Review: Costa Diadema

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Before I took my first Costa cruise, I researched the company’s vessels on the usual review sites and discovered that they tended to rank lower than the British and American ships.

Delving a bit deeper, I noticed that the criticism was coming mostly from Britons and Americans whose main complaint seemed to be the “Italianness” of the Costa offering.

Basically, some people didn’t like the fact that ships flying the Italian flag catered largely for Italians. They didn’t like the fact that English was demoted in onboard annoucements and during entertainment programs to a second, third or even fourth language. And they didn’t like the food, especially the authentic pizza (presumably because it wasn’t like the pizza they had delivered back home.)

I’m glad I dismissed this for what it was — let’s call it xenophobia — and decided to give Costa a try. Continue reading Review: Costa Diadema

To go or not to go?

The Sphinx, Cairo

It’s often been said that the world is getting smaller. Thanks to affordable and efficient travel, especially air travel, it is now possible for many of us to visit places of which we could once only dream.

But it’s also the case that, for reasons of personal safety, there are now many places that we have to strike off our itineraries. Continue reading To go or not to go?

Review: Atlantic Lounge, Munich

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First up: a disclosure. I have an issue with Munich Airport. It’s a bit boring, so it’s at the end of this review, but I thought I best declare it in case it somehow influenced this review. I don’t think it did.

Those fortunate enough to have the use of premium lounges at airports know that the quality of these places can vary enormously. Continue reading Review: Atlantic Lounge, Munich

La Spezia in pictures

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The day the Costa Diadema sailed into La Spezia, I was feeling decidedly unwell. I went ashore – via a short bus trip through a commercial port that seemed to be trying to out-ugly Genoa’s equivalent – in an attempt to find a pharmacy.

Instead of a shop selling Immodium, I found a circular cathedral (Cattedrale di Cristo Re) concealed by freight containers, and a fun fair. Then I raced back to the boat to make an appointment with the doctor. The less said about the ensuing 24 hours, the better. Continue reading La Spezia in pictures

Rant: sign of the times

The problem with people tasked with putting up signs is that they already know where they are going.

That means they are not approaching the job from an end-user’s point of view. And that’s why a lot of people get lost and frustrated.

So it was for me today as I tried to negotiate my way off the Costa Diadema and on to a shuttle bus to Barcelona. Continue reading Rant: sign of the times

Marseille? Magnifique!

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Marseille is magnificent, but if you’re arriving by cruise ship, you’ll need to negotiate, by vehicle, through a huge industrial pot complex before you get to the heart of this city.

The city embraces a smaller harbour, where pleasure craft mingle with fishing vessels, and anglers bring in their catch for direct sale. Continue reading Marseille? Magnifique!