to Dubai next month and going straight to the ship.  My flight arrives at 1840.

I was hoping to get Uber to the ship as it seems that Dubai airport uses them.

Did you arrange a private transfer in advance?

Trying to figure out the best way to do this.

I believe taxis are cheaper than Uber in Dubai. Its really easy to get one at the airport , expect a surcharge when picked up from airport or the port. We will arrive really early in the morning and will have plenty of time before embarkation - so we will be using the metro from the airport , dump our luggage at a storage and use the day pass for moving around to check some Dubai spots out that we missed previously. 

 

[Edinburghgirl1]

Anyone going on this cruise do not book the Al Maya beach day through the ship. They charge €79 euro per person. If you go on your own it €22 euro return  in a taxi. Ladies are free if you arrive before 12.00pm and if you have to pay it 200AED which is fully redeemable against food and drink on the Island. We arrived at 10.30am. The Costa busses arrived 15 mins  later so we went over on the same boats.  Costa are basically ripping folks off. 

[gerryuk]

6 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

Costa are basically ripping folks off. 

Not sure i agree with this sweeping statement. For many cruisers going on an excursion is safety in numbers. There are also those with mobility issues who would prefer to go on excursions with the ship. If there is a problem on your return to the ship, the ship will wait for those on the excursion, it wont wait for those who have done their own thing. I generally don't do excursions, would rather do my own thing. However there are some places particularly In Brazil and South America where i would not want to get off the ship by myself, in those ports excursions are a must, no matter the cost.

[maryann2]

18 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

We just got off the Toscana last Friday. Taxis in Dubai are very cheap so no need to use Uber. Just head for the taxi rank at the airport where there at plenty of taxis waiting just make sure you get a regular taxi and don’t be persuaded to use one of the “VIP” ones which aren’t metered and charge 3 times the price. There are two cruise terminals in Dubai so make sure you ask for the Marina cruise terminal. 

Great information. Thank you.

[maryann2]

10 hours ago, alpencoolcruiser said:

I believe taxis are cheaper than Uber in Dubai. Its really easy to get one at the airport , expect a surcharge when picked up from airport or the port. We will arrive really early in the morning and will have plenty of time before embarkation - so we will be using the metro from the airport , dump our luggage at a storage and use the day pass for moving around to check some Dubai spots out that we missed previously. 

 

Thank you.

[Wansbrough]

19 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

We just got off the Toscana last Friday.

 

So.....how did it go? 😁

[Edinburghgirl1]

3 hours ago, gerryuk said:

Not sure i agree with this sweeping statement. For many cruisers going on an excursion is safety in numbers. There are also those with mobility issues who would prefer to go on excursions with the ship. If there is a problem on your return to the ship, the ship will wait for those on the excursion, it wont wait for those who have done their own thing. I generally don't do excursions, would rather do my own thing. However there are some places particularly In Brazil and South America where i would not want to get off the ship by myself, in those ports excursions are a must, no matter the cost.

Charging €79 euro for women when’s its free if you go on your own is a rip off in my book. I appreciate some people are nervous about doing things on their own but they are basically charging €79 for a bus there and back which is only €11 per person in a taxi! 

[Edinburghgirl1]

2 hours ago, Wansbrough said:

 

So.....how did it go? 😁

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Great value for money. We only had 3,000 on board so might have thought different if ship had been full. Thought ship was very stylish, food was good service was good but not often with a smile like other cruise lines. Didn’t find the majority of the crew particularly friendly. Never had so many late  nights on a cruise as entertainment went on much later than other lines. My drinks I found a bit limited but I coped lol. 

Edited February 13, 2023 by Edinburghgirl1

[Wansbrough]

On 2/13/2023 at 7:04 PM, Edinburghgirl1 said:

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Great value for money. We only had 3,000 on board so might have thought different if ship had been full. Thought ship was very stylish, food was good service was good but not often with a smile like other cruise lines. Didn’t find the majority of the crew particularly friendly. Never had so many late  nights on a cruise as entertainment went on much later than other lines. My drinks I found a bit limited but I coped lol. 

Glad to hear you had a good time. 👍🏼

[Edinburghgirl1]

On 2/13/2023 at 4:38 PM, maryann2 said:

Great information. Thank you.

If you need any other information about Dubai or the ship just ask. 

[TrustyJ]

11 hours ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

If you need any other information about Dubai or the ship just ask. 

Lot's of good info on this blog.  My Wife, 8 year old Son and I will be going on this cruise in 2 weeks.  

Did you get the daily schedules before boarding or do they pass them out daily?  I would like to plan ahead as much as possible.  

[gerryuk]

1 hour ago, TrustyJ said:

Lot's of good info on this blog.  My Wife, 8 year old Son and I will be going on this cruise in 2 weeks.  

Did you get the daily schedules before boarding or do they pass them out daily?  I would like to plan ahead as much as possible.  

You should get the daily schedule in your cabin on the first day for the first days schedule. Its then delivered to your cabin in the evenings for the following day.

[Edinburghgirl1]

23 hours ago, TrustyJ said:

Lot's of good info on this blog.  My Wife, 8 year old Son and I will be going on this cruise in 2 weeks.  

Did you get the daily schedules before boarding or do they pass them out daily?  I would like to plan ahead as much as possible.  

On our cruise there was a “white Party” and Arabian Nights” party. There’s also a Silent Disco. The kids club is open 9.00am till 12.00pm. 

[maryann2]

On 2/15/2023 at 11:21 AM, Edinburghgirl1 said:

If you need any other information about Dubai or the ship just ask. 

About the UAE visa.

I have read that it can be obtained after landing at the airport.  Is this correct or should I get it beforehand.

[Wansbrough]

46 minutes ago, maryann2 said:

About the UAE visa.

I have read that it can be obtained after landing at the airport.  Is this correct or should I get it beforehand.

 

Simply disembark your flight at Dubai International and proceed to immigration, where your passport will be stamped with a 30‑day visit visa free of charge.

 

Excerpt below from the https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-arab-emirates

 

"If you’re entering the UAE as a tourist, you must obtain an entry stamp at the port of entry. This entry stamp is free and valid for 30 days. Ahead of the expiry of the initial 30-day period, you may request a validity extension for an additional 30 days."

 

This was the stamp on my passport showing us leaving the next day as our next port was Muscat. Costa held our passports until we got back to Abu Dhabi where we had to do a face to fame with their immigration authorities. 

 

[Edinburghgirl1]

2 hours ago, maryann2 said:

About the UAE visa.

I have read that it can be obtained after landing at the airport.  Is this correct or should I get it beforehand.

I’m from Uk so were issued  a visa free of charge on arrival.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Edinburghgirl1

[maryann2]

2 hours ago, Wansbrough said:

 

Simply disembark your flight at Dubai International and proceed to immigration, where your passport will be stamped with a 30‑day visit visa free of charge.

 

Excerpt below from the https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-arab-emirates

 

"If you’re entering the UAE as a tourist, you must obtain an entry stamp at the port of entry. This entry stamp is free and valid for 30 days. Ahead of the expiry of the initial 30-day period, you may request a validity extension for an additional 30 days."

 

This was the stamp on my passport showing us leaving the next day as our next port was Muscat. Costa held our passports until we got back to Abu Dhabi where we had to do a face to fame with their immigration authorities. 

 

Thank you for this information and link to the Canadian site.

[maryann2]

50 minutes ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

I’m from Uk so were issued  a visa free of charge on arrival.

Thank you. I am travelling on a Canadian passport. Also free of charge for tourist visa.

[Alex71]

On 2/17/2023 at 7:41 AM, Edinburghgirl1 said:

On our cruise there was a “white Party” and Arabian Nights” party. There’s also a Silent Disco. The kids club is open 9.00am till 12.00pm. 

 

Just back from the Toscana as well. At least on our cruise, the suggested dress code was pretty much ignored by everyone, whether it was white, Arabian or elegant. 

 

Overall great cruise. Wadi Shab, which we had booked via Oman Sunshine Tours, was amazing. Best excursion of the cruise. 

[TrustyJ]

3 hours ago, Alex71 said:

 

Just back from the Toscana as well. At least on our cruise, the suggested dress code was pretty much ignored by everyone, whether it was white, Arabian or elegant. 

 

Overall great cruise. Wadi Shab, which we had booked via Oman Sunshine Tours, was amazing. Best excursion of the cruise. 

Very good to hear.  We board tomorrow. Any other advice for excursions not done through Costa at any of the ports?

[Alex71]

37 minutes ago, TrustyJ said:

Very good to hear.  We board tomorrow. Any other advice for excursions not done through Costa at any of the ports?

 

We did a tour through Get your Guide in Abu Dhabi that included the mosque, the Etihad Towers and the Palace. Overall good tour to get an overview and see the most important sights. On earlier trips to Dubai we did desert safaris also through GyG, which were great, especially if the quads are already included.

 

In Qatar, Uber is super cheap. I'd just take an Uber to Souq Waqif there.  

[Schlinger]

Nice blog.  Good to see you making up for your wife's veganism by getting that tomahawk steak!  More seriously, do you remember where it came from ?  When I sailed on the Firenze, most of the beef in the steakhouse came from Australia, which is usually a much leaner cut than I like.  I suppose Costa have the same supplier for all their ships, so I'd assume the choice would be similar on the Toscana.  Looking through the venues, I don't see a steakhouse on the Toscana.  Is that correct ?  This was an upcharge in the MDR if I remember correctly what you wrote on your blog.  Much better than a steakhouse, I suppose, when your wife would rather eat the cow's food than the cow itself ;-)

 

[Wansbrough]

11 hours ago, Schlinger said:

Nice blog.  Good to see you making up for your wife's veganism by getting that tomahawk steak!  More seriously, do you remember where it came from ?  When I sailed on the Firenze, most of the beef in the steakhouse came from Australia, which is usually a much leaner cut than I like.  I suppose Costa have the same supplier for all their ships, so I'd assume the choice would be similar on the Toscana.  Looking through the venues, I don't see a steakhouse on the Toscana.  Is that correct ?  This was an upcharge in the MDR if I remember correctly what you wrote on your blog.  Much better than a steakhouse, I suppose, when your wife would rather eat the cow's food than the cow itself 😉

 

Thank you, somebody's got to fly the carnivore flag in our household. 🥩

Not sure where 🥩 came from, I was otherwise occupied at the time. 😂

There wasn't a steakhouse on Toscana that I am aware of, besides there is little point in me looking these days as I would be eating solo if I booked. 😂

I know there was one on Firenze but I always thought it was because that ship was designed for the Chinese market.

[Schlinger]

I didn't realize Chinese people like steak.  Always thought they favored chicken feet and the like.  But then again, I have never been to China, so that's probably a stereotype.

 

You wouldn't happen to have (or know of) an image of the available upcharge steaks on the Toscana, would you?

 

In any case, thanks again for the write-up.  I found it especially interesting that you could by the required clothes for the mosque visit.  A combination of western marketing and eastern tradition of sorts.  Flexibility added on top of inflexibility.  Made me smile 

[Wansbrough]

7 hours ago, Schlinger said:

I didn't realize Chinese people like steak.  Always thought they favored chicken feet and the like.  But then again, I have never been to China, so that's probably a stereotype.

 

You wouldn't happen to have (or know of) an image of the available upcharge steaks on the Toscana, would you?

 

In any case, thanks again for the write-up.  I found it especially interesting that you could by the required clothes for the mosque visit.  A combination of western marketing and eastern tradition of sorts.  Flexibility added on top of inflexibility.  Made me smile 

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