This was my first ever Costa cruise so I had no idea what to expect.
The check-in went smoothly on my arrival in Barcelona with my bags taken, given a boarding card and told to await for boarding on the first floor at my allotted time. I was two hours early and sat in the cafe (nice) and had some lunch. I started to join the queue for boarding and found that I was meant to have checked in (again) at the desk on the first floor and have my health declaration checked. Why do a check in twice? There were lots of people behind me and the same thing happened to them and we had to leave one queue and join another and return to the original queue. Chaos!
The Diadema is a beautiful ship and looks amazing as you walk around. I was aboard for a week and think there were areas I still haven't seen. She is massive!
I was in a cove balcony cabin on Deck 2 (2066). The specially designed cabin is built into the ship's hull to create a private nook where your front row seat is as close to sea level as you can get. I was very disappointed to find that my cabin (2066) had no visibility to either the front or rear of the vessel due to it having the support structure for the gangway above it and this structure blocked your view to either side. This was my 5th cruise and I have never had a balcony until now so I was very excited at the prospect and felt disappointed. I have an issue with passengers smoking on their balconies and it should not be allowed. Give smokers specific rooms away from cabins and public areas for smoking as the passive smoking is disgusting.
The cabin was spacious but not immaculately clean. I found hairs on the floor on the first day and found a crisp that had fallen on the floor and they remained there for the duration of the cruise. Plenty of storage space and towels always replenished when required. The bed was comfortable and clean and I slept well.
The bathroom is spacious with ample hot water whenever you needed it. They provide a bar of soap and a liquid gel/shampoo dispenser in the shower. There is no conditioner or wash cloth. There is loads of empty shelves in the bathroom for stowing away your personal items.
Fantastic city
Do the open top bus tour and get around the city for 21 Euros. Easy with good guide.
Rome and the Vatican was an exceptional place to visit. We had a great guide and he knew exactly what he was talking about.