Looking for details about the X1 drink package

[Joyce and Tim]

I'd also be interested in finding out how to book this...although we are sailing TODAY!!! and it's too late...there will always be a next time. I've never heard of such a pkg but it's made for folks like us!

[Fishfinder]

My wife and I signed up for the X1 package today. Our travel agent had to call Costa and ask for the “Individual Beverage Package (by the glass)”.

Costa immediately knew about it and gave a price of $79.69 each. This came down to #11.40 / person / day.

Needed to have a credit card at the ready to pay for it. Most of our traveling companions signed up for this package, it’s a great buy. Ten of us are signed up on the April 22 Bermuda cruise on the Magica.

Also asked about the non-alcoholic package. It’s a rip off, $59.00 for 20 drinks. Think one can get more water on the X1.

Fishfinder

[Fishfinder]

My wife and I signed up for the X1 package today. Our travel agent had to call Costa and ask for the “Individual Beverage Package (by the glass)”.

Costa immediately knew about it and gave a price of $79.69 each. This came down to$11.40 / person / day.

Needed to have a credit card at the ready to pay for it. Most of our traveling companions signed up for this package, it’s a great buy. Ten of us are signed up on the April 22 Bermuda cruise on the Magica.

Also asked about the non-alcoholic package. It’s a rip off, $59.00 for 20 drinks. Think one can get more water on the X1.

Fishfinder

[RNcruise]

Our ta booked this package for us. It sounds great. I just hope it's not too difficult getting the staff to understand what exactly it is. I will be sure to post my reply when we return! Counting down the days! :p

[tiggrbaby]

Can you order a glass of soda and a glass of wine at the same time? Or are you limited to one drink at a time?

[mrcotton73]

Sorry - this is the first time I will be on a cruise (Mar 11th - Magica) - so I have some questions about the X1 package that may seem obvious..

 

Is there a charge for water during a meal on Costa Cruises? Both my wife and I do not take alcoholic drinks - I take the occasional sodas (wife does not like sodas either) or juices, etc..

 

I am trying to figure out if we should go in for an X1 package - seems expensive if all we are going to get is water and sodas..

 

How much do they normally charge if we did not get a package?

 

-mrcotton73

[cruisernh]

I don't think it would be worth it without alchohol. They have a water package and the bottles are fairly big. also just bring some soda on board with you. We bring soda and buy the wine package that has wine and water.

[joetrizeo]

Sorry - this is the first time I will be on a cruise (Mar 11th - Magica) - so I have some questions about the X1 package that may seem obvious..

 

Is there a charge for water during a meal on Costa Cruises? Both my wife and I do not take alcoholic drinks - I take the occasional sodas (wife does not like sodas either) or juices, etc..

 

I am trying to figure out if we should go in for an X1 package - seems expensive if all we are going to get is water and sodas..

 

How much do they normally charge if we did not get a package?

 

-mrcotton73

 

no charge for water as long as you drink the purified tap and not bottled.

 

the X1 is for booze. if you dont drink that, dont get it. if you are not a big soda drinker dont do the pop card either. stick with water coffee ice tea and the citrus drink and you'll be ok.

 

if you do not get the package you are charged individually for drinks, approx 2.50 for pop, 3-5 for beer, 4-7 for mixed drinks.

[mrcotton73]

Thanks for your replies - appreciate the advice.

 

-mrcotton73

[joetrizeo]

i forgot, incase you don't know, there's a +15% auto grat. on the drinks you pay individually.

(most know this but since your a first timmer mrcotton73 i wanted to re-state)

[Yeldarb]

Cruise II you promised to update us on this x1 package. Anyone else use it? Wondering actual service hours, lunch and dinner is vague. I'm wondering if I can use it to get drinks during island sailaways before dinner(5-7pm) as my dinner time is late seating.

 

I've already purchased it so it really doens't matter, just getting beer and wine at lunch and dinner is plenty. Sailaways would just be a bonus. :)

 

cheers,

[e058874]

So I called Costa to inquire about this because everyone seemed to say it was a good deal but I'm confused on how it works. The Costa rep said it is only good in the dining rooms for lunch and dinner. I know we will not eat but maybe one lunch in the dining room if even that. It seems that others have been able to use the card in the buffet area? Can you use in the lounges or clubs? And the times she said were vague too...don't they serve lunch like starting at 11am? And dinner is til 10pm for late seating. Love to get someone's take who just sailed on Magica to see how the workers really treated it. It's a good deal if I can get waters and sodas at 9am by the pool and before dinner drinks too. Please advise. Thank you.

[msboo18]

See my complete review of the Magica Western Caribbean 02/07 under member cruise reviews.

X1 Drink Package: Can only be ordered thru travel agent or Costa at least 14 days in advance – it’s under “special services” as the X1 individual beverage package – comes out to $11.40 per person per day and includes soda, mineral water (natural and sparkling), red wine, white wine, and beer – all by the glass during lunch and dinner only. Must be paid for with a credit card at time of ordering. Your cabin card will say x1 on it. All staff that we dealt with knew X1 - wine & beer + sparkling water at dinner saved us a ton! Once, we had 2 sodas at the pool bar during lunchtime and were charged the full price of $5.75 ($2.50 per can + tip) - (yes, they gave us a glass of ice and a can of soda) - I checked our folio account on the TV each night and saw that we were charged for the soda and was going to say something, but forgot and when I checked the next night, it had been removed. We used the x1 at any pool side bar or restaurant from 11:30am - 2:30 (lunchtime) and again from 7:30pm til at least 10:00 many nights. Our seating was at 8:30, but we’d stop at the pool bar to get a drink before – no problem. At dinner, our waiters kept a bottle of each handy and just kept refilling! No problems in getting served, again and again! White wine was chardonnay - I'm sure not the best but was just fine. Can't use it in the lounges or the theater.

[bucksfan225]

This sounds like a great deal. My wife called the cruiseline yesterday and booked two X1 packages. No confusion, they knew exactly what we wanted.

 

This thread may have saved me a few bucks, but will probably cost me a few brain cells from all the extra beer I will drink.:D

[RNcruise]

We were on the mediterranea last week. My mother and I both had the X1 package. We were a little worried about the ease of using it, but we were pleasantly surprised. Our first day onboard, we each had 2 glasses of diet coke in the buffet area, and 1 beer each at the pool bar (during lunch hours, of course). When we arrived at dinner that first night, we just laughed when our table mates had the X1 also. Our waiter and assistant waiter were familiar with the program, and when they saw that we would go though 2 bottles of wine, they just brought the bottles to the table. My mother and I split a bottle of blush wine, and the couple at our table split a bottle of white, followed by a bottle of red with their main course. We never really had a problem. The rest of the week, we learned where you could get the beer/cokes/wine the easiest. We also drank mineral water at dinner each evening (in the dining room), and once again, our waiters just brought us a bottle of it (each bottle = about 5 or 6 glasses) If we didn't finish the bottles of wine, they were stored for us for the next night (you could fill up your wine glass and take the glass with you, but you had to leave the bottle)

Some of the roaming waiters/waitresses in the buffet area didn't seem too thrilled about it (probably b/c they weren't getting the 15% of the sale), but they were always polite, and always brought it to us.

From what we found out, it all depended on who your wait staff was. We were very fortunate. Our table mates ate dinner one night at the late seating, and didn't have the good fortune. They still got the wine, it was just brought by the glass so they had to be a little more patient. Needless to say, they were back with us the next night, and we enjoyed the rest of our week. I hope everyone has as good of luck as we did. I just don't know if costa will continue to offer this package once everyone figures out what a GREAT deal it is!!

[glb911]

no charge for water as long as you drink the purified tap and not bottled.

 

the X1 is for booze. if you dont drink that, dont get it. if you are not a big soda drinker dont do the pop card either. stick with water coffee ice tea and the citrus drink and you'll be ok.

 

if you do not get the package you are charged individually for drinks, approx 2.50 for pop, 3-5 for beer, 4-7 for mixed drinks.

 

what is the pop card? I know what pop is but this is the first i have heard about a pop card.

[RNcruise]

The pop card is the boys and girls club card. I think it was for 20 non-alcoholic drinks for around $60.00 It included cokes, virgin drinks, milkshakes, and things like that. My sister got it, but really didn't find it worth it. If you have kids, or if you love virgin frozen drinks, it would be, but my sister found that she only ordered the drinks to get the use of the card. 7 days seems like plenty of time to drink, but when you factor in the time on land, etc...she ended up with 2 cards she never ordered.

[michigan tim]

What draft beers are available?

[astralj]

"soda pop" aka carbinated drink... "In the South it's called Coke, even when it's Pepsi. Many in Boston say tonic. A precious few even order a fizzy drink."

[odaisydukeo]

Here's an update on the X1. I was on the Magica last week.

 

We had no problem using it near the pool and with the wait staff in the buffet area. When we ordered wine they all said "you have your OWN wine". It was a mediocre red and a white. They wouldn't let you order what you wanted. In the dining room, they did bring us the bottle, and we did walk with our last glass of wine. We weren't able to use it at any of the lounges, we tried a few times, and they directed us to the pool bar on Deck 9. The draft was Budweiser, but it came in a little carlsburg tumbler. Any kind of soda. Bottled water or carbonated water.

 

For us, we didn't really see the value. We used it whenever we wanted, and we probably "broke even". If we could have ordered different types of wine, it would have been alot better. Also, with only being able to order one soda at a time, sometimes, you'd have to try to find another place to get one if you wanted to take some to your cabin. Even though we thought we would use it at lunch, we really didn't. The iced tea was just too good, and available 24./7/

[odaisydukeo]

Hi-- also forgot to say that you could ONLY use it when the Bellagio Buffet is open for lunch and dinner. So, Noon-2:30 and then 5:30-10:00. We had several bartenders and wait staff check watches before serving us.

[joetrizeo]

"soda pop" aka carbinated drink... "In the South it's called Coke, even when it's Pepsi. Many in Boston say tonic. A precious few even order a fizzy drink."

 

 

http://www.popvssoda.com/

 

hence why i say pop.

[e058874]

So I just got off the phone with Costa to get my X1 card and at first she told me that it was NOT unlimited. That it was just a pre-paid drink card for all drinks but only good at lunch and dinner. Which doesn't make sense at all..why would they limit a pre-paid card to certain times if it was good on everything you order? She told me it was just a convenience thing more than anything. I kept asking and asking..like is there something else or am I totally missing something. So she asked a top supervisor and they confirmed the X1 is as everyone here has been saying which is house red & white wine, draft been, sodas, mineral water (still and sparkling) for lunch and dinner hours...buffet, dining room and main pool bar unlimited. So if you call Costa and they tell you differently, ask for Stephanie or ask them to ask a top top supervisor.

 

Also, for those new to Costa, which I am, they take cash on-board in all the venues. On Carnival, it's cash free, you either leave a credit card or cash on your account and you charge everything on your Sail n Sign card which goes to your room tab. Except the casino. Like a hotel basically. So on Costa, you can do that..register your credit card and charge everything to the room, or you can pay cash.

[doncolleen]

The draft beer for the X1 package was Budweiser or Carlsberg.

[Zeoul]

We used the X-1 last week on the Magica. We would stop by the pool bar on our way into port and order a couple of pops each to take with us as the bar tenders did not open the cans. They would just hand us our cans and then ask if we wanted a glass with ice. I usually just refused the glass and packed the pop in my bag to take with me. We also found that it depended on the waitstaff when and where they would serve you. Some were stickier than others. With a little tip at the beginning of the week, our favourite waiter by the pool took good care of us all week. We didn't have to be by the restaurant with him where others would tell us we had to be by the buffet to order (at the pool bar). We felt it was worth the investment considering the cost of drinks.