Category: 2025 – Costa Serena, 15 day Asian, 21 Nov -5 Dec

So the wait is over and we have made our way to Hong Kong and ultimately Costa Serena in a few days time. Our route consisted of a car journey to Heathrow’s Terminal 3 where we caught our Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong. Our flight was 30 minutes late leaving as we had to wait for 3 people to get off the plane, I’m not sure why they had to get off nor why it took so long but we eventually got airborne and were soon out over the English Channel. We have never flown with Cathay Pacific before but found the Premium Economy seats very comfortable on their Airbus A350-1000. The in-flight entertainment left a lot to be desired and it was just as well our flight was an overnight one. I couldn’t find anything of interest to watch or listen to so after the in-flight meal was over, I tried to get my head down. While I’m on the subject of food, the menu looked very inspiring but when my choice was placed in front of me, I was very disappointed. Not poor, just very mediocre and not a patch on the Emirates or British Airways offerings in their equivalent class. And Cathay Pacific their Premium Economy guests drinks out of paper cups, what is that all about? Don’t ask me about the measures either!!!!

Anyway, I managed to get my head down for 4 hours and awoke with about 4 ½ hours of the flight remaining. Breakfast was pretty much the same, looked good on paper but very ordinary in reality. We landed in Hong Kong on schedule and where the temperature was a comfortable 21°C. We were swiftly through immigration and didn’t have to wait long for our luggage either. After working out where the designated Uber collection zone was, we made our way there and again didn’t have to wait long.

The journey to Kowloon took 39 minutes and we arrived at The Salisbury YMCA Hotel at almost 3:00. We couldn’t have timed it better for checking in. Our room is on the 10th floor and has a harbour view, it is not a huge space but will be very suitable for our 3 night stay.

So, after being cooped up for what seemed like an eternity, we decided to go off and explore the area, get some fresh air, and do a bit of walking. Our walk took us along the harbour side and an area called the Avenue of Stars, which is apparently a must-visit destination for those wanting to experience the glitz and glamour of Hong Kong’s film industry. Stunning views and lots of names of people who we have never heard of with the exception of Bruce Lee that is.

After getting a bite to eat, we did some more walking, this time around the shopping area adjacent to the hotel. We hung around until around 8:00 so we could watch the Harbour Light Show called “A Symphony of Lights,” which is a nightly multimedia performance held every evening at 8:00 PM. The show features searchlights, lasers, and lighting displays on over 40 buildings along Victoria Harbour, set to music. To be honest, I was totally underwhelmed by it so probably won’t make the effort again. Feeling tired, we made our way back to the hotel for a shower and sleep. Today’s post is a bit garbled so please accept my apologies for that. Hopefully l can improve as the days pass. I’m out of practice!!!

Photos are all from my phone today as I got lazy and didn’t get my camera out of the bag.

Must try harder tomorrow.

This was something I spotted that immediately required further investigation. We are big fans of Costa Cruises, and this itinerary had great appeal; it had even more appeal when we saw the prices. The itinerary looked great and will allow us to visit Hong Kong again, this time embarking as well as disembarking there and the other 7 ports will all be new to us.

The ship itself is familiar to us as well, having sailed on her in 2010. Since then, she has undergone a refit and, from 2015 to 2020, was deployed to the Asian market as part of a collaboration with a Chinese agent, during which the interiors were slightly adapted for the different clientele. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, she remained inactive for over three years, returning to service exclusively for the Asian market in June 2023.

Despite still being under Asian management, she has recently made voyages to India, the Caribbean, and back to Asia, making her current history quite intriguing. Our upcoming cruise will mark the first time she has been available to the European and global markets in a while.

Various news sources indicate that she is scheduled for another dry dock before heading to Hong Kong.

Our only drawback during the booking process was the cabin selection, which, because they were offering this area as 7-, 14 & 28-night cruises, deck 7, our preferred option, was not available for the 14-night cruise. The cabin selection wasn’t ideal, but we found a suitable spot on deck 6 that wasn’t situated over a noisy bar on deck 5 (see graphic below).

The past year was challenging, with house renovations, the terminal illness and then loss of my little brother. At times, we doubted if this cruise would happen, so we’re grateful to be travelling. Paul’s passing has motivated us to seize opportunities and not delay experiences.

So, there we have it – the bare bones of our next cruise and if you are reading this, then we are on our way to Hong Kong for our 3-night pre-cruise stay.