Costa Deliziosa - Looking Back with a few photos and observations (The Cabin)

I reviewed the cabin on our last cruise and have decided to do the same again this time round too in the hope that somewhere along the line it will help someone else's decision making when it comes to choosing a cabin.
On our first visit to the cabin we approached it from the rear stairs and were surprised how close it was even after studying the deck plans. Its in an excellent location to allow you to get to key areas like the buffet and restaurant without the need to walk for miles down the corridors.

The cabin door from the stair lobby

Cabin 7346 door and 7344 at a right angle to it

View of the cabin door coming from mid-ship

The above photos show the exterior aspect of the cabin giving an indication of the distance from the rear stair well and cabin 7344 which its door is at right angles on a small dog leg before the corridor continues forward along the ship.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1048"] Costa Deliziosa Cabin 7346[/caption]

We have found there isn't a great deal of difference in the Costa Cabins and this one was no exception. Give or take a few different colours and artwork along with flat screen TV's on the newer ships they really are quite similar. The cabin is very spacious compared to cabins of a similar grade on other ships and this cabin had a very uncluttered feel to it. The lack of cabinets over the worktop may well have contributed to this and it allowed for the mirror to be viewed from more areas of the cabin. The flat screen TV mounted on the wall also took up less room as there no need for a cabinet to house it.

Our first view inside the cabin	More of the cabin	View from the other direction
No cupboards giving a more spacious feel	The inside of the cabin door	From a slightly different aspect

There were 2 sockets over the worktop (1 European and 1 US) and I found a spare European one behind the TV which became my tablet and smart phone charger. There was also a hard-wired hair drier in the top drawer.

The sockets over the desk

The socket behind the TV Perfect for my charging

Close up of the sockets behind the TV

The mini fridge

Storage directly under the TV

Why do they put the bin there?

There are 3 tall wardrobe doors opposite the bathroom which provide plenty of storage, the furthest into the cabin has shelves and also houses the safe while the other 2 provide ample hanging. The nearest to the door also contains the life jackets on a shelf at high level.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="589"] The safe location in the third wardrobe[/caption]

The bathroom I would say is just about as identical to any we have ever had on Costa, the main difference being with this one is the pink worktop and the tile is different over the WC keeping with the ships theme. The clingy shower curtain is still there to annoy the hell out of you.

Cabin 7346 bathroom interior

Cabin 9346 bathroom interior

Cabin 9346 bathroom interior

The balcony is nice and deep but is totally covered by the one above. Nice if you want a bit of shade but not so good if want sun during the day, although this is dependant on the time of day and year (and position of the sun).

Cabin 7346 balcony

The overhang

A nice deep balcony

As far as cabins go on Costa for us this one was probably the most modern we have stayed in and I have say the one we have enjoyed the most, generally we found the cabin in excellent repair, it was clean, comfortable and as planned we found the location for us to be spot on.

Costa Deliziosa Postcard #8 - Venice, disembarking & the Doge's Palace

Costa are full of surprises and this morning was no exception as we arrived an hour earlier than we had anticipated. Not too much of a problem but we did have to be out of the cabin by 8:00 which left us hanging around the ship for an hour and a half while we waited to get off and collect or luggage.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="999"] 6 of the 7 ships in port today.[/caption]

There were atotal of 7 ships in port this morning and it was extremely busy everywhere, what with people disembarking and visiting Venice the shuttles to St Marks had really long queues but fortunately they did move very quickly. We managed to arrange for our cases to be taken to the airport for a fee of €12.50 each which was brilliant because it freed us up and gave us additional time without the need to come back to the cruise terminal later to collect then.



We soon found ourselves in Venice itself and a good 1½ hours earlier than planned so decided to avoid all the crowds and head off along the water front to kill some time. Believe me today was not a day to be wandering around the tourist areas. The crowds thinned out as we walked and it was nice to do something a little different. We had often admired a Wisteria covered cafe on previous sail ins and today walked as far as that before turning back to get to our meeting point for today's tour.



Our main reason for coming into Venice today and not going straight to the airport and home was that we had arranged a tour with a company called Walks of Italy, this was a VIP Doge's Palace Secret Passages Tour and cost us €74 each. The tour lasted for 2½ hours and was amazing. We got to see all manner of places not open to the general public as well as all of the large ornate public areas too. Our guide Susan was excellent at bringing the history to life and explaining the intricacies of life in those dark days of the Doge's Venice. Money well spent and an experience never to be forgot.



[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Above the Chamber of the Great Council[/caption]

After a quick Pizza and a beer we caught the Alilaguna red route boat back to the airport where our cases were there waiting for us. The good thing about a later flight is the airport wasn't so busy and there were no queues at the check and similarly with the security checks. It just remains now to sit out the remaining hour before our flight back to Heathrow.

Costa Deliziosa Postcard #7 - Dubrovnik

Last nights gala dinner finished off with the traditional Baked Alaska parade. Love it or hate it, Costa still do it and it does seem very popular with the passengers. Lots of napkin waving and glass of fizz from the captain.

Today was our last full day onboard the Costs Deliziosa and we spent the morning docked at the port of Dubrovnik. We have been here quite a few times and lovely as it is we decided to spent the paltry 5 hours allocated for this stop onboard the ship. The weather was again glorious and we were very conscious that we would be returning to much cooler conditions in a days time so really it was an easy decision for us to make. We had discussed walking round the perimeter of the harbour side but for us an empty ship has a certain attraction.

Costa were charging €10.95 per person for shuttle tickets which is a lot for the short distance it is to get to the Pile Gate, a local taxi costs just €13 so if there are 3 or 4 of you it would be a more cost effective way of getting to the old town. The taxis also offer a 1 hour panoramic tour for just €50 so it you ever find yourself here then that looks a good deal and you would be supporting the locals. (Not that we did today!)



Besides our ship we were joined today by the Costa Classica and MSC Magnifica so the town would also have been quite busy too. Far better for us to do what we did today I think than get off just for the sake of it.

Considering today we were in port, we pretty much did the same a our sea day yesterday and finished off the afternoon with 5 laps of the prom deck before going for a couple of drinks prior to starting the dreaded packing. One thing that has puzzled me if the fact we haven't yet received out disembarkation tags or information yet. I am sure we have had this 2 days before on previous Costa cruises.
Tonight is Italian evening which has always been one of the nights we have enjoyed on Costa but again I don't remember it being on the last night.

We dock in Venice at 10:00 in the morning and have organised a tour which I will tell you all about while we are waiting at the airport tomorrow night.
Right I'm off now to finish the packing, take a quick shower and then make the most of out last night onboard the Costs Deliziosa.

Costa Deliziosa Postcard #6 - A Sea Day

Today was a sea day and one where there wasn't a great deal happening for us. We dabbled with going to the dining room for breakfast but in the end kept with our usual format. We have heard reports that the service in the dining room can be a little on the slow side and I am not that desperate for an egg at the moment especially when there is an abundance of custard filled croissant's and doughnuts available and some nice coffee to go with it.

We eventually made it up to our favoured spot at around 10:30 which today being a sea day was a lot more popular than usual. All of a sudden this deck was the place to be.  The weather today has been fantastic and for us the best way to spend a sea day.



And that is basically where we stayed all day apart from doing 6 laps of the prom deck before coming in to shower and get ready for dinner. It's probably easier for me to just post a few photos taken today on our sea day.







Hot off the press we have just received the Farewell Gala Dinner Menu

Costa Deliziosa Postcard #5 - Piraeus (and not Mykonos!)

Last night's dinner in the Costa Club Restaurant was excellent, the food, the service and the setting was fantastic. We had a window table and watched the light fade over Santorini and all the buildings start to light up like a Christmas tree. It was all rather special and we were fortunate enough to be sat enjoying our meal as we sailed away. I will edit this post with some of the photos when I get back as I don't want to use up all of my internet minutes and the ships system can be a bit sluggish at the best of times.
















During the meal there was also a public announcement which came as a bit of a surprise to us, the captain had deemed the port of Mykonos unsafe for us to visit and the announcers explained in about 8 languages that we would be going to Piraeus instead. We immediately thought it might be something to do with the current migrant crisis but it later transpired it is down to some high winds being experienced in the area and the team on the bridge decided to go elsewhere. So at 7:00am this morning we found ourselves not in Mykonos but in Piraeus so with no Alex with us this time we decided to set off and finish what we started earlier this year in May when we stopped here on the Norwegian Jade. According to the information given we would be there from 8:00am to 6:00pm which is I believe longer than we were due to be stopping at Mykonos.



I awoke this morning around 7:45 just as we were sailing into the port passing MSC Opera & Musica in the process. We didn't go down for breakfast into 8:45 and once again missed the crowds which we seem to have done quite well at this week. After that it was off the ship and to the HoHo bus stop to get our transport into town. I don't consider it too expensive at €20 per ticket and its also very convenient with the buses running every 30 minutes. We got off at the Acropolis stop and headed off on foot to our first destination today which was the Parliament building and the tomb of the unknown soldier to watch the changing of the guard. It was timed to perfection as it was almost as if they were waiting for us to arrive.

From there we walked through the National gardens past the Zappio and on to our next venue which was the The Panathenaic Stadium which was the site of an ancient stadium and more recently where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. €5 to get in and wander round is an absolute bargain and we spent a good two hours wandering and climbing the steps. Nicole seizing an opportunity to put some of her acrophobic demons to rest.

 





Our next quest was to find to leather sandals which had been part of our plan in Mykonos and we again hit the jackpot finding a shop called Sandal Mania which had everything we needed...... and more!!!!!
Before making the return journey back to the ship which is around a 30 minute trip we stopped for a coffee, beer and baklava. We found a nice shaded taverna where we could sit in the shade and watch the world go by.
The rest of the afternoon was as you would imagine sat out in the sun in our now favoured deck.