Review from a first time cruiser on MSC Sinfonia - 5/25-6/1 - Excellent marks and great service!

[4sallypat]

MSC Sinfonia - 5/25-6/1 - Eastern Mediterranean cruise review from a first time newbie cruiser:

1. Picked up cruise at Athens, Greece in Piraeus port - 12 noon check in - very easy & fast check-in, luggage tags already provided (no need to pre-print) and delivered luggage before ship sailed at 5pm.  So glad we planned to arrive into Athens 2 days prior because we had a British Airways flight cancellation which caused a day delay to arrive.  Now filing EU 261 compensation for 4 of us...
2. First MDR of the evening was very good - had joined 2 stateroom bookings into one table which allowed all of us first seating dining time. Glad we chose the Fantastica package that allowed us to choose dining time and get bottled mineral water.
3. First evening in the stateroom was a VERY BAD experience - was booked underneath the kitchen of buffet and after midnight they cleaned heavily so the noises were awful - also confirmed by our neighbors. Lodged a formal report complaint with chief of boat officer who had visited our room at 3am to confirm.
4. First port of call: Split Croatia which was fantastic - great to see they now use Euros instead of their local currency of recent change.
5. Guest services complaint from first night turned into a change of cabins to a deck underneath and upgraded cabin type.
6. Second night was quiet and peaceful. The next day Guest Services delivered canapes and a bottle of sparkling wine for the previous night's issue with an apology card.
7. Remaining days at port and sea were excellent - no complaints at all.  The water was so calm and glassy that I never needed to use any motion sickness meds that I was prepared for.
8. Only time ship was 100% full was the stop at Venice Italy when a huge group of Europeans, mostly Italians & Russians boarded and caused issues with queues and waiting their turn.  Many times they would cut in front of us at the bars, lounges, guest services, excursions, boat tenders, elevators, etc... Apart from US and UK folks, I learned most Europeans don't queue.
9. Drinks package - none.  Since I am the only drinker out of our group of 4, I went ala carte and paid a total of $190USD whilst a drink package would have easily cost us $1440 USD ($360 x 4).
10. Overall, an excellent cruise experience and will be looking forward to another MSC cruise in the Western Mediterranean or Middle east cruise.... Thanks to everyone on this forum for your help & knowledge.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

12 hours ago, 4sallypat said:

1. First evening in the stateroom was a VERY BAD experience - was booked underneath the kitchen of buffet and after midnight they cleaned heavily so the noises were awful - also confirmed by our neighbors. Lodged a formal report complaint with chief of boat officer who had visited our room at 3am to confirm.

Always select your cabin.

Always book a cabin that has other cabins above and below it.

Never book a cabin that has public areas above or below it including restaurants, kitchens, the pool deck, casino, nightclubs & lounges and never above the ship's main theater.

If you bid on one of those upgrade offers, you never know where you're going to end up.

[ChattTenn]

18 hours ago, 4sallypat said:

MSC Sinfonia - 5/25-6/1 - Eastern Mediterranean cruise review from a first time newbie cruiser:

1. Picked up cruise at Athens, Greece in Piraeus port - 12 noon check in - very easy & fast check-in, luggage tags already provided (no need to pre-print) and delivered luggage before ship sailed at 5pm.  So glad we planned to arrive into Athens 2 days prior because we had a British Airways flight cancellation which caused a day delay to arrive.  Now filing EU 261 compensation for 4 of us...
2. First MDR of the evening was very good - had joined 2 stateroom bookings into one table which allowed all of us first seating dining time. Glad we chose the Fantastica package that allowed us to choose dining time and get bottled mineral water.
3. First evening in the stateroom was a VERY BAD experience - was booked underneath the kitchen of buffet and after midnight they cleaned heavily so the noises were awful - also confirmed by our neighbors. Lodged a formal report complaint with chief of boat officer who had visited our room at 3am to confirm.
4. First port of call: Split Croatia which was fantastic - great to see they now use Euros instead of their local currency of recent change.
5. Guest services complaint from first night turned into a change of cabins to a deck underneath and upgraded cabin type.
6. Second night was quiet and peaceful. The next day Guest Services delivered canapes and a bottle of sparkling wine for the previous night's issue with an apology card.
7. Remaining days at port and sea were excellent - no complaints at all.  The water was so calm and glassy that I never needed to use any motion sickness meds that I was prepared for.
8. Only time ship was 100% full was the stop at Venice Italy when a huge group of Europeans, mostly Italians & Russians boarded and caused issues with queues and waiting their turn.  Many times they would cut in front of us at the bars, lounges, guest services, excursions, boat tenders, elevators, etc... Apart from US and UK folks, I learned most Europeans don't queue.
9. Drinks package - none.  Since I am the only drinker out of our group of 4, I went ala carte and paid a total of $190USD whilst a drink package would have easily cost us $1440 USD ($360 x 4).
10. Overall, an excellent cruise experience and will be looking forward to another MSC cruise in the Western Mediterranean or Middle east cruise.... Thanks to everyone on this forum for your help & knowledge.

Enjoyed your review.  We had been on MSC in the Caribbean only and will need to check out the Europe/Mediterranean.

The picture of dinner, is it from the MDR or a specialty restaurant?. Look good (yum).  Over 50+ we had a T-bone steak dinner once on Carnival (many years ago).  We like MSC and their food ok.

Is MDR menu in Europe the same as USA sailing?.

How did you get to port?.  Does MSC has a transfer service?.

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by ChattTenn

[Nunagoras]

Wonderful review, congrats!...

 

Permit me perhaps a silly question, but again, just because I have some friends booked on that ship. Once the Sinfonia is one of the older ships in MSC's fleet, was her sort of showing her age, or was the ship really well maintained?

 

Thanks in advance and have a wonderful day!...

[4sallypat]

3 hours ago, ChattTenn said:

Enjoyed your review.  We had been on MSC in the Caribbean only and will need to check out the Europe/Mediterranean.

The picture of dinner, is it from the MDR or a specialty restaurant?. Look good (yum).  Over 50+ we had a T-bone steak dinner once on Carnival (many years ago).  We like MSC and their food ok.

Is MDR menu in Europe the same as USA sailing?.

How did you get to port?.  Does MSC has a transfer service?.

 

The T bone steak dinner is an optional upgrade for 18€ in the MDR.

Otherwise everything else was free and you can order as many dishes as you want.

 

I do not know what the US sailing menu compares but their Mediterranean menu is quite varied - Italian, French, Greek, Sicilian, Turkish, Moroccan, etc...

 

MSC Europe sailings allow for flexible on boarding at any of their ports of call.

We started ours in Athens, Greece but others joined/disembarked at: Split, Croatia - Venice, Italy - Brindisi, Italy  and Mykonos, Greece. 

Some days we had half capacity (Croatia), other days were full depending on which port was more popular (Italy).

 

Transfer service is an option that MSC provides at every port for those that need connections to their airport or high speed trains. 

 

The most difficult port: Venice Italy where that port required passport entry for everyone (day visitors & disembarkation).

Venice had the most number of new embarkations but also the strictest customs & immigration like an international airport w/ screenings, visa controls, etc...

It may have something to do with the massive numbers of illegal immigration happening in the eastern Mediterranean.

 

Venice required 2 tender boats to leave / return to the ship which took about an hour each way.

 

[4sallypat]

2 hours ago, Nunagoras said:

Wonderful review, congrats!...

 

Permit me perhaps a silly question, but again, just because I have some friends booked on that ship. Once the Sinfonia is one of the older ships in MSC's fleet, was her sort of showing her age, or was the ship really well maintained?

 

Thanks in advance and have a wonderful day!...

Yes, for a 20+ year old ship, the maintenance was amazing.  

There were maintenance teams working every day inside and out - painting, refinishing, and polishing everything. 

 

Felt very much newer than I had expected for their first gen mid sized cruise ship.

 

Their senior engineering team that visited my cabin the morning after the noisy kitchen overnight mess was amazing - they diagnosed that the kitchen had defective cooling fans in their food prep and thanked me for making the report as it affects food safety.

 

The only things missing on this old ship are the current features like a race track, water slides, speciality restaurants, etc...

 

But with the smaller number of cruisers (under 2000), it made for easier socialization and crew member faces & names. 

The lounge bartenders remember what you had how you like your drinks but that does not apply to the pool and outside bars where the drinks are weak, watered down, and not consistent....

 

Bourbon w/ chips in lounge:

 

 

[ChattTenn]

2 hours ago, 4sallypat said:

The T bone steak dinner is an optional upgrade for 18€ in the MDR.

Otherwise everything else was free and you can order as many dishes as you want.

 

I do not know what the US sailing menu compares but their Mediterranean menu is quite varied - Italian, French, Greek, Sicilian, Turkish, Moroccan, etc...

 

MSC Europe sailings allow for flexible on boarding at any of their ports of call.

We started ours in Athens, Greece but others joined/disembarked at: Split, Croatia - Venice, Italy - Brindisi, Italy  and Mykonos, Greece. 

Some days we had half capacity (Croatia), other days were full depending on which port was more popular (Italy).

 

Transfer service is an option that MSC provides at every port for those that need connections to their airport or high speed trains. 

 

The most difficult port: Venice Italy where that port required passport entry for everyone (day visitors & disembarkation).

Venice had the most number of new embarkations but also the strictest customs & immigration like an international airport w/ screenings, visa controls, etc...

It may have something to do with the massive numbers of illegal immigration happening in the eastern Mediterranean.

 

Venice required 2 tender boats to leave / return to the ship which took about an hour each way.

 

IMG_8221.MOV

Thank you.  The info is very helpful.

[Nunagoras]

7 hours ago, 4sallypat said:

Yes, for a 20+ year old ship, the maintenance was amazing.  

There were maintenance teams working every day inside and out - painting, refinishing, and polishing everything. 

 

Felt very much newer than I had expected for their first gen mid sized cruise ship.

 

Their senior engineering team that visited my cabin the morning after the noisy kitchen overnight mess was amazing - they diagnosed that the kitchen had defective cooling fans in their food prep and thanked me for making the report as it affects food safety.

 

The only things missing on this old ship are the current features like a race track, water slides, speciality restaurants, etc...

 

But with the smaller number of cruisers (under 2000), it made for easier socialization and crew member faces & names. 

The lounge bartenders remember what you had how you like your drinks but that does not apply to the pool and outside bars where the drinks are weak, watered down, and not consistent....

 

Bourbon w/ chips in lounge:

 

 

Many thanks for the very useful info!... Have a nice day!...

[perakcruiser]

16 hours ago, ChattTenn said:

Is MDR menu in Europe the same as USA sailing?.

It is different, but some dishes are everywhere on the menu.