Costa Pacifica, Nov. 28, 2010 Civitavecchia

[bookpusher, KY]

Hello!
We are looking for English speaking shipmates to share tours on this sailing. Especially in Egypt and Jerusalem. Anybody interested?
We have heard the ship will cancel tours if not enough people speaking English sign up. We would be devastated to be unable to tour these two ports after travelling such a long distance!
Please let me know if you are onboard this sailing and speak English and would like to share private tours or shipboard excursions. The Costa Pacifica departs on Nov 28th,2010, from Civitavecchia and returns Dec 9th. Stops in: Savona, Olympia, Izmir, Jerusalem, Cairo. Great itinerary, hope we can find some English speakers on this sailing!
Thanks!!

[stonewood, frome]

Hi there we have just booked for this cruise and in fact are doing a back to back with the six days cruise before from Barcelona. We actually have been to Eqypt several times before so will not be doing any tours havent actually done any research yet to see what there is to do in Jerusalem but nice to know that someone on board will be speaking English

[bookpusher, KY]

Hello!
Welcome, aboard! We have a nice group of 19 on the Cruise Critic site here in the U.S., so there will be some others speaking English! lol. We have a group of 7 from California, 2 from Florida, 9 from Canada, and the my husband and I. So, if you access the US sight, you will see our roll call there. Actually, there was another couple who posted once that they were onboard, too, but never did post again...so not sure if they are still planning on going or not.
Where are you from?
bookpusher/Jan

[stonewood, frome]

Hi Jan we are from Frome, Somerset about 40 minutes from Bath in the UK Nice to know there will be more of us to chat to. What is the US site you are referring to?
regards Sandy

[tenpin, Basingstoke]

Hello!
We are looking for English speaking shipmates to share tours on this sailing. Especially in Egypt and Jerusalem. Anybody interested?
We have heard the ship will cancel tours if not enough people speaking English sign up. We would be devastated to be unable to tour these two ports after travelling such a long distance!
Please let me know if you are onboard this sailing and speak English and would like to share private tours or shipboard excursions. The Costa Pacifica departs on Nov 28th,2010, from Civitavecchia and returns Dec 9th. Stops in: Savona, Olympia, Izmir, Jerusalem, Cairo. Great itinerary, hope we can find some English speakers on this sailing!
Thanks!!

Hi Bookpusher.

Although I am not on this cruise have cruised with Costa over 20 times,
Firstly you might try starting a roll call on here rather than the Costa forum.
You will be seated with English speakers in the MDR, your near neighbours might also be English speakers. Do go to the English meeting first/second night on board, they often arrange tours if enough Brits do not sign up for them.
They will also run tours with the 'French' or others with twin translations.
The X1 package is a very good deal if you like wine, you are allowed to take un-drunk wine away from MDR.

If you have any question about Costa please ask I'll do my best to give you a truthful answer.

[bookpusher, KY]

Hi Jan we are from Frome, Somerset about 40 minutes from Bath in the UK Nice to know there will be more of us to chat to. What is the US site you are referring to?
regards Sandy

Sandy,
I hope this link will work for you!
http://www.cruisecritic.com/

Look under the Costa Cruise Roll Call forum for our discussions! Glad you will be onboard with us!
Jan

[bookpusher, KY]

Hi Bookpusher.

Although I am not on this cruise have cruised with Costa over 20 times,
Firstly you might try starting a roll call on here rather than the Costa forum.
You will be seated with English speakers in the MDR, your near neighbours might also be English speakers. Do go to the English meeting first/second night on board, they often arrange tours if enough Brits do not sign up for them.
They will also run tours with the 'French' or others with twin translations.
The X1 package is a very good deal if you like wine, you are allowed to take un-drunk wine away from MDR.
If you have any question about Costa please ask I'll do my best to give you a truthful answer.

HI!

Thanks for the information. We will check out the XI package. We will definitely attend the English meeting. This is a new experience for us, as we have always cruised from here in the US. But, we are really looking forward to it. I have heard the food is "different", but we aren't real picky. We both like pasta and pizza, too, so that should help! We wish there was an evening buffet instead of having to go to the dining room every evening. We like eating in the dining room a lot, but two or three times we would prefer to just go through a buffet and then spend our time doing other things around the ship. At times, we just don't want to spend that long in the dining room!! ha. Since you have cruised 20 times with Costa, you must really enjoy them! They do get mixed reviews on the US site. Of course, that is normal, I guess. Any information you think would be helpful, please share!!!

[tenpin, Basingstoke]

The is a limited buffet from 6.00pm until 9 ish each evening, also the pizza and grill are also open, you might also try the specialty resturant one night certainly worth the $25 extra.
Your other choice would be room service if you just want sandwich, pizza or the like, ideal after an all day tour.
The X1/J2 packages are only available by phone or through TA up to a week before sailing. X1 gives wines, beers, water & soft drinks by the glass during lunch in buffet and resturants and evening in buffet & MDR in the later you get bottle of wine/water.
The J2 package allows all drinks up to $7 or euros including minibar. but bear in mind the drink are expensive, so if you drink scotch & soda order the seprately or total exceeds the limit.
Shows are mainly in English, great casinos, and piano bars, tours are mainly well organised and mostly worth the effort.

remember cruising is like being in THE Garden of EATING

[tenpin, Basingstoke]

Just one more thing, a good meeting place for anyone on board is Ricks Piano Bar on Deck 5, this is next to the Saloon (Salone) Around the World where they normally hold the English meeting.

Civitavecchia to/from Rome is about 75 mins away. Costa used to run shuttles from the Airport to dock if you have not included transfers/flights