Just back from Musica - Eastern Med.-Long review!

[jmarie]

This is kind of long, but since I found the info I learned here so useful, I thought I'd post it anyway. Happy to answer any questions.

 

We traveled on the MSC Musica April 17-24 from Venice to Greece and Croatia. Our group consisted of 8 people, four couples. This was my fifth cruise, second in Europe, and first with MSC. I used Cruise Critic extensively prior to the trip, and so was well informed on what to expect. I was somewhat apprehensive, having read such mixed reviews, but the itinerary and timing were perfect, so after discussion, we all decided to give it a go.

 

 

We spent 3 days prior in Venice, highly recommended, as it is a fantastic city. We used the People Mover tram to the port. A bargain for 1 euro, but was still quite a walk to the boat. Embarkation was very efficient, less than 1 hour. We all agreed the ship is beautiful, as people have stated, much more elegant than any we had been on before. Marble, glass and brass everywhere, with very chic furniture, and very clean and well maintained. Public rooms are gorgeous, with live musicians always playing. Cabin was fine, ocean-view, deck 8, though the view somewhat impeded by a lifeboat. Only body wash and shampoo in dispensers, no conditioner. Nice towels and sheets (and we did get washcloths). Cabin service was great, cleaned several times a day. We used the menu card to order coffee and warm croissants and rolls in our room each morning-very nice.

 

 

Though I read many complaints about pushy and rude Europeans, we experienced none of that-no problems on elevators at all, though the buffet was somewhat crowded, it was fine. Service was good, we never encountered any rude staff, the few issues we had were dealt with promptly and professionally. I did witness some passengers treating the staff quite rudely, especially at the reception desk, and I thought they were remarkably patient. All staff spoke English, though sometimes communication could be a bit of a challenge, which some people tolerated better than others. We had no trouble at all.

 

 

Dining was fine, some items very good such as pasta, risotto, eggplant, and lasagna and the bread was great. Seafood was hit or miss, the fish good, but we weren’t keen on the shellfish-being from New England, we are spoiled by being used to fantastic seafood and it didn’t quite measure up. Each night had a regional Italian menu, and those seemed to be the best choices. We found the desserts good. Buffet food was adequate, pizzas, cold cuts, cheese, salad vegetables, and lots of fresh fruit. Coffee and water were the only beverages. They would do well to add lemonade or iced tea. Juice was available in the am, but it was more like a powdered mix. We all received vouchers for bottled water. Beer and wine were reasonably priced; we got carafes of wine each night at dinner for 7 euro each, a good deal.

 

 

We really enjoyed the shows, they were fast paced and fun, though short, about 30 minutes. Usually a combination of singers, dancers, acrobatics and magic, the performers were quite talented.

 

 

The itinerary was fantastic, all ports were wonderful. Getting on and off the ship was very organized and efficient, the best we have experienced. I was worried that the port times were too short, but they turned out to be just fine. We did not do any ship excursions; we hired private drivers in Olympia, Athens, and Santorini. For Bari, Corfu, Mykonos, and Dubrovnik we took cabs, and walked around on our own. The ship had shuttle buses at these ports for 8-10 euro each, but the cabs were readily available, and cheaper. There were not a lot of announcements, so it was important to read the daily newsletters.

 

 

Weather for our whole week was great, only rained one day for a couple of hours. We were 1 hour late back to port, due to very heavy fog in Venice the port closed temporarily, but disembarkation was fine, we waited on the pool deck till they called our luggage tag color, and luggage was easy to retrieve. All in all, we were satisfied with our cruise. The many positives outweighed the few negatives. Though it is probably best suited to people who enjoy and easily adapt to cultural differences, our whole group enjoyed the experience and had a great time.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review.

 

Kirk

[Marian Paroo]

I'm going to be on Deck 8 (My cruise, as you see, sets sail a week from tomorrow) and I also have a cabin that has an obsured view do due to a lifeboat (that's what I get for booking late!).

 

Wonder if it's the same one, although I see there are a couple like that on the deck.

 

Thanks for the reassuring review.

[cakeordeath]

thank you so much for the review! We are so excited about our upcoming trip in June. Could you give more specific information on who you used and what you did in Santorini?

[Misswissa]

Do they charge for room service or is it included?

[Shelledpea]

Do they charge for room service or is it included?

 

Room service is free att breakfast outside of those times though it is chargeable ~ I will look and see if I can find the menus....

 

Room Service Menus: Continental Breakfast is available free between 7.30am and 10am and includes filter coffee or tea, a choice of fruit juices, bread rolls, toast, brioches, croissants, yoghurt, butter & jams. Items from the A la Carte Menu are available 24hrs a day and range in price from €2.25 (Soup) to €4.90 for a fruit basket containing 5 pieces. A club sandwich is €3.10, A smoked salmon sandwich is €3.20, Desserts are €3.10 and are available as regular or sweetened with fructose. All prices will have a 15% service charge added.

Mini bar Prices: Fruit Juices, Iced Tea and Coke etc are charged at €2.70, Champagne ½bottle €30, Spirits 50ml €5.70, Beers €3.90, All prices will have a 15% service charge added. Drinks from the bar are also available through room service at bar prices.

[Marian Paroo]

I am also very interested in Santorini.

 

You said you didnt use any tours.

 

Did you get to the winery at oia (sp)?

 

I love going to wineries.

[Pluto_fan]

Thank you so much for the excellent review! I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us.

 

We are about to book the Musica for this October. I was considering deck 8, but it looks like almost all of the cabins would have lifeboat views. From what you could tell, is that true? We're thinking of going to deck 5, although it's slightly more expensive, because of the lifeboats.

 

Do you have any idea how large the 7 euro carafes of wine were? Would it be enough for a couple of glasses? LOL, have to plan my wine budget! ;)

 

Thanks again for your review!

[Misswissa]

I am also interested in the winery excursion in Santorini. Any info would be great. Also can you get euros on the ship?

[jmarie]

Could you give more specific information on who you used and what you did in Santorini?

We used Markos from Private Santorini Tours. He was prompt and nice, and told us about the island as we drove. We first stopped at a scenic overlook, great photo op of the volcano. Then on to Oia, where he waited while we walked around. It started raining while we were there, which was too bad, but it was nice to get in a warm, dry van! Then we went to the Santo winery, which has a beautiful outdoor deck with a fantastic view, for a wine tasting. We bought wine there (and Markos bought us a bottle!) and took it back on the ship no problem.

 

Do they charge for room service or is it included?

 

We only ordered the room service for breakfast, and it was free. It is just a continental breakfast, but nice to wake up to each morning.

 

We are about to book the Musica for this October. I was considering deck 8, but it looks like almost all of the cabins would have lifeboat views. From what you could tell, is that true? We're thinking of going to deck 5, although it's slightly more expensive, because of the lifeboats.

 

Do you have any idea how large the 7 euro carafes of wine were? Would it be enough for a couple of glasses? LOL, have to plan my wine budget! ;)

 

It seemed most of the cabins on deck 8 had obstructed views. Ours wasn't too bad, but some were completely blocked. I wouldn't risk it - the views are fantastic, and you see land almost the whole trip!

 

The carafes were the house wine, which was good. We got both red and white, and they held about 4 glasses of wine each - so a great deal.

 

Also can you get euros on the ship?

 

We didn't try to get Euros on the ship, as I had heard you get the best exchange rates from ATM's. It was no problem finding ATM's at every port, and at the airport. By the way, I read on these boards that you could use Euros in Dubrovnik, but many places did not take them, including the charge for walking the walls - they accepted Kuna only. But there are plenty of ATM's, as well as a currency exchange office just inside the city wall.

 

Just in case anyone is interested, we also used George Letsios of Taxi Katakolon in Olympia, and he was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. We had a great day with him. And, we pre-arranged transfer to the Acropolis with Andreas Kambas of TaxiDrives.gr who was also good.

[Pluto_fan]

Great! Thanks again!

[fzappa fan]

So wonderful you posted this! We will be taking the same cruise in a couple weeks. I had a couple questions... Is there a place to iron something yourself or do you have to send it off to have them do it? How difficult is it to figure out what is on the menus at restaurants at the stops? We don't eat seafood & don't want to order it by mistake.

 

Other than excursions in Athens & Olympia, we will be exploring on our own. Did you feel there was enough time to explore without having to worry about missing the ship? How difficult was it to communicate if you only know English? Any tips on finding good places to purchase souveniors without getting ripped off? I'd love to hear any feedback. We did find our room on Deck 10 & it looks like great views!

[AmoMondo]

So wonderful you posted this! We will be taking the same cruise in a couple weeks. I had a couple questions... Is there a place to iron something yourself or do you have to send it off to have them do it? quote]

 

Unfortunately there is no facilities for ironing things yourself and you are not permitted to bring your own, so yes, you will need to use their laundry service.

[Marian Paroo]

So wonderful you posted this! We will be taking the same cruise in a couple weeks. I had a couple questions... Is there a place to iron something yourself or do you have to send it off to have them do it? How difficult is it to figure out what is on the menus at restaurants at the stops? We don't eat seafood & don't want to order it by mistake.

 

 

I would think that most retaurants have an English side to their menu. I bet you could also go to one of those translation sites on the net and write out "I don't eat seafood" and get a translation for it in a number of languages that you can print out.

[jmarie]

Hi Fzappa fan

The ship had laundry service, but it was expensive, even for just ironing. We just managed with slightly wrinkle clothes. Maybe you might bring a clothes steamer? I heard people had luck with those.

 

Regarding the restaurants in port-we had no trouble at all. People spoke good or passable English everywhere we went, and most restaurants had English translations or tourist versions of their menus. The people, especially in Greece, go out of their way to try to accommodate you. I will say though that seafood is prominent on menus in this area, but lamb, chicken and vegetable dishes are always available. It really helps to try to learn a few words in Italian and Greek, people really appreciate the effort.

 

We did not worry too much about missing the ship while in port. Athens and Olympia are the only ports that require you to travel some distance from the ship (each about a half hour drive) and if you have excursions, you are all set. I wish we had more time in Santorini, because it takes time to tender over there, and then to get up to the town of Fira (by cable car, or donkey). We were due to arrive at port at 8, but arrived early (we arrived at almost every port early, which was great). We were up at the town by about 9:10. However, the line to go down the cable car was very long, and there were only 2 ships in port. We ended up walking down, it is a long and steep walk. I felt bad for those donkeys doing it all day. In Mykonos, the ship docks quite close to town, you could easily walk there, plenty of cabs, as well as a shuttle. Corfu is walkable, but further, we took cabs both ways, they were readily available. Bari is the one port that we had a bit of trouble, lots of cabs at the ship, and they all wanted to take you on a tour. I somewhat wish we had done that, we just got dropped off at the town and walked around. It was somewhat interesting, but not a lot to do. It was a little hard to find your way around. We saw the castle and St. Nicolas cathedral, but could not find a cab to get back to the ship, so we walked. It might be a good idea to arrange for a return trip if you take a cab.

 

In Dubrovnik, we docked, which was a surprise, and there were plenty of cabs right off the ship. They took us to the old town, and there were lots of cabs waiting just outside the city walls for the return trip. The ship offered shuttles at all these ports for 8-10 euros per person. The cabs were about 10 euros each way per cab, so if you had 4 it was about half the cost, but for only two, the shuttle may be fine.

 

As far as souvenirs, I think you do best by getting away from the most touristy areas. Each port had areas jammed with souvenir shops selling mostly the same stuff. But off the beaten path we bought beautiful leather handbags in Venice, in Dubrovnik older women sell hand embroidered linens in some of the back streets which were beautiful. we saw a lot of hand painted items, and artists with inexpensive paintings which were very nice. Mykonos had a lot of nice jewelry shops, and we all brought scarfs with the Greek E symbol (eternity, I think). I could go on and on!

 

Hope you have a great time! It's a fantastic itinerary.

[MamaRelaxation]

Fzappafan , are you going as part of a group? We are taking the same trip in a couple of weeks and are also booked for excursions in Athens and Olympia. Am wondering if you are part of the group I am going with.

[fzappa fan]

We are leaving May 15th. I qualified for the trip through work, selling insurance. Are you with the same group? Same departure date?

[MamaRelaxation]

Fzappafan, we are going as part of Auto Owners group 7. Leaving on May 26. Looks like we will miss you. Be sure to post a review here. I'm interested in your take on the trip. My boss just got back, he went on the first group, and he really enjoyed himself.

We qualified for 2 trips, and he gave me the second one. I'm getting very excited!

[Misswissa]

We are also part of the Auto Owners group on May 22. Anybody else in that group let me know??

[fzappa fan]

One of my co-workers is on the trip right now. Have you checked out seascannner.com? You can track where the ship is at any time & get live views off the bow & the pool area. Pretty cool!

 

I wondered if you can ask you boss about how formal the formal nights were. I did bring one cocktail partyish knee length dress and a pair of slacks I can wear other times to pair with a glittery top for the 2nd formal night. I hope that is not too casual?? Trying to leave plenty of room in the suitcase for the things I might buy there!

[AmoMondo]

I wondered if you can ask you boss about how formal the formal nights were. I did bring one cocktail partyish knee length dress and a pair of slacks I can wear other times to pair with a glittery top for the 2nd formal night. I hope that is not too casual?? Trying to leave plenty of room in the suitcase for the things I might buy there!

 

Honestly that will be absolutely fine for formal wear. Only a small percentage 10-15% wear very formal - tuxes and full length gowns, the vast majority wear something similar to what you are describing

[MamaRelaxation]

My boss pretty much confirmed AmoMondo's comment. He took his Sunday suit and tie but said most of the ladies were wearing dressy black slacks and blouses with sparkly accessories, or skirt suits. I have black dress slacks with a sequined top and a black skirt. I figured with the right *bling* and shoes it will be fine.

[suenden]

Hi, Your review is excellent....thanks for all the great info.

We are 3 couples travelling on this cruise in September and then on the Splendida straight after. We were wondering if they have maxi cabs at any of the ports so we can all fit in one cab?

Also, do you know if they have nail artists on these ships, as we will be away for a good month and I will need my nails infiled at some point...lol:D

 

thanks.:)

[gmsmithsf]

We are taking this cruise in July. I, too, have been a little apprehensive after reading some of the reviews but attributed most of the negativism to cultural differences. Since I retired to Europe 5 years ago, that won't be a problem for us. My question is, at the three ports where you hired a private driver, did you arrange for that ahead of time or were they available similar to the cabs at the piers? If you arranged ahead, could you provide contact information? Thanks.

[AmoMondo]

Hi, Your review is excellent....thanks for all the great info.

We are 3 couples travelling on this cruise in September and then on the Splendida straight after. We were wondering if they have maxi cabs at any of the ports so we can all fit in one cab?

Also, do you know if they have nail artists on these ships, as we will be away for a good month and I will need my nails infiled at some point...lol:D

 

thanks.:)

 

I think you could be out of luck with the nail artist. The Aurea Spa which is on all ships is staffed with Balinese girls and I always go and have only ever seen normal manicures and pedicures with conventional nail polish available. That said, I don't need infills, so have not specifically asked them if they can do this