Lost the Plot?

[tenpin]

Have Costa finally lost the plot with their constant changing of the club rules?

We have attempted to book a Suite on a Costa Med cruise Sept/Nov this year, we can not find any ship that has suites available all are sold out.

 

Is this of the stupid up-grades they are giving out along with the low £50 lost if you cancel within 45 days of sailing,  now even the Samsara does not have it's own restaurant what's next no club dining rooms for us pearla diamante members & paying to use the lifts & have our beds made.

 

With nearly a years sea days with Costa we are out, going back to others lines, even P & O has got to be better than what we are not getting as loyal club members & being subjected to constant rules changes.

 

I am fed up with writing to H.O. rarely get a reply & when you do you are fobbed off with platitudes.

Edited March 3, 2019 by tenpin
spelling

[Magnelasagne]

2 hours ago, tenpin said:

Have Costa finally lost the plot with their constant changing of the club rules?

We have attempted to book a Suite on a Costa Med cruise Sept/Nov this year, we can not find any ship that has suites available all are sold out.

 

Is this of the stupid up-grades they are giving out along with the low £50 lost if you cancel within 45 days of sailing,  now even the Samsara does not have it's own restaurant what's next no club dining rooms for us pearla diamante members & paying to use the lifts & have our beds made.

 

With nearly a years sea days with Costa we are out, going back to others lines, even P & O has got to be better than what we are not getting as loyal club members & being subjected to constant rules changes.

 

I am fed up with writing to H.O. rarely get a reply & when you do you are fobbed off with platitudes.

I just did a search on two random med cruises in sept and found available suites on both... 

 

I an still a year away from my first costa experience and don’t know much about set changes. 

But for me it is good to be able to book one year+ ahead and only risking 50€ if I cancel. 

 

My work as a kindergarden teacher gives me limited options to when I can take vacation so I like to be able to reserve when I know I can take time off

[tenpin]

I am sure you will enjoy your first Costa experience & indeed looking at most cruises on the UK Costa site it seems that all cabins are available, however once you start to book & choose a suite 90% are 'Sold Out'. Even with our last cruise we had the only Suite left when we booked but five weeks before going there were six available one of which we changed to.

My moan is that we cruised with them up to four times a year choosing a Suite, now you get a suite up-grade by cruise once this year twice next if you are Pearle Diamante members like us (85.000 club points) leading to people booking getting the up-grade then deciding not to go for any reason, same with the small loss if you book a year ahead leading to less available being  offered.

 

Costa are now treating their first time cruisers better than the most loyal long term clients.

 

We love Costa even considering how bad it is compared with twenty years ago we could put up with that given the cheap prices now, but not the constant changing Club rules.

Edited March 4, 2019 by tenpin

[Magnelasagne]

I guess they cant have a lot of loyal cruisers and trying to get lots of new ones. Time will tell if the strategy is good or bad. But I understand your frustration.  

 

[Janet&Carl]

I think you are right - lots of people booking for the suite upgrade early - all suites booked out and then not going so they are released when the cruise comes to be paid for.  I don't think Costa can control that except if they change the rules that the upgrade is "possible" if available when sailing - rather than for pre-booking.Which of course means another rule change.  You can't blame people for trying to get a suite at an inside price - who wouldnt' 😉.  It does mean of course that the suites are all taken.