Earlier this year, Costa launched its slow cruise concept: a fleet of smaller ships that offer a more intimate experience of travel in an industry where bigger is usually considered to be better. Ray Bugeja gives it a try…

When thinking about cruise ships, most people will conjure up a mental image of a floating behemoth, trying to outdo all its competitors in size, scope and entertainment extras.

For example, the Costa Favolosa, a regular visitor to the Grand Harbour, is 290 metres long, weighs 112,000 tons, can accommodate almost 3,800 passengers, carry a crew of just below 1,200 and has more than 1,500 cabins.

With 13 decks for passengers, “the most beautiful fairy-tale castle”, as its owners like to describe it, has a maximum speed of 23 knots but usually cruises at 19.6 knots.

But not all cruise liners are out to be the biggest. Compare the Favolosa with the smaller, slower Costa neoRiviera, which has already called at Malta twice this season.

With a gross tonnage of 48,200, the 290-metre long ship can carry up to 1,700 passengers in 624 cabins over eight decks and has a crew of just over 470.

Its top speed is 19.5 knots (just over 36 kmph) but, as part of the Italian cruise line neoCollection concept, it sails much more slowly.

In fact, Costa prefers to sell it as “the new type of slow cruise designed to make the most of every minute at a leisurely pace”.

And so it is. Sailing from coast to coast, or from port to port, nice and easy in a slow boat that may not have all the luxuries and extra­vagance of its much-larger sisters but still offers maximum relaxation and comfort.

The cabins are small but cosy, though taking a shower, especially if the sea is a bit choppy, could be quite tricky and having a curtain for a cubicle door is definitely not a good idea.

The neoCollection fleet is composed of two of Costa’s smaller ships: the neoRiviera and the neoRomantica, with the neoClassica joining in December. Due to their size, they are able to reach ports that are inaccessible to the bigger liners.

Costa neoRiviera’s lido area.

Starting last month, the Costa neoCollection offers 20 months of itineraries in the Mediterranean, northern Europe, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, the Indian Ocean and Africa.

Costa says the neoCollection is “ideal for couples, for a very special honeymoon and for groups of friends, with services of the highest quality designed to allow each guest to ex­perience the cruise at their own pace, the watchwords being greater freedom and flexibility”.

Frequent cruise passengers, especially those used to the bigger, flashier liners, may not necessarily agree with the line’s promo of “services of the highest quality”.

Personally, I found the 12-day Malta-to-Malta cruise on the neoRiviera, which I have just sampled, very satisfying.

I had been on three other cruise liners before, including two of the ‘majestic’ type, and, yes, I did notice that the food choice was not as wide and serving hours not as long.

For those like myself, who prefer a more tranquil holiday, away from the maddening crowds, it is the cruise of first choice

The neoCollection season still being at its start, Costa can certainly consider making some adjustments, such as offering inclusive packages and giving big or, rather, constant munchers more onboard eateries that remain open for longer.

Crew members are friendly and dedicated. The steward looking after our cabin – Robert was more of a butler than a steward, in fact – made sure our wishes were always met. The waiters at the restaurant would go out of their way to ensure guests are well served. One kept to-ing and fro-ing to the kitchen to get the sort of particular prosciutto ordered, even if the passenger could not really decide whether it was cotto or crudo.

The way the itinerary is planned leaves you with a lot of time on your hands, whether to just sit and relax on board with a cappuccino or a glass of wine, taking excursions or touring nearby cities and towns when in port.

In my book, a cruise starting and ending in Malta is the most relaxing holiday I can bet on and the neoCollection goes to prove it.

The leisure and relaxation aspects – as I would define them – on board the neoRiviera were top quality. Seasoned cruise passengers may not agree but a ship that does not look and sound like a disco dance floor for most of the time is certainly for me.

We quietly sailed out of the magnificent Grand Harbour – the ship visited six ports during the trip and none were as picturesque – and spent two nights and a whole day at sea before berthing in Salerno, where we spent the day.

It would not be a bad idea if Costa would find a better alternative to this port, which is disorganised and dull. But some exciting excursions are on offer there including to Ravello and Positano, Pompei, Amalfi and its coast and, of course, Naples.

The excursions are limited to groups of 25 and this allows for more attention by guides and better time management.

It was then on to Livorno (Pisa, Florence and Lucca), Savona (Bussana Vecchia, Monaco, Genoa and Portofino); Toulon (St Tropez, Porquerolles; Avignon and Aix-en-Provence); a day-and-a-half in Barcelona (Monserrat, La Rambla, Dali tour, Picasso museum, Gaudi’s masterpieces); and, finally, Porto Empedocle, a Sicilian port about 10 minutes (driving) from Agrigento.

The mysterious Arco dei Maltesi in Porto Empedocle, Sicily.

This is where author Andrea Camilleri was born. If you happen to be there, look for an archway right opposite the main church, called Arco dei Maltesi. In vain did I try to find out how this came about and even online searches drew a blank.

Here, too, I would recommend a more exciting option to Porto Empedocle.

The idea of the neoCollection is to offer “a slow cruise product”. The concept may not appeal to the majority who are likely to associate a sea cruise with food and drink to their heart’s delight, bingo on the sun deck, dance classes, fun and frolics night and day.

For those like myself, who prefer a more tranquil holiday, away from the maddening crowds, it is the cruise of first choice, a great way to kill the time, relax and enjoy every minute of it.

In a nutshell: this is coast cruising at one’s leisure.

• The author travelled on the Costa neoRiviera courtesy of SMSMondial.