Costa Serena - just back from Bargain Break

We booked the Serena as a bit of a bargain break. We have already booked up our luxury vacation quota for the year ahead - but decided we needed a wee "cheapo" for a week away.

I managed to get our fights on BA using our Avios, and also a stopover in London heathrow at the Sofitel in T5 for an amazing £10!!! The Sofitel OMG it IS WONDERFUL!!! Best ever ever ever airport hotel!

Anyway, 2.5 hour drive to Glasgow, flight to LHR, overnight LHR - and en route to Rome next morning.

We booked a transfer company - my God - the owner is seriously crabbit! What a horror he was! Long story but there was confusion over our arrival meeting time and he was literally shouting at me down the phone. Had he not already got my card data I would have jumped another taxi. the driver was lovely _(when he did arrive over an hour later) - so eventually we made it to the ship. On the return trip, we arranged with the driver to come for us earlier, but the message wasnt relayed to said crabbit auld sod, so once again, I was faced with the rant over the phone - will be posting my review on HIS company on Tripadvisor hmmmm

I have already written a review which should be posted in a few days

BUT - wanted to say here - how pleasantly surprised we were with our stay on the Serena.

We paid £550 each for a premium balcony - bargain - absolute bargain!

Staff make this clock tick! Happy, smiling - helpful crew - One can forgive the well worn cabins (the toilets were a serious issue) - and other small issues..all down to the crew. Happy bunch indeed and THAT is what makes a cruise good.

Food - EXCELLENT!!! YES - Excellent! I am Gluten Free - The menu on Serena for GF was MUCH better than it was on Magica - and almost on a par with NeoRomantica.

Our Costa loyalty was rewarded. Table for two, Ceres aft, late dining - 3/3 of my requests...

Priority disembarkation, invite to cocktail (we didnt go), Club Bacco invite - which we used and then dined again on another evening - and on the last evening a gift of a ships model - the wooden/steel kind not the plastic one.

10/10 Costa for looking after your loyal guests.

Only issues we had were with fellow guests - some were just appallingly rude. I dont know - are we getting old? But manners??? :eek: Non existent. I picked up both a tummy virus and a flu. I am a food producer, so am in the habit of washing hands properly (yes there is actually a legal way in which one should wash their hands) - I also use all anti bac stations, carry my own gel, and if using hand rails have been known to have a wipe in my palm as I use them. Paranoid - but still - picked up two bugs ...

Pools - wouldnt use them - suspiciously cloudy - hot tub - babies with nappies on :mad: I did report that one and minutes later saw the families being removed. Saw smokers smoke wherever (usually hiding the cig in palm) (and yet we who use zero nicotine shisha pens used smoking areas:rolleyes:) - and saw a group throw LIT butts over the side in port :eek:

Feel so sorry for the staff -I think we would def cruise Serena again, but as our loop went on, it got busier and busier, I would go around a month earlier before the schools break for vacation - deck 5 in the evening was madness - people need a license for these baby strollers - my ankles were sore from being bashed several times!

But - BIG SHIP BIG HEART - The Serena won mine! Just get rid of the manky rude passengers and it would be ace!

Any questions would be happy to help - and especially to anyone who has special diet as lots of tips on that.

Will post my link to my review when its up .

B

Thanks for the trip report.

Look forward to reading your review.

Keith

I will take you up on the dietary question. We are away next week on the Favolosa and my wife is also gluten free. How did you make this known to the servers ? We have e-mailed and they said this was not a problem. Was there a good choice across all meals for GF. How did you find the Med ports for GF food ? Any other info greatly received.

As long as you have already notified them you are sorted.

Just check on your first dinner that you are being given a GF menu - but on all four of our cruises this has happened for me without question.

GF guests are given their own menu at dinner each night. No need (as on many cruiselines) to have to choose the day before. The menu is wide and varied - includes lots of thick soups,(as opposed to just consommes) pastas, meat and poultry. I loved the risotto. Oh and a ravioli was amazing - cant remember which -

Avoid the buffet. For breakfast and lunch go the the mdr. You will find there is a section in the restaurant during open dining - specifically for "special diet" - Just tell the waiters on the way in your are GF. they will guide you to the Breakfast/Lunch GF section

Lunch dessert isnt great - usually a yogurt or fruit, but at dinner - lots of nice dessert choices.

For breakfast in the cabin - I just wrote on the card "Gluten Free pastries please" and found a lovely array of goodies would arrive each morning :)

The juices too were marked GF

Guest services will call your cabin regularly btw, checking in with you to make sure the food is okay for you.

I seldom eat off the ship - We have been around the Med so many times now and tend to be honest, for a week, just laze on the ship - or if we do get off its to our fave club in Mallorca where we know the foods is "clean". Just find the ship is so easy.

AND be careful - sometimes the "TODAY" says the MDR is closed at lunch - ignore this - the GF section is always open - even on port days.

It seems like a hassle to go to mdr for lunch but versus the madness at the buffet - its a joy honestly - and just so beautifully served.

I am already missing my special meals - it is so seldom I get so much choice of GF unless I prepare it myself.

Last year on NeoRomantica they baked a full GF birthday cake for me - was so lovely -

Enjoy! It is so much better than you can imagine!!

My review is up but really its pretty much the same as above

Posting link here for the benefit of future Serena cruisers.

For the price we paid - cannot complain - :)

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=257996

BTW - to the 343 lurkers "You're welcome":rolleyes:

Thanks for the report!

I was lurking because I didn't think I had much to add. But here goes: Was on Serena a few years ago, thought it was a lovely ship, too bad they're not keeping up on maintenance. Thanks for including the time of your cruise. that's been my experience with European vacation times as well. Costa room stewards usually among the best, but I have also encountered a dud. I've heard good comments about GF from others as well.

Grand job Blonde008, its always great to hear someone still enjoyed the cruise despite being subjected to undesirable fellow passengers. I know many who would only have seen the later and said so in their review so well done to you.

You cup it seems is always half full. :)

Thanks !!;)

Thanks for the report.

Thanks for the report.

You're welcome :)

Hi Blondie008

We too have booked our more luxury cruises but like to go on a cheapie in between too , we sailed Costa last year and are booked on Magica for October in a premium balcony , we had an upsell for 65 pounds each , seemed a very good deal . Sounds like you had a good time , my friend is gluten intolerant and on Costa last year they were so good , she had GF bread each meal , which was a lot softer and nicer than the normal bread and lots of choice with the menu but if she stated GF she was not allowed to eat in the buffet with us . We have found that a lot of the passengers on the cheaper cruises do tend to be much ruder , and the continentals seem to think that the non smoking rules etc do not apply to them and can be quite arrogant

Hi Blondie008

 

We too have booked our more luxury cruises but like to go on a cheapie in between too , we sailed Costa last year and are booked on Magica for October in a premium balcony , we had an upsell for 65 pounds each , seemed a very good deal . Sounds like you had a good time , my friend is gluten intolerant and on Costa last year they were so good , she had GF bread each meal , which was a lot softer and nicer than the normal bread and lots of choice with the menu but if she stated GF she was not allowed to eat in the buffet with us . We have found that a lot of the passengers on the cheaper cruises do tend to be much ruder , and the continentals seem to think that the non smoking rules etc do not apply to them and can be quite arrogant

Just curious. Who would not allow your friend to eat in the buffet? My wife is GF and loves the treatment she receives on Costa. She can always find something on the buffet that's gluten free.

Hi Salve

When we were booking direct with Costa the rep told us that she could not eat in the buffet if she went GF , only in the dining room , I thought this was strange as surely she would know herself what she could eat or not but they stated that they would not allow her , I think it was to ensure that there were no comebacks on them , just in case she ate something that made her ill . Saying that I am not sure how they would know where she ate as its not as if they ask your cabin numbers in the buffet

a stopover in London heathrow at the Sofitel in T5 for an amazing £10!!! The Sofitel OMG it IS WONDERFUL!!! Best ever ever ever airport hotel!

HI again Blondie008

How did you get the Sofitel for only £10 ??????????:confused:

Hi Salve

 

When we were booking direct with Costa the rep told us that she could not eat in the buffet if she went GF , only in the dining room , I thought this was strange as surely she would know herself what she could eat or not but they stated that they would not allow her , I think it was to ensure that there were no comebacks on them , just in case she ate something that made her ill . Saying that I am not sure how they would know where she ate as its not as if they ask your cabin numbers in the buffet

Wow. Thanks for the reply. So much strange information comes from the Costa reps...

I had loads of avios!! I used avios for this trip too for my BA flights - the whole cruise was a budget challenge

Sofitel is awesome huh :D

We did however blow the entire budget in the bar that night hahah!

Hi Salve

When we were booking direct with Costa the rep told us that she could not eat in the buffet if she went GF , only in the dining room , I thought this was strange as surely she would know herself what she could eat or not but they stated that they would not allow her , I think it was to ensure that there were no comebacks on them , just in case she ate something that made her ill . Saying that I am not sure how they would know where she ate as its not as if they ask your cabin numbers in the buffet

She can go to the Buffet - but do be careful as there is hidden gluten

Also on Magica before - I was not allowed to eat in the Club restaurant - it was odd as I was on NeoRomantica and on Serena -

Guess they are just covering themselves

MDR for lunch though is so much better!!

She can go to the Buffet - but do be careful as there is hidden gluten

Also on Magica before - I was not allowed to eat in the Club restaurant - it was odd as I was on NeoRomantica and on Serena -

Guess they are just covering themselves

MDR for lunch though is so much better!!

That's amazing. We just got off the Magica in Venice in April and my GF wife ate in the Club restaurant without any problem, she was very picky with what she ate.

If she wants the whole GF menu she knows that's only available in the MDR.

That's amazing. We just got off the Magica in Venice in April and my GF wife ate in the Club restaurant without any problem, she was very picky with what she ate.

 

If she wants the whole GF menu she knows that's only available in the MDR.

I agree - we ate Club on other ships and I never had a problem - must vary according to crew - on Magica we were literally not allowed. Guests services called us to tell us they were cancelling our reservation as I was GF :confused:

Who knows...

I agree - we ate Club on other ships and I never had a problem - must vary according to crew - on Magica we were literally not allowed. Guests services called us to tell us they were cancelling our reservation as I was GF :confused:

Who knows...

Maybe they had a problem involving cross contamination with a passenger.

I agree - we ate Club on other ships and I never had a problem - must vary according to crew - on Magica we were literally not allowed. Guests services called us to tell us they were cancelling our reservation as I was GF :confused:

Who knows...

Maybe they had a problem involving cross contamination with a passenger.

Blondie008

Wow you must have had quite a few avios points , I have managed to get some savings off our next BA flight in February with some avios , but some of our flights were put against our Qantas FF program and I am trying to contact Qantas to have them removed so as I can put them on my avios account but they dont seem too keen to answer my emails , will have to look for a contact phone number for them

Blondie008

Wow you must have had quite a few avios points , I have managed to get some savings off our next BA flight in February with some avios , but some of our flights were put against our Qantas FF program and I am trying to contact Qantas to have them removed so as I can put them on my avios account but they dont seem too keen to answer my emails , will have to look for a contact phone number for them

We have two avios accounts. One main household account with avios, and then our BA avios - our BA avios we cannot combine due to our main Avios being aa household account. I get confused too - but have learned now how to use them. I have a business - and all my vehicles' fuel goes on to an AMex card which collects Avios. I think it was 9000 for a return euro flight plus £35 (that rings a bell) - Problem is these flights are hard to come by. I looked at flights to various embarkation points, got the flight secured first - and then booked the cruise.

The sofitel I think was actually booked via my BA avios -

£10 and we got upgraded at check in!! :D