Beamafar - tell me about Sinfonia!

[CruiseIreland]

Hi Bea. Rather than hijack someone else's thread, can you tell me how you enjoyed your cruise on MY ship? Food, entertainment, tenders, ports and crew plus anything else you think relevant. Thanks in advance, Ken. :)

[Beamafar]

Hi Ken. I was planning to do just that. I was even considering doing a full review - something I've never done. However the hard-drive has gone kaput on my macbook (again!) so I'm waiting for a replacement. I'll now have to get used to using my ipad a lot more for this sort of thing - especially apps. I really should be using tapatalk!:rolleyes:

 

First things first: We got an upgrade to a suite which gave us access to MyChoice dining in Covo, so anything related will refer to that restaurant experience. At least 2 other couples from Ireland that I know of also received upgrades and it was their first time with MSC so nothing to do with Voyagers' Club status.

 

When our tickets were issued they just advised us as "members" on the documentation as well as the luggage tags. I rang the TA to have this amended as I knew from experience that this meant that the ship wouldn't have knowledge of our status. The tickets were re-issued with the Black level showing, so we headed off on our trip happy that this was sorted.

 

We had an MSC transfer from the airport. When we got into the arrivals hall there was no sign of a rep. There were others from RC and NCL and they pointed in the general direction of the exit when we asked about MSC. We went outside - still no sign! Eventually we saw a flag in the distance with the familiar logo so we headed for it. As we neared, an MSC rep appeared and showed us to the office where we waited for the bus. Soon after we were on our way to the port with others who were embarking both Sinfonia and Magnifica.

 

The set-up at the terminal was different to what we'd experienced at Venice in our at least 3 other times we'd been. It was a bit chaotic. There was a bloke at a table which had 3 signs on it: Priority, Black Card & Aurea guests. Another guy was trying to herd non-priority guests to the left of this area and on to the queue for the terminal entrance. There was a group of people at the table and the MSC chap was all over the place. Turns out the group didn't have priority boarding, so, as soon as they moved along (with all their luggage!!! This isn't taken from you at this point) we were up next. Well, we weren't on the list! I showed him our cruisecards from our previous cruise - he took them away to speak to somebody, we presumed, but came back down the path to us, unsure what to do. He said he'd never seen this before when I explained that they were now our membership level cards 'til the next time. Eventually he accepted that we indeed were entitiled to priority and let us through. Boy, were we glad it wasn't busy at the time as there would have been chaos as the area wasn't suited for a queue to form.

 

We proceeded up a slight incline with our luggage and entered an area where the bags were taken from us. We then had to go past a security guy who checked our passports, then into the terminal where we went straight to the priority line - no queue so got to check-in no problem. Mind you, those on the other line who'd been on the same bus from the airport were also checked through at the same time so the delay at the beginning meant priority was slower!! Anyway, we headed for the ship where our photos were taken on the deck, then onto the ship and straight to the cabin. We had landed at 11am ish and were on by 12.45pm ish.

 

Our cabin door was resting against its lock so we pushed it open and saw our cards on the bed. Not black!! Straight to Guest Relations where we were told that the Voyagers' Club rep would have to sort it and he wasn't available 'til 8pm!! I can tell you, I wasn't happy about that. We registered the cards and headed off for lunch.

 

Il Galeone is the restaurant for both breakfast and lunch. It's actually like 2 restaurants as it is divided by an elevators and stairs area as a result of the Renaissance programme where the ship was stretched and a new addition was made to the MDR. You have to walk through one to get to the other where the buffet lunch is laid on (unless you come down in the lift that divides the two areas!). There is a choice of a limited set menu or the buffet - or combine the two. Lunch wasn't great and we headed back to the cabin to check it out. Our steward was in the corridor and he apologised for not being there when we first arrived to welcome us. That was a surprise - for quite some time now we never see the steward 'til we seek him out to tell him what we'll need from him (usually just face flannels and the mini-bar items we prefer). He had seen that the cards had been removed from the room and DH had left his phone so he knew that we'd been ................ and gone as quick!! We explained about the black card issue and he immediately went off and got us 2 towelling robes, slippers and a toiletry set with the MED logo - the one you can buy in the logo shop. Apparently this is provided to Aurea suite guests, but as we had been upgraded, we wouldn't have been entitiled to receive them otherwise. He also gave us a diffuser as a souvenir - the same as the one in the cabin. If memory serves, it retails for about E35 in the logo shop!

 

On to dinner in Covo, our "MyChoice" dining room. I should say at this point that Early dining was at 7pm and late seating was 9.30pm for those in Il Galeone. Anyway, we headed for dinner at 7pm as this was opening time. We were met at the entrance and shown to the closest table which did not appeal to me at all at'all (Irish expression!). An interjection is required here to explain/excuse what happened next. Bear in mind that we'd been up since 2am and hadn't had any rest that day, had had a couple of little drinky-poos during the afternoon onboard, so, at this stage, I was feeling a little tired and emotional as you can imagine. Anyway, I decided I was going to choose a table that suited and took off into the dining room to check out the best options. I spied a two-top in a very nice situation beside a port-side window. Another interjection here: sailaway had been delayed due to traffic conjestion and we were just getting underway down through the Grand Canal. Well, our little table was in a great spot for viewing! So, we sat down, ignoring the receptionist/waitress calling after us that we couldn't sit there. I enquired as to why not - it was "MyChoice" after all! An argument ensued - well, on her part anyway, as I didn't engage so much. She picked up the table number thingy and kept telling me that someone else could be having that table. I told her that I was the someone else - I felt I had as much right to sit there as anyone. (Remember, we'd received an upgrade so we were there on a free benefit!). Along came the head-waitress so I was getting it in stereo at this point. I explained that I would like to enjoy the sailaway and was told I must go to the buffet if I wanted to do sailaway viewing as I couldn't stay where I was. Illogically I said that I wouldn't order, I'd just sit there for a while (remember - tired and emotional!). Next thing, I saw the maitreD' coming toward us. I thought "Oh, I'm in trouble, now". Interjection: I didn't even have a Black Card to use at this juncture to help! Well, he shooed the two women away and said "Madam, you may sit here - enjoy" and apologised! He gave it to the other two in the neck and sent them on their way!! I'll end this little saga by saying that the next day at lunch, Marianna, the head-waitress, came over to us and apologised profusely (as I did back to her, explaining my 'tired and emotional' state) and told us that the table would be ours and we could come anytime we chose and it would be available. Typical me, I pushed the boat out and asked if that applied to our next Sinfonia sailing on Oct 8 to Durban for 24 nights!!! A guy who'd been hovering and who I'd thought was a waiter said "You need to speak to me about that, Madam" to which I (stupidly) replied "Who are you?" Turns out he was the assistant maitreD' - he took DH's cruisecard and went off somewhere with it before returning and handing it back. We've since been told that it's arranged that the table will be ours on the crossing!

 

So, after that lengthy tale, I won't bore you with all the details of the rest of the cruise. I'll try to keep to the specifics of info you may need. I'll just say at this point that it took a few days to get used to the ship. It was our first time on a Lirica class and, if we weren't booked on the crossing, I don't think I'd book this size ship again unless the itinerary was a "must-do". It felt too crowded and I missed having more evening venues to choose from, like on Fantasia class.

 

On to the theatre. The first night we left after 5 minutes. The second night we sat thru' it and were sorry we didn't leave after the first 5 minutes. We didn't bother after that. I kept forgetting to book a time slot (which you have to do on Sinfonia) so we missed the types of shows that I do like on MSC. I reckoned I'd probably get to see them in October, anyway. I'll list them in a later posting, Ken.

 

It took some getting used to where the various bands were playing and what times they'd be on at. It seemed at first that they were on a break every time we got to the different lounges so we spent the first couple of evenings wandering around missing the entertainment. There's a 3 man band in Sinfonia who were very good and we spent our last evenings there enjoying the music they played. There was a Beatles tribute one night which is how we found out how good these guys were. The name on the planner says 'Supernova'. They're from Brazil so I didn't get talking to them, which I usually do with the entertainers when they have English, but I did give and get some friendly waves and greetings by the end of the cruise and I'm hoping they'll be onboard for the next trip. The band 'On the Waves' in the Manhattan bar also played at the pool some nights so it wasn't easy to follow them so much, though they were also very good.

 

Now for some observations - not necessarily criticisms where they're negative-sounding, just statements.

 

For the first time ever, any unused wine in the bottle opened at dinner was kept for the following evening. Before, I'd always been given a fresh bottle both at lunch and dinner.

 

There's a section in Il Galeone at breakfast and lunch which is reserved for MyChoice dining guests.

 

First night onboard was a theme night - 'Party (60's 70's 80's) night. Another first in my experience - it's always been a 'Casual' night before.

 

Fewer people dressed up on second Gala night. Perhaps the first is more subscribed to as it's photo with the Captain and dance with the officers night?

 

I'd read a lot over the years about bad behaviour in and at the elevators - well, I certainly experienced it for myself this time in a way that I'd never had before now! The lifts are small enough but when you get people who refuse to move to the space at the back to let you get on ........... well, what can I say? As for the ones who would lean against the walls, therefore their feet were right across the middle so that you'd have to step over them ............. I ask, again, what can I say?!

 

Something I was quite taken aback by: ashtrays on the tables in Sheelagh's House. Now, I'm not an anti-smoker. I believe that smokers are entitled to have some space allocated to smoke in and never understood people complaining that you could smell smoke all over the ship as that had never been my experience. However, the elevator area outside Sheelagh's reeked!! However, as DH smokes, we were able to spend some time together having a drink instead of him always having to head off to an outside deck or a smoking lounge like we're used to on other ships. So if you're a serious anti-smoker, avoid the area at all costs!

 

Our suitcases didn't fit under the beds, unlike on other ships.

 

Only one bottle of Prosecco per cabin regardless of whether both guests are Black!!

 

No discount voucher booklet.

 

Black party/event was a total waste of time. There were ony 9 Black card holders onboard of which we were 2 - they could have made more of an effort!!

 

Passports or other ID required when going ashore in Ancona.

 

According to 2 couples we befriended onboard, they were told that they must come to MyChoice dining at 7pm each evening and sit at the same table. I did notice a 'Closed' sign at the right-hand entrance one night as we were leaving at 8.45pm. I got the impression that they tried to run the dining room as 2 seatings - Early & Late. However, I would not, and did not, have to follow this.

 

One of the lifts only goes as far as Deck 9 - we got caught out a couple of times on that one! Can't remember which one, though.

 

Overall, we had a really enjoyable cruise aboard Sinfonia, though it did take me a couple of days to settle in. We found it was one of the most friendly in terms of meeting English-speaking passengers (10% onboard this one) though the most unfriendly when it came to the crew - some were just downright sullen, though there were a few gems in the mix.

 

For those of you who've stayed 'til now - thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope there were some helpful tips for those who are planning to sail Sinfonia. There's some other stuff, Ken, I'll share later and if there's anything I haven't covered, just ask. I know I haven't mentioned food/menus or the ports of call - I can either answer any questions you have, or I'll post again, later, anyway.

[champagne123]

As always, I love reading your reviews Bea. Thank you for taking the time to write it. :)

[Beamafar]

That is really nice of you to say C-123 :)

[Beamafar]

Ken .................. while I think of it - you asked before about the benefits of future booking onboard. Here's the spiel:

 

PRIVILEGE PRICE + SHIPBOARD CEDIT* + DEPARTURE FLEXIBILITY

 

PRIVILEGE PRICE: Book now & if you find a cheaper price later, we will match it.

 

FLEXIBILITY: Change your reservation to suit your needs prior to final payment.

 

COMBINE & SAVE: Combine offer with MSC Voyagers Club exclusive savings.

 

BOOK EARLY: Choose from the best selection of staterooms and suites.

 

Reservations will be credited back to your preferred Travel Partner.

 

SHIPBOARD CREDIT

 

INSIDE $/E50

 

OCEANVIEW $/E75

 

BALCONY $/E100

 

SUITE $/E150

 

YC $/E200

 

As I've just posted on another thread, the "Book Early" spiel is rubbish. Even the Cruise Consultant was surprised to see that the only B3 available on an itinerary I'm interested in doing in Oct '17 was the same on different dates!! AND it's the lousiest of all the B3s so no way was I going to book it!!!

[Beamafar]

Another nugget about Sinfonia is one that Pete (Skier52) shared with me when I first mentioned that I'd booked 1201 for my upcoming repo from Venice to Durban. Up on deck 12 where the cabins are located there is a heavy, metal door which leads right to the front of the ship. It's an awesome spot - thanks for the tip, Pete. I'm looking forward (pardon the pun) to spending some time there when I'll be next door to this exit! Especially for sailaway from Venice and arrivals to the various PsOC.

 

Also, there are sunbeds at the aft on many of the cabin decks which were unused during the cruise - another spot for the sun should the balcony be shaded.

[CruiseIreland]

OMG Bea - you are a NIGHTMARE!! Lol! Just kidding! Thanks for coming back so promptly with your views. As we're in steerage, many of the issues may not arise or certainly won't be solved by waving my black card! Might be a good idea to get at least a few hours sleep before hitting Dublin airport at 5am.

 

Looking forward to your views on food etc. Can you tell me what is behind the metal door on 12? Thanks again, Ken.

[Beamafar]

The metal door leads you right out to the front of the ship - you can do the whole "Titanic" scene out there LOL!!

 

As to the food - well, the first day both lunch and dinner were so disappointing that I feared for the remainder of the cruise. However, it turned out to be some of the best we've had onboard. Having said that, apparently the dinner menu is different in Covo to Il Galeone so I don't know how it'll be for you lot in steerage :p Breakfast and lunch will be the same, though.

 

I'm aware you're travelling pretty soon, Ken, and want to know as much as possible before you go. I intend to post over the next day or two about the ports and my views on the itinerary, including its impact on dining times so bear with me. I'm usually very reticent about sharing port visit experiences as we don't often do a lot but I have some info you may find useful. It'll probably be tomorrow before I get my thoughts together to post - I'm flagging a bit now, TBH.

[CruiseIreland]

Bea, l really appreciate the info as Sinfonia is not well reported on CC. Take your time. Ken

[Beamafar]

Thanks, Ken. :)

 

It wouldn't surprise me if we end up on the same cruise sometime in the future - just look at our booking history! I'm on Fantasia a couple of weeks before you, too, though a different itinerary so I'll be no help when it comes to the ports of call. I'm keen to check out Sir Bani Yas as that'll be new to everyone! I really would have loved to do the repo to Civitavecchia but the budget just wouldn't stretch as I'm planning to push the boat out on the repo to South Africa in Oct so I decided to wait to do it on Splendida in 2018 - turns out she's heading to China then LOL. Who knows, maybe MSC will do a decent deal on that one - now that would be one to watch!

[All-ready2cruise]

Bea, thanks very much for your eloquent and enjoyable review. It reminds a wee bit of how my dear Irish GM would talk to me, telling me what was right and what wasn't. I'm proud of you for taking the initiative to find a table that suited you and your DH", I'd probably get thrown off the ship if I did something like that but... I doubt we'll need to do it since this cruise we're just sailing in Fastastica balcony and hoping we get early seating.

 

In any case, thanks for all the info and glad you enjoyed, at least to some measure, your cruise.

 

 

Cheers,

[Beamafar]

Cheers, Connie - you've made me smile this morning.

 

Just to clarify, we ended up enjoying the cruise. There were a few Irish onboard and, down to the last one, they were a really friendly lot and we had some great interaction with them. We also met some terrific Scots and Aussies and it seemed that, no matter where we went, there was always someone to have a bit of craic with.

[Beamafar]

As I mentioned before, Early seating was @ 7pm and Late was @ 9.30pm every night except for Tuesday night as a result of the ship's arrival in Mykonos @ 8.15pm. The times on that night were 6.45pm & 9pm.

 

We found that the food overall was very tasty unlike previous times when it tended to be bland. We only went to the buffet once and that was for breakfast - on the first day, as we'd slept it out for MDR breakfast (tired and emotional took its toll!) We walked through it at other times but it was like a zoo so we stuck to Il Galeone for breakfast and lunch where we had amazing service from Dani in the MyChoice area. Both these meals were a combination of buffet and set menu which worked out well. If there wasn't anything on the menu to take your fancy you had the option of buffet without having to go to the main buffet (if you get my drift).

 

Dinner menu in Covo, as previously stated, was a different offering to Il Galeone. Probably more along the lines of the YC restaurant on Fantasia class. Anyway, after the first night, it was very enjoyable. It was striking how often we both said "That was really good/tasty/enjoyable". I don't remember ever having that experience on other ships - including YC!! Stand-outs included chicken satay for starters, minestrone soup (it looked terrific and DH said it was) and prime rib was to die for! Another night one of the mains was from the Tex-Mex restaurant recipe of mixed grill - delish!! I'm salivating now just thinking about it.

 

There is also food served in Sheelagh's House at no cost. Bear in mind that one side of this lounge is a smoker's paradise. The room is practically an n shape with non-smoking on the left leg of the n, the bar is across the top and ashtrays on the tables on the right leg. Anyway, the menu is as follows:

 

Sandwich Selection:

 

Club Sandwich: three toasted slices of white sandwich loaf filled with mayonnaise, tomato, lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, roast turkey and bacon, served with potato chips.

Maxi Croissant: filled with brie, speck ham and button mushrooms.

Chicken wrap: filled with julienne chicken, mayonnaise, raisins, walnuts and lettuce.

 

"A Classic":

 

Roast Beef Platter with horseradish, pickled onions and berry jam.

 

Desserts:

 

Warm apple pie with vanilla sauce / Brownie - dark chocolate and walnut.

 

Now on to the ports of call. Firstly, if you haven't already, I recommend a visit to ShoreBee.com website where you can download your very own Routebook.

 

Split: Arrive 8am Depart 6pm The port is within walking distance of the main centre which made it a very easy and enjoyable visit. We just wandered the streets and browsed the various stalls where we had some great craic and banter with a couple of the stall-holders when purchasing a pair of shorts for DH. The town is not quite as stunning as Dubrovnik, but it's lovely, nonetheless. DH also bought some cartons of cigarettes as they are cheaper than duty-free there!! I recommend you get some Kunas as there are some places that don't accept Euros. Any you don't use can be kept for Dubrovnik later on in the week.

 

Santorini: Arrive 8am Depart 3pm This was a tender port. We had priority so were on the first one. We opted to take the "speedboat' tour at the port which would take us to Oia, then a bus back to Fira. The cost was E15 pp and you could also purchase a one-way cable car ticket for the return from Fira to the port for another E5 pp which we did, though there's no benefit to this as you still have to join the queue for the cable car anyway. I personally wouldn't recommend this trip. It was after 10.10am before we got to Oia where we were told that there were 2 buses back to Fira - 1 @ 11.30am and the other 12.30am. DH and I decided to catch the earlier one as we wanted a little time in Fira before heading back to the ship. The streets are incredibly narrow in Oia and we moved along at a snail's pace. There really wasn't much to see and we felt we'd wasted our time coming here. We decided to stop into a place and have a drink and get some wifi. I had a pear juice (blitzed pears which was uck!) and DH had a coke - total E10.50 :eek: The wifi was so bad I couldn't even load the main page of Independent.ie so that was another waste. To add insult to injury, we paid with a E20 note and E2 coin to assist with the change. We were given a E10 note back - the chancer took a E1.50 tip for himself!! We let it go and chalked it up to experience. It was then a race back to the bus which we just about made and headed for Fira. Well, such a contrast! It's a lovely town with nice streets and shopping and we were sorry we hadn't just spent our time there. However, we thought it best to head for the cable car and get back to the ship for lunch before the crowds. Turns out we did the right thing. We heard later that the queues were very long - there had been chaos and, literally, fisticuffs at the cable car as people jumped the queue in their anxiety to get back to the ship on time.

 

Mykonos: Arrive 20.15pm Depart 2am Bear in mind that this is the same day as the visit to Santorini. We just couldn't face getting off after having dinner so we gave it a miss. The ship was like a ghost town but I was told later by different people that we didn't miss much by not going ashore, either! As we'd been before, though in the daytime, I knew what they meant. MSC provided two forms of shuttle for this port - bus for E9.90 pp and boat for E6.90 pp both return and valid all night. The bus left every 10/15 mins and the boat every 30 mins. I understand that this itinerary had changed as a result of Istanbul being pulled, but having 2 ports of call in one day was too much!

 

Dubrovnik: Arrive 1pm Depart 7pm We hadn't planned on getting off here as we've been a few times already so we went for a quiet, leisurely lunch @ 1pm (times were 11.30am to 1.30pm on this day in MDR due to arrival time). We then considered going for a stroll around the port as we hadn't done that before so we ventured off the ship to be met by a taxi-man offering to take us to town for "cheaper than ship" @ E13 - MSC's shuttle was E13.90 pp. I asked him if he'd do it for E10 and he agreed! They were charging E15 last year but I think there were a lot of complaints because it had only been E10 beforehand. Anyway, we got to the old town and decided that we'd do the walls as we hadn't done that before. You have to pay in Kunas or use a credit card - the charge was K120 pp (approx E16). We walked for more than half of the full route before saying we'd had enough - it was very hot and DH has a banjaxed foot from an accident he had years ago. We headed for the taxi rank and made our way back to the ship to rest before dinner.

 

Ancona: Arrive 10am Depart 6pm This was a lovely town - again, similar to Split in that it was walking distance from the port. We just browsed the shops and market stalls for the morning. It was extremely hot - in fact, we had fantastic weather all week.

 

That's pretty much it. I'll just list the shows now and, if there's anything else, just ask.

 

Keep in mind that first show we walked after 5 mins and second we didn't enjoy. We didn't attend the others so can't comment on them:

 

MOVIES: A tribute to the Golden Age of the Silver Screen

 

LIPSTICK: The beautiful voice of Anahit and MSC Sinfonia dancers

 

CLEOPATRA: Artistry of Tatiana & Vlad, Amazing DZ Boys, Anahit and Federico

 

No show on Tuesday due to night visit to Mykonos

 

ROMEO & GIULIETTA: A modern remake of the classic love story - again with Anahit and Federicco with Duo Elegance

 

NATURE: Main artists Duo Elegance with A & F (named already!) and Danger Zone Boys (DZs again)

 

DIRTY DANCING: A&F with dancers.

 

PS One last thing I almost forgot to mention. As our flight wasn't scheduled to depart 'til 10.20pm on the evening of disembarkation, we booked an excursion with the ship for E59.90 pp(why not leave it @ E60 and be done with it! It'd be easier to type, too!). We were brought ashore to the meeting point where we all split up into the different groups for different tours. Our one brought us out to the island of Murano to visit one of the glass factories and see the process. We then returned to the meeting point (about 4 bridges from St Mark's Square) and had a couple of hours free time before being brought back to the ship to collect our luggage and transfer to the airport where we arrived at 4pm.

Edited September 7, 2016 by Beamafar
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[CruiseIreland]

Thanks a mill, Bea. That's all very useful information. Our cruise tickets arrived today. We have been assigned early dining which wouldn't be our first choice, although late dining meant very full heading to bed. As we're Bella, we will probably be in the buffet overflow. I don't care 'cos l'm going on a cruise that is at a great price. We have booked our first ever ship tour for Santorini, mainly to avoid tender and cable car queues.

 

Bea, l am hovering over the mouse for booking a 2018 Seaview cruise so you never know, we might sail together yet!

 

Thanks again, Ken.;)

[Beamafar]

Thanks a mill, Bea.

 

Bea, l am hovering over the mouse for booking a 2018 Seaview cruise so you never know, we might sail together yet!

 

Thanks again, Ken.;)

 

Tá fáilte romhat, a chara ;)

 

I very much doubt I'll be booking the Seaview, Ken. The itinerary is practically the same as Meraviglia's, which I'm doing next year. Maybe another time, eh? :D

 

Hope you & yours have a wonderful cruise on Sinfonia. If there's anything else you think of, just shout! Come back and let us know how you got on.

Edited September 8, 2016 by Beamafar

[CruiseIreland]

Thanks Bea, I will definitely compile a trip report on my return. 15 days to go!!:)