We chose this cruise for the itinerary, we wanted a taste of Brazil and the time of year suited us, as our main holiday is now usually taken during the northern European winter. I booked all the elements separately because I used the opportunity to use some frequent flyer miles for the flight. This was our first cruise with Costa.

Sailing from Santos to Rio de Janeiro (overnight), Salvador Bahia, Maceio, Recife, Tenerife, Madeira, Malaga, Palermo, Corfu, Dubrovnik and Venice. For what Costa classified as a Premium Balcony I paid 650 UK Pounds each, to this I added the All Inclusive Drinks package. There is also a compulsory Service Charge of 11US$ pppd. We found the drinks package is worthwhile if you have several drinks of alcohol a day, plus soft drinks, water and coffee. It also includes the 15% service charge that you would pay if buying individual drinks or cocktails. The cocktails are passable but not brilliant as we have had much better on other cruises.

For anyone flying into Sao Paulo Guaranlos airport and wanting to travel onward to Santos there is an hourly coach service from outside the Terminal. It takes approximately two hours depending on the traffic. The fare is 25 Brazilian Reals pp. The bus travels directly to Santos Bus Station in the Old Town and there is a Tourist Office about 50 metres from the stop. The lady spoke excellent English, supplied maps/ literature and suggested things to do and how to use the local buses. An official taxi rank is beside the Tourist Office, she advised to only use the regulated cabs with a green stripe down the side. On the beach promenade at Santos there is also an old Tram which is actually a Tourist office. The staff was really helpful with lots of ideas for the visitor and great knowledge of the local public bus network. Read more