You can choose one of 3 different menus, and these are apparently an interpretation of a route you are travelling around the world! (They serve specialities from different places along the way.) Crafted for both style and durability, the Emma dining chairs feature robust fabric that withstands daily use while being easy to maintain. So you can bask in the beauty and comfort of these stylish seats without a worry in the world. Their resilient construction is paired with a modern, sculpted design and convenient armrests, ensuring that each meal is not just an eating occasion but an experience in comfort. The first task was to get the structure and layout right: windows were replaced throughout with beautiful lattice-style ones that matched the previous ones that were beyond repair, while rotten floors downstairs and in the main bedroom upstairs were swapped for reclaimed floorboards. Upstairs, the layout remained largely the same, with three bedrooms, an ensuite and a bathroom making the most of the space, while the downstairs was reworked. ‘It felt like a series of disconnected rooms, so we wanted to create a sense of flow between them,’ explains Emma. Now the dining room and sitting room flow off the kitchen, thanks to the addition of openings between the kitchen and each of these rooms. In the sitting room, a pair of double doors opening onto the garden were also added, bringing light into the space while also mirroring the opening at the other end of the space into the kitchen. The kitchen, with a single run of units and an island, is modest for a house that sleeps six, but the adjoining pantry conceals much of the kitchen paraphernalia, including the fridge. The entrance was also changed, with a little outdoor porch that leads into the dining room acting as the main entry point and freeing up the original entrance hallway that contains the staircase. ‘It just made so much more sense of the space,’ explains Emma. We were given a temporary table for the first night, then they sent a letter to our cabin with a permanent table number on the next day.

The rest of the renovation became a delicate balance between keeping the integrity of the grand history-laden building and infusing it with tasteful, modern additions. “Our client didn’t want the house to feel too heavy, rather a fresh English country interior suitable for the next generation,” Emma explains. “So, we wanted to have a bit of fun with it.” I took my first Costa cruise in 2018 and the food quality has increased dramatically in my opinion. Main Dining Room – Il Meneghino – Included in the Cruise Fare The burger and chips meal was huge, and we struggled to eat that – and then there was an included cake too.Other aspects of discovery posed challenges: The centre of the house, for one, was a rabbit warren of Victorian-era domestic spaces, meant mainly to serve the dozens of staff who would’ve been operating the house. A historical marvel, yes, but not exactly functional for a present day single-family home. I have just disembarked a cruise on the Costa Smeralda and in this post we will look at everything I ate in the main dining room, buffet and room service. Menus are also provided.

I wanted it to provide a wonderful experience for those staying, but also be a cosy home away from home,’ explains Emma, who started work on the project in November 2021. ‘We also didn’t want it to be precious – it had to stand up to the rigours of rural life.’ The house, which is spread across two floors, had been tenanted for decades and not only did it need a complete strip out and decorative overhaul, but also a rethink about how the space was configured. That, and a good dose of creativity that would make the most of the relatively small proportions. ‘It was quite daunting to begin with, but I knew it had the potential to be really special,’ says Emma. My parents and I had separate cruise bookings and so ended up with separate tables in the same restaurant at the same time. We asked if we were able to sit together, and they were very accommodating. This approach reveals itself in endless details throughout the interiors. One example is a powder room on the ground floor, where a seemingly traditional Braquenié print covers the walls. The addition, which features a custom print of the house, the estate grounds, and even the owner’s dogs, was a surprise from Emma to her client. Elsewhere, a canary yellow antique claw-foot tub in a guest bath and a colourful kitchen help enliven an otherwise traditional palette.We know that price is important. And while all of our designs follow the recommended retail prices (RRP) from our suppliers, we’re determined never to be bested. There was also a good selection of sandwiches, paninis, cakes and desserts. The Salty Beach – Street Food – Additional Charge Fast Food Restaurant MAY WE SUGGEST: The particularly English beauty of an 18th century Cotswold rectory by Emma Sims Hilditch In the case of the formal dining area, a soft shade of blue adds a contemporary touch to a room otherwise so traditional, it feels bound to a bygone era. Originally, the walls were painted a dark, rich red, which was complemented by deep mahogany paneling. “I wanted to soften the edges, take away the gloom, and lighten it up,” the designer shares. The red was promptly replaced with Farrow & Ball's ‘De Nimes’, and the intricately detailed dark wood paneling was by and large painted white. (Accents, such as the doors, fireplace, and mantel, remain as a faithful homage to the original). The dining table is a custom replacement, while the chairs are some of the endless antiques that were found stored away in the home.

There are many other restaurants onboard that you can try at an extra cost, some formal, some informal. Here is a selection of other options available: Archipelago Restaurant The Food Lab is a “Seaside Cooking School” and specialty restaurant where you can try your hand at making your own dinner creations! SushinoThere are no fixed dining times for breakfast or lunch. Guests are able to eat in the main dining room whenever it is open for breakfast or lunch.