HeinBloed Blog: New Year's Eve 2022/23 on MSC POESIA from Genoa, Italy to Marseille, France

[HeinBloed]

 

I feel like a junkie running dry: from QUEEN VICTORIA in October 2022 to OOSTERDAM 2023 in April 2023: that's not possible.

 

Added to this was the question: what do you want to do special New Year's Eve? Without thinking twice: MSC offers MSC POESIA from Genoa, Italy, to Marseille, France, and I book immediately.

 

But I have to work on 30/12/2022 and 02/01/2023. So I'm moving the last day of job of the old year to the German border after a friend warns us to rely on something other than German Railways Deutsche Bahn if we want to catch the last long-distance connection to Milan, Italy.

 

The friend was right: because we were almost at the border, we could take an earlier train to catch the last connection to Milan and have a nice dinner in Lugano, Switzerland.

 

We make it to Milan. A great hotel directly opposite the Centrale train station: Starhotel Anderson.

 

https://heinbloed-msc.blogspot.com/2022/12/tagday-0-auf-dem-weg-zuron-way-to-msc.html

[HeinBloed]

 

After a great buffet, we continued to Genoa: Piazza Principe train station the following day.

 

From here, it is only a few steps down to Stazione Marittama: MSC POESIA is waiting for us here.

As we are Diamond members, embarkation takes only a few minutes. Thanks for the great Status Match program, and to NCL, Cunard, and Princess for making it possible for us to go straight to Diamond.

 

On board, we go straight to the self-service restaurant because, unfortunately, we need to find out that the main restaurant is open. We managed to visit and test half the buffet: we were pleasantly surprised: the quality and the selection were excellent. We can neither see nor try the rest: blood and thunder.

 

We catch the right crew members: lactose-free milk and green apple juice are immediately fetched for me, and I won't be sent to the next bar. Later we look forward to seeing Bruno from CELEBRITY REFLECTION and Rima from MSC SEASIDE again.

 

Everything in the cabin is prepared the way we like it: thanks to Neruda, who we know from the MSC MAGNIFICA, her colleague Asmadi knows everything was perfectly organized.

 

Unfortunately, the weather could be more pleasant to go out again to photograph the ship.

 

We dress up and enjoy a great dinner in the main restaurant: they even have lobster! Thanks to a great team of Giovanni, Domenico, Abidin, and Bambang.

 

We met Captain Lorenzo and hotel manager Andreas - I had previously handed my Douglas Ward to Jean at reception for him to sign.

 

It's a pity that no joint action was planned for the New Year: we meet MSC GRANDIOSA at 23:45 hrs. Happy New Year!

 

https://heinbloed-msc.blogspot.com/2022/12/tagday-1-auf-deron-msc-poesia-in.html

 

[HeinBloed]

 

After midnight there is again a buffet. I can't anymore: I can't get anywhere, but taking pictures is excellent. I want to thank Carmelo and Marinela for all the effort they and their teams put in tonight.

 

The following day, as a ship spotter, I was happy about the MSC BELLISSIMA and COSTA SMERALDA.

 

We have an excellent breakfast on the balcony. Asmadi was kind enough not to send us out of the cabin, so we had to have breakfast in a lounge.

 

So far, it has been one of the most amazing cruises of all 112 trips we have done. Then comes the last five minutes... Someone can't get the word "sorry" out of their mouths and tells us that we're probably too stupid to register the credit card correctly.

 

Since we have plenty of time and Chantal has retired: we are testing the public buses to get to Marseille St-Charles train station. From there, take the TGV to Paris Gare de Lyon. With the metro to the Gare de l'Est and directly back with the ICE to Germany. It was stress: positive stress.

 

https://heinbloed-msc.blogspot.com/2023/01/tagday-2-auf-deron-msc-poesia-in.html