Since everyone enjoys traveling during holidays, it’s natural that prices for travel products during these times increase due to supply and demand dynamics. So how can we manage holiday travel effectively at a high cost-performance ratio?
A common strategy I use is recognizing that our holidays aren’t necessarily the same as those for foreigners, and our peak travel season may not coincide with theirs. Even if flight tickets to our destinations become expensive, at least we can save on local travel costs.
Today’s feature is the Mediterranean route of Costa Cruises’ flagship, the Toscana. The travel time is during the Spring Festival next year (2025), and it offers extremely high cost performance! For an 8-day, 7-night journey in a double interior cabin, the cost is 3699 yuan per person; for a double balcony room, it’s 5599 yuan per person. This is an all-inclusive package that covers dining, entertainment, and accommodations, making it a great deal for Costa’s flagship ship. If you haven’t decided where to go for the Spring Festival next year, why not choose the Mediterranean?
Next, I will provide a detailed introduction to this product. There are two departure dates: January 26, 2025, and February 2, 2025 (the fifth day of the lunar new year). Departure from Marseille, France. The Costa Toscana 8-day, 7-night Mediterranean cruise covers the following route: France (Marseille) – Spain (Barcelona) – Spain (Palma) – sea day – Italy (Palermo) – Italy (Civitavecchia, Rome) – Italy (Savona) – France (Marseille), starting at 3699 yuan.
The specific itinerary is depicted in the graphic below: This is a classic Western Mediterranean route. Cities like Barcelona, Rome, and Marseille have rich historical significance. Palma, Palermo, and Savona are also interesting cities worth visiting. Importantly, these cities aren’t extremely cold in winter, typically hovering around 10+°C, making them popular winter getaway spots for Europeans.
Furthermore, this route departs from Marseille, France. Last year, we boarded in Barcelona; this year we’ve switched to Marseille mainly because there are numerous flights to Paris at relatively affordable prices, and you can take a direct train from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to Marseille, making both the outbound and return trips convenient. France’s visa process is relatively straightforward, especially since this year coincides with the Olympics in France, which greatly increases the likelihood of obtaining a visa with a cruise ticket. Plus, it allows for some leisure time in France.
Another highlight of this trip is that team members from Xiyou will be on board to assist. Since this is an overseas embarkation point, most communication on board will be in English. Having our staff aboard to help with any unexpected situations can provide peace of mind. Similar to our Dubai cruise during this year’s Spring Festival, unexpected circumstances may arise during overseas trips, but having someone from our team to handle these issues promptly can alleviate worries.
Let me elaborate more on this cruise route. In January of this year, we had a similar Western Mediterranean itinerary, so many of the photos included were taken during that trip. The recreational activities in the landing cities are updated, though we traveled on the Europa ship back then.
**Day 1:** Board in Marseille, France, with a departure time of 18:30. It’s suggested to arrive a day early in France mainly due to potential flight delays. The train from Charles de Gaulle Airport directly to Marseille is available, which makes it convenient upon arrival.
Marseille, the second-largest city in France and a port city rich in cultural and historical significance, is known for its iconic anthem, “La Marseillaise.”
Marseille is exciting, with attractions relatively concentrated in specific areas. A few noteworthy sites include:
– **Château d’If:** An iconic fortress located by the harbor.
– **The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations (MuCEM):** A beautifully designed museum with a rich collection.
– **Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde:** A stunning Baroque-style church built in the 17th century.
Moreover, sites like the Old Charity, the History Museum, and the Cathedral of Saint Mary Magdalen are all worth visiting as well. These attractions are located in the historic Old Port area, the heart and origin of Marseille. This area is one of our favorites; when the sun shines, the coastline looks beautiful with its blue waters and scenic views.
Additionally, there’s a free shuttle bus connecting downtown Marseille to the cruise terminal, allowing for convenient transportation in about 20 minutes.
**Day 2:** Arrive in Barcelona, Spain at 08:00, setting sail at 18:00. The port in Barcelona is very close to the city center, and Barcelona is definitely a must-visit city. While the cruise’s day trip may feel rushed, it will still hit the major attractions.
Barcelona offers an enchanting dive into the architectural magic of Gaudí. Notable sites include the “Gaudí Trio” (Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, and Sagrada Familia), which one must see to truly appreciate his genius.
Don’t miss the Picasso Museum and the Columbus Monument to pay tribute to these historic Spanish figures. If time permits, wander around Plaça de Catalunya; Barcelona is a fairly laid-back city.
**Day 3:** Arrive in Palma, Spain at 08:00, setting sail at 18:00. Palma, a port city on the island of Mallorca, on the western Mediterranean side enjoys warm winter weather.
Palma boasts beautiful coastlines and stunning churches. I can’t share much from personal experience, as I haven’t visited Palma before; my last cruise didn’t include this port.
**Day 4:** Sea day – enjoy the cruise itself.
The Toscana is a flagship ship of Costa, a sister ship to the Emerald. Highlights include:
– Maiden voyage: 2020
– Decks: 19
– Tonnage: 185,500 tons
– Capacity: 6,518 passengers
For 60 years, Costa has been a major player in Mediterranean cruise lines. This ship is considered a “giant” among cruise ships, newer and larger than domestically operated ships like the Glory and Spectrum. In the realm of large vessels, the newest and biggest ones take precedence.
I won’t go too much into the top deck water slide since it isn’t feasible to use in January and February in Europe, even in the southern regions. However, there is a heated indoor pool available for swimming and water play.
The ship also features a sauna, ice room, and an infinity spa pool facing the sea, along with extensive entertainment options and various shows each day.
The Toscana is also family-friendly, including a children’s club for those who wish to have their kids managed on board, which offers an enriching English-language environment as language classes can be quite costly elsewhere.
On the dining front, there are over a dozen dining venues available on the Toscana, with meals included from breakfast to dinner. Those who have traveled with Costa know the dining experience is quite good, especially on its flagship vessels, which set a standard for the company’s offerings. However, it’s essential to note that the cuisine may not suit every Chinese tourist’s taste, as it leans toward Western fare. Chinese food isn’t an option on the ship.
**Day 5:** Arrive in Palermo, Italy at 08:00, sailing again at 16:00. Palermo is the capital of Sicily, and there’s a saying in Italy that if you haven’t visited Sicily, you haven’t truly been to Italy.
Palermo, with over 2700 years of history, is a melting pot of history, architecture, and cuisine, influenced by Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman, and Arab rulers, all leaving traces of their legacies.
I love the old town of Palermo, with its winding streets and labyrinthine alleys. The city layout is quite neat, with attractions concentrated around Quattro Canti, making one day sufficient to explore.
Do visit the **Monreale Cathedral** and **Palermo Cathedral**—the most famous churches in the city. Especially noteworthy is the Palermo Cathedral, built on a former mosque; it is a Norman church that later incorporated Gothic styles, making it a true architectural melting pot.
Our exploration in Palermo involved hopping on a hop-on, hop-off tourist bus to navigate the sights, getting off at various stops to take photos.
**Day 6:** Arrive in Civitavecchia (Rome) at 08:30, sailing at 19:00. This stop is mainly for a visit to Rome. The shuttle bus from Civitavecchia to Rome is available for purchase on the ship for 68 euros round trip, taking about 1.5 hours.
The shuttle departs from Piazza del Popolo, with most of the major attractions located nearby.
A day tour in Rome is bound to be a fast-paced experience, but the concentration of historical sites makes it manageable. Do visit the Pantheon, snap a photo outside the Colosseum, and explore Roman Forum and the Arch of Constantine—all nearby locations.
Piazza Venezia is a must-see, providing a stunning ambiance. We also managed to check off the Temple of Hercules, the Spanish Steps, St. Francis of Assisi Church, and Navona Square from our list. It was indeed a day packed with sightseeing owing to Rome’s clustered attractions.
**Day 7:** Arrive in Savona, Italy at 08:30, with an evening sail at 19:00. Savona is a romantic seaside city in Italy. On our exploratory trip, we didn’t visit Savona but went to Genoa. Therefore, I don’t have a guide for this city; however, I checked and found that the port is right by the city center, allowing us to explore right upon disembarking.
**Day 8:** Arrive back in Marseille, France at 08:30.
According to our assistant who facilitated the exploratory trip, aside from the Rome excursion where she spent 68 euros on the shuttle bus, her experience was mostly independent onshore. The docking area is close to the cities, and cities in Europe typically have relatively concentrated attractions. City Walks in these locales shouldn’t be overly taxing, although signing up for day tours upon arrival is an option, albeit at an extra cost.
Moreover, the efficiency of getting on and off overseas cruises is quite high, primarily due to the minimal visa checks, with most disembarkation taking between 10-30 minutes—usually closer to just over ten minutes.
I will post a unified image of the specific itinerary and time.
Now, let’s discuss pricing and accommodations. The cheapest option is the interior cabin, with balcony rooms being slightly more expensive (but I believe opting for a balcony is essential for first-time cruisers). All balconies are unobstructed. Moreover, the pricing for the third and fourth occupants in the same room is quite favorable.
The package includes cruise fare, three meals a day, and complimentary entertainment activities. There is an onboard service charge (11 euros per adult per night, 5.5 euros for children aged 4-14, while children aged 0-3 are not charged). This service fee is not included and is directly payable to the cruise line.
Regarding room details:
– An interior cabin measures 10-14 square meters, housing a double bed (or two single beds), and a triple room will include a couch bed or pull-down bunk, but there are no four-person cabins.
– Balcony cabins are approximately 17 square meters, featuring a double bed (or two single beds) and a single sofa bed (triple rooms will have a foldable bed).
How to book? Cruise products can be complex, and directly placing an order might not be reliable; consultation and inquiry are typically necessary. For those interested, please add our assistant (xiyoutravel5) on WeChat. The assistant will invite you to join the Xiyou Cruise group. Most overseas products require reconfirmation of the cabin, so if you book, please ensure to contact the assistant.
Note that this is a calendar-based product and not eligible for double-booking, meaning it is non-refundable, hence please be cautious when ordering. The cancellation fees are as follows:
Finally, the usual summary: For Spring Festival travel, preparing in advance ensures high cost-performance. After securing the cruise tickets, you can look for budget flight deals, generally managing to arrange a European trip for the Spring Festival around slightly over 10,000 yuan, which offers excellent value.
Additionally, having Xiyou team members on board provides assurance for any required English communication or issues that may arise.
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