MSC Bellissima Red Sea Winter 2021/2021

[LeCommandant]

Hi all,

 

I found very few reviews about the MSC Bellissima Red Sea cruise, that is why I wanted to share some informations.

 

Let's begin with Lunch menus of the YC. As you can see, meals are about the same as in Mediterranean cruises, but with a selection of Arabic meals. 

 

As a bonus you will find the Room Service list. Let's have a rest on the Top Deck now 😉 

 

Bests

QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY6_EN_1637755877.pdf

QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY5_EN_1637755877.pdfQR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY4_EN_1637755877.pdfQR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY3_EN_1637755877.pdfQR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY2_EN_1637755877.pdf

QR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY1_EN_1637755877.pdfQR_W_YC_LUNCH_DAY1_EN_1637404298.pdf

QR_DD_BE-YC-ROOM-SERVICE_OTHER_DAYX_EN_1637400026.pdf

[perakcruiser]

3 hours ago, LeCommandant said:

Hi all,

 

I found very few reviews about the MSC Bellissima Red Sea cruise, that is why I wanted to share some informations.

Looking forward to read, probably this is the first review ever about this new cruise.

[little britain]

How will they handle alcohol sales on the Saudi cruises? 

[perakcruiser]

14 hours ago, little britain said:

How will they handle alcohol sales on the Saudi cruises? 

Very easy.

In Saudi waters - Alcohol no
In international waters - Alcohol yes

[LeCommandant]

First, let's talk about the flight/transfer. It is included in the rate I booked by MSC. The airline is Saudia, with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The flight from Paris to Jeddah was very confortable (5:30), with meal included. Prior to that, I had to do the eVISAS on Saudi tourism website (it is a pretty easy task that takes about 15-20' to do) + prepare COVID Form (Muqeem) + PCR Test (that costs...133$ in Switzerland...). 

When arriving in Jeddah Airport, the process was quick, with passport checking + vaccination/PCR sheet checking.

The bus was already there (we were guided to the bus by MSC agent on ground). Then, about 35 minutes drive to the port, with a nice sunrise. At the cruise Terminal, agents take care of your luggages, and you can go check in. There is a VIP area for Yacht Club guest, and another entry for non-YC guests. The process is still quick, except for the COVID Tracking App that you can only install after landing in KSA. Then, another bus to finally embark in the MSC Bellissima. 

 

If you have questions regarding flight/VISA/embarkation, feel free to ask. The rest of the trip will come later on 🙂 

[perakcruiser]

Have to say that I never looked more forward to a cruise report than here, please bring us on the trip with all the details 🙂

[gazhants]

Just returned from Saudi Arabia / Jordan cruise ex London. A great trip in retrospect but fraught with niggles and problems at each stage.

 

Visa: MSC were supposed to arrange this as part of cruise package. About 2 weeks before they advised passengers would have to do this themselves & would arrange credit of USD 130 to onboard account or any other amount that was paid. My visa & cost of visa service unperformed by MSC came to USD 195. They are being unresponsive now to requests to resolve this. Next stop might be UK small claims court...!

 

Tawakkalna Saudi covid tracing app: MSC advise to download and register before you go. I managed to get the app on the phone but couldn't register & contacted the Tawakkalna guys direct by email. They responded almost immediately saying first time registration can only be done after arrival in Jeddah. Cruise Saudi officials very helpful (MSC staff not so much). You have to register and input a verification code. That was the next issue as most UK travellers couldn't get the code. CS officials in the end had to ring the Tawakkalna guys to get a code verbally. This took 2 hours at the terminal. I almost missed my Jeddah excursion. Thank goodness there were only 5 guests from the UK!

 

Overnight in hotel: very comfortable Le Meridien. Arrived late Friday from Heathrow & transfer to port at 11 am on Saturday. 

 

MSC Bellissima: The ship is great & countless other reviews are far more articulate than I about it.

I enjoyed the water slides & rope course (both free).

There were about 600 passengers in total so no queues for anything.

Dining was open sitting, no set times.

Entertainment & food very much better than recent MSC Magnifica experience. The 2 Carousel Lounge shows well worth the extra usd 12 each.

The Dome experience is tame. Fremont St in Las Vegas did this better when i was last there 20 years ago.

Main downside was the amount of hassling for the payable shows & speciality dining. They were worse than timeshare salespeople.

Speciality dining looked very expensive & very empty. No atmosphere there at all. 

 

 

 

 

next, i will review the cruise itself, ports & excursions taken....

 

 

 

 

[gazhants]

Jeddah: Old town tour....this takes you for a drive along the Corniche & into the old town for a walking tour. The drive was OK, it would have been nice to have got off & walked along the Corniche a bit. We didn't get to see the iconic floating mosque, but part of the road was closed, so maybe the reason for that. The best bit was walking through old Jeddah. So atmospheric, with a shabby chic atmosphere. No one seemed to mind discreet photography & it is certainly photogenic. We went into an old house & mosque. You could do this yourself with a taxi from the ship.

 

King Abdullah Economic port: the worst port of call. Big industrial area ripe for development. Little of interest to tourist. Tours are expensive & not a great choice. I went to Medina. Coach takes 3.5 hours each way. You go to a dusty museum & are allowed to stand in the mosque courtyard for about 15 minutes. You will spend longer in the obligatory craft shop. Photography ok here too. Then to another 2 mosques (unable to enter) & a mound where a battle took place. The port does offer a free shuttle to the marina area in KAEP. MSC only advertise this in the day programme & deny all knowledge when asked before hand. Apparently this goes to one of the beach areas in one of the tours so you can do the same event for nothing! All shops & restaurants seemed closed though.

 

Yanbu (day 1): Tour to Hegra / Alula / Elephant rock. Definite high point. You take a chartered plane (50 min flight) from Yanbu (20min transfer from port) to Alula. Then coach to highlights (45 min to Hegra). We couldn't see the old railway (another road closure) & drive frustratingly passed beautiful scenery without stopping. The rock tombs at Hegra are fantastic. Very few people & free to wander around. Then onto lunch at a lodge in beautiful canyon. Followed by Elephant Rock. One side is surrounded by instagram friendly lounge area (wondered how UNESCO let them get away with this development) so not completely on it's own in the middle of the desert. Still stunning though. Finally ended at Alula where the ruined old town is being converted into a Hollywood-esque version of an Arabian nights shopping experience. Go off piste though & the ruins are far more photogenic than the reconstruction. This is the future of Saudi tourism though but not unpleasant. Then back to airport for seamless transfers back to ship

 

Yanbu (day 2): Tale of 2 cities tour. The first part takes you passed oil refineries, housing complexes, 5 star hotels etc before ending in the old town. The ship docks right in the centre, so 5 minutes by foot. The old town is a much smaller version of Alula, ruined & facing reconstruction. Very few shops open & no restaurants. Pleasant way to spend a couple of hours at most. My advice would be to do it yourself on foot from the ship. I heard good reports from the Baridi island tour though.

 

Aqaba: You need a PCR test to enter Jordan. This is done on the sea day before.  The cost is USD 80 but included if you are on one of the tours. I opted for Wadi Rum as had been to Petra before and wanted more than a few hours there. That said, all reports for the Petra tour were positive.  The WR tour was OK. Even the worst parts of WR are so photogenic it hurts. That said, we lurched from one cash relieving opportunity to another...camel rides...bedouin souvenirs...etc. For the most part the WR visitors centre was hardly out of view. On my last visit we saw natural bridges, wilderness & geniune petrolglyphs. Here there were campsites in every direction & the 'rock art' was questionable if it was pre 2021! We ended at a complex on the fringes of WR, accessible by coach for an easy transfer back to the ship. We hurried by what would have been an interesting 20 minute stop at Laurence of Arabia's restored train to spend another 30 minutes at a gift shop. Apart from the PCR test issue, i would be inclined to do it myself & tailor my own tour next time.

 

I then took the free shuttle from the ship to Aqaba town. Mcdonalds offer free wifi. There is an old archaeological site at Ayla near to McDs. It was open & free. Castle is at the other end of the town & was open & free. The waterfront is being redeveloped at the Great Arab Revolt plaza. Weather colder here generally. Lots of shops open & a nice bustling atmosphere. Transfers seemed to run every 30 minutes or so.

 

Note that they take your passport on the day before the day at sea for Jordan ( in our case the Yanbu day 2) and return them late afternoon on the day at sea returning to Jeddah. This scotched my plan to do the fit to fly certificate & PLF for the UK using McDs free wifi as you need to upload a picture of the passport and the test cartridge to get the certificate. I then had to use the ship testing service (PCR usd 80 / lateral flow usd 25) to get the F2F things to return to UK.

 

Also, with the Tawakkalna app, most people registered under free wifi & then didn't have live data after that. The only time I was asked to show it was for the Medina tour which showed the green light from the inital register.

 

So overall, I loved this cruise. There was always something to enjoy and the niggles I mention above usually fade into insignificance in the long term. The ship is currently operating at very much reduced capacity which is great. Some venues do lack atmosphere though & parts of the ship are a ghost town. It does mean you can have some secluded areas such as the aft deck near to Marketplace buffet almost to yourself. The crew are great, friendly & enthusiastic. As a single traveller, it was nice to engage with Sevdelina & Alex in the dining room, Andy my room steward & the numerous entertainment & general staff. Guest services & excursions always helpful. Go for it if you have any doubts, but make sure to do the Elephant rock tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[belgiancruiser]

@le commandant- do you have more reports/reviews on this cruise?

[portofrome]

11 hours ago, ChC said:

@gazhants

 

1, I saw the cruise dock in jeddah at 3am in the morning, do you remember what time passengers are allowed off the ship?

 

2, Does MSC provide shuttle if one did not buy the flight package? (some dates departure from UK has no flight available!)

 

3, How friendly is the Saudi officials? Immigration checks in the port facilities?

 

Thank you for the information and the nice review!!! 

 

I am still holding out on a trip as I am afraid troubles when I visit US in near future. The visa stamps from UAE and Oman already gave me several hard times entering US.

 

Just desembarked yesterday and trying to repley:

1. See the file attached

2. I had the transfer included but at 6.30am and I didnt see any taxi.

3. They are friendly but everytime getting in and out the ship you have:

Passport control, finger prints and control if the tawakkalna on your smartphone is working.

 

Anyway the cruise was a blast!

 

 

[LeCommandant]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the information shared. I had a lot to do with my studies, now I can continue the cruise report, finally!

 

Day 1: Embarkation Day, 8am (8:00)

After the check-in, we were transported to the ship (5 min bus). And now it is the "weird" moment. We booked Yacht Club, and after embarking the ship, nobody came to guide us to our suite, nothing. I remember that even in Bella cabins we were guided to the cabin by the staff. 

So, we found out our cabin (by ourselves) and 5 minutes later, the butler came and apologizes for the "fail". 

 

Then, a few moments later, it was a pleasure to learn that we could enjoy the breakfast immediately. What a nice dining room in the Bellissima! I have to admit that the atmosphere in the dining room is much more classy than Seaside's dining room, and they did not remove the decorations (everything was "blank" on the Seaside in September 2021). 

 

 

After the breakfast, we were welcomed by the YC Director to get some general information (WiFi, newspaper, excursions, opening times, etc.). Note that you can ask 1 newspaper per day (free of charge). The selection of newspaper is exactly the same as in Pressreader. The WiFi (browse package) is included, with 2 devices PER person. I will come back to the WiFi later on. 

 

Naturally, because it is the first day onboard, a visit welcome! Below you can find some pictures of the YC area. 

 

 

I will continue the report tomorrow, thanks to all.  

 

[tojam99]

Does anyone know where the Bellissima goes AFTER Saudi? We were told Japan in March, but its unclear.

[jayveebee]

I did this cruise on March 5 out of Jeddah. Flew from London Gatwick with Qatar airways arriving 03.10am.i was going to stay in the airport then make my way to the cruise terminal but there were people WITH MSC signs, supposed to be for German arrivals however they let me on a bus to the ship. Arrived about 6.30am and had to fill in the health from which took a while,there is free wifi there. Eventually got it then checked in and got the shuttle to the ship. Arrived in my cabin at 8.3am and went straight to bed after a cuppa, kettle in the room!! Was woken at 10.00am by an announcement in the cabin so got up, had a shower and went for brekkie in the buffet. Very Arabic, no sausage or bacon, apart from beef, horrible, no beans, tomato or mushrooms. Lunch in the buffet was also very Arabic. Meals in the restaurant ok. I like to sit and read on the deck, impossible as loud music around the pools and no loungers along the sides. Deck 18, where it is usually quiet only for Fat Cats ie YC. Been on nearly 40 cruises, this was the worst!! Did the walking tour around the old part of Jeddah. Just walked around the other ports with the free shuttle. Ship full of Saudies with loads of noisy kids, pushing in at the buffet, one woman stretched across me and put her sleeve in my porridge!! It was an experience, hopefully not to be repeated!!

 

[LeCommandant]

So sorry for (another) delay to share my feedback. 

 

Day 2: KAEC

We had to take a bus to go to the center of KAEC. The bus is free. Going on land was very easy, just a quick passport check. The areas is in a continuous development, and the local authorities expect developing a very large city. We just went to the beach by ourselves. Unfortunately, we did not swim because we were not aware if we could. Red Sea is always cristal clear, so nice!

The area of the beach was not crowded at all, only a few people roamed there (it was pretty windy). 

 

Returning back to the ship to go to the nice swimming pool on the sun deck. There was not so many people on board (only 500 people for a 4500 capacity!!). In Yacht Club, only approx. 25 lucky customers 😉 

To get an idea, just look at my YouTube video showing the Sun Deck in the afternoon! So peaceful!

 

The restaurant always met my expectations. The service was the best I have ever had. The crew anticipated our request, and even called us by our names! Here a picture of one dish:

 

And the little surprise when returning back to the cabin...I love macarons!

 

Next day: Yanbu! To be continued (not in 2 months hopefully)

 

 

[Kimono traveller]

Hi, all.

 

I'm now planning to book new year cruise 2022-2023 of the same itinerary. 

 

Regarding return flight time in Jeddah after disembarkation, I'd like to know your experience and opinion.

 

I'm thinking of flight for Cairo at 11:40 am.

I will arrange flight individually ( not MSC's fly and cruise).

Is this schedule feasible?

Any one who took a flight in the morning after disembarkation in Jeddah?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

[mondsd]

Do you have the Dinner menus for the YC?