Saturday 6th April 2013
I flew in to the city yesterday, and saw the temperature at the airport was 17 degrees C - astonishing after the 1 degree C and snow I had left in the south of England.
In Marseille today it is Carnival Day - where have I heard that before? The Local paper at breakfast also said 'Ships in port' were:
a 7 am Girolata from Ajaccio
a 7 am Pascal Paoli from Bastia
d 11 am Tassilli II to Alger
d 11.30 am Danielle Casanova to La Goulette
d 12.00 El Djazair II to Oran
d 19.00 Girolata to Ajaccio
d 19.00 Pascal Paoli to Bastia
All of which was fine to know, but it was pouring with rain and I couldn't see much. At noon I took a taxi to the Cruise Terminal on the far side of the port, checked my case in and was on board COSTA CLASSICA within 5 minutes. It pays to arrive early, but things were very well organised too. She was built in 1991 by the Italian company Fincantieri, at 53,000 tons, for Costa Crociere which was still owned by the Costa family. She is still much as built and I am looking forward to seeing her.
Today I am sailing on Costa Classica from Marseilles, to various ports in various countries and it can only get better and warmer -lucky me.
Costa Classica alongside, later in the voyage
Chart showing the itinerary
My cabin 4090
Deck 8 - Roma - Piazza Navona Grand Bar, the setting for 'fizzy at four' (Prosecco, because I am on an Italian ship)
Tivoli Restaurant on Deck 8 - Roma
La Tavernetta on the starboard side, with the Dolce Amore Bar on the port side (with a chocolate fountain) up on Deck 9
Deck 5 Main Hall, with the 'Ginger and Fred' 1999-made glass artwork
Celebration cake for 65 years of Costa
Colosseo Theatre, Deck 9 forward
Then I ventured outside to see what I could.
Athena at Marseille
Girolata, through the rain
Another view
Grand Holiday in dry dock (and I've been there on Costa Deliziosa!)
Princess Danae in Marseille
Last view as we sailed
Costa Voyager
MSC Preziosa
Napoleon Bonaparte still in Marseille, but at least she is upright now
So we left Marseille, heading for La Spezia tomorrow morning.
Ships seen: Athena, Princess Danae, Girolata from La Meridionale, MSC Preziosa, Costa Voyager, Grand Holiday in dry dock no. 3 (!), something almost invisible in the rain from Algerie Ferries, Ark forwarder, Napoleon Bonaparte against a quayside (and I wonder if she wil ever sail again, and several distant ferries
