Costa Diadema Review

4.0 / 5.0
146 reviews
See all photos
Editor Rating
4.0
Very Good
Overall
Ginger Dingus
Contributor

Glitz, glass and colorful neon lights reminiscent of Miami's South Beach -- there's never a dull wall or unadorned ceiling aboard the 3,724-passenger Costa Diadema. If a space isn't pulsing with lights, it's decorated with ceramic or glass tile murals or eye-catching artwork. Even the cabin corridors sport colorful art from floor to ceiling. It's exactly what you would expect of Joe Farcus, renowned designer of many flamboyant ships for the Carnival Corporation.

It's also what you would expect from Costa Cruises' newest, largest and most innovative ship, one dubbed "Regina del Mediterraneo" -- Queen of the Mediterranean. The name Diadema means tiara, and there's more than enough razzle-dazzle onboard to call this Costa's crowning glory, at least for now. For starters, there's an art collection of more than 7,000 works, most falling under a royal motif, as in jewels, gowns or pop princesses. As we said, there's never a dull space. Even so, those familiar with Farcus' previous designs will find Costa Diadema less brash and more, shall we say, regal.

The theme of the ship is showcasing the best of Italy from pizza, pasta, Prosecco and gelato to dazzling entertainment and fashionable decor. Celebrating la dolce vita means such new features for Costa as the 1,640-foot open-air Promenade, considered to be akin to a real Italian seaside terrazzo (terrace). The 16-foot-wide promenade surrounds the ship from front to back on Deck 5. Not only can you stroll completely around the ship, you can stop to relax in one of six outside cabanas linked to various restaurants and bars, and even take a dip in the two whirlpool tubs extending out from the ship's sides.

Also new and novel to Costa are splashy, innovative food and drink venues such as Tavola Teppanyaki. While knife-tossing chefs may be the standard of teppanyaki restaurants on land, spatulas make better juggling material at sea. You can sample hard-to-find Italian wines in the new wine bar, or taste a flight of Italian (and German) beers in the two-level beer garden. Fancy a night of country or rock music? Give the new Country Rock Club a spin.

This is a party ship that comes alive from cocktail hour well into the wee hours. Italians (the majority of the passengers) and their fellow Europeans know how to live it up, including families with small children who go everywhere at all hours. Either you love being immersed in the European lifestyle onboard, or you're pining for familiar American ways of doing things, including dining. In any case, we wonder how the Europeans all manage to stay up so late and still head off on morning shore excursions on the port-heavy itineraries.

Speaking of weeklong Mediterranean itineraries, cruisers have the option of embarking and disembarking at nearly every port of call. In other words, several hundred (or thousand) cruisers board and leave the ship on any given day. We overheard one Canadian passenger describe it as a floating hop-on, hop-off tour. The good news is you can choose the air gateway (or train station for Europeans) that's most convenient for you. And, there's less crowding in each on/off port. The bad news is there's a lifeboat drill almost daily, accompanied by shipwide announcements in multiple languages, and there's little first-day sailaway fanfare. Other traditional cruise activities may be out of sync. The captain's welcome, for example, could happen on the last day of your trip, rather than the usual second night out.

Smoking, which can be an issue for North Americans when there's a large European passenger base, is allowed indoors only in the Cigar Lounge. Outdoors is another story. Smoking is OK in deck areas where there are ashtrays, and while it's not allowed in cabins, you (or your neighbor) can smoke on the balcony.

Pros

Traveling through Europe surrounded by Europeans

Cons

Lack of port information, plus extra charges for items such as water with dinner

Bottom Line

Be prepared to go local or the ship's lively Italian vibe could drive you loco

About

Passengers: 3693
Crew: 1253
Passenger to Crew: 2.95:1
Launched: 2014
Shore Excursions: 439

Fellow Passengers

As the ship sails in the Mediterranean, Europeans make up the majority of cruisers, primarily Italians followed by Germans, French, Spanish and Brits. North Americans are conspicuously in the minority. Among the Italian crowd, many are families with small children. The age range, therefore, is wide, especially during school holidays. Announcements are given in at least five languages -- Italian, Spanish, French, German and English -- and sometimes Portuguese and Chinese, as well. Fortunately, announcements are few and far between.

Costa Diadema Dress Code

The ship has no set evening dress code, only suggestions posted in the daily program. These are casual (no shorts), informal (jackets for men) or formal/gala which means cocktail dresses for women and jackets and ties for men. Tuxes are not needed. Most nights are casual. The late-night White Night deck party is the time to wear an all-white outfit. During the day, passengers are asked not to wear swimsuits at the buffet. Beyond that, anything goes. However, European adults tend to dress less casually than Americans.

Find a Costa Diadema Cruise from $250

Any Month

More about Costa Diadema

Where does Costa Diadema sail from?

Costa Diadema departs from Kiel, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Genoa, Marseille, Lisbon, Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Santos (Sao Paulo), Rome, Civitavecchia, and Buenos Aires

How much does it cost to go on Costa Diadema?

Cruises on Costa Diadema start from $250 per person.
Costa Diadema Cruiser Reviews

With Gratitude for an Unforgettable Cruise: Official Report on the Exceptional Experience aboard the Costa Diadema"

We recently enjoyed a cruise on the Costa Diadema ship. We wish to commend the organization of events and concerts, as well as the exceptional hospitality of the staff.Read More
User Avatar
Beti_slo

oneFirst Time Cruiser

Age 20s

BIG 60th Birthday

A really big thanks goes to all the crew and workers on the Diadema, they were brilliant! Admittedly the vessel is getting a bit old and tired but very clean and the food was very good.Read More
User Avatar
Stevie25763

oneFirst Time Cruiser

Age 60s

5-STAR comfort over all

Our luggage was brought by the costa service to our cabin door.Read More
User Avatar
bludoh

oneFirst Time Cruiser

Age 20s

Not planing to sail Costa again

We could have choosen other cruise lines but Costa had the best deal so we boarded on Costa Diadema on our first Costa cruise.Read More
User Avatar
AC.Rosanna

many10+ Cruises

Age 50s

Costa Cruises Fleet
Costa Mediterranea

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.