Costa Diadema - My First Cruise Experience

Brightsun’s Head of Ground Products recently got to experience an exciting familiarisation cruise trip to Northern Europe with Costa Cruises, aboard the Costa Diadema. Read on to find out all about what he got up to and whether he recommends a cruise holiday.

Northern Europe Cruise: Southampton - Aarhus - Kiel

Before this trip, I had never been on a cruise before. No cruise holidays. No idea how embarkation worked. No understanding of cruise cards, baggage handling, safety drills, or how thousands of passengers somehow live together on one giant floating ship without complete chaos breaking out.

So, this Costa Diadema trip became more than just a holiday - it became a completely new experience and a real insight into how cruise operations work behind the scenes.

Arriving at Southampton Cruise Terminal

The cruise departed from Southampton Cruise Terminal, and the first thing that stood out was the sheer size of Costa Diadema. You see cruise ships online all the time, but standing next to one in person is completely different. The ship looked less like a boat and more like a floating city.

Passengers arrived with suitcases, boarding documents, and cabin tags while staff directed everyone through luggage drop-off, passport checks, security screening, cruise card collection, and boarding queues. Despite the number of passengers, the process was surprisingly organised.

The Baggage Process – First-Time Cruiser Perspective

One of the most interesting things as a first-time cruiser was the baggage system. At the terminal, passengers hand over their luggage with cabin tags attached and then simply trust that the suitcase will somehow appear outside the correct cabin later onboard. As somebody completely new to cruising, this felt strange at first. But later that evening, the suitcase arrived exactly where it was supposed to be. Considering the scale of the ship and the number of passengers onboard, the baggage handling process was genuinely impressive.

Boarding Costa Diadema

Once onboard, my first impression was that Costa Diadema felt more like a resort than a ship. There were restaurants, theatres, bars, lounges, shopping areas, live entertainment spaces, pools, and multiple decks filled with passengers exploring. 

The ship had a lively atmosphere from the beginning; music played throughout public areas while passengers explored the decks trying not to get lost, and on a ship this size, getting lost happened quite often.

Mandatory Safety Drill

One of the first onboard experiences was the mandatory muster drill. Every passenger had to wear bright orange life jackets and report to their assigned muster station. As a first-time cruiser, this was one of the moments where it suddenly became very real that we were about to travel across the North Sea. The crew handled the safety procedures professionally and efficiently, and it gave a good insight into the operational side of cruise travel.

Day 1 – Departure from Southampton

Costa Diadema departed Southampton at 18:30 and officially began the journey north. The daily onboard schedule, called “Oggi A Bordo,” quickly became essential reading because there was constantly something happening onboard.

The first evening included live tribute acts, theatre performances, atrium entertainment, casino activities, live music venues, and themed events. Costa Diadema definitely had an energetic atmosphere; there was never really a quiet moment onboard.

Day 2 – First Sea Day

The first full day at sea gave everyone time to properly settle into cruise life. Passengers spent the day exploring the ship, relaxing around the decks, enjoying the buffet restaurants, attending shows, walking the promenade decks, and watching the sea views.

As a first-time cruiser, one of the most surprising things was how quickly routines developed onboard. You wake up, eat breakfast, explore the decks, check the entertainment schedule, attend shows, eat again, and somehow the day disappears incredibly quickly.

Food & Entertainment Onboard Costa Diadema

Costa heavily promoted its Italian dining experience onboard. Pizza became one of the highlights of the trip, especially during the Pummid’Oro pizza events where chefs demonstrated fresh pizza-making while serving guests throughout the day.

The evenings onboard were always busy with themed parties, theatre productions, live music, casino events, and atrium performances - the ship felt alive at almost every hour.

Itinerary Change Announcement

During the cruise, passengers received an official update explaining that due to strikes in Belgium, Costa Diadema would no longer stop at Zeebrugge.

Instead, the itinerary was updated to include additional sea time, plus a visit to Aarhus, Denmark, and continuation to Kiel, Germany. The communication process was organised and passengers were provided with updated schedules and information letters.

Day 3 – Sea Day & Cruise Routine

By the third day, the ship already felt familiar. Passengers started recognising favourite food areas,

quieter decks, theatre locations, the fastest routes between decks, and regular entertainment venues.

As a first-time cruiser, one of the most interesting aspects was seeing how efficiently thousands of passengers were managed through dining schedules, entertainment timings, excursion planning, guest services, and onboard logistics.

Day 4 – Exploring Aarhus, Denmark

Costa Diadema arrived in Aarhus at 08:00. The atmosphere in Denmark felt completely different from the energy onboard, and walking through Aarhus became one of the trip highlights. The city was calm, clean, colourful, relaxed, and filled with Scandinavian architecture, colourful houses, quirky cafes and local shops, and quiet cobbled streets. Every street felt photogenic, and the contrast between busy cruise life and the calm atmosphere of Aarhus made the destination even more enjoyable.

Shore Excursion Process

Passengers received detailed instructions for excursions including meeting points, bus assignments, departure times, and Costa card requirements. The shore excursion process was highly organised considering the number of passengers leaving the ship simultaneously.

Back Onboard Costa Diadema

After returning from Aarhus, the onboard atmosphere immediately shifted back into entertainment mode. The evening included acrobatic theatre performances, themed parties, live music, atrium events, and casino entertainment. 

The onboard theatre performances were far more professional than expected and became one of the highlights of the cruise experience.

Day 5 – Arrival in Kiel

The final day onboard started early with disembarkation procedures. Passengers were instructed to leave luggage outside cabins the night before, attach luggage tags and follow colour-coded departure groups, and complete immigration procedures.

As a first-time cruiser, the disembarkation process was another surprisingly impressive operational system. Despite thousands of passengers leaving the ship, the process remained highly organised.

Immigration & Final Baggage Collection

Passengers who embarked from Southampton were required to complete immigration and biometric checks in Kiel before leaving the terminal. Costa managed this through numbered cards, assigned meeting areas, group departures, and organised baggage collection zones. Again, the luggage system worked smoothly despite the number of passengers disembarking simultaneously.

Final Thoughts

Before this trip, I genuinely had no idea what cruise holidays were really like. I assumed cruises were mostly about pools, buffets, and sea views, but after experiencing Costa Diadema as a first-time cruiser, I realised cruises are also floating entertainment venues and moving hotels with highly organised operational systems, complex logistical operations, and unique travel experiences.

From embarkation and baggage handling to Scandinavian streets and live theatre shows, the trip ended up being far more interesting and insightful than expected. Costa Diadema was a memorable introduction to cruise life.