; Joe Binder As I mentioned, we are not ‘beach people’ so weren’t expecting much here. However, we were pleasantly surprised. Try to be on one of the first several tenders so that you can get an umbrella (they go fast!) and a good location on the island. We were able to get a spot under a palm tree (plus an umbrella as I burn very easily). There are plenty of lounge chairs for everybody, however, if you wait too long, you’ll have a long trek to the end of the island to find some available beach space. The guys who carry your umbrellas and chairs really work hard and deserve a tip. I saw guys carrying 8 chairs plus an umbrella at one time and then the group didn’t give them a dime! Costa trucks off food and beverages and sets up a lunch buffet under a tent which was a really nice touch. You can make your platter up and then eat back on your lounge chair. The only problem I had was the smoke from the barbeque really irritated my eyes so I was practically blind with tears streaming down my face trying to find my lounge chair. (The smoke isn’t bad in the beach area – only under the food tent.) We spent several lovely hours there and shortly after lunch went back to the ship and into the pool.