Costa and ice water with dinner.

I am sailing at the moment with the Costa Classica.

At dinner time they refuse the serve regular ice water,

and force you to buy bottled water at well over 3 euro's

a bottle.

Only 2 months ago I sailed with the Costa Delisioza, where

this was not an issue at all.

I wonder if Costa's policy has changed, or that individual

ships set their own policies.

Anyone can enlighten me?

I am sailing at the moment with the Costa Classica.

At dinner time they refuse the serve regular ice water,

and force you to buy bottled water at well over 3 euro's

a bottle.

 

Only 2 months ago I sailed with the Costa Delisioza, where

this was not an issue at all.

 

I wonder if Costa's policy has changed, or that individual

ships set their own policies.

 

Anyone can enlighten me?

who is 'they'? your waiter? speak to the dining room manager, i guarantee you will have this simple request honored.

who is 'they'? your waiter? speak to the dining room manager, i guarantee you will have this simple request honored.

Unfortunately you are wrong.

Since the introduction of the all inclusive, they have phased out the jugs of water across the fleet and given the option of bottled water at dinner instead on the AI package.

I was aboard Classica earlier this year and no water in jugs, when I asked why, it was due to the AI introduction and the fact that they have had problems on Classica and the other ships with the purity of the desalinated water available on board.....a couple years ago on Allegra we had a barge delivery of fresh water when in India that turned out to be salty by mistake.

Unfortunately you are wrong.

 

Since the introduction of the all inclusive, they have phased out the jugs of water across the fleet and given the option of bottled water at dinner instead on the AI package.

 

I was aboard Classica earlier this year and no water in jugs, when I asked why, it was due to the AI introduction and the fact that they have had problems on Classica and the other ships with the purity of the desalinated water available on board.....a couple years ago on Allegra we had a barge delivery of fresh water when in India that turned out to be salty by mistake.

The only reason they would be allowed to do this is on health grounds, even then I am not sure they are not on very shaky ground.

Ask for this to be put in writting so you can pursue the matter once ashore, see what they do then.

This happened many years ago on another line I did ask for wriiten conformation, funny we were given bottled water for two nights.

The only reason they would be allowed to do this is on health grounds, even then I am not sure they are not on very shaky ground.

 

Ask for this to be put in writting so you can pursue the matter once ashore, see what they do then.

 

This happened many years ago on another line I did ask for wriiten conformation, funny we were given bottled water for two nights.

It has been a problem for a while, especially on the older ships, with the ships desalination not being quite upto par and causing off tasting drinking water.

The decision was therefore made to remove the chance of bad water altogether with bottled water instead...and since the AI package is one of the cheapest in the industry and has experienced a very successful take-up rate, it suits most pax to use it for bottled water at dinner.

Costa do not have to worry about water quality from their tanks, pax do not have to worry about the high cost of bottled water since it is included within the AI.

This is so stupid, IMO. Water is a basic human right.

We are off for a month on the Costa Victoria in South Asia. I hope this won't be a killjoy.

This is so stupid, IMO. Water is a basic human right.

 

We are off for a month on the Costa Victoria in South Asia. I hope this won't be a killjoy.

I do not drink alcohol but I still have the AI package and I still make it pay.

Cans of soft drinks around €3 a piece, mocktails around €7 a piece...the AI is €19.50 a day per person, so that is less than 3 mocktails a day or 7 cans of soft drinks per day...

In a hot, humid climate like Asia, you'll be drinking ALOT of non alcholic drinks in order to stay healthy and not dehydrated.

By the time you buy the water only package several times over for the month of your cruise, you'll probably have paid the equivalent cost of the AI packages several times over.

. . . but I am departing for my cruise ready to hate Costa.

We got a great rate for this cruise plus Carnival stockholder credit, supposedly. But if this is the kind of nickeling-and-diming that awaits us, heaven help us.

Why on earth would I want to drink three mocktails or seven sodas a day to make this work? I'll be a balloon by the time the cruise is over, ready to died of a heart attack!

Since I will be doing a "live" report from the Costa Victoria, be advised not to read it. Because this pees me off to no end. A mandatory $25 or more charge pp. for soft drinks if you want water. (Not accurate but the point is) And people are complaining about daily service charges.

No wonder a captain got drunk and sank one of Costa ships.

. . . but I am departing for my cruise ready to hate Costa.

 

We got a great rate for this cruise plus Carnival stockholder credit, supposedly. But if this is the kind of nickeling-and-diming that awaits us, heaven help us.

 

Why on earth would I want to drink three mocktails or seven sodas a day to make this work? I'll be a balloon by the time the cruise is over, ready to died of a heart attack!

 

Since I will be doing a "live" report from the Costa Victoria, be advised not to read it. Because this pees me off to no end. A mandatory $25 or more charge pp. for soft drinks if you want water. (Not accurate but the point is) And people are complaining about daily service charges.

 

No wonder a captain got drunk and sank one of Costa ships.

No disrespect but you have banged constantly on about how cheap the cruise is and how it is a steal etc etc etc...well...now you know why the base price is cheap, don't you?

The service charge has always been there, so you cannot therefore complain about it...its on the website and any TA worth his or her salt should tell you about it.

Caveat emptor and all that, eh?

I have never ever complained about service charges. I autopay gladly and feel others should as well.

Also, if I have to subject myself to this drinks holdup at high seas, so be it. Teaches me to avoid Costa which I chose solely because of the superior itinerary. Just think about it: Overnight in Shanghai, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore on the first leg. No other cruise line that I am familiar with comes even close, at any price.

Yes, I have bragged about the cheap price we got. After our initial booking -- and after that sinking off Italy -- Costa even halved the already low price of the second leg (and also switched the original itinerary into a less desirable one). That's not the point.

The point is that I wanted to see for myself what this quite common griping on the CC about Costa was all about and whether it was justified. I guess I am beginning to learn now.

We all have choices. Water is a basic human right.

Some posters have implied that drinking water on older ships may not be that good. So here is my question: Does Costa make its ice cubes from that inferior water or from bottled water?

This is going to be so kewl. I own a symbolic amount of stock in Hyflux, a Singapore company that is at the cutting edge of water purification, including purifying waste water to be bottled and sold as drinking water in Singapore under the NeWater brand. (The Singapore government, which is subsidizing this, is very proud of this achievement because it advances its mandate to be independent of water imported from Malaysia).

As a matter of fact, when we arrive in Singapore Nov. 16, I'll drag my wife to see an exhibit about all this. It is near an MRT station near the airport. Google if you are interested.

We have always been served iced water on all our Costa cruises, 7 so far and one in a few weeks.

I agree that 19.50 euro p/p p/d is a lot of money,especially if you don't drink alcohol, and you need to consider that often there are not many days at sea so you wouldn't get your money's worth on land days.

Just refill an empty water bottle from the buffet or the gym and take it to dinner...never tried it but it might work!!

 

Just refill an empty water bottle from the buffet or the gym and take it to dinner...never tried it but it might work!!

I have tried it.

Dirty water was in the drinking fountain in the gym on one of the newest Costa ships!

They closed the buffet soon after but God knows how many people happened to use the fountain by that time...

I did not notice that right away in the gym.

But on the sunny open deck...OMG!

To prepare me for the once-in-a-lifetime, apparently, experience on the Cost Victoria I today followed the lead of my CC sister-in-cruising, Bowiememe, and ordered a portable water purifier http://www.amazon.com/SteriPEN-Traveler-Water-Purifier-Blue/dp/B0041EB6EU/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1351016344&sr=1-1&keywords=steripen+water+purifier

The reasons for this were:

The apparent lack of free water on the Costa, and the possibility that whatever may come from the pipes may look unpotable.

The apparent impossibility to buy just one 25 euros-a-day drink package; if you are traveling with someone, you have to buy two. Over 30 days of cruising that will end up costing more than a cheapskate like me is willing to pay, particularly since neither of us drinks alcohol.

Hey, I've been down this road before. In Kampala, Uganda, in 1980 my only choice was to stay in a room on the 13th floor in a hotel that did not have a working elevator or running water due to a civil war. The bath tub was full of water, though. When I check in, I reserved some of it for drinking and used purification tablets. The rest, over a one-week stay, I used for bathing. Big deal. Didn't even lose a thing though the room door lacked a lock.

So if Costa wants to return me to Uganda in Asia, we are ready.

Water is a human right.

Last month on the Luminosa our MDR waiter brought us a jug of free ice water every evening. Just had to ask him the first night and after that it was always present on the table when we arrived. The same was true last year on the Atlantica.

I agree Capricruiser. We've never had a problem on any Costa cruise. Even though we order the wine packages with water, others on our tables have ordered jugs of water with no problem.

I will report on our experiences.

It seems that because of the new categories, Costa pricing and service level may be in a flux. Also, these sailings are likely to have 80 percent of higher SEAsia passenger load, which means Costa can do all kinds of things it might not do with North Americans.

Overall, my career as a foreign correspondent taught me that things usually weren't as bad as people said they were. For example, unless one was in the epicenter of fighting it was easy to miss a revolution.

Nevertheless I want to be prepared for all eventualities.

Have just emailed Costa to ask for the official company stance on jugs of iced tap water on the tables with meals in the MDR. MSC caught us out before but only for the first night so this time I will see what this Italian liners view is. I will post reply when they respond.

Have just emailed Costa to ask for the official company stance on jugs of iced tap water on the tables with meals in the MDR. MSC caught us out before but only for the first night so this time I will see what this Italian liners view is. I will post reply when they respond.

24 hours and no reply......

24 hours and no reply......

36 hours and no response......

Good luck with that Travel mad.

I ask serveral question about the changes to the Costa club perks in April, June, July, August and mid September. Still waiting even though one was sent to Italy and forwarded on to costaclub.uk,

Now we learn that Costa Pearl and gold member no longer get choice of meal times and flight will only be comfirmed after the total balance has been paid, so like many of passengers on our last costa, you could be sent to France, Milan, Nice orTurin before getting to Savona. (11 hours they said) for a two hour flight and 35 minute journey.

WELL DONE COSTA YOU ARE LOSING CLUB MEMBERS BY THE HUNDREDS

if other cruise forums are anything to go by.

Good luck with that Travel mad.

 

I ask serveral question about the changes to the Costa club perks in April, June, July, August and mid September. Still waiting even though one was sent to Italy and forwarded on to costaclub.uk,

 

Now we learn that Costa Pearl and gold member no longer get choice of meal times and flight will only be comfirmed after the total balance has been paid, so like many of passengers on our last costa, you could be sent to France, Milan, Nice orTurin before getting to Savona. (11 hours they said) for a two hour flight and 35 minute journey.

 

WELL DONE COSTA YOU ARE LOSING CLUB MEMBERS BY THE HUNDREDS

 

if other cruise forums are anything to go by.

hmmm....I sail in 39 days time, I am at gold level.

Booked my cruise with Costa about 6 months ago, with air included.

48 hours after booking my air was up onsite and I had my locators to load into KLM website, meal time chosen and confirmed via email.

I am flying UK, Amsterdam, Nice and the same in return...flight tickets were released by KLM yesterday so have printed them off.

At the same time as I booked this cruise I did one for June next year and December next year....flights were listed for June within 48 hours of deposit paid & locators received via the airline, Decembers will be around lat January since they are never done more than 50 weeks out from departure.

Meal times and dining room choices made online and confirmed by email.

Maybe you ain't talking to the right person at Costa London...I have a contact there, she knows my meal preferences, flight preferences etc and my agent always asks for her by name when I book...and she speaks to me on the phone too despite having an agent booking.

I am not a demanding type of person but I have worked in tourism in the past so maybe that is why they take such good care of me...cos unlike many, I understand the work involved.

Flights are organised by Costa Milan, tickets/extras/reservations are organised by Costa Genova...and in the UK all bookings regardless as to agent or direct are passed through London to the appropriate department (Milan or Genova) for processing...Milan often takes a bit longer than genova since they have to wait for airline flight schedules to be confirmed, which as I have already said, only get confirmed 50 weeks out from departure minimum.

A little bit of patience and understanding goes a long way.

Hi CostaSmurfette,

Yes know all that and even the cruise for next month booked seven weeks ago was as normal and as you say above, as is our next February Cruise simply booked on line with Costa.

1st sitting and flying from Gatwick on our normal 10.10am flight to Genoa.

Went to book a further cruise to Norway in June yesterday, now only premium cabins can chose dining times and flight were only confirmed 12 weeks before sailing. which comes after final payment.

Take a look at the new improved (lol) Costa web-site they are even trying to hide cabin choice, you now have to click on tiny arrow next to selection.

Phoned bookings in the UK even the very nice lady there could not give us both Gold Pearl and regular Costa cruisers (four last year and 20 in total) a table or flight time like every other time we have gone.

As you said they always emailed within 48 hrs with full details but they say that things are now changing and we no longer have the choices or even some of the preferred boarding, Vip lounges and such like are gradually being removed.

So much for the promises of 2010 when Gold Pearl was introduced which encouraged us to reach those levels, just as well we are Elite on Princess so back to them for our Forth Norway cruise in June.

Hi CostaSmurfette,

 

Yes know all that and even the cruise for next month booked seven weeks ago was as normal and as you say above, as is our next February Cruise simply booked on line with Costa.

 

1st sitting and flying from Gatwick on our normal 10.10am flight to Genoa.

 

Went to book a further cruise to Norway in June yesterday, now only premium cabins can chose dining times and flight were only confirmed 12 weeks before sailing. which comes after final payment.

 

Take a look at the new improved (lol) Costa web-site they are even trying to hide cabin choice, you now have to click on tiny arrow next to selection.

 

Phoned bookings in the UK even the very nice lady there could not give us both Gold Pearl and regular Costa cruisers (four last year and 20 in total) a table or flight time like every other time we have gone.

 

As you said they always emailed within 48 hrs with full details but they say that things are now changing and we no longer have the choices or even some of the preferred boarding, Vip lounges and such like are gradually being removed.

 

So much for the promises of 2010 when Gold Pearl was introduced which encouraged us to reach those levels, just as well we are Elite on Princess so back to them for our Forth Norway cruise in June.

Try to remember one tiny detail Tenpin...

Costa Crociere are owned by Carnival Corp...just as Princess, Cunard, Carnival, P&O etc are.

Miami calls the shots, THEY ultimately set the perks and the lines have to follow instructions.

In recent months Carnival Cruise Lines have been changing their perks and caused much chagrin in the process from those anticipating improvement on what was already there and who thought the "improvements" were anything but.

So it is bound to happen on all Carnival Corporation lines...a rejigging of perks, removal of some, others added and many altered to a less desireable level

Costa Crociere do NOT change anything on their own, they have to follow what the pen pushers in Miami TELL them to do...and since most of the pen pushers have probably never stepped a toe on a cruise ship, let aone actually spoken to their customers, is it any wonder tat things like perk levels changing causes upset?

Think about it....

COSTA is starting to mean Can Only Start Avoiding. And this is before we get onboard. Carnival should have one set of rules across all their lines. we only want them to confirm that they will provide a jug of iced tap water in the MDR . Simple question surely they can respond to an email? it's not the end of the world , a bottle of water costs next to nothing it's just the thought of the cruiseline giving one no option but to buy bottled water. fortunately we all have options and one of them may be to avoid Costa in the future but I will go onboard with open eyes. So far our preference is to cruise on those DAM ships in the Holland America Lines fleet - it may just be because they serve the best bread pudding at sea!