The sight of one of Costa Cruises’ flagship ships, Costa Smeralda, is imposing in the port of Barcelona, the embarkation point for this adventure. It is a giant of up to 20 decks, with more than 2,600 cabins, almost 340 metres long and with capacity for more than 6,500 people.
“It’s like a floating city!” exclaims an astonished Yolanda, aged 51, for whom this is her first experience on a ship like this, weighing 200,000 tonnes. Just in case, she has brought seasickness tablets, which she will not need at any point along the route because the rolling of the ship is barely noticeable.
