---

November 22, 2022

During the Club Cruise held on Costa Diadema we visited really important destinations, rich in history and culture, which we decided to explore with Costa Cruises excursions! Let’s discover them together!

Our first excursion was to Heraklion (Crete) in Greece, which we were already familiar with, so we decided to opt for an excursion that would introduce us to something new. So here we are in Knossos!

Excursion Code 0821

The Wonders of Knossos and Archaeological Museum

The excursion takes about 4 hours, with moderate difficulty, and includes 2 key stops. Leaving the port by private bus we headed to Knossos to visit the Palace of Knossos that was destroyed by an earthquake and where the myth of the labyrinth is believed to have originated. Here with the help of the guide we toured the ruins discovering some of the most important areas such as the royal quarters, the theater, and the throne room.

We then moved on to the Archaeological Museum where we were able to see a large collection of artifacts from the Minoan civilization before returning to the ship.

Excursion Code 1311

Exciting Visit to Jerusalem

The second excursion was to Israel, specifically to Jerusalem, a full-day excursion lasting about 12 hours with lunch included. After a bus ride of about 2 hours and 30 minutes, passing through the modern parts of the city, we made an initial stop at a viewing point from which it was possible to see the entire city.

Back on the bus, the second stop was Mount Zion where we visited the Dormition Church, the Upper Room, where the Last Supper took place, and King David’s tomb, very picturesque places where the importance of those places was evident.

After finishing the first part of the excursion, we made a stop for lunch at The Olive Tree Hotel, with typical Israeli dishes. Once refreshed and after coffee, we returned to the bus that took us to the Old City of Jerusalem to complete our excursion.

Arriving in the Old City of Jerusalem, we visited the Wailing Wall, a holy place for the Jewish religion, where the holy spirit is believed to have remained, and for that very reason a place of prayer. The guide also gave us the opportunity to go for a prayer at the very base of the wall. Our excursion continued with a visit to the Via Dolorosa, the road Jesus walked while carrying the cross, and then ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus is believed to have been buried.

The third key stop was Egypt, and we could not have chosen a better excursion!

Excursion Code 1417

A journey through time: Egypt 5,000 years ago

Our excursion to Egypt lasted about 13 hours, including lunch, and had 3 main stops. Leaving the port, we headed to Cairo by a bus ride of about 3 hours to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where we were able to see many artifacts, sarcophagi, mummies, and Tutankhamun’s treasure.

Afterwards, a 5-star hotel hosted us for a lavish lunch with samplings of typical Egyptian food and then we headed to the Giza Necropolis.

Needless to say, the excitement felt upon standing in front of the pyramids was indescribable! So after admiring such ancient buildings, we also took a camel ride to the Desert (not included in the excursion but available for a small fee). And after the pyramids here we are in front of the Sphinx, to amaze us once again.

After some free time spent in the complex, complete with stalls where it was possible to buy some souvenirs, we returned to the bus that took us to the Papyrus Institute, where we were shown how Papyrus is processed. Finally a return trip took us to Alexandria, Egypt, where Costa Diadema was waiting for us.

Our last excursion took place in Valletta (Malta), also an already known destination, so here too we opted for a different and more complete excursion that combined for us the already known part of Valletta, a part we did not know yet, and a dynamic culinary experience!

Excursion Cod.03AQ

The Best Of Malta

Our excursion began in Tarxien, where we visited the megalithic temples, structures made of giant stones. Afterwards we headed to Valletta where we were able to see St. John’s Co-Cathedral and Barrakka Gardens, a scenic park overlooking the “Three Cities.”

Back on the bus a short trip took us to Mosta where we had lunch in a typical restaurant. Lunch was very dynamic and fun because not only did we sample typical Maltese cuisine, such as Ravjul, but we took part in a cooking class and were actually the ones who tried to cook the dish!

After lunch we headed to Mdina, the last stop of our excursion, a place where some movies such as “Gladiator,” “Troy” and “The Throne Of Swords” were filmed, our excursion ended with some free time in the small town!

I was very satisfied with the destinations I visited, and I especially enjoyed these “alternative” excursions that allow you to be able to discover new places in cities you have already visited! I recommend trying them out!

Don’t miss updates, news, the Club Cruise story and reviews of Costa Cruises on Cruising Journal with photos, videos and Cruises on Offer!

Giorgia Lombardo

Comments