We booked our cruise at the Cruise Show at Olympia direct through Costa Cruises. What attracted us most was the itinerary, going mostly to places we had not visited before. On paper, everything looked fine - but perhaps we should have read some reviews first.

We had some trepidation about getting to Savona, what with the Icelandic ash cloud and the BA cabin crew strikes, but in the event the flights were fine, as was the transfer from Genoa to Savona. The embarkation procedure was all a bit chaotic, with no clear instructions where to go or what to do, but with a bit of common sense we got through without undue delay.

Once on the ship our cabin was easy to find. We booked the cheapest inside cabin and were pleasantly surprised at its size and how well appointed it was. No complaints there. We were soon greeted by our stewardess, who proved pleasant, helpful and efficient throughout. Read more