LIVE REPORT Christmas Markets-MSC Euribia 1-8th Dec 2023 -New Ship-YC Balcony suite

[ConnieTact]

1 hour ago, snoozecrooze said:

Hi @ConnieTact! What a fun pleasure to see you onboard the Euribia. Love to see you spreading the holiday cheer via duck hiding as well 😄. Really enjoy seeing your recollection from another MSC cruise and hope the rest of your holiday is amazing!

Thankyou @snoozecroozefor the encouraging and kind words! 

[ConnieTact]

Tonight’s dinner- we didn’t go for gala main course and stick with the old faithful ‘always available option!’ pasta!

Perhaps too many desserts? Waiters always say it’s the ‘best part of the meal’ and I couldn’t disagree tonight! 😋

[ConnieTact]

We enjoyed entertainment while having apéritifs in the Sky Lounge. 
Then after dinner we went to see Roberto musical offerings in the Master of the Seas pub. Despite it being packed, we found comfy seats to relax and enjoy a set.

[ConnieTact]

Lastly we went back to Sky lounge and enjoyed gentle piano music. 

[ConnieTact]

Sailing into Rotterdam as I write!

 

[ConnieTact]

On 12/3/2023 at 9:46 PM, Cruiznrightalong said:

Thank you so much for all your posts! This is getting me even more excited for our embarkation in Hamburg on the 17th!……….

1. How long after the arrival time on the daily planner are you able to get off the ship to explore the port? 

………..

I look forward to seeing the rest of your t trip! Have a fabulous time!

We have an early excursion today. The ship arrives at 8am and we meet at 8.20/8.30 to disembark to get on the coach. This is an organised MSC trip.

the first ship organised shuttle also has the first leaving time at 8.30am today.

If you have sailed with MSC before and have Gold or Diamond status you are said to be given priority status tio disembark at ports. The issue here, is that unless you’re in YC and getting escorted off with the butler, you would need to push in front of others in the queue and this may not be easy!

I would say a sensible thing would be to allow up to an hour to be sure you were off. Are you thinking of booking things for certain times?

we tend to have late starts and wander off the ship when crowds have gone so I dint have too much experience of the morning rushes! 
I’ll keep an eye open today and report back if anything is helpful to know.

We also like to get back onboard an hour before the official ‘All Aboard’ time.

We have watched ‘pier runners’ and it doesn’t look fun for them (although admittedly quite amusing to watch! 😜).

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by ConnieTact

[ConnieTact]

On the coach by 8.30 - lots of people trying to get off and various groups. We were led out by butler. Some found it quite hard to keep up with him but he did keep stopping and waiting for the group.
Coach was nearly empty when we got on. It’s starting to fill up now. 
Cheery welcome by guide and map, and devices for tour guide to speak to us when we are in town.

 

 

[ConnieTact]

[ConnieTact]

[ConnieTact]

The big cheese? On our way to Gouda!

Edited December 5, 2023 by ConnieTact

[ConnieTact]

[ConnieTact]

Walking tour of Gouda. 

[ConnieTact]

Great cafe on Main square- Cafe Central est. in 1916.

We enjoyed coffee, tea and apple pie. A great thing to have while visiting the Netherlands! 
We enjoyed the warmth of the venue after our chilly stroll around. 
We still are actually this truly is live reporting! 

[ConnieTact]

Some pretty doorway and archways on our walk around Gouda. 

[Mark_T]

19 minutes ago, ConnieTact said:

Great cafe on Main square- Cafe Central est. in 1916.

We enjoyed coffee, tea and apple pie. A great thing to have while visiting the Netherlands! 
We enjoyed the warmth of the venue after our chilly stroll around. 
We still are actually this truly is live reporting! 

 

Excellent photos, brings back many memories of our APT river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest a few years ago, also in December.

 

Learning to pronounce 'Gouda' properly was also a memorable experience 🙂

 

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Mark_T

[ConnieTact]

3 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

Excellent photos, brings back many memories of our APT river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest a few years ago, also in December.

 

Learning the pronounce 'Gouda' properly was also a memorable experience 🙂

 

 

I was just saying that on the coach! We are now educated too! 😅

[Mark_T]

13 minutes ago, ConnieTact said:

I was just saying that on the coach! We are now educated too! 😅

Don't miss the 'stroopwafel' either, looks like you may have had a version of that with your Earl Grey earlier...

[ConnieTact]

Fabulous festive shop fronts! I love window shopping.

[ConnieTact]

Gouda is extremely picturesque.We wandered around until our meeting up time at the block to watch the mechanical show. 

 

[ConnieTact]

Here is the moment the king showed his face- he does this each half hour- although strangely the time was wrong in the clock! 😂

mr CT is a horologist but, as he is on holiday, I held him back! 😂

[ConnieTact]

Lastly, on to the cheese shop for a short talk by the owner and lots of tasting and buying. Excellent gift for our cheese loving neighbours who are on cat feeding duties for us. 

[ConnieTact]

We passed the cube houses on way home. You probably can’t make them out as quite foggy weather. Just arriving back now.

[ConnieTact]

A short walk along from the coach, we found the entrance into the cruise terminal. 
hardly any queues today with three or four efficiently run security lines. 
Great Christmas decorations throughout the terminal and a helpful Tourist Information desk too.

[insidecabin]

We went into the cube house on one of our Virtuosa trips early this year.

Interesting but impractical as a living space.

 

The food market was good, we also enjoyed walking along the water fronts checking out all the old boats that had been repurposed as houses/hotel spaces.

 

That raising railway bridge also has an interesting history.

 

Gouda tour might be worth doing next time we are in Rotterdam

thanks.

[ConnieTact]

Back in suite ready to go for lunch. Now the must has lifted a bit, the view is better.