We have just returned home from a weeks cruise around the Med on the Costa Diadema. This was my annual birthday cruise and we have cruised on the Diadema before, this was our 3rd time. I shall post comments on how we found our cruise experience to be but this will be a lengthy review. I shall be posting menus, and current drinks prices as well as extracts from the daily whats on programme. For those who do not like detailed lengthy reviews you have been warned (Grin).

As we are Perla Diamente (top level tier Guests) one of the perks is that our cases are collected from our home and delivered to the ship (only within Europe) so armed only with hand luggage we set off from Alicante train station to Barcleona the day before the cruise departed. The journey takes 5 hours on the fast train and it is a comfortable ride. We stayed this time at the Crowne plaza fira centre, only 2 stops from Sants which is one of the main hubs and from the hotel is only 3 stops from Drasanes which is the cruise terminal metro stop. The Crowne Plaza was a comfortable stay and we had booked an executive room which was very comfortable.

The following day we departed the hotel and made our way to the cruise port. There are shuttles running from near the colombus monument whch drop you off outside the terminal at a cost of 3€ single or 4€ return. On the shuttle bus we met a couple of Italian people who recognised us from our last cruise, This happened quite a lot of times on this cruise both with passengers and staff and was a wonderful surprise. Read more