MSC Seaview REVIEW. June 22nd to June 29th from Barcelona, visiting Cannes, Genova, La Spezia, Civitavecchia and Palma.

[FionaMG]

Great pics of Cinque Terre. It's one of my favourite places. We've done the train twice and would happily do it again. 😊

[alserrod]

We arrived very late to eat. I think at 4:30 p.m. We had bought some fruit but nothing else. At that time the buffets had already closed but we still had the pizza and burger at the Marketplace, which opens until 2:00.

 

It was a success. I had a burger, a pizza, some fries and I don't remember what else as well as some dessert. I didn't want to eat too much because then I had to have dinner at eight.

 

It must be said that the fast food is excellent on this ship. I've been to places where the fries don't taste like anything, and at Seaview it was the complete opposite. I didn't eat more because it was just a mid-afternoon drink. My lunch hour had passed.

 

Now comes one of the food supply failures. There was no ketchup... and boy, what a burger and fries without the famous ketchup. I asked a waiter about him. He told me that he was sorry, that it wasn't normal but that they were out of ketchup. Well, without ketchup, nothing happens.

 

Mayonnaise for the potatoes and that's it. I wish all the problems in this world were running out of

ketchup. I told him so and he was grateful that I was understanding.

 

That afternoon the sun came out. We went to the Haven lounge on the eighth floor, the one where you almost fall asleep at night when they turn off the lights. Well, it has a terrace outside and it is wonderful on the terrace. We ordered some drinks. My brothers, daughters, niece, etc. began to come and we were already a large group on that terrace. The sun was shining quite brightly and it started to get hot.

 

Through the railing we saw how the port pilot climbed aboard and, perhaps most curiously, how a small boat went parallel to the ship to later pick up the pilot and return.

 

The second failure of the afternoon service. In the Haven lounge they were incredibly slow. To the point that when a family member joined the group and asked for a drink, the rest of us took the opportunity to order despite having another in our hand. We knew that by the time they brought it, we would have finished the previous one a long time ago.

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching the boat leave La Spezia. It is an area where you get between the Italian islands of Tuscany.

 

 

[alserrod]

Time to dinner

 

 

This day is the day of the "Mediterranean dinner."

 

There are more dishes than usual and they all have something from the Mediterranean Sea

 

 

Starters
- Fried squid and shrimp (Italy, but really anywhere in the Mediterranean)
- Cured cow ham (Italy, but in some other areas there are very similar products). It's a cold sausage
- Greek salad. I think it requires no explanation. Feta cheese, tomato, etc...
- Bouillabaisse. It's a fish soup (and more things) from Marseille
- Gazpacho. It is a cold tomato cream from Andalusia

 

 

Main courses
- Lasagne. Bologna, Italy
- Paella, Spain
- Grilled fish. Mediterranean in general
- Lamb shoulder. Anywhere in the Mediterranean. They indicated that it had a Moroccan sauce
- Veal osobuco. Italy
- Hummus. North of Africa

 

 

Desserts
- Mediterranean cheeses
- Tiramisu, Italy
- Baklava, Türkiye
-...

 

 

First of all I'm going to post all the menus of the day

 

Breakfast

 

Desayuno D4 La Spezia.pdf

 

Meal

 

Comida D4 La Spezia.pdf

 

Dinner

 

Cena D4 La Spezia.pdf

 

In my case I took first

 

Bouillabaisse
I had never ordered it before and it was spectacular

 

 

 

 

 

and for the main course, monkfish with cuttlefish and prawn. Also very good

 

 

 

 

 

finally Baklava for dessert

I think it was the dinner I liked the most. More than the gala day.

Ah, I don't know if I said it, the dress of the day was casual

[mcduffy1]

Thank you for such a wonderful review- we’re booked on a similar trip next May -really appreciate your informative posts

[alserrod]

12 hours ago, mcduffy1 said:

Thank you for such a wonderful review- we’re booked on a similar trip next May -really appreciate your informative posts

 

 

 

Hi, I am writing this review according to my pictures and documents I took.... I think I am phocusing more on excursions than in the ship but you can ask any question you could have, of course.

 

In which port will you do embarkment?

[alserrod]

This time we went, after dinner, to take a walk around the discotheque area and the pool on 7. From there to the show at 10:30 p.m. It's just that we always had half an hour to walk around somewhere. We used to arrive at the theater at 10:15 p.m. Of course, we had finished dinner at 9:30 p.m.... something had to be done.

 

 

The show was called "Fantasy" and I really liked it too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That day we had had a chocolate and coffee show, later in the Atrium there was a fashion show and in the evening there would be an Italian party. The day before it had been a Spanish holiday that I don't know if it was someone because it coincided with the Spain-Albania soccer match that was broadcast at the Garage club.

 

 

After the theater, we went to have something to drink outside, but very little. The next day we woke up early to go to Rome. It would be a difficult day

[alserrod]

Day 5 Civitavecchia

 

 

And the day we were all waiting for for the excursion arrived. Civitavecchia.

 

 

When booking the cruise, we had looked for one that would leave from Barcelona or Valencia, that would depart on a Saturday and that would pass through Rome. The MSC Seaview was the only one that met these three requirements.

 

For those of you who have not taken cruises in Europe, remember that travelers give much more importance to the excursions than to the ship itself. That is why cruise ships seek to have different ports. This way if you repeat with them you will have a partially different cruise visiting other places. On every cruise there are always some stopovers that are much more striking than others. The MSC Seaview route has the most striking Barcelona (which is where we embarked) and Rome (which we all had marked on the calendar).

 

 

I had consulted, during the previous month, where each ship would stop on the websites of the different ports. In the case of Civitavecchia they pointed out to me that we would have stopped on the opposite side. I don't know why, but the location was changed and it was good for us: the bus route was shorter.

MSC kept giving us information about the port. I doubt anyone would be interested in a map of Civitavecchia (except to get to the train station), but here it is.

 

 

Puerto de Civitavecchia.pdf

 

 

And this is the route I took according to Google maps

 

 

On the map of Civitavecchia you can see where the boat left us and how far we had to go by bus from the port

 

and above all, keep in mind that Civitavecchia is not next to Rome, that there is distance in between.

 

[alserrod]

The day we arrived in Civitavecchia I set my alarm for six. I got up first of all and went to the shower. Shortly after, my wife and daughters woke up.

 

We got ready, preparing everything and we had agreed to have breakfast at the buffet from 4 to seven in the morning. I think that on this day they opened a little earlier. The buffet at 7 (marketplace) at six and the one at the pool at seven. We arrived just as the ship was docking at the port and when the buffet opened. Over the public address system they welcomed us to Civitavecchia.

 

Although breakfast was at the buffet and lunch was in Rome, I put the menus for that day in the ship's restaurant

 

Desayuno D5 Civitavecchia.pdf

 

 

Comida D5 Civitavecchia.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

I have spoken very little about the public address system because... it sounded very rarely. Yes, multilingual but very rarely. The information was given through the screens they have distributed throughout all the sites and through the app. For example, as soon as we arrived in Civitavecchia, all the screens in the buffet welcomed us while reminding everyone on board of the time.

 

We arrived first in the group. I managed to reserve two tables together. Yes, I know that you cannot reserve any tables. I just wanted the people who came next to sit at any of the countless empty tables there were and not at the only one free next to me, remembering that the buffet had just opened.

 

The fried eggs (someday I'll get used to the sunny side up ones, I'm used to the ones fried in oil) were with me almost every day and I think I said it but the bacon was spectacular. My daughters always asked for small sausages that they liked and what I don't remember is ever asking for an omelet. That was only possible at the buffet on 7. There was an area where they made you an omelet of whatever you ordered.

 

The next to come were my parents. My sister came behind. She always needed more time. Her children are small and you can't let them eat alone. What I don't know is how my brother would always be last.

 

After breakfast we had met at the door to disembark. Again... How does my brother do it so that, along with his wife and children, he always arrives last?

 

They had told me everything about the buses from Civitavecchia to go to the "Largo della pace" square. There was no problem. In the same way as in La Spezia, as we got off the ship, we crossed the maritime terminal and got on the first available bus that left us at a plaza outside the port. When crossing the docks it was very clear why they didn't let passengers walk there. There were no sidewalks and a lot of goods traffic.

 

We got off the boat, there was a small terminal and there were already many people there offering transportation services to Rome. We even told several who asked us the name of who we had booked with (to give them truthfulness and to leave us alone since they insisted a lot).

In the first terminal I remember seeing a lot of luggage from people disembarking in Civitavecchia. Much more than in Genoa.

 

And our contact was right outside the second building.

[alserrod]

Rome excursion
Budget 750 euros/group

 

 

On this occasion I am not asking how the level of Italian is. I didn't need it for almost anything. The driver we had spoke some of my language. He did his best to use it and I only needed Italian in the restaurant at meal time as well as to interpret some signs.

 

I will tell two versions

Version 1. The tourist summary. Places that we had time to see, what we did

Version 2. The adventures of the day and why we ended up choosing this route.

 

VERSION 1

 

Rome is, without a doubt, the most complicated day of the cruise. Civitavecchia is far from Rome. You have to go to the train, take a direct train, then move around Rome, etc...

 

Within Rome there are places that are a luxury to get around (for example, the Colosseum and Spanish Steps have the metro right in front), others that are not difficult and some that can be more complicated, such as the Vatican.

 

My father had arranged for private transportation for the entire group. After reaching an agreement, I reviewed many transportation pages to Rome. I came to the conclusion that for such a large group it was impossible to get a better rate. It was a van that they had adapted with 17 seats (and the driver's seat, 18). There were 14 of us so we reserved it entirely for ourselves.

 

That made things a lot easier for us.

 

 

 

 

TIP: If you are going to book an excursion to Rome, keep in mind that all vehicles have to pay a fee of 150 euros/day to enter the city center. They have to pass that rate on to you. If they offer you a very low price, check to see where it is going to go. Some excursions leave you right where they start to require additional payment.

 

We had the van right at the exit of Largo della pace and we got in and started on the highway.

 

Everything went very well until we approached Rome and the traffic became very intense.

 

He took us straight to the side of the Vatican and even told us that there was a cafeteria that belonged to a friend of his and that we could enter the bathroom for free.

 

Entering the Vatican was not difficult. Of course, there was a lot of security. It was Wednesday morning and there was an audience with the Pope. You had to go through a security check with a luggage scanner managed by the Italian police. You can't bring in large bottles of water and I don't know if they will throw any other objects outside.

 

You couldn't walk through the square. I was ready for chairs since it was Wednesday morning. On giant screens we saw that the Pope had just left St. Peter's Basilica and that he was greeting the congregation. He did not come closer for safety reasons, but there was a very large parade typical of these Wednesdays that crossed the entire square and passed in front of where we were.

 

In the Vatican we could do very little more. Many photos of the square and we returned to the van.

 

From there he took us to the Colosseum. We passed through the Plaza de Venezia. The driver played us some audios that explained everything in our language. And he also gave us some explanation of Plaza Venezia. After crossing the Roman Forum on one side, he dropped us off in front of the Colosseum metro stop, as close as we could get by car. It must be admitted that he got into a van through some narrow streets that I would have been afraid to get into a car!!!! but we arrived very quickly.

 

We went down to the Colosseum, surrounded it, saw the Arch of Constantine and approached the Imperial Forum. We were there for a long, long time. I had a world history teacher when I was 14 who made me passionate about Rome and... it took me a long time to see what this teacher explained to us in class.

 

From there she took us to eat. She chose a restaurant for us very close to the Piazza di Spagna.

 

We ate quite well although a little slow. Well, we were a large group and we couldn't expect speed.

 

After the meal, she offered us to walk to the Spanish Steps (it was very, very close), go down the stairs and walk to the Trevi Fountain (5 minutes). He would wait for us nearby. There you have two of the main monuments to visit.

 

And from the Trevi Fountain he took us to the Pantheon.

 

I am an engineer and for me, the pantheon of Rome is the monument of Roman engineering without a doubt. Did you know that the Romans discovered concrete, that the formula was lost during the Middle Ages and it was a coincidence that it was invented again in the 19th century?
They used lime, earth, stones and... volcanic ash (in Pompeii they had a lot, believe it!!).
The pantheon is the building that best represents this construction. It had the largest dome in the world for 1200 years no less (until the Florence Cathedral was built)

 

We had very little time left but he still took us to a viewpoint. A small hill. On one side, all of imperial Rome, on the other, the Vatican. Time to take the last photos of the day and.... we had to return to Civitavecchia.

 

I slept a little on the trip back. I was very tired. I think the whole family slept even if it was just for a little while. Plus it was a hot day. I had checked the weather and we were still lucky. In the previous days it was much warmer and... we were coming from a storm further north.

 

We arrive in Civitavecchia. We paid him what was agreed and said goodbye. From there to the ship.

[alserrod]

and

 

 

VERSION 2

 

There is always a second version. Well, this is more of a complementary one.

 

What I point out in version 1 is all true but I am going to tell "the rest", to help you plan Rome.

It is very important to manage time and, above all, assume that the time you stop in Civitavecchia gives us time for a very quick visit to Rome. My wife, my daughters and I have told ourselves that we will return to Rome for a whole week of vacation to visit everything decently

 

Several things failed us. One is that we were a very large group. It's hard to go together. We had the itinerary mapped out in the van but not walking. We would let ourselves be guided... but problems always arise.

 

I had done the math... what it takes to go and return from Civitavecchia to Rome, plus traveling around Rome by car was between 1:00 and 1:30, plus a little time to eat... hey, it was 3 hours in total to be distributed among all the monuments. I told my parents before leaving and they didn't pay much attention to me.

 

We add that my parents visited Rome on dates when there were hardly any lines in the places.
We added that my mother was determined to visit the interior of St. Peter's Basilica and she assumed that there was time for everything....

 

It bothers me because the excursion went well for a large group but it could have gone better.

We left Civitavecchia and as we arrived in Rome my father asked if he could go to the bathroom. He is already of an age and it is unpredictable when he wants to go. Since we were in the bathroom we waited and almost all of us went. That took up some of our time.

 

We enter the Vatican. Look, I told my mother that on Wednesday morning there was an audience with the Pope, that it was better to leave the Vatican for last, that it would be calmer. Well... well, the basilica was closed for security and we couldn't move from a specific area. And there we were left with a face like... "we don't even have a front view of the basilica!!!!". Lots of photos but we could have gone faster. We had to assume that it was just a little while, not half the morning.

 

We continued... we arrived at the Colosseum and the driver told us that he offered to leave us there, see the Colosseum and walk down the street seeing the forum from above. When we arrived, we would let him know and he would pick us up.

 

We went down to the Colosseum and after many photos we were separated into the group. They tell me that my father has gone down a street, that his cell phone tells him that's that way. Me insisting that he was somewhere else. In the end we went there and yes... it was there assuming that you had a ticket for the Forum (you entered on one side and left on the other) and that you stood in the corresponding line.

 

I still had to clarify to my parents that the coliseum was not visited from the inside, that there was no time.

 

I think it took a while for us all to be together and that was when... they came to the conclusion that... it was what I said.

 

The first anger on my part has already come.

 

Then my little daughter (who had just had a foot injury) tells me that she has trouble walking. We had been walking aimlessly. We had to help him get to the van.

 

The second anger on my part.

 

My family asked me what to do and that they would listen to me (if anyone had been looking at excursions and visiting cruise forums for a year it was me).

 

I suggested calling the driver and having him come pick us up at the Coliseum so we wouldn't have to walk.

 

So he did. He came to pick us up but... the time had passed to see the Forum and Venice Square. He took us straight to eat.

 

While we were eating we went to buy a tension bandage at a pharmacy. When we finished the meal, my mother put it on my daughter so she could walk. My mother was a doctor and for many decades she had to put some of these bandages on her patients. She has not forgotten to put them on despite her age. There are better methods but not as easy to obtain in a pharmacy in the center of Rome and a DIY type solution without further means.

 

Going to the Piazza di Spagna, going down the stairs, seeing the square from below and walking to the Trevi Fountain while having a gelatto was done by everyone except my daughter and me.

 

We went to the top of the square (you can hardly see anything from there, you have to see it from below) we returned to the van and it took us to the Trevi Fountain where we waited for the rest. It was packed with people. Of course, we saw it with complete peace of mind. The rest of my family, having taken many photos and having stopped for ice cream, had to return quickly, with almost no photos.

 

We were so late that the driver let us choose between Piazza Navona or the Pantheon. The majority didn't care, my little daughter and I didn't... we were clear that the pantheon without a doubt.

 

In the pantheon we saw it from the outside. It's pretty... but only from the outside.

I didn't expect the thing about the viewpoint in Rome. In the description he made of the excursion I believed that we were returning since we last visited, so a pleasant surprise.

[alserrod]

Some pictures from Rome

 

 

We went in this 17 passenger van

 

 

 

 

 

as said, there was a parade announcing Pope was in front of the Basilica

 

 

 

 

 

In this picture, screen on left side, we can see where TV was pointing on

 

 

 

 

 

and some more pics about St. Peter square

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[alserrod]

Collosseo and Constantino Arc

 

It doesn't matter from where you would spot Collosseo. It is beautiful

 

 

 

 

 

 

[alserrod]

Having a "pizza-break"

 

 

 

 

 

Piazza di Spagna

It is called after the longest embassy in the world. 5 centuries ago Spain opened there an embassy for Vatican. Today it remains opened in the same building. It is not the embassy from Spain in Italy, which obviously was opened quite later.

 

 

 

 

Fontana di Trevi

 

Did you know that the Romans were obsessed with water? If there was no water there was no city.
In the case of Rome they brought 17 springs, some more than 50 km away. They had supplies throughout the city and numerous sources. The one in Trevi was one of them. The monument is much later but the location is the original.
Trevi means "tre-vie" (three roads) in Italian.

 

 

[alserrod]

We last visited Pantheon before leaving Rome

 

 

 

 

and last views from a viewpoint

 

towards Pantheon

 

 

with zoom

 

 

towards Collosseo

 

 

 

 

towards Vatican

 

[alserrod]

and some tips for you to plan your visit to Rome.

 

First of all you have to assume that
- or you are going to visit only ONE monument (for example, go to the Vatican and exclusively the Vatican, forgetting about the rest)
- or it's going to be a "selfie tour". It will give you time just to take selfies in the places and move on to the next.

 

If you spend a little more time you will be like me, you can't see everything.

 

Renting a van for the entire group may be out of your budget. The price they gave us was really good. I have seen many 8-seater transfers for that price and even more.

 

Here are some recommendations to help you plan

- leave the port and take a bus to the train station. That bus is as incredibly expensive... as cheap the rest of the day is going to be. It costs six euros for a 1.9 km route (from Largo della pace to Civitavecchia station) and the same return.
Consider ordering a taxi, which is sure to cost less.

 

- use the train to go to Rome.

 

ALL trains are from Trenitalia. Consult directly on their website, not on alternative websites.
There are several types of trains and they all take almost the same time.
- Frecciarossa and intercity. Designed for long distances, they take a little less time and are much more expensive
- regional. They stop at all stations. That is, in a few intermediate ones. They cost less than five euros
- Civitavecchia express. It does almost the same service as the regional one (stops at fewer stations but takes the same time) and costs twice as much. It is a reinforcement service for the times when there are simply cruises.

 

 

Check schedules and prices and choose the one you consider best.

 

If you choose the regional one to go and return and you plan to use public transport in Rome, you can buy an unlimited one-day pass for the Lazio region that includes the port. Just using it a little in Rome is worth it. It's really cheap (I insist that the train + metro in Rome may cost the same as the bus in Civitavecchia).

 

The trains arrive at Roma Termini but make three intermediate stops that may interest you
- Rome San Pietro, 600 meters from the Vatican walking
- Rome Trastevere, there is a direct tram to Piazza Venezia (monument and then start of the Forum), and it stops near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona
- Roma Ostiense, there is a direct metro to the Colosseum

 

My recommendation is that you mark on a map the places you want to see and choose one or another train station to approach one of them and return from a different station.

 

That is, in the morning you can go from Civitavecchia to Roma-Ostiense, from there take the metro to the Colosseum and finish at the Vatican and return to Civitavecchia from the Roma-San Pietro station.

 

Line C of the Rome metro is being built throughout the center. When it is built it will be a line that will go from the Colosseum to very close to the Vatican passing through Piazza Venezia and Piazza Navona.

 

In the meantime, review the current network, also consider tram and bus, and plan your route.
It does not have to be as short as possible in a straight line. It's about maximizing seeing everything and... I assure you that you will walk a lot

 

[alserrod]

one of many options

- Civitavecchia to Rome Trastevere
- tram from the station to Piazza Venezia
- visit P.Venezia and walk next to the Roman forum (seen from above)
- end up in the Colosseum. Take the metro there
- get off at Spagna. Visit Piazza Spagna,
- Walk to Trevi Fountain
- towards Pantheon
- Towards Piazza Navona
- bus to the Vatican (there is a line that drops you off on the side)
- enter the Vatican
- go to Roma San Pietro station
- train to Civitavecchia

If you look at it on the map, it is a route like a "snail". There is a point where you pass a few meters from where you have passed before. But I think the fact that there is a metro between Coliseum and Spagna makes getting around easier.

 

The metro and tram are very easy to take (and I insist, always check the current metro map, which is getting longer). If using the bus may seem complex, replace it with a taxi.

And above all, remember that you are going on a tour of Rome, which does not allow time to visit monuments.

[alserrod]

The entrance to the port of Civitavecchia is full of controls. It is, without a doubt, where we are asked for the card most often.

 

The first time just leaving Largo della pace. There are two lines pointing to the ship the buses are heading to. We take the line at the MSC Seaview and, at the beginning of it, they ask us to show that we have the card.

 

We get on the bus and at one point along the route there is a security checkpoint. A guard comes on board to make sure we all have the card again.

 

We get off the bus, enter the maritime terminal and MSC staff asks us for it. In this case they scan it and verify the identity. This is where we go through baggage control.

 

And finally when getting on the boat. In total, four times.

 

We arrive at our cabin and meet the cabin attendant who asks us how we were and how our day was. He tells us that our phone has been repaired and that he has made sure it works. I enter and see a letter asking me to go down to reception. I went and again they just wanted to confirm that it was solved. Curious, but they asked me to scan the cruise card and, immediately, they got the notice they had to give me.

 

I think I said it, the front desk staff were efficient. Some things went wrong, but while I waited every time I went, I saw that they solved the most unexpected issues. There were a lot of Brazilian staff at reception (there were throughout the cruise but the reception staff caught my attention).

 

I go back to the cabin and put on my swimsuit. My sister sent me a message saying that she is in the pool on the 7th floor. It's hot and I want to relax a little in the pool. I go there, later my wife comes and we take a small bath, we go out and order a cocktail at the pool bar. Who I don't see are my daughters. As soon as he got on the boat he lost sight of them and didn't see them until dinner time (or time to get ready to go to dinner).

 

My sister says that she goes with the small children, that it takes her much more time to fix them. We stayed a little longer. We see the boat leaving Civitavecchia. It will be a day and a half of sailing. I notice on my mobile phone that the exit is perpendicular to the coast and in a very short time the mobile coverage disappears completely.

 

Finally I choose to go to the room. The suggested outfit for today is 70s.... and I didn't know what to wear. I chose jeans and a denim shirt. I don't know if it was very popular but it's the day when no one knows what to wear.

 

[alserrod]

Time to dinner

 

 

This was the menu for day 5

 

Cena D5 Civitavecchia.pdf

 

 

 

As a starter I ordered the

New England clam chowder
creamy clam and potato soup scented with thyme

 

 

 

 

which surprised me quite a bit. I recommend it

and main course

Baked beef entrecote
in shallot and Chianti wine sauce, new potatoes with rosemary and green beans with butter

 

 

 

which wasn't bad.
And I say "it wasn't bad" because
- I understand that cooking for 1800 people at the same time is not easy and the most comfortable thing is to do it in the oven. However, you will agree with me that it is much better grilled.
- The accompaniments are not what I am used to. I understand that there will be those who like to accompany them with green beans. In my country, green beans can be a very tasty complete starter but they do not accompany meat. With how easy it would be... Couldn't they have included accompaniments of your choice?

for dessert I ordered

Gâteau Opera
almond cake with chocolate cream and coffee

 

 

My wife asked for cheese again.
Every day she was offered three different cheeses (they changed every day) with grapes, nuts and jam. Also exquisite for those who like cheese.

Cena D5 Civitavecchia.pdf

Edited July 8 by alserrod

[alserrod]

After dinner we walk around the ship, we sit in a place where there is live music and... it turns out that it must be the only paying bar on the entire ship. It's the Venchi café.

 

And I don't even want anything they have, nor do I want to be left without the place I have taken. Since you can move drinks around on the boat, I go up to the top floor where the casino is, order some drinks and take them down.

 

It's funny but in the casino at that time they serve very fast (and later it can be forever. It's one of the faults of the Seaview service).

 

 

The guy plays well and we stayed for a while listening to him.

 

We went to the theater show. Today it's magic. I like it. Not to my family. It's a matter of taste with magic.

 

 

 

Finally we go to the terrace on the 7th floor, having previously gone through several parties that they had planned. Since the next day is sailing we can talk to people as long as we want.

 

To get to that pool you have to go through the nightclub and it is completely full of young people. So much so that it is difficult to find a place to cross it.

 

We continue sitting at a table, and we continue, and we continue. It would be 1:30 in the morning when I went upstairs for a moment. The buffet opens until 2:00. There are no hamburgers anymore but there are cold sandwiches like the ones in the snack and pizza. I grab food for everyone and put it down. I want to eat a little, since dinner is long gone.

the next day, to sleep until we feel like it

[alserrod]

Day 6, at sea

 

All MSC cruises in Europe (both Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Norway) have one day of sailing. For me it was the sixth day.

 

After so much partying, so much excursion, etc... it was time to be able to sleep as long as we wanted and take it easy.

 

It was an incredible day for us, totally sunny and even a little hot. All the ingredients to go to any of the ship's pools.

 

The route I took was this according to Google.

 

 

 

I knew that we would pass between the islands of Corsica and Sardinia around five in the morning. In previous months I had sometimes looked at the position of the ship and noticed the detail.

 

But I did not expect to pass so close to the island of Menorca. My surprise was great when I was taking a photograph and, looking at my phone, it told me that I had Spanish mobile coverage. I looked at the position and... true!! We were next to that island.

 

[perakcruiser]

On 7/8/2024 at 12:41 PM, alserrod said:

and some tips for you to plan your visit to Rome.

As usual a lot of good tips from you.

Certainly no European needs a tip from me about Rome, but as the flights in Europe to/from Rome are more or less free, I would not hassle with the day trip from Civitavecchia. 

[alserrod]

18 minutes ago, perakcruiser said:

As usual a lot of good tips from you.

Certainly no European needs a tip from me about Rome, but as the flights in Europe to/from Rome are more or less free, I would not hassle with the day trip from Civitavecchia. 

 

 

Hi

 

Visiting Rome from a cruise day could be the most difficult port you can find.

 

- port is 1h30m away from city centre

- there are a lot of monuments to visit. This is, not just a transfer to a main monument, visit it and walk around

- enough time to visit several things (not like Paris from Le Havre where you can visit Eiffel Tour, have a guided tour and barely few extra things)

- available with DIY

 

 

so I recommend planning it

[sfaaa]

I opted to take the MSC Rome excursion  with Hop On Hop Off bus tickets. I know it costs more but the excursion takes the stress out of all the planning.

[alserrod]

20 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

I opted to take the MSC Rome excursion  with Hop On Hop Off bus tickets. I know it costs more but the excursion takes the stress out of all the planning.

 

 

Hi

 

Which monuments did you visit?

 

In my case, I enjoy planning in the previous weeks

[sfaaa]

My cruise is not until Oct. I will probably visit the monuments along the HOHO route. It will be a rush with little time to see everything since I only have 6 hours to tour Rome.