alserrod

I will be in Fantastica too. I will write my lines post-cruise (not in the cruise, I will switch off for a week). The issue is.... I do not know what to write and what not to write because ports of call are absolutely different on which everybody seems to be interested (I have read about cruising from Athens and in Northern Europe but nobody has written about Western Mediterranean) and I could upload MDR menus, daily programs and so but.... I think they will not be in English. Nevertheless.... I will try to write about an experience in another recent ship of MSC

In fact, some of you here have been reading me for a few months. I have learned a lot from you. Which has a lot of merit given that none of the chronicles that have been written in this forum in recent months are about this boat and route and the vast majority are from another geographical area (and many of them in YC). Despite everything, I have learned many things that I didn't even consider and I hope to take advantage of it when I travel. In addition to this forum, I participate in another cruise forum in my country. Much less information but much more precise and local. I don't know if it will surprise you but, if I take into account the forum members who write in that local forum - no one travels on YC (and most don't even know it exists) - all but one have Easy pack for drinks. And there are people who ask if a pack of drinks is really worth it - everyone asks about DIY excursions (way to reduce the budget. I like to plan trips a lot and I have fun but let's not fool ourselves, you also make it cheaper) - if you can use public transport to get there, it is used - there are no questions about a specialty restaurant (some have gone and put it in their chronicle but people don't go to them) -... something that probably won't surprise you: - Every time a new person enters this forum, the first question is about excursions. Then he will ask something about the boat but it is a fixed rule... what is worrying are the excursions. That is to say, what is said a lot is that in the Mediterranean people go on cruises to enjoy the ship but that the destination is certain cities, never the ship itself. and something that may surprise you - Despite all of the above, a good number of these people I mentioned, if they go to Venice travel by gondola. I highlight this because the gondola ride is 90 euros for just 30 minutes. (when I traveled the last time, a few years ago, it was already 60 euros) It must also be said that taking into account the different travel and vacation options, a cruise is not the cheapest. I am including the possibility of going to a visit and heritage destination for a week, or going for a week to enjoy the beach or... Not because it is more expensive per se, but because of everything that a cruise includes. Yes, it is worth it but people look at the budget, what a week is worth and the options available. And this is how (I don't know if you have noticed), but all these "customs" are had by people who travel by cruise ship and live relatively very close to the port with the most cruise travelers in the world outside the state of Florida.

Hello: Well, maybe I'm one of them. I'm going to travel with MSC in two months and... first of all, I haven't paid for the cruise. My parents, who are celebrating 50 years of marriage, did it and wanted to invite all the children, sons/daughters-in-law and grandchildren. In total we are 14 people. Now, my brothers and I convinced them to review the budget. It seemed very expensive to us that they wanted to pay for 14 people. So of course - my daughters will be with me in the cabin with additional occupancy - all cabins are interior - the drinks pack is the Easy for everyone - the trip is on the first date that there is no school (cheaper than in August) -... They wanted to have booked a cabin at YC and I reminded them that we could not sit together at dinner, we could not go to their facilities and many of the privileges they had could not be enjoyed if they were with us (such as a spa area, in the pool , disembark earlier, etc...), so they just took a cabin next to ours. The purpose of the cruise week is to spend a week together and a ship makes this much easier since it allows you to visit things at your leisure, has a swimming pool and lots of entertainment for all ages. My little nephew is 3 years old, my oldest daughter is 18, and there are cousins of all ages in between. But yes, as I said, we are going with a tight budget. I don't know how much my parents would have but we didn't want them to spend more. The excursions are all DIY and we were surprised because for Rome they booked a private bus for 14, incredibly more expensive than all the options I had found. So... I won't have a butler to take care of the small details of the cabin (as long as I have someone to clean and put a little order in the chaos that will be going with my daughters, the tip has already been earned!!!) , but I will have the opportunity to have a cocktail at night with guaranteed fun with my brothers and nephews. There are many of us and in recent years we have barely all met (we live in different cities). To be able to be together for a week like this we have had to reserve it a year in advance.

FLAMENCO Many people ask about flamenco shows in various Spanish cities. If we check Wikipedia there is a lot of information at the beginning. I will copy only the first lines. Flamenco (Spanish pronunciation: [flaˈmeŋko]) is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Murcia.[1][2][3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco And with this I want to emphasize that it is a dance strictly from Andalusia. There is a lot of flamenco tradition in that region, it is a dance that is part of popular customs and, in some cases, it is even taught from family to family. At large public events, and especially at parties, you will see it as part of the fun. There are schools to learn but above all, a legacy that passes from one to another. However, outside this region it is not a popular dance, nor something typical. You don't see shows outside of private venues, it is not part of the culture or traditions far from Andalusia. In the places where you see that offer flamenco, it is something exclusively guided towards tourists. Can you imagine going on a trip to San Francisco and being offered a Mexican ranchera show? For someone who travels from afar, the distance from Monterrey to San Francisco is not that long either, but... Is the ranchera traditional in San Francisco? The same thing happens with flamenco. Therefore my recommendations are these - If you are on a cruise through Spain and one of the ports is in Andalusia (Cádiz, Málaga or Motril), if you like flamenco, go see a show. - If you are on a cruise through Spain but the cruise does not pass through Andalusia, DO NOT go to any flamenco show and leave it for when you actually visit the land where it comes from. This includes all Mediterranean ports from Cartagena to the north, Atlantic, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands (among others, don't go if you are in Barcelona, Valencia, Palma, Bilbao, La Coruña, Menorca, Ibiza, Alicante, Tarragona, Palamós or any of the Canary Islands)

It has depend on what you want to do at Mallorca island. I have already stayed in Mallorca twice. First, a fast cruise day, second, for a whole week.... and several weeks more wouldn't be enough for all the island. Surely everyone has the beach image at Mallorca. It has enough sandy beaches for those who just want a beach&sun destination for a week (or more) But Palma has a lot of heritage for a whole day visit (and for more than a day). Despite all the beach and sun, it is a very interesting city. Furthermore, Soller can be a full day destination with a historical train (and later a tramway). You will miss Palma but you will enjoy Mallorca mountains and another corner of the island. Valldemossa.... you will need to book an excursion or rent a car. Do you already know F.Chopin was living there and some of his masterpieces where written there?

I strongly agree about Flamenco is not typical in Mallorca (so it would be the same as arriving to Rome and sitting for Flamenco) I will be in Mallorca in a couple of months on a cruise call. I will go to Soller. I have already been in Soller but only on the tramway, not in the train. This time I want the full journey

It is (almost) mandatory to book a visit in Livraria Lello. You have to pay 8 euro/person or buy a book per person if you want to visit it. For that purpose... - 8 euro is entrance fee. - If you, later, buy a book, they will reduce 8 euro the bill - If you pay 15,9 euro on entrance (the same as cheapest book), you will not have to wait to entry (and you can use ticket entry for a book)

AFAIK, after november 2023, GBP isn't used by MSC. It rules as - America: Dollar except cruises in Antilles (Euro) - Europe: Euro - South Africa: Dollar - Middle East: Euro - Japan: I do not know - World Cruise: Dollar (I am not sure, I read dollar) - Grand Voyages: depending departure (America to Europe in dollar, Europe to America in euro) For tips... I would tip always "useful money". Just guess what about going to your homecity, grabbing a taxi and.... tipping in another currency. What would taxi driver do with those notes? This is... can a MSC employee cash his money in the bank (and ask it to be refunded)?. I am not sure but if he could... it should be in local currency, isn't it?

I guess I will buy tickets in advance (maybe last night) just to avoid queues in the station

I am willing to read about your comments. I will sail on Seaview three weeks after you

Ask your bank about fees for using ATM in Europe. If is a minimum plus a percentage, ask for 200 euro If it is just a percentage, ask for the minimum possible (50 euro and you could ask for less money indeed) This is, ask for 50 euro in an ATM. If you need more, you will always find an ATM

that was the reason I asked port of departure. He/she hasn't said if he's going to go on a MSC cruise departing Florida, Athens, South Africa or wherever....

Hi Crhis I guess you mean Pinhao. I was there last summer. Trains departs from Porto (all trains from Porto-Campanha, some of them from Porto-Sao Bento too, be sure where to take it) and they drive up to Pocinho. They aren't definitely luxurious but enough for travelling. I was in the area (not in Porto but upper Douro valley) and I took them from Regua to Pinhao. It was enough having return ticket and I could choose which train to take. Riverscape is awesome from the train at all!!!. I just copy some of my pictures. There is a small pier in Pinhao with different boat excursions. I took the singlest one, just one hour (my daughter tends to get sick on boats... one hour is enough) but there are longer. Two hours and up to Spanish border, the last corner before a big damm where ships cannot sail more. There's a historical train from Regua to Pocinho. I would not take it. It is very expensive and it doesn't offer too much after single trains. This is Douro river arriving to Pinhao (you will see these views from the train) And here you are the small Pinhao pier to take a boat for 1-2-... hours trip both pictures are mine

Hello: There are some things you should know about cruises in the Mediterranean. The ship will remain the same but the people who hire it do so paying close attention to the ports in which it stops. They always look for some very relevant ports and others that are not so important (be careful, it does not mean that they have nothing, but that after visiting Rome or Barcelona, perhaps a smaller town does not attract as much attention). People plan excursions a lot (you can do them with the boat, with other companies or on your own) and the boat is possibly emptier during ports than in other places in the world. The animation will come when the ship leaves the port and everyone is on board. Of course, some of the ports where you will stop are destinations for a week's vacation for some people. That is, places with a lot of heritage, culture and history. Obviously, if someone doesn't want to get off the boat, they don't have to. Keep in mind that there is a multicultural variety on cruises in the Mediterranean. It always ships in various ports. You make a loop and two days after starting your cruise there will be those who leave and those who enter again at that port as well. For your planning it is indifferent. You will have Day1, Day2, Day3, etc... and they will start on Day3 until Day2. The shows, parties, dinners, surprises, etc... are designed for seven days and, in one order or another, all travelers can enjoy them. There will be many fewer messages over the public address system but the ones they say will be multilingual (some people find it annoying but let's remember that the European Union is 27 countries with 24 official languages and if English is official it is because... it is the second official language from Ireland). You will hear the public address system multilingual, the signs and information, as the case may be, you will read them only in English (the MDR menu can be personalized for each one, the notes in the cabin too, and they will put it in your language) or in several languages in a row, a sample of multiculturalism. Differences in food and restaurant... those who have tried say that the portions at MDR are smaller but, on the other hand, you can repeat for free in Europe (in the United States they charge you $5 per repeat). There are those who say that if it has less salt..... and I remember a comment from someone who said that desserts in the Mediterranean have less sugar. Everything is relative. Istanbul is in the eastern Mediterranean. You go there, order some pastries, and everything you try afterwards will be low in sugar.

Hi, No....with Easy pack beer is MAINLY BUT NOT ONLY Heineken. as draft beer, definitely you will only have Heineken But as bottle beer, in Sports bar they have a longer beer menu and some out of them are also included in Easy Pack. Depending on where you are travelling (port of departure) you will have one or other offer. This is.... not only heineken in some bars (only heineken in pool bar, buffet or so)

Hi, on which company are you sailing? I didn't know Ferrol was a port of call too. From La Coruña it is not hard to go to Santiago but from Ferrol it is more difficult. There are some trains Ferrol-Madrid that calls in Santiago but not useful for a day visit. I have found this taxi trade webpage http://teletaxiferrolterra.es/tarifas/ It seems 1,10 euro/km 14,57 euro/hour waiting Ferrol-Santiago are 100ish km, so 110 euro (and 110 return) Asking to wait for 6 hours, it seems, 310 euro a taxi

hi, on which dates do you sail with Seaview?

I had to think and remember.... - in my last hotel definitely there wasn't - but.... I have them at home and do not use (use larger ones, different sizes but larger ones)

Hi, we have posted this information in the "Ports of call" section. It could help. Nevertheless, Uber has barely business in Barcelona. Another company, Cabify, has a larger number of cars. Cabify just operates in some European and American countries. Surely you will not know them but they work quite near to Uber system. Most of taxis in Barcelona have a rate per kilometre, not a fixed rate. Exemption: port to airport cost 39 euro with all supplements included.... and I must said that providing you travel on weekend (a bit more expensive) and you get some traffic jam... it should be a bit cheaper than 39. But as said, it is a fixed rate. You can calculate approximate fares for a taxi in Barcelona and you are entitled to choose the itinerary. Sometimes taxi driver will offer you some options, it is your choice (you can point in google maps, show him and ask for that itinerary). By default, they will choose faster itinerary (that could be a bit more expensive)

Official and Fake webs A curious tip to know that one webpage you are visiting is the "official page" (well at least to discard some unofficial webs). First All official web MUST have a Spanish version. It could happen that, because cookies, computer configuration or whatever, webpage appears directly in your own language. OK.... but first of all, try to search the Spanish version of that web.... It if doesn't exist.... 100% possibilities it is not an official web. I guess this tip runs in other countries too Second... All official webs located in cities with a second language MUST have another local language too. This is.... Barcelona, Tarragona, Palamos, Palma, Mahon and Ibiza must have Catalan version of webpages Valencia and Alicante must have Valencian version Bilbao and San Sebastian must have Basque version La Coruña and Vigo must have Galician version and all Canary islands ports and Andalusian ports (Malaga, Cadiz...) will not have another version. For instance, Sagrada Familia official webpage is in Catalan, Spanish and English https://sagradafamilia.org/es/home Touristic ho-ho bus in Barcelona is in English, Italian, German, French.... Spanish and Catalan https://www.barcelonabusturistic.cat/ca If I were you I would distrust about any "official" webpage in Barcelona (for instance) without a Spanish version and a Catalan version. It is common to have any Spanish version, but unofficial webs do not translate into Catalan. Hope it helps

Hello You can go to www.amazon.it and check if the product you order is distributed in Italy (or the specific website of another country that you want to check). If you find it on Amazon, you will surely find it in pharmacies, department stores, specialized stores and, as the case may be, even in supermarkets. It may be sold under a different trade name, it may be different quantities than what you know (and it may be measured in liters and not gallons, for example), etc... but you will surely have it.

I agree.... please scroll these threads for a bit of information

It is not easy to know when and where you will have them (and definitely there will not be under a private spectacle, nor with a dinner on table for visitors) but real heritage in Barcelona (and all Catalonia) are "castells" (castles in Catalan). They are human towers, not easy to build. There are a lot of very important parts. For instance, the force done by people in the base, accuracy of people climbing and.... they have a director who gives indications through drums sounds (people in the tower cannot understand voices but can hear drums, according to drums they will know what to do). You have more information in wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castell

About dances and flamenco. You have to keep in mind that looking for flamenco in Barcelona is like looking for a place in Venice that offers you a Tarantela show. Is tarantella Italian? Yes, but from the Calabria area, quite far from Venice. I mean by this.... you have to know that flamenco is a dance typical of southern Spain (Granada, Seville, Malaga, etc...), an area where this type of dance is more present in popular celebrations and has a lot of roots. In Barcelona, families do not learn or teach this dance, there are no popular flamenco festivals, nor are there flamenco schools (beyond private teachers who can teach it). Since there is interest in demanding this show, there are those who offer it (also in Madrid and it has no roots in these cities) but.... yes, you can have a pleasant time but know that they will not exactly be the best dancers in the world and neither will they. They are continually learning since there is nowhere to practice it outside of tourist sites. With absolute certainty there will be no Spanish tourists among the public. However, in Granada there is a neighborhood with a multitude of cave restaurants and flamenco shows where you will see Spanish tourists. It's quite popular there. (the dance of Barcelona and all of Catalonia is the Sardana)

Hello: Tapas. ANYWHERE, no matter where. Search on Google, TripAdvisor or wherever. If you want something quite genuine, don't expect to sit at the table but rather stay at the bar counter (maybe in a chair there but at the bar), small places and certainly not luxurious. If what matters to you is having good tapas, don't go for ostentatious places but for places with a lot of bustle. Although it may seem strange to you... if they only have the price and product menu written in Spanish, the better (you translate it with your mobile phone or simply point out what you want from the bar). It means that they are mainly aimed at a Spanish client (and if they only have it written in Catalan, even better). Remember that in Spain you eat at 2:00 p.m. and have dinner at 9:00 p.m. According to customs, before that time, ONE tapa is taken to wait for lunch/dinner time. What I mean by this, if you go to dinner at 10:30 p.m. (don't be surprised at the time, they will give you dinner without any problem) at a place where the menu is not in English and you have to take out your phone, it will be very different from if you come at 7:00 p.m. and the menu is in four or five languages. There will be tapas in everyone, but it seems to me that you are looking for something more specific and to taste the entire cuisine. From there, let yourself be carried away by all the flavors they can offer you. Remember that it's okay to move from bar to bar, and it's okay to spend the whole night in the same place. That is your choice.