METAMORPHOSIS: From Liners to Cruise Ships (Part 2)

Saturday 30th September 2017 (continued)
We were finally taken back to the shipyard entrance, handed in our hard hats, and thanked our guides for a wonderful afternoon.

Maurizio drove us back to town where we parked and then walked along to the Metamorphosis Exhibition.

The Monfalcone Exhibition

The banner


There were lots of people around and many were going into the Galleria. We followed them into the venue.

Booklet

Another view

Inside the booklet

Where's Wallis? booklet


Immediately we could see model ships, pictures of ships, a video playing on a large screen at the other end of the hall, books for sale, leaflets about the Exhibition, and lots of exhibits that immediately attracted our attention. One of them was the good ship OCEANIC, which Home Lines (founded by the Cosulich family) had originally intended to be a liner, but later became the first modern passenger ship to be intended exclusively for cruising. She was launched in 1963.

Michelangelo

Photograph by Ted Scull

Michelangelo photographed by Ted Scull

Michelangelo again

Model of Michelangelo

Model of Oceanic

Oceanic being fitted out

Monfalcone site in 1963

The latest Italian Navy ship built at the yard

View into the Galleria


Over an hour later we said our goodbyes and left the wonderful Galleria. It had been a fascinating experience to visit the Exhibition and follow the explanations of the Metamorphosis of the Company and Shipyard from Liners to Cruise Ships.

Maurizio drove us back to our hotel for a chance to drop off various souvenirs and quickly prepare to go out again, this time to drive the short distance around the bay to Trieste for dinner. We parked and walked along part of the promenade, familiar to me from my first visit here in November 2014 before sailing on COSTA DIADEMA on her maiden voyage. (See blog piece with more details.) She was built by Fincantieri and now I have experienced their Monfalcone shipyard at very close quarters.

Trieste's old Fish Market


One of the brightly lit buildings was the old Fish Market and we made a quick detour inside; Maurizio is to lecture there in a few days time, and he wanted to show us the inside of this converted building. Inside we were introduced to a Mrs Cosulich, and then to her husband, and she mentioned that she was involved with the arrangements for the annual boat festival of Trieste - the Barcolana. This is an historic international sailing regatta taking place each year in the Gulf of Trieste, with the highlight being the event held on the second Sunday of October. It must be an extraordinary sight, to see so many little sailing vessels in the Gulf. I've read that about 25,000 sailors take part (www.barcolana.it) during the weeks of the Regatta.

There were huge advertising pictures showing on the screen in the vast hall, and then I was offered a Virtual Reality experience for 3 minutes! I sat and had a headpiece placed on me, and suddenly I was sitting on one of the racing boats with a 360⁰ view of everything going on around me on the water! It's one thing to know about new technology, but even more fun to experience it.

We left the Fish Market reluctantly but had to get to a local side street restaurant for a dinner booking. We all enjoyed a freshly cooked and presented meal, as we discussed the events of the day. We had done many interesting things and were so glad to have made arrangements to visit the Metamorphosis Exhibition - which turned into many more events.

Tomorrow we plan to visit the Museo Cantieristica Monfalcone whilst it is open in the morning, take photographs of the MSC ships in the Fincantieri shipyard from local viewpoints in Monfalcone and then head to Venice to see what we can see.


To be continued...

COSTA DIADEMA 1st November 2014 Part 4

1st November 2014

Our little group has decided that our favourite spot is aft on Deck 5, with its comfy seating and sea views. There is no background music, few people, and no bar service yet, but it is a delightful place to sit and enjoy being at sea. We could see the preparations for leaving Trieste and noticed that the port side aft ropes were all fixed to something invisible under the water. I tried to find out how that was done – well, we knew there wasn’t going to be a diver under water – and a helpful person in Reception actually rang the Bridge to try and get an explanation. I think the language barriers proved too much of a problem, so I thanked them and retired gracefully. I still don’t understand how all those ropes were fixed and then let go, so will welcome an explanation from anyone who can tell me.

We finally sailed away from the lovely Trieste, with lots of whistles and noise from around the bay, and headed off to our first port of call in Dubrovnik, after a day at sea tomorrow. This is a ‘shake-down’ cruise so we are not sure quite what to expect but hope to enjoy everything we can.


My Costa Card

Welcome

Our Dining time was shown on our cabins cards as open seating in the Corona Blu Restaurant between 6.30 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. and so we headed there as soon as the ship had sailed away. We had to join a queue at the Restaurant Manager’s desk. We didn’t understand why we had not been allocated a dining table in one of the Restaurants, but subsequently were told by a member of staff that this was ‘because you have booked cheap tickets’. My goodness, that is no way to make passengers feel welcome and we felt very upset for the rest of the trip about this blunt remark.

We queued and were eventually shown to an empty table which could seat the five of us easily. We then had to wait for menus to be brought, and then a waiter to arrive to take our orders. So far this had all taken one hour from when we joined the queue. More time elapsed and eventually the food arrived and it was worth waiting for, but so far we are not impressed with the way things are being run.

Let’s hope that things will improve tomorrow.

Sunday 2nd November 2014
It was lovely to wake without an alarm call, and go up to Deck 10 for a Traditional Italian Breakfast, with sea air coming in through the open windows of the Lido. The Lido Magrodome roof was closed, but the light and space was good. The Bar staff in this Trattoria Lido Diana were cheerful, helpful and efficient and seemed happy to speak English.

Under the Magradome roof

The Daily Programme, also provided in English, told us that this evening was to be Formal, with a Gala Dinner, so we look forward to that.

I took more photos around the ship and began to realise how the company had economised with space on board. In the public rooms the deck height was lower than expected, and this was quite obvious when looking up in the Atrium. The actual space in the Atrium was smaller than expected although it was three decks high.

Atrium Bar

Looking down in the Atrium

Oooh, giant bubble wrap

Please, I want one of those door handles

Throughout the ship it was wonderful to see all the new items of art, furnishings and fittings; my cabin was comfortably furnished and the new bed linen was a delight but I could find only one electric socket. The television screens throughout the ship were interesting to use and locate others ships in the Costa fleet. The location of some of the rooms on board puzzled us. The Pizza parlour and cooking area was bisected by a walkway; the Champagne Bar Bollicine (and not Prosecco) was large and cold as it was situated with double doors behind it which were continuously opening and closing to allow access on to the promenade deck. There was no ‘porch’ on the outside to protect the room from the elements. It was not near the extra tariff Restaurant or the Samsara Restaurant, which seemed strange.

The Theatre looked spacious with good sight lines, and the seating upholstery had an interesting ‘cracked ice’ pattern to it. I noticed this also on much of the wallpaper throughout the ship and also on many of the light fittings.

Theatre stage

Cracked ice pattern

Cracked ice pattern on the wallpaper

Cracked ice pattern on the light fittings

Deck plan

In the Restaurants the cutlery, glass and linen were new and shown to advantage.

The sound engineer was often seen around the ship, adjusting the volume of the public entertainment rooms’ sound systems. He certainly started with a high volume as standard, until people started leaving the rooms and wincing or shouting to each other in conversation. When we once saw him coming out onto Deck 5 aft Teodora Bar and opening the sound control cupboard we had to ask him nicely to please leave it without music. The volume of the music from the Teodora Lounge inside was quite adequate for everyone sitting outside, we thought. He smiled and went away…

Deck 5 aft

Several decks below

It was a good day at sea, finishing with a Gala Dinner which was wonderful. Tomorrow we arrive in Dubrovnik.

Ships seen – none today.

To be continued....

COSTA DIADEMA Maiden Voyage 1st November 2014

Part 2

Would I like to sail on a new Costa ship? Would I like a very low single cabin price? Would I like an itinerary that seemed to change several times after booking? Would I like an itinerary that was finally the same one offered to all of us in the proposed travelling group? Would I like to pay just a little more for an extra night on board and attend the Christening of the brand-new Costa ship? I answered YES to all of those questions as they cropped up over the months.

31st October 2014
I flew from London Gatwick to Venice in Italy, ready to sail on Costa’s Queen of the Mediterranean, the COSTA DIADEMA. As my flight prepared to land in Venice I could see the QUEEN ELIZABETH down in the cruise terminal and the lady in the seat next to me said she was joining the ship. I waited for my small suitcase at Venice Airport and was amused by the cardboard cut-out of what could only be a Costa ship above the baggage carousel.

I met one of my friends out in the terminal hall and we made our way outside to get a bus to the city’s main railway station at Mestre; there we could buy train tickets to Trieste, for our two-hour journey south-east along the Italian coast. The sky was blue, the weather hot, and the views were wonderful, especially as we started to travel alongside the sea.

A local taxi dropped us right outside the Savoia Excelsior Palace Hotel on the waterside and we could see our ship just yards across the road. That was fun. Another travelling companion was already at the hotel so we could soon check in, discover we had all been upgraded to sea-facing rooms with a balcony and enjoy the gifts that had been left for each of us, including a card showing the Hotel and a ship from another age in the port. Our delightful balcony rooms reminded me of what one of my dear friends had told me about the opening scene of Noel Coward’s “Private Lives”, which takes place on two adjoining balconies. Two people in evening dress emerge and are shocked to encounter each other – they were once married but were divorced and are now on honeymoon with their new spouses, by accident in the same hotel!

We set off with cameras to record what we could before sunset. What a delightful city this seems to be, although this is my very first visit. I’m so glad that COSTA DIADEMA’s itinerary started here, after leaving the shipyard and sea trials.

The celebrated maritime author Maurizio Eliseo met us in the hotel at 7 p.m. as arranged and that was the start of a very convivial evening. I returned home with a long-stemmed red rose and good memories of a local restaurant. There was to be a fireworks display for the newest Costa ship just before midnight, and that was a wonderful ending to my first day in Trieste.

Ships seen: Queen Elizabeth in port in Venice as I flew in, Britannia under construction in the distant shipyard as we approached Trieste, Eurocargo Istanbul, and Costa Diadema in port.

To be continued....

COSTA DIADEMA Maiden Voyage 1st November 2014

Part 1
31st October 2014

An Italian ship-shaped Welcome to Venice Airport

After a train ride from Venice to Trieste, a taxi dropped me and one of my travelling companions right outside the Savoia Excelsior Palace Hotel, Trieste; just across the road was the COSTA DIADEMA!

I checked into my sea-facing room and this was the lovely sight from the balcony.

In the hotel's foyer was the wonderful model of the REX, all hand-made by the maritime author Maurizio Eliseo.

After the sun set we walked along the quay to enjoy the sight of COSTA DIADEMA, and her reflection in the water.

The Costa logo on the funnel

Fireworks


There was a wonderful fireworks display just before midnight, which our little group viewed from one of the hotel balconies. The sounds echoed round the hills of the little city of Trieste and provided a lovely ending to a happy day. Tomorrow we check in and board the COSTA DIADEMA for her maiden voyage from here in Trieste.


To be continued....