The quite new Costa Smeralda (inaugurated in 2019) does a tour of Barcelona, Majorca, Sicily, and Rome every week. If you board that tour in Barcelona, there is one date that is significantly cheaper than all other options: November 28. Departing on that days, you could get a balcony cabin for merely €529 per person.
The prices have risen. Currently, the cheapest balcony cabin costs €579 per person, departing on January 16, 2023
Regardless of the cabin type, the price includes all meals and the captain’s reception with gala dinner.
The Route
This is how you’d spend the week on board:
- November 28: Barcelona (departs at 19:00)
- November 29: Palma, Balearic Islands (10 hours)
- November 30: At sea
- December 1: Palermo, Sicily (9 hours)
- December 2: Civitavecchia near Rome (11 hours)
- December 3: Savona, Liguria (10 hours)
- December 4: Marseille, France (10 hours)
- December 5: Barcelona (arrives at 9:00)
The Ship
The Costa Smeralda has 2612 cabins and was launched in 2019. Its design is based on Italian cities. On board, you’ll be able to speak English, German, or Italian with the staff, while paying in Euros.
Across the 16 decks, there are 16 dining options, 8 of which are included: Tutti a Tavola (Italian), Gelateria Amarillo (Ice cream), Pizzeria Pummid’Oro (Pizzeria), La Sagra dei sapori (Buffet), Il Rugantino, L’Arlecchino, Il Meneghino, and La Colombina (main restaurants).
The entertainment options include shows, a discotheque, casino, and theatre. And for physical activity, there are 4 swimming pools, a fitness centre, table tennis, sports field, jogging trail, and laser shooting. While the internet is not cheap (e.g. 3 GB for €99 or 500 MB for €39), Costa does offer its social 24h packages, giving you access to social networks for €4/day.
Getting to Barcelona
Numerous airlines fly to Barcelona, such as Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Lufthansa, and Iberia. The prices for a round trip usually lie between €40 and €295, depending on where you’re flying from and which fare you’ll book (e.g. for luggage).
Feel free to use our flight search to find the cheapest flights from your city:
Cover Picture: © Costa Crociere S.p.A.