Location: Atlantic Ocean.
Summary: The first day of my Atlantic crossing on the Costa Favolosa, easing into ship life, dodging chaos where possible, and settling in for the long sail toward Brazil.
A Slow, Sunny Start to the Crossing.
I woke up at 07:30, had a shower, and wandered up to the aft pool on Deck 9. Coffee in hand, Kindle open, sun already warming the deck, exactly how I like to start a sea day. Mal eventually tracked me down, chatted for a bit, then disappeared in search of breakfast.
The pool was completely empty, which felt like an invitation, so I went in. Even mid‑morning it was already getting hot, and the swim cooled me off nicely. By 10:00, I’d headed back to my cabin for another shower and then made my way to the meeting point for the Costa Favolosa kitchen tour, supposedly a perk for Silver Club members.
The Kitchen Tour That … Wasn’t.
I arrived first and was parked at a table by security. Ann joined me shortly after, and we chatted while the rest of the invitees trickled in. Everyone else was neatly sorted into language groups, French, German, Italian, all getting proper introductions and explanations.
Ann and I, however, were left sitting like spare parts.
We eventually asked where our guide was and were told to join the Italians. The Italian guide launched into a long explanation in Italian, and when I asked about an English translation, he shrugged and said there was no English group. Someone else was summoned to take us.
Our “guide” then rushed us through the kitchen, pointed at a couple of empty fridges, and marched us straight to the exit. That was the entire tour. Meanwhile, every other group was seated outside being given more information and treated like actual guests.
We were told, simply, “You can leave.”.
It was obvious the English guide hadn’t turned up and nobody could be bothered to step in. Abysmal. I did get a couple of photos for Martin back in Los Alcázares, chef to chef, but otherwise it was a complete waste of time.
Lunch With Friends and a Quiet Afternoon.
At 12:00, I headed to the Dorca d’Orleans restaurant and bumped into Gail, Dwight, and Tessa on the way. We sat together, and I had seafood salad, cheese dumplings, beef oxtail, and chocolate cake.
After lunch, I retreated to the Dei Diamanti bar with a pot of tea and my Kindle. A few hours of reading later, I moved on.
The Mega Quiz Begins (and My Patience Wears Thin).
By 16:00, I’d relocated to the Palatino Grand Bar to claim a seat for the quiz. I had a pint and read until the others arrived. This was Day 1 of a five‑day “mega quiz,” and I joined Mal, Keith, and Regina.
I’ll be honest, it wasn’t the most enjoyable quiz I’ve ever done. Mal’s unwavering confidence in answers that were clearly wrong started to grate. As soon as the quiz ended, I made a tactical retreat to the Camelot Piano Bar for a drink and some live music before dinner at 19:00.
Dinner and a Very Questionable Singing Competition.
Dinner was crab cake, chicken and corn soup, pork with vegetables, and carrot cake. Afterwards, I met Rosa and Ann in the Moliere Lounge for the Voice of the Sea competition. It was not good.
Wrong songs, wrong versions, confused singers, nothing like the TV show it claimed to emulate. More like karaoke with a budget. The compere’s jacket was the only thing with any sparkle.
After a few painful performances, I escaped to the theatre to join Gail, Keith, Tessa, and Mal for tenor Andrea Cristaldi’s show. I really enjoyed it, especially the final song, Time to Say Goodbye, one of my mum’s favourites and played at my dad’s funeral. Katherine Jenkins’ version is still the one that hits hardest.
Late‑Night Music, Drinks, and Good Company.
After the show, I wandered back to the Moliere Lounge to listen to the Brazilian Beats Band for a while, then slipped into the quieter bar next door for a cocktail and a beer. Ann joined me later, and we talked until around 01:00, when we finally headed back to our cabins.
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