Diadema Embarkation @ Savona - earliest time to get on the ship & Hints

The embarkation is supposed to start at 13:00 as Costa says. What is from Your experience the waiting time? When can we get aboard? We‘re a family with 3 small kids.

Do You have hints for us concerning the ship? What to avoid, what to try?

We‘re experienced cruisers but first time w/Costa. Had heared many differentiated opinions.

What are times @buffet and the corona blu open seating to avoid?

Is there tap water in dispensors available @the buffet ? in what hours?

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Hello again!

Regarding embarkations time I have never embarked in Savona so I cannot tell. As you are travelling with small kids you'll probably get priority boarding and get onboard soon. If not, both embarkations with Costa have been easy and took me around 1h both in Barcelona and Copehagen, again I am not sure about Savona but probably the same. The process is a bit different to other lines: security control, you'll get health forms to fill in while you wait to be called for check-in, check-in is done by numbers given to you at the entrance of the terminal where you give your luggage to the porters; when you are called you proceed to one of the desks, the Costa Card is not given to you there but awaits you in your cabin. After check-in it is the usual embarkation photo before taking the gangway to the ship.

A tip: if you have a drinks package included, you usually have one if you have booked either a Classic or Premium Cabin - keep your booking papers with you so you can show them in the buffet for lunch in case your cabin isn't ready yet and you don't have your Costa Card.

Regarding the ship, I have personally not sailed on Diadema but some friends of mine sailed this summer and came back very very happy. Keep in mind we are Spanish so we like noisy flashy things - pretty much like Costa - my advice is to try everything and see what suits you as there are a lot of options for everyone. I personally enjoy a lot dinners at the dining rooms as, on some nights, there are flashmobs by the waiters and the rest of the staff that are quite nice, specially on the Italian night.

Also regarding food I don't have complains with Costa, only with that menu they serve one of the nights designed by the Italian chef Barbieri, it is not bad but I don't like it, so that night I would suggest dining somewhere else.

Regarding open seating, you have Corona Blu Restaurant, same service as on the dining rooms but on a special section of the buffet, that is 19.00 - 21.45 and you also have the buffet dinner on Trattoria Lido Diana, same place but near the central pool, 19.00 - 21.30 those were the timetables in the summer, don't know if now they are any different.

As I recall from Costa Favolosa and Fascinosa there is tap water available at the buffet at any time of the day from a dispenser, there were also dispensers on the Lido Decks opposite to the Grill counter, don't know if the layout on the Diadema is the same.

I am someone that likes Costa so my advice is mostly positive and it is just my opinion after sailing with both Royal and Costa. And Diadema seems a very nice ship so just enjoy it, I'm sure you'll have a great time!

George

Thank You George

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Priority boarding goes to suite passengers. During school holidays expect huge numbers of children. The terminal in Savona is designed for two ships, if there's only one there it's pretty decent but they sometimes cram in three, which makes the whole port area crowded.

I think baggage check opens at 11.00, but I strongly recommend avoiding the crowd in the terminal, frantic to be first on board. I head over to one of the coffee shops in the shopping area to wait, but with three small children, your options are pretty limited. I'm not sure what childrens play areas are available.

Costa has the Squok club for small children, I'm told it's open on embarkation day and you can go straight there even if your cabin isn't ready.

Can someone confirm 11:00 as the earliest time to get on board?

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