CASPALL

1st January on Preziosa for us and we have got a free upgrade! So pleased :)

This will be our 3rd time with MSC

Caryl

Musical Entertainment is not of the highest quality with all the budget cuts nowadays. I think your husbands might have a few issues there.

It's all "fake" backing for the singers - hardly any real musicians.

You need to go with the more expensive cruise lines to get a classier act.

As long as your expectations aren't too high, you could have a wonderful time with MSC. They have nice bars to sit in and the musical acts take regular breaks!

It's a cheap holiday for a family - you'll not starve either as the selection of food they offer is huge! It's not all pizza and pasta as some people suggest. Portions are small but if you have every course you will be satisfied. :)

Caryl

Maybe I just never looked in the right place for sachets. :confused:

I'm useless in the self service area - the noise makes me get all in a dither!!

Caryl

So glad you enjoyed your cruise.

Nice of you to post your positive experience - it will help others who are apprehensive after reading such negativity on here :)

Caryl

How pleased am I to read some common sense and intelligence on here Tenpin!

I agree with everything you have written!

I'm so sick of the " I really want to have a 6* experience but like the Costa price " brigade!

It's quite funny when they complain about the Italian food as well as the Italians on board!

Caryl

Not been on Deliziosa

There were no packets of coffee in buffet this time on Mediterranea in September- just the coffee machine and teabags. The coffee was ok from the machine if you made it with more hot water and less coffee for me. The buy from bar coffees are so much better though.

Caryl

I like both cruise lines so just cannot decide if one is better than the other. It depends on the ship sometimes. We get better deals with Costa so tend to book cruises with them. MSC offer better drinks on their all inclusive package and nice ice cream included too!

Caryl

Hi Thorsten

We had a fantastic time on Mediterranea a few weeks ago. The dinners were as good as the ones we had on Queen Elizabeth. The service was excellent and far friendlier than QE

We were on Pacifica for 19 nights earlier this year and had a fantastic

time there too

We like to take our time over dinner and order every course on the menu. We didnt have a drinks package as we usually buy, but could afford to buy a bottle of water every night as well as a glass of wine or two.

Coffee is always nicer when you buy from one of the bars - freshly made, unlike the Cunard stuff that had been in the pot so long!

Costa is an Italian cruise line - they do things Italian style

They are so much cheaper than other cruise lines so we do not grumble about paying for the extras. We always take a premium cabin and enjoy the extra benefits such as free room service,better position on the ship (midships for us), choice of dinong eg table for 2....

Lots of space in the cabins for families too

They reward customer loyalty a lot better than other cruise lines. We are now Pearl Gold after only a few cruises. The prosecco and fruit in the cabin is a nice touch as are the robes and slippers. The one free meal in the special restaurant on a night of your choice is really nice - available when you get to Pearl status.

As for the dress - what does it matter what other people are wearing. We like to dress well every night on holiday - just because others dress badly we dont follow their example, but it's up to them. Costa accepts this and lets people enjoy their holiday - however they want to.

I think it's the relaxed attitude on a Costa ship that makes us keep going back for more. Passengers dance all night in every venue and theres a happy atmosphere.

The hotel charge is on every ship now and is well worth what you pay daily. The best cabin stewards we have had on cruise ships have been Costa stewards. The cleanliness is second to none! They have to work very hard.

The drinks package is well worth it if you are spending a lot of time on the ship. You don't need to be an alcohol drinker - soft drinks,water, teas and coffees .....it soon adds up to the daily AI cost. If you buy the package make sure you order your breakfast drinks from a bar waiter then you will get nice fresh coffee or cappuccino instead of going to a machine to make your own.

I'm sure there will be a great atmosphere on your cruise as you have so much to celebrate!

Have a wonderful time and embrace the Italian experience. :):):)

Caryl

Hi Kasuku

Yes the Neo ships are all more expensive for some reason.

We were on Meditteranea for 7 days in September and didnt bother with the AI package because a: we were with a couple who didnt drink and b: we were going ashore every day so we didn't feel we would make the most out of AI.

I hated not ordering coffees and juice, but otherwise it was OK. We ordered a bottle of wine for dinner or bought by the glass and had a few beers and wines throughout the cruise. Nothing like what we would have had if we had bought the AI.

Our bill at the end of the cruise was a lot less than the AI would have cost - like over 100 euros less!

We did sneak on some gin in a small water bottle (checked in luggage) to drink on our balcony though. We bought mixers ashore and had no problem bringing them onboard - can of bitter lemon and can of tonic.

We are off on the Magica Transatlantic next month - the AI has been purchased! Well worth it as there are so many sea days.

Caryl

There was no bus available for us that day. We ended up walking along to the NHDarsena Hotel where we had stayed a few times pre cruise. The receptionist fixed us up with a shared shuttle bus to Genoa. What a star!

Are you staying in the Grand Savoia next to the station in Genoa? It's a great place to stay

Caryl

We tried to buy transfers for Genoa on the last day of our cruise as there was a train strike on. There were no places left for Genoa - they had filled one bus. Our friends managed to buy transfers to Milan no problem. If you book when you get on the ship first then hopefully it will be ok.

Taxi to Savona train station is around 17euros if you're going to get a train through to Genoa.

Caryl

What's this letter about?

Hi Gothencruiser

Corfu : walk out of the cruise terminal and turn left and no distance away there is a town bus sitting waiting for you. I cant remember the exact amount but its something like 1.80 euro single fare. A woman will be standing outside the bus taking the fares. They drop you off in town near the seafront further along the shore . Its very central for the old town. Easy to find the bus coming back as well.

Venice : Just walk off the ship and there is a booth selling tickets for the vaporetto. Buy a return and you save a euro. Think its 12 or 13 eoros but cant remember. Good deal! The vaporetto is just a few strides away. So easy!

Make sure you walk around the university area when in Venice

Dubrovnik : There were 4 of us so we took a taxi. It was 17 euros into centre of town. Plenty of taxis at terminal and in town to return

Split : Youre in town already and a pleasant walk along the shore but its a long walk for anyone with a disability. We got internet and reasonable priced drinks at a cafe en route - it was so hot we needed a rest!

Kotor : Tender right into centre. Wonderful to see the ship coming through the fjords. Beautiful place.

Argostoli : The one port we were disappointed with. Just walk off the ship and youre in town but theres nothing of any particular beauty to it. I wondered later if we should have done a tour, but there wasnt much of a choice. Souvenirs here were at least 10 per cent more expensive than Corfu.

Trieste: Bang in the middle of town. Freezing cold when we were there! They get a lot of cold wind apparently so have your jackets ready! Plenty nice coffee shops to sit in . There is a little funicular train that takes you up the hill. Cheap as its an ordinary service for the locals. Would be nice views on a clear day, but the town at the top and over the other side is a nothing to see kind of place

Anything else you need to know? Hope you have a great time. I could do it all again. Its the best cruise itinerary going imo!!

Caryl

2010?? Ships can change a lot in a year never mind 5 years!

coffee available until 11.30

We loved our Mediterranea cruise last week. Our second one this year with no hot breakfast and we never missed it. This was our first time without a drinks package and we did miss the tea and coffee. None available until 4pm afternoon teatime when the machines were set up again. Will definitely go all inclusive next time for unlimited supply of juice and coffee. :)

Caryl

We did this cruise finishing in Trieste last Saturday. Wonderful cruise - one of the best! All itineraries were great except Argostoli which was ok. Not much to see or do there so we sat in a cafe and caught up on emails.

Ship was so clean and crew were lovely. What a happy cruise - everyone enjoying themselves. Dinners were fab! Atmosphere 10/10

Caryl

Just off Meditteranea which turned out to be one of our best cruises ever. The food was just too good! There was a German chef on board who really knew what people wanted! Portions were huge compared with P&O. All the staff were happy - they seemed to be a good team. The cruise director worked hard at being nice to everyone. What a job!

Shows were quite good - the singers and dancers were surprisingly good! The only bad show was the Russian acrobats. Plenty to do on board - not enough time to do it all. Loved the itineraries - Trieste to Trieste.

The only bad thing was the horrible young man on security at Trieste check in. He told me to throw away my bottle of water and was actually shouting at me! I'm a bit deaf so got a bit flustered then he shouted even more! A bad start!

My sister in law got her water through - same brand of water!

Heh heh! They never discovered my gin in my checked in luggage! Nah neh neh neh neh!!:D

Caryl

Can anyone tell me if MSC sell transfers to the airport from ship?

Just wondering if it would be cheaper than taxi if they do

Thanks

Caryl

There are so many beautiful places along that coast.

We recently had a pre cruise stay in Genoa and had day trips to Portofino and other places en route. I am not keen on Milan, unless to pass through, but I don't like big cities very much

Just remember train travel is easy in Italy and relatively cheap.

I would recommend the NH Darsena Hotel in Savona and the Grand Hotel Savoia in Genoa.

Caryl

Find your cabin steward as soon as you get your cabin and ask him for extra hangers as there are never enough in the spacious cupboards.

I usually have most of my toiletries in my carry aboard case along with a change of clothes and swimwear. I get all the toiletries placed on the shelves so that its just clothes and shoes to deal with when the cases are delivered later on.

Caryl

We have booked this cruise for September as its such a fantastic itinerary and Costa is excellent value for money. Their ships are kept spotlessly clean and their food is as good as any other 4 star cruise ship

As long as you are willing to embrace the Italian experience you will enjoy it.

The drinks package is a must even if you dont drink alcohol. It includes coffees, juices,soft drinks,water

We prefer a premium cabin with Costa as the cabin is slightly bigger and in a good position on the ship. Dinner is a bit late on Costa - 9pm so we opt for the 7pm sitting. If you book a premium cabin you get to choose your time.

Excursions can be booked through Costa or you can take a taxi at the ports.

Most of the places Mediterranea is visiting are perfect for just walking around.

Hope that helps you a little :)

Caryl

If your cases were so big that they couldn't fit under the bed, all you do is leave them open ie in 2 halves

Nice to read good things about Magica tenpin

I've just booked a fantastic priced cruise through Costa :)

We would never go on a weekender because of this

P&O will never stop their shenanigans because these people are their bread and butter. Think of their bar bills!

Its Hen Party Hell short cruises that keep our longer cruise prices reasonable, dont you think