Stopovers during the Costa Deliziosa cruise in May 2025

Hi everyone, I’m so glad VOYAGE FORUM is back up—it’s such a lifesaver for us travelers!! Next May, I’ll be going on a cruise on the COSTA DELIZIOSA with stopovers in SPLIT, DUBROVNIK, KOTOR, CORFU, KATAKOLON, and BARI. Since the forum closed during COVID, all the discussions stopped at the same time. So, I’d love to hear from anyone who’s done this cruise to share some tips about the stopovers. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi Eliane, I had the chance to visit all these ports of call (DUBROVNIK, KOTOR, CORFU, KATAKOLON, and BARI) except for SPLIT. I’d be happy to share my modest experience—I only take Costa excursions or explore on my own. Best, Hervé 😎

Split: the port is almost in the city, walkable visit. Dubrovnik, the port is on the other side—there are city buses that connect for cheap. Walking along the coast is possible. Buy the cable car tickets directly at the counter; resellers add a markup, which is clearly stated, by the way. Kotor, you disembark by tender boat, I think. You’re right in the city. Kalamata: Bus 1, which stops right in front of the cruise quay, will take you to the historic center, about 1.5 km away. You can take the bus in both directions since it loops along the beach and then toward the historic center or vice versa. The ride itself is like a little sightseeing tour.

Hello Cruise ships dock at the quays in Gruž, about 3 km from Dubrovnik’s Old Town. Right next to the maritime station, you’ll find the bus station (marked as Autobusni Kolodvor). With buses on lines 1 or 3, you’ll be dropped off at the entrance to the historic center. Best regards

Be on deck a good hour before arriving in Kotor. The entrance to the bay is spectacular

Thanks for the info—it’ll be super helpful since booking an excursion with COSTA is so expensive!

Small clarification: we won’t be stopping at Kalamata but at KATACOLON

Thanks for the info

You mentioned that you only do excursions with COSTA, but I’d like to do them independently instead!

Just to clarify, we won’t be stopping at Kalamata but at KATACOLON

Hi there, In Katakolon, there are two docking piers, both quite close to the town. Not much to see: the shops on the main street, a small museum, and a church. At the exit of the piers, there’s a square with loads of buses and taxis offering trips to Olympia—the main tourist attraction of the stopover. Now, there’s also a little tourist train that does a short tour around the area. Didn’t take it, seems of limited interest to me. Best regards

Hi everyone, So glad the forum is back up! We’ll also be on board the Deliziosa from May 3rd to 10th. In Katakolon, we’re thinking of visiting Olympia. Can we do it on our own with providers other than Costa? At the various stopovers—Bari, Dubrovnik, Corfu, and Kotor—can we head into town by ourselves? Could LePiou give us some info? Leaving from Marghera/Venice, does anyone have any great tips for hotels near the cruise terminal? Thanks so much for your replies! Chris

Hi Christian, I’ve done this cruise and wanted to add my two cents on what hasn’t been mentioned yet: Kotor; I can confirm that Kotor is Europe’s largest fjord—make sure to stay on deck to soak in the views, even if the cliffs are different, it’s a stunning spectacle. BARI: This stop absolutely deserves a mention. Beyond the charming city, like all Italian ports, the real gem is the UNESCO-listed "Trulli" houses in the countryside—those quirky pointed-roof homes. You can’t imagine the sight of these "huts" clustered together until you see them. Check out some videos on YouTube... The catch: you *have* to book—and fast—because everyone signs up for the Costa excursion. Why? It’s a 1.5-hour drive each way on a busy road, and with such a short stop, taking a private taxi to save money risks getting stuck in traffic and missing the ship. The Costa excursion guarantees the boat will wait for you. Is it expensive? Yes, but it’s a one-of-a-kind curiosity worth seeing. F.

Thanks for the info. Have a great day

Hi Christian, I took this cruise and wanted to add my two cents about what hasn’t been mentioned yet: Kotor: I can confirm that since Kotor is Europe’s largest fjord, it’s best to stay on deck to soak in the views—even though the cliffs are different, it’s a stunning spectacle. BARI: This absolutely needs to be talked about because beyond the city—which is charming like all Italian ports—the real UNESCO-listed global curiosity is in the countryside: the "Trulli" houses with their pointy roofs. You can’t imagine the impression they make when you see these "huts" clustered together—check them out on YouTube... Problem: You’re pretty much forced to book—and fast—because everyone signs up for the Costa excursion. Why? Because it’s a 1.5-hour drive each way on a busy road, and since the stop is short, taking a private taxi to save money and getting stuck in traffic means you’ll almost certainly miss the ship. The Costa excursion guarantees the boat will wait for you. Is it expensive?... Yes, but it’s a one-of-a-kind curiosity in the world. F.

Hi everyone, The cruise is coming up (in May), and I’m making notes on the different ports of call. Thanks for all the details about the stops, but no one’s mentioned CORFU! How does that stop work? Are we far from the city? I’d love to hear your great tips—I’m eagerly waiting!

Hi there,

Corfu’s cruise terminal is less than 3 km from Corfu Old Town—it’s really easy to walk to.

You can then continue the stroll along the sea; it’s really beautiful and pleasant. There’s also the Old Fort to visit, located on a rocky peninsula that juts out over the sea and overlooks the bay. This promontory is where Corfu’s Old Town was situated during the Byzantine era.

Hi there,

The cruise terminal in Corfu is less than 3 km from Corfu Old Town, so it's really easy to walk to.

You can then continue your stroll along the sea—it's really beautiful and pleasant. There's also the Old Fort to visit, located on a rocky peninsula that juts out over the sea and overlooks the bay. This promontory is where the old town of Corfu stood during the Byzantine era.



Thanks so much, Catherine, for this info, and thanks everyone—I think I now have all the details I need to explore the stopovers without COSTA.

Got it, I’ll be there—and thanks again for the info!

Hi everyone, We’re boarding in 8 days! But I just found out my cabin number, and I’m not too happy about it. I specifically chose an ocean-view cabin, no. 1241—since we won’t have any sea days and we’ll be in port every day, I didn’t think a balcony cabin was necessary—but we’re on Deck 1, NARCISO. And now I’ve looked at the ship and seen that right above us on Deck 2, GARDENIA, there are ALL the restaurants, the nightclub, bars, etc. I’m devastated because I’m worried about noise. WILL IT REALLY BE NOISY, or are the cabins well soundproofed?????? Please let me know because if it’s going to be loud, I’ll TRY to switch to a balcony cabin if any are still available. Best regards to all

Hi there, I’ve never experienced this before, but I think everything should be well soundproofed, and when we go to sleep, the restaurants are closed. I’m leaving this Saturday for the same cruise—don’t stress, just enjoy! Have a great cruise

it's true that the restaurants close at bedtime, but that's when the bars and dance lounges start opening. So despite the soundproofing, it might be safer to book a cabin that's not necessarily a balcony one but just somewhere else;... great cruise!

Hi there, Thanks for the info, but now I’m looking for something else. Did you do your cruise on the COSTA DELIZIOSA? If so, could you tell me if the ship is well soundproofed? We’re leaving in a week and just got our cabin number, which is 1241 on Deck 1. And right above on Deck 2, there are ALL the restaurants, nightclubs, bars, etc.… So, I’d really like to know if I should request a cabin change and book one with a balcony—those are on the higher decks, though I have no idea if any are still available!!! Thanks in advance

I’ve never been on this ship before. If you look at the deck plan, you’ll be able to see what’s above (cigar lounge or casino?)

I had the same problem on the Mediterranea in 2018, and we were really bothered throughout the cruise by the noise from the orchestra, even with the doors closed in the hallway. We had to endure it... for 22 days! The noise stopped at 1 AM. Have a great cruise