A few questions about our first Costa Esmeralda cruise

Hello,

We (a family of two adults and two kids) are going on our first cruise this August on the Costa Esmeralda. To make sure everything goes smoothly, I booked a suite. I have a few questions to prepare well and I’m definitely open to any tips.

I read that a restaurant is reserved, specifically the Bellavista. What confused me a bit is that I saw others mention the Panama. I’m pretty sure it’s the Bellavista, especially after checking the ship’s layout.

About this restaurant: - Is it accessible on embarkation day, say around 1:30 PM? - Same question for when we return from excursions around 1:30 PM

I’ve done my research otherwise, but I’m still open to any advice.

Thanks in advance to all cruisers who take the time to reply.

Hi Christian, no, even with priority boarding, we were directed to the self-service area, and if the excursion return was after 1:30 PM, we had to go to the buffet. On this ship, we didn’t like the Coliseum for the shows. I hope you and your family have an excellent cruise—enjoy it!

Okay, thanks for the feedback. Nothing beats real firsthand experiences.

Hi Christian,

I’m not familiar with the *Esmeralda*, but I often travel with Costa and sometimes stay in a suite. I don’t know if the *Esmeralda* has a specific policy, but the suite restaurant is usually accessible as soon as you board—provided, of course, you arrive during opening hours, which are listed in the ship’s daily planner in your suite and on the Costa app. We’ve always done it this way and enjoyed the restaurant right from embarkation. Best regards.

Thanks, Marcus. That’s reassuring.

Maybe the restaurant often closes around 1:30 PM, and in Agnès’s case, it was already closed.

One more little question that just popped into my head. With the My Drink Plus package, do we get unlimited crêpes, ice cream, and hot chocolate, or not at all?

Under "My Drink," I see "Chocolate bar (The chocolate bar isn’t available on all ships)"—so I’m not really sure what’s included.

Hi there, I took the Esmeralda in April with my grandkids—two balcony cabins, not suites.

We were directed to the buffet, where we had lunch outdoors. There was a lot of choice, and the food was better than on my very old Costa cruises.

For other lunchtimes, using the app you download on your phone, you can see the restaurant hours and how busy they are. Some stay open quite late at lunchtime depending on the stops.

We never had too many people, whether it was morning, lunchtime, or evening.

Thanks! Just 40 more days until it’s our turn