How are you doing ? Cruise may be one of someone's dream activity because of high price. Luckily that I had a chance to cruise in Europe and actually it was pretty cheap (maybe cheaper than hotels!) if you know a technique to book.
So I'd like to share my experience with Miwayla traveler society in case that you are looking for information about cruise experience. I will tell you a technique to book cheap cruise in the end of the story. Hope you enjoy.
(Please be note that I did not receive any sponsor from the Costa cruise so I can review this experience freely and fairly)
After I bought a ticket in advance for several months, I went to the port that I was informed from the ticket and checked at the immigration (It's similar to the airport) and they stored my passport which will provide back and the end of the trip.
The cruise company (I will call Costa from now on) took me and my father (my buddy in this trip) to the bus and transferred to the cruise. This process depends on the port that you on board, some of them you can just walk to the cruise right away after checked at immigration.
I really excited to on board because I never cruise with as big as this ship before.
Security checked my information again and let me get in. Crew told me which room is mine and provided information sheet that I need to know. Then, I & my father took the elevator in the ship and went to the room.
After I got in, there were cruise member cards, activity and detail sheet of this ship. For the life jackets, we need to use them and practice for emergency drill on the first day that on board.
This is the very important card because it was used to identify yourself as passport even you disembark the ship to each country in Europe during the cruise.
I selected this route because the ship will visit 3 countries (Italy, France and Spain) and I can get back to the same place to fly back to my country. The most important one is the price is cheapest (only $430 per person) and reasonable. It's incredibly cheap if you think that you pay for 7 days hotel + 3 meal buffet per day and transportation cost to each place. Don't you think ?
I turned on TV and skimmed through menus and watched safety video. After completed, I and my father went to the briefing room.
But looked like we went to the wrong room. This one is German briefing room (I believed) so we asked crew there and went straight to English briefing room instead. It's quite hard for the first day because I still don't know each room's name and where is it.
Here is the English briefing room. She was introducing places in the ship. What time that you can have dinner and what is unmissable activity. After briefing completed, we rushed back to our room to relax for a while and then went to emergency drill room (same room with German briefing room). They taught us about how to use safety equipment and sound alarm. Sorry that I cannot show the picture because they did not allow to take a picture.
Here is an example of activity on the ship today. I decided to go for Live show - "Feel the Beat" because it was not too late (My father don't like to sleep late).
Theme code for dinner today is "70s" but we don't have that style clothes so we just eat only. lol (Actually, it was not serious to wear theme clothes.)
Here were our first dinner. Food will be served as a course. Appetizer, 1st & 2nd main courses, dessert.
After that we went to the theater to see the Live Show. It was colorful. I made some new friends there. A couple of British told me a story of their married life a bit and this cruise was a gift from her husband as anniversary gift. Quite romantic. lol I did not meet them again after that. A thousands of people on the ship.
We went back to the room and went to the bed. Our first day end here.
How many activities does it have? casino, dancing, swimming pool?
I think after covid end. >> it will not be cheap.
So cheap. I never see this price before.
I think it not a good idea during this time T^T
I think just food is already worth.
Hey, that's near my country. I must try it. Thanks.
💛💚💙💗💖💜💝
Lobster oO
Look at that cake oO
Look like u really enjoy food there!!!
It is worth trip.
will follow your trip. Thank you!!
Never travel by cruise before. Should try one
So many kinds of food.
Can't stand that cake!!
I will follow your trip after a pandemic of Covid-19 T^T.
Next day, we woke up early morning and had breakfast. A lot of food. Breads, Fruits, Desserts. It's like a heaven for me.
The cruise ship that I selected have 2 breakfast rooms. The food is very similar so it does not matter which room to go.
First breakfast from the ship.
After our stomach are full. We explored around the ship so we will not miss the room again next time when it has interesting activity.
Today ship will land on Marseille in France. We did not have plan for today except just walking through the city. Actually, you can buy a tour from the cruise service as well. They will provide you a bus and take you around the city. They had several package to choose but we wanted to travel ourselves on the first day of the cruise.
We disembark from the ship around 9 AM. (meeting time). Security scanned our ID card (member card) and walked through immigration point. This means that we were in France but did not have passport except ID card from the cruise only.
The street of this city. They had city tour bus that look like a train.
First place that we visited. Cathédrale La Major.
I just saw this place pop up in google map so I thought it must be famous.
Inside Cathedral was quite beautiful.
After that we walked along the bay to go to the city center.
Awesome architecture.
After walked for a while and looked at the watch, it's almost lunch time so we selected the restaurant around there and had lunch.
Caesar Salad and Mussel.
The meal was quite nice but a little expensive. We started to walk back to the meeting point. The cruise provided shuttle bus between meeting point and the ship every 20 minutes at this port. So we did not wait long.
Costa Diadema from my camera this time, not from wikipedia. lol.
Around 5 PM. The ship departed from a port and cruised to next destination.
We had dinner after walking for all day long. Really hungry.
Oh I forgot to mention that cruise will arrange dinner 2 times a day (6:30 PM and 9:15 PM). You will be told which round that you will get. Because they don't have enough table for all customers at once. However, if you want to change dinner time, you can request customer service.
Dessert always nice.
End one more day. Wheeew, it took some time to do this review. I think I will do the rest of the trip in next post. It's very long now. See you next time Miwayla traveler society.