An Onsong Lirica

[AmoMondo]

I got back from an eight night repositioning cruise from Dover to genoa on MSC Lirica. I'm still working on the full detailed review which I'll post in the member;s review section. however as last time I tried to submit a review, it necver appeared, so I'm also going to post it in parts on this thread.

 

There have been a lot of negative views about MSC on this board and some I've agreed with such as the food not being hot, the beef awful and receptions staff being aloof to the point of rudeness.

 

This was my second cruise on the Lirica this year and my 8th with MSC. I noticed some changes (other than the normal Us vs European cruise ones). so before I start posting the full review, i thought I'd give a brief round up on the changes I'd observed (ggod and bad)

 

bad

They no longer appear to offer tea and coffee at the end of lunch and dinner as a matter of course in the dining room. The coffee was never that great anyway, however I do like my peppermint tea at the end of a meal. I did manage to get it if I specifically requested it when they came to ask what I wanted for dessert, but expect to have to persevere if you want it.

 

Good

 

The beef is great now. The Filet Mignon that I had on the last gala was fantastic and the waiter asked how I wanted it cooked and that was exactly what I got. I also had it in various other dishes but hot and cold(was suppossed to be cold) and also good. they've obviously stopped using old shoe leather. Food temeperature also much improved. before it ranged form very occasionally cold to mainly lukewarm through to warm. Now the only cold food i got was that which was meant to be like the delicious chilled soups and the great ice cream. the rest was at worse warm with the rest being hot ( but never as much as scalding hot). if you like your food very hot, then you are still going to be dissappointed. The reception staff have also thawed out in to polite, helpful human beings. perhaps by my next cruise they will have taken an example from the rest of the crew and transformed in to friendly!

Also pleased to report to course rationing as another poster experienced on the Poesia recently. On the Lirica it was quite the reverse. I'm not a big eater and 4 courses is a lot for me, 5 or 6 cant be done unless i leave half of each course. The waiters were so concerned if I left anything, offering to go and get me an alternative and I had a job explaining that there was nothing wrong and I just couldn't eat anymore. I often attempted to skip dessert, but that often didn't work as they'd bring me little bits of what they thought was best that day to try and tempt me to eat more!

 

I'll start posting the full review in chunks on this thread over the next 3 days. That way I won't bore you all to death and give myself RSI!

[AmoMondo]

Embarkation

This was the strangest one that I’ve ever experienced. I should probably say that first of all this cruise actually commenced 3 days earlier in Copenhagen but MSC were selling it as commencing in Dover for the UK market. When I arrived at the port by taxi, I asked the driver where I should drop off my luggage and was told that it was normally just beside the entrance but it was closed. I then went in to the terminal itself, only to discover that there were no check in desks open (Check in was from 2pm onwards and I arrived at about 2.15pm). There were signs pointing to the ship and a steady stream of passengers returning to the ship. I decided that there was no other option but to follow them onboard along with my luggage. When I reached the port security just before the gangway to the ship, I explained that I didn’t have my cruise card yet and there had been no one downstairs to check me in or take my luggage. He radioed to the ship and they told him to let me through as they were checking in onboard as they were only expecting 10 passengers in total to embark in Dover. As soon as I stepped onboard, one of the security staff came over to assist me, showed me where to leave my luggage and got another member to escort me to reception where they checked me in, in just a few minutes. Within 15 minutes of arriving at the port I was in my cabin. My suitcases were delivered to me 5 minutes later. Although this was the fastest embarkation that I’ve ever experienced it was certainly also the most unusual

Ports of Call

I don’t do shore excursions. This is not a reflection on those provided by MSC but rather my aversion to getting up early whilst on holiday and being shepherded about in a group. I’m far too independent and I prefer being on my own or with a few friends to being in huge groups. I’ve also travelled fairly extensively in Europe over the past 30 years so my preference now is just to wander about for a few hours and feel the atmosphere of a place, rather than rush around trying to see every monument or tourist site listed in a guidebook. So anyone expecting lots of detailed information on any of these ports had best read someone else’s review!

After departing from Dover we had another day at sea before arriving at La Coruna on the morning of day 3. The seas had been a bit rough at times, but I was fully expecting this.

La Coruna – we docked right in town. so no local transport required. It was only a few minutes walk to reach the waterfront promenade and as it was a lovely sunny day, I chose to wander along it for a few hours rather than head in to all the hustle and bustle of the shops in town.

Lisbon– we were meant to arrive at 11am but didn’t arrive until 12.30 as we’d made slow progress the night before due to heavy seas. The captain agreed to stay longer in port so we still had the same time in port. I’ve been to Lisbon many times before but this was the first time I’d arrived by sea and I particularly enjoyed the sail up the Tagus River which gave great views of the city skyline. It was amazing sailing under the 1966 Ponte (Bridge) 25 de Abril. As we approached it, it looked like we did not have much clearance room but we passed under 9just). I was standing on my balcony and being on Port side had a fantastic view all the way in. Lisbon is a beautiful and old city albeit extremely hilly. The best way to get up some streets is the trams or the public elevators dotted around the city. Most scenic tram ride is the 28 east from Baixa up to Graca and passing the magnificent 12th century Se cathedral and Igreja de Santo Antonio the 15 takes you along to the Torre de Belem and the fantastic Monasteiro de Jjeronimo (not to be missed). Other things of note are the Castelo de Sao Jorge (great views from up there) and the Panteao Nacional. If you are interested in things equestrian, you may also enjoy the Coach Museum which contains numerous Royal Ceremonial Coaches dating back several hundred years. If you have time to spare and are in port long enough, take the train out to Sintra. It’s an absolutely beautiful place, so much so that it’s classed as a world heritage site. There is a tourist bus service that leaves from the station and takes you up the very steep hill to first of all the Moorish castle ruins that have a great lookout over the valley below and then on to the fantastic Palacio de Pena (a Disneyland fairy tale castle has nothing on this) It closely resembles a many tiered pastel coloured wedding cake. Unfortunately the inside is not as spectacular as the outside. It’s very pleasant at the outdoor café on one of the esplanades near the top. The bus then heads back in to the town itself where you can not only enjoy the Palacio Nacionale but just wander around the many beautiful winding streets. You can also do the route by horse drawn carriage ride if you prefer. If you prefer the beach then catch the train along to Cascais or Estoril

Gibraltar– didn’t go ashore here as we docked in the evening and I didn’t want to miss dinner and then later on didn’t want to wander about in the dark on my own. We docked right in town and it looked just a short walk along the waterfront to the main part of town. I was a bit disappointed as it just seemed to have modern concrete buildings. Perhaps there were older ones with more character lurking behind!

Malaga – we docked as expected at 8am, although I did not go ashore until later. I was glad I’d purchased a ticket for MSC’s shuttle bus service (4 euros and you could use it as many times as you wanted to and from town). The docks were very large and industrial and I doubt that I’d have found my way out easily to the port Entrance. The ride in the bus (or rather buses) took about 10 minutes and ran every 15 minutes or so. Malaga is a very beautiful old city and I decided to treat myself by having a horse drawn carriage tour of the city and waterfront. It was well worth the 30 Euros. The commentary was in Spanish but I quite enjoyed this as I’m learning the language and was good practice for me. El Parador and El Castello were particular beautiful as were the many parks and the beachfront....

Another day At Sea followed and I stupidly had thought that now we were in the Mediterranean and well clear of the infamous Bay of Biscay, that would be the end of the rough seas. Boy was I wrong. We had the worse weather this day, so much so I ended up having to take seasickness tablets and lie down for a couple of hours. What was most annoying was it was the second gala night and I adore dressing up and having the cocktails, champagne and all the razzmatazz. I made it to dinner (minus the high heels, fortunately had a full length dress to hide the flat sensible sandals) but could not have any alcohol because of the tablets so had to forgo the champers. Dinner was great though

Olbia (Sardinia) – as my research had informed me that Olbia was a commercial town with not much to interest a tourist; I’d planned on a taxi ride to a nearby beach. Unfortunately the weather although dry and sunny just wasn’t warm enough for a day on the beach, so I decided to have a quiet lazy day onboard instead

Genoa – final destination. As I’ve been here before, I decided to book a lunch time flight so I could get back to Edinburgh the same day without the need for an overnight stay in London.

[AmoMondo]

Embarkation

This was the strangest one that I’ve ever experienced. I should probably say that first of all this cruise actually commenced 3 days earlier in Copenhagen but MSC were selling it as commencing in Dover for the UK market. When I arrived at the port by taxi, I asked the driver where I should drop off my luggage and was told that it was normally just beside the entrance but it was closed. I then went in to the terminal itself, only to discover that there were no check in desks open (Check in was from 2pm onwards and I arrived at about 2.15pm). There were signs pointing to the ship and a steady stream of passengers returning to the ship. I decided that there was no other option but to follow them onboard along with my luggage. When I reached the port security just before the gangway to the ship, I explained that I didn’t have my cruise card yet and there had been no one downstairs to check me in or take my luggage. He radioed to the ship and they told him to let me through as they were checking in onboard as they were only expecting 10 passengers in total to embark in Dover. As soon as I stepped onboard, one of the security staff came over to assist me, showed me where to leave my luggage and got another member to escort me to reception where they checked me in, in just a few minutes. Within 15 minutes of arriving at the port I was in my cabin. My suitcases were delivered to me 5 minutes later. Although this was the fastest embarkation that I’ve ever experienced it was certainly also the most unusual

Ports of Call

I don’t do shore excursions. This is not a reflection on those provided by MSC but rather my aversion to getting up early whilst on holiday and being shepherded about in a group. I’m far too independent and I prefer being on my own or with a few friends to being in huge groups. I’ve also travelled fairly extensively in Europe over the past 30 years so my preference now is just to wander about for a few hours and feel the atmosphere of a place, rather than rush around trying to see every monument or tourist site listed in a guidebook. So anyone expecting lots of detailed information on any of these ports had best read someone else’s review!

After departing from Dover we had another day at sea before arriving at La Coruna on the morning of day 3. The seas had been a bit rough at times, but I was fully expecting this.

La Coruna – we docked right in town. so no local transport required. It was only a few minutes walk to reach the waterfront promenade and as it was a lovely sunny day, I chose to wander along it for a few hours rather than head in to all the hustle and bustle of the shops in town.

Lisbon– we were meant to arrive at 11am but didn’t arrive until 12.30 as we’d made slow progress the night before due to heavy seas. The captain agreed to stay longer in port so we still had the same time in port. I’ve been to Lisbon many times before but this was the first time I’d arrived by sea and I particularly enjoyed the sail up the Tagus River which gave great views of the city skyline. It was amazing sailing under the 1966 Ponte (Bridge) 25 de Abril. As we approached it, it looked like we did not have much clearance room but we passed under 9just). I was standing on my balcony and being on Port side had a fantastic view all the way in. Lisbon is a beautiful and old city albeit extremely hilly. The best way to get up some streets is the trams or the public elevators dotted around the city. Most scenic tram ride is the 28 east from Baixa up to Graca and passing the magnificent 12th century Se cathedral and Igreja de Santo Antonio the 15 takes you along to the Torre de Belem and the fantastic Monasteiro de Jjeronimo (not to be missed). Other things of note are the Castelo de Sao Jorge (great views from up there) and the Panteao Nacional. If you are interested in things equestrian, you may also enjoy the Coach Museum which contains numerous Royal Ceremonial Coaches dating back several hundred years. If you have time to spare and are in port long enough, take the train out to Sintra. It’s an absolutely beautiful place, so much so that it’s classed as a world heritage site. There is a tourist bus service that leaves from the station and takes you up the very steep hill to first of all the Moorish castle ruins that have a great lookout over the valley below and then on to the fantastic Palacio de Pena (a Disneyland fairy tale castle has nothing on this) It closely resembles a many tiered pastel coloured wedding cake. Unfortunately the inside is not as spectacular as the outside. It’s very pleasant at the outdoor café on one of the esplanades near the top. The bus then heads back in to the town itself where you can not only enjoy the Palacio Nacionale but just wander around the many beautiful winding streets. You can also do the route by horse drawn carriage ride if you prefer. If you prefer the beach then catch the train along to Cascais or Estoril

Gibraltar– didn’t go ashore here as we docked in the evening and I didn’t want to miss dinner and then later on didn’t want to wander about in the dark on my own. We docked right in town and it looked just a short walk along the waterfront to the main part of town. I was a bit disappointed as it just seemed to have modern concrete buildings. Perhaps there were older ones with more character lurking behind!

Malaga – we docked as expected at 8am, although I did not go ashore until later. I was glad I’d purchased a ticket for MSC’s shuttle bus service (4 euros and you could use it as many times as you wanted to and from town). The docks were very large and industrial and I doubt that I’d have found my way out easily to the port Entrance. The ride in the bus (or rather buses) took about 10 minutes and ran every 15 minutes or so. Malaga is a very beautiful old city and I decided to treat myself by having a horse drawn carriage tour of the city and waterfront. It was well worth the 30 Euros. The commentary was in Spanish but I quite enjoyed this as I’m learning the language and was good practice for me. El Parador and El Castello were particular beautiful as were the many parks and the beachfront....

Another day At Sea followed and I stupidly had thought that now we were in the Mediterranean and well clear of the infamous Bay of Biscay, that would be the end of the rough seas. Boy was I wrong. We had the worse weather this day, so much so I ended up having to take seasickness tablets and lie down for a couple of hours. What was most annoying was it was the second gala night and I adore dressing up and having the cocktails, champagne and all the razzmatazz. I made it to dinner (minus the high heels, fortunately had a full length dress to hide the flat sensible sandals) but could not have any alcohol because of the tablets so had to forgo the champers. Dinner was great though

Olbia (Sardinia) – as my research had informed me that Olbia was a commercial town with not much to interest a tourist; I’d planned on a taxi ride to a nearby beach. Unfortunately the weather although dry and sunny just wasn’t warm enough for a day on the beach, so I decided to have a quiet lazy day onboard instead

Genoa – final destination. As I’ve been here before, I decided to book a lunch time flight so I could get back to Edinburgh the same day without the need for an overnight stay in London.

[happy1]

Thanks for the great posts. My husband and son cheered upon reading the beef was now edible. I too once had a review never appear in the "reviews" section so appreciate your taking the extra time to place the information here for those of us traveling the Lirica in the future.

[AmoMondo]

Thanks for the great posts. My husband and son cheered upon reading the beef was now edible. I too once had a review never appear in the "reviews" section so appreciate your taking the extra time to place the information here for those of us traveling the Lirica in the future.

Thanks. I had intended to have posted the rest of the review by now, but if I tell you that I work for a bank, I'm sure you'll understand why I've not yet had time to write the rest yet! 9the horrors of the credit crunch). Anyway, hope to get it finished next weekend (barring any more disasters this week)

[MMDown Under]

Thanks. I had intended to have posted the rest of the review by now, but if I tell you that I work for a bank, I'm sure you'll understand why I've not yet had time to write the rest yet! 9the horrors of the credit crunch). Anyway, hope to get it finished next weekend (barring any more disasters this week)

 

Yes, we understand. What a worldwide financial disaster! Our Aussie battler has dropped, in 3 months, from .US98 to .US70, and still falling.

 

Oh well, with little shopping, we'll have more time for sightseeing, watching the locals go about their daily lives and just soaking up the atmosphere for free.

[AmoMondo]

Cabin

I booked a suite as these are the only cabins to have a balcony. It was located port side towards the front of deck 10. The balcony has 2 chairs and a table and is fine for 2 people but would be a bit of a squeeze if there were more than that. Unlike some suites it doesn’t have a separate bedroom from the living area, just one long room (about the same width as a standard cabin but double the length) There is a sofa 9which I think converts to a sofa bed), coffee table, mini bar with cupboards either side and the TV. The bed is queen size (although can convert to 2 twins). It has a bedside cabinet either side. The wardrobe is much larger than the standard cabins and is the walk in type. There is also a dressing table that is fitted with 2 European and 2 US power sockets. The mirror opens out to reveal yet another cupboard and the mini safe. Along side the wardrobe are 2 further full height shelved cupboards with a large mirror and glass shelf unit in between. The bathroom is the same width as a standard cabin but longer, so has an additional cupboard in the vanity unit below the sink and has a bath rather than just a shower. The bath is not huge but at 5’7” was absolutely fine for me. I certainly appreciated it the days we had extremely rough seas, as I don’t think I’d have managed to stay standing up having a shower! In addition to lots more space, other extras in the suite are a real hairdryer with diffuser attachment (rather than the horrible wall mounted variety with the bendy hose) and robes. I found the bed extremely comfortable and whilst I would have preferred a duvet rather than sheets and blanket, the bedlinen was of a good quality. The cabin was well maintained and my cabin steward kept it spotless. I liked having a fresh fruit bowl too which was regularly replenished.

Bars and Lounges

There are a number to choose from both day and night.

La Canzone del Mare, La pergola & vitamin bar – all deck 11 on the pool deck and open air. La pergola opens from 7am- 8pm and the others open a little later. They serve a range of soft drinks, beers, virgin cocktails, cocktails and spirits and coffees. You can also get smoothies and juices at the vitamin bar. You can either sit at the bar or sit nearby and have waiter service.

Coffee Corner – deck 6 aft above the reception area. Wide range of teas and coffees (including hot, cold and liquor). Also serves full bar menus of soft drinks, spirits and cocktails. It’s a nice meeting point and a great place to people watch I strongly recommend the Amaretto cappuccino. Sometimes has live music in the evening. It’s open 6.30-1.00am and is completely non smoking

Lord Nelson Pub – deck 5, stern below the theatre. It closely resembles a British pub but I would not recommend it, unless you are a smoker as it is the smoking bar. Opens 7.00-1.00am

The Beverley Hills bar – very pleasant lounge that has a programme of live music and other entertainment (musical quizzes, art auctions etc) It is surrounded by the shops. It has a small dance floor and opens from noon until 1am. I quite liked this lounge pre or post dinner as I enjoyed the live music, especially the classical trio that often played here. Non smoking

Las Vegas Casino Bar – on deck6 beside the casino (as I’m sure you will have guessed) It also has live music, especially for dancing too. It has a reasonably sized dance floor. It’s open from 7pm until late (anytime after 1am depending on how many passengers are still around). Although it doesn’t serve drinks during the day, it’s quiet a nice place to sit in peace and have a chat or read. Also non smoking

L’Atmosphere piano bar – midship deck 6 handy for the smaller Ippocampo dining room and directly above the entrance to the main dining room la Bussola, It specialises in Martinis and has live music all evening (but just to listen to as there is no dance floor). Open 5.00pm-1.00am. This was my favourite as I loved the atmosphere (pardon the pun) of it. The bar staff were exceptional here and nothing was too much trouble for them. As well as having an extensive list of cocktails, they’d also create ones for you based on what they knew you liked. Non smoking.

Lirica Lounge – the main show lounge directly above the theatre. Has live music and dancing every evening as well as a variety of other entertainment hosted by the young and energetic Entertainment team (cabarets, competitions, games, talent shows etc). The captain’s cocktail parties are also held here. Opens 9.00pm-1.00am. Non smoking

The Blue Club Disco – aft deck 12. opens from 6pm until late ( after 1am depending on when passengers leave). It has a chocolate bar. The disco music doesn’t start until 11.30pm though.

[AmoMondo]

Drink packages

Soft Drinks – 28 euros – 14 drinks

Small beers - 32 euros – 14 beers

Large beers - 63 euros for 14

Honeymoon Special – 2 cocktails, 6 non alcoholic cocktails/smoothies and a bottle of Asti spumante served in your cabin – 61 euros

There are also wine and cocktail packages available but I did not note the prices.

Restaurants and Food

Breakfast – You can choose from continental served in your cabin 7-10am but needs to be ordered before 3am), buffet in le Bistrot on deck 11 (6.30-10am)or a la carte breakfast in the main dining room (6.30-9.30am). If you can’t wait for your caffeine intake there is early birds coffee served from 6-6.30am or if you rise too late then try either the lord Nelson Pub or La pergola (deck 11) where they serve croissants and brioches 9-12.00, I didn’t use the buffet at all on this cruise as I prefer waiter service of the dining room. The choice there was reasonably extensive with a variety of fruit juices (carton variety rather than fresh squeezed), fruits, cereals, variety of bread, rolls and pastries (I particularly recommend the pain au chocolat – avoid toast as they don’t make it like you’d expect – stick to the fresh bread, rolls etc). You can have eggs pretty much anyway (the omelettes are very nice as is the scrambled eggs), bacon (bit on the crispy side for British tastes0, ham, sausages, potatoes of the day 9usually sautéed), grilled tomato. They also have smoked salmon which you can have on its own or with cream cheese and a bagel. You can have pancakes too and they also have yogurts.

Lunch – if you want to dine in the open air on the pool deck, then your choice is the pizzeria which makes a variety of excellent pizzas or the grill serving hamburgers, hot dogs, and salads both open from 12.00-6.00pm. There is also a gelateria at the opposite end of deck 11 serving a selection of fresh made ice creams (very good but are not complimentary) from 11.00-5.00pm. There is also the buffet on deck 11 from 12.00-2.30pm or the main dining room 12-1.30pm. or occasionally 2; Lunch in the dining room has a selection of 6 courses available – appetizers; salad; soup; pasta and rice: main; dessert. Meals at lunch time tend to be more international than in the evening. I particularly liked the variety of soups especially the chilled consommés and fruit soups (very varied and absolutely delicious). Appetizers were invariably good and very varied. Pasta was always good too, although the rice dish which was usually some kind of rice salad, which could be a bit bland or dry on occasion. Main courses would always include eggs (e.g. omelette. Eggs Benedict; a fish dish; meat and a sandwich (which could be on ciabatta, foccacio or just bread) they always have hamburgers, cheese burgers etc available too. Desserts always include the ice cream of the day as well as sugar free alternatives and fruit is also available. On the whole I enjoyed most meals. Sometimes the food was warm instead of hot. I was less keen on the chicken dishes, simply because they do not use boned pieces and I can’t be bothered trying to get the meat off the bones, especially when it is smothered in a sauce.

Afternoon tea – is served 4-5pm. They have a selection of teas (Prince of Wales; Assam; English; camomile; peppermint and a few others) Coffee is also available. The cakes, and biscuits are Italian and may not be what Americans or the British are used too.

Dinner is served in the dining rooms at allocated tables. There are 2 sittings; I chose the second at 8.30pm as the first at 6.15pm was too early for me. Dinner also has 6 courses available which are less international, usually with the food from a different region of Italy each night (although on a longer repositioning cruise of 18 nights earlier this year, they did do themed dinners from other countries e.g. Mexico, Asia, France, Spain etc) they also have grilled salmon, chicken or steak available every evening and spaghetti Bolognese, if you don’t fancy the main courses available. We had 2 gala dinners in the 8 nights we were onboard. I had a fantastic waiter who looked after me extremely well. I was closest to his station, so this may well have been the reason that my food was far hotter than I’d experienced on previous cruises with MSC. I’m also pleased to report that the beef was greatly improved. I was almost reluctant to order it as I’d experienced the shoe leather variety on previous sailings but am pleased to report that I had it 3 times (filet mignon; cooked in wine and cold roast)( and it was tender and tasty on all occasions. Like lunch my favourite courses were the appetizers, soups and pasta although I also enjoyed the risotto too. Most main courses were either good or ok. I rarely had a dessert but when I did, usually the ice cream or something lighter like mousse or crème brulee, I enjoyed them.

Midnight buffet – served from 11.30pm every night had a different theme. Can’t comment on this as having just finished 4 or 5 courses an hour earlier, could not contemplate eating again.

[AmoMondo]

Crew

For me the real stars 9as always on MSC) were the dining room, bar and cabin crew. My waiter was exceptional, he always was waiting to greet me and assist me to be seated. He went out his way to make me feel special with a variety of napkin sculptures 9rose, peacock to name but a few). If I left anything on my plate or seemed to be eating slowly, he’d be over in a shot, offering to get me something else. One night, I stupidly told him that crème brulee was my favourite dessert and ended up with 2 9which I just could not mange after 4 other courses). He’d always give me recommendations as to what was best that evening. One night my main course arrived at his station a little bit early as I was still finishing my previous course. Rather than serve it anyway, it was discarded and he sent for another one, to make sure I had a hot meal. The bar staff were exceptional too, especially Arif in the piano bar who made friends with all passengers regardless of age or nationality. He was very skilled at making cocktails and would invent a few others for his regulars. He also made animals out of straws and played games with the children. He managed all this and kept the bar running incredibly efficiently often unaided by his assistant who was sent away on breaks or to help out elsewhere. My cabin steward done a great job too, cleaning my cabin twice per day and regularly replenishing my fruit bowl (he noticed which kinds I preferred and started to give me more of those and less of the others) and always took time to talk to me. Even the other stewards on my deck always spoke when you passed them (and usually more than just a Good Morning or Afternoon). They would ask what sort of day you’d had and when the weather was rough if I was feeling ok. Form previous cruises with MSC I knew that the Italian Officers and Reception staff were usually aloof and often unhelpful. However on this sailing that had improved too. Whilst I would not say that the reception team were as friendly as the other crew, they’d certainly thawed their frosty attitude to pleasant and were also helpful and polite. I also had to see one of the officers about my account and he was absolutely charming.

Entertainment

There were 2 showings of the main show in the Broadway theatre each evening to coincide with the end of each dinner sitting. The theatre itself is beautiful and has good sight lines regardless of where you sit. The shows had to cater for 6 languages so tended to be either visual acts (such as cirque oleil style acts; magicians; dancers; or musical (also includes a classical concert). I only went to a few shows but enjoyed the ones that I went to. My favourite was the classical concert which consisted of a good Italian tenor accompanied by a trio from Eastern Europe (pianist, violinist and flautist). Have to say this was my favourite.

There is live music ever evening, throughout the evening in a variety of lounges. Some just to listen to and some to dance to. On the whole they ranged from ok to good. There was usually some kind of entertainment hosted by the very energetic group of young Italians forming the Entertainment team going on day and night. Day time tended to be dance lessons, quizzes and bingo (in 5 or 6 languages); competitions and games on days at sea there were also Italian lessons, arts and crafts and other demos and talks)

Gym, Spa and other facilities

The gym had only 3 treadmills (and 1 was broken) and 3 bikes, so you often had to wait a while to get on them at busy times. They had a good range of free weights and weight machines and here were never queues to use them. The gym is situated right at the front of deck 11 beside the spa and you got great views from up there. It did however mean it also felt the motion of the ship the worst when the sea was rough. Next door was a sun lounge which most passengers had not discovered as it was usually always quiet. The sauna and steam room were here too. I used the spa a few times and can recommend the Balinese massages especially the hot stone one. Not cheap but very good. Watch out for specials in the daily programme. They have a hairdresser too, the pool is salt water and not heated, so is fine when in hot weather but can get a bit chilly. The pool area itself and deck above have lots of sun loungers available (which are all fitted with an adjustable face shield). At busy times it can prove difficult to find a bed as passengers hog them by leaving towels on them. It can also get fairly noisy around the pool area as much of the day time activities take place here. If you fancy some peace and quiet, then head for the small deck areas aft from deck 8 upwards to 12. It is much easier to find a bed there. There is also a small library (although only a small selection of English books) card room, very well equipped medical centre (with extremely proficient and friendly staff), casino; slot machine area; cyber café; photo shop and a variety of other shops (clothing; Colombian Emeralds; duty free; perfumery; electronics and a limited range of toiletries) There is also a children’s club on deck 11 but as I don’t have children, can’t tell you anything about it. There is no self service laundry onboard, but they do have a laundry service which is quick and good. They do a special on the last few days of the cruise where they drastically reduce their prices in their (let us do your laundry for you before you go home promo)

Disembarkation

We were supposed to vacate our cabins and be in our meeting points by 9am. Breakfast was being served from 6.30 onwards in the dining room as normal and slightly earlier I think at the buffet. Room service was suspended that morning (which is the norm with MSC). We docked at 9am as expected and they started allowing groups to leave around 9.30am. I knew that I was in one of the last groups, so expected to have a bit of a wait. My group was called at 10.15am. getting off was relatively simple as the system of only allowing so many off at a time, stopped hold-ups at gangways and in the baggage hall, so all went relatively smoothly up to this point. The next part was a complete nightmare. I made it outside the terminal and headed for where I’d been told the taxi ranks was. Only it wasn’t a rank with the usual orderly queue of passengers waiting. Instead it was a complete free for all with no qs – and taxis stopping all over the place and just picking up whoever managed to push themselves to them first. As one of the few single passengers and with 2 cases and slightly visually impaired, I had absolutely no chance against the groups of passengers. I lost count of how many times I was pushed out the way. At first, I was not too worried as I thought "well, I’m just going to have to wait until last". However more and more passengers kept coming out of the terminal and I needed to be at the airport by around 12 and it was already just after 11. At this point I started to get really worried and a bit upset that I was going to miss my flight and have to find a hotel for the night and hope that I could buy another flight for the following day. Fortunately at this point 3 Italian ladies noticed that I was getting upset and offered to share a taxi with me as they were also going to the airport. Now that I was part of a group of 4, we got a taxi within 5 minutes and I arrived in good time for my flight home to Edinburgh via Gatwick.

So anyone making their own arrangements to leave from Genoa be prepared to do battle in a scrum or be incredibly patient if there are a lot of passengers also making their own arrangements to get home.

Overall Opinion

Great cruise despite the sometimes uncooperative weather. Had exactly what I wanted a very relaxing time, being waited on hand and foot by fantastic friendly staff who could not do enough for me. Also pleased to observe the improvements in the quality of the food 9especially the beef) and the temperature at which the food was served was much hotter than previously. Only small blot on a wonderful experience was the debacle at the taxi rank in Genoa which MSC could hardly be blamed for.

[Lard Greystoke]

Similar to my recollections of Caribbean last Feb. Dining room wait staff very friendly and helpful. I found the clerical staff helpful and efficient - as far as being warm and friendly, remember they have to deal in five languages, so I would have to assume there's often a short "time delay" as they translate from their own language to a foreign one, to include English. It's difficult to be spontaneous and concentrate at the same time. Same with encounters with non-English speaking passengers - it's hard to "be yourself" when you're reduced to gesturing like a monkey.

 

I also had a bit of abandonment on disembarkation, but the rest of the trip was glitch-free. Embarkation at Ft L was quick, plus I got an upgrade. Definitely an enjoyable, economical voyage.

[KathytheKidd]

Thanks for the great review. My family and I are going to sail on the Lirica over the Holidays. This will be my first cruise on MSC and I am looking forward to it.

[MMDown Under]

Overall Opinion

Great cruise despite the sometimes uncooperative weather. Had exactly what I wanted a very relaxing time, being waited on hand and foot by fantastic friendly staff who could not do enough for me. Also pleased to observe the improvements in the quality of the food 9especially the beef) and the temperature at which the food was served was much hotter than previously. Only small blot on a wonderful experience was the debacle at the taxi rank in Genoa which MSC could hardly be blamed for.

 

I was pleased to read that you had a great cruise (despite the weather) and enjoyed your detailed review, as usual. Thanks for taking the time, when you've been so busy at work, with the current financial crises.

 

How did you find the Lirica (the ship) this cruise compared to the last time you cruised with her in March/April?

 

Pleased to hear about the improvements in the quality of the food, which was served hotter than previously.

 

So glad we're embarking in Genoa, not disembarking. Who would have thought getting a taxi would prove to be so difficult. So glad some friendly locals included you in their group to the airport.

 

We are not good at queueing like to British, but we're not good as pushing either. I had to quickly learn to not leave so much empty space in front of me, as we tend to stand back a little.

 

A few questions/comments:

 

Where was the water rough? Was it the Bay of Biscay, infamous for rough seas (where, even I got seasick).

 

Did you attend the Italian lessons/or have you in the past?

 

I notice the classical music was your favourite. Beautiful music transends language, so I'm looking forward to the classical music/concerts also.

 

Dance classes are usually enjoyable to watch, even if you don't join in.

 

Multi language quizs/bingo don't appeal, as we had enough trouble with American quizs in the same language!!

 

Our favourite breakfast is smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, or smoked salmon and poached egg. Did you observe that this was a possibility at breakfast? I notice you included Eggs Benedict under the lunch menu. Thanks for your tip re toast and bacon.

 

Tea - Did you observe anyone having tea with a slice of lemon?

 

Was tea, coffee and tap water offered at all meals or did you have to ask for it? We like tea/coffee at the end of the meal or with the dessert at the earliest.

 

We're so looking forward to cruising with MSC and the exotic ports of call, which were the main attraction.

 

I hope Sterling holds for your next cruise, during these troubling financial times.

 

I was pleased to see Carnival is doing away with fuel surcharges in 2010, and increasing their fares. I suspect it might have been because cruisers are becoming reluctant to book so far ahead, without knowing what they are committing for, like an open chequebook.

[AmoMondo]

Thanks. i've answered all your questions below. You've not got that long to go now. You must be getting excited

 

 

How did you find the Lirica (the ship) this cruise compared to the last time you cruised with her in March/April?

Didn't notice any changes in the ship itself other than the bill being in Euros instead of dollars and there being far less English speaking passengers this time. All the facilities on the ship were the same as were many of the crew who rememebered me, which was nice.

 

Where was the water rough? Was it the Bay of Biscay, infamous for rough seas (where, even I got seasick).

Yes and the English Channel which I expected but the worst was one day and night in the med itself which did surprise me. I'd thought that once we'd passed gibraltar it would be smooth sailing all the way at that time of year.

 

Did you attend the Italian lessons/or have you in the past?

Not this time, but my friend and i went to them all on our first TA sailing from genoa to Fort lauderdale on the Opera. They had them for an hour each afternoon of the 5 day crossing and on other at sea days. it was a good laugh and i managed to learn a few of the basics which then encouraged me to learn some more when i got home.

 

I notice the classical music was your favourite. Beautiful music transends language, so I'm looking forward to the classical music/concerts also.

Good. You will get probably 3 or 4 of the shows being classical music, if my TA in April was anything to go by. plus you will find that there will be 1 or 2 hours per day when they will be playing in one of the lounges (probably the Beverley Hills bar before or after dinner)

 

Dance classes are usually enjoyable to watch, even if you don't join in.

You are so right there.

 

Multi language quizs/bingo don't appeal, as we had enough trouble with American quizs in the same language!!

Couldn't be bothered with the bingo, but found the quizzes quiet amusing, especially some of the English transalations, susch as "Who was the painter who exposed himself in the Louvre in whatever date!" After we'd killed ourselves laughing, we di tell teh poor guy from the entertainment team that exhibiting and exposing were not the same thing!

 

Our favourite breakfast is smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, or smoked salmon and poached egg. Did you observe that this was a possibility at breakfast? I notice you included Eggs Benedict under the lunch menu. Thanks for your tip re toast and bacon.

That is one of my favourites too and I managed to get it in the dining room. You sometimes have a bit of bother getting them to understand you want it on the same plate as they will bring the salmon on one plate and the eggs on the other. Dont know if it's available at the buffet though

 

 

Tea - Did you observe anyone having tea with a slice of lemon?

You can have tea with either milk or lemon. it's no problem. it's probably easier to get it with lemon than it is with milk

 

Was tea, coffee and tap water offered at all meals or did you have to ask for it? We like tea/coffee at the end of the meal or with the dessert at the earliest. No to all at lunch and dinner. if you specifically asked them to get you tea or coffee they would. Tap water just wasn't available at all. On European sailings it's invariably bottled water. However on TA sailings and caribbean sailings, you will get all 3 offered at meals (or at least they have in the past) I'll warn you now, coffee in the dining room is not good. They don't make it the same way as they do in the coffee shops and bars which is excellent 9and you can get whatever you want from espresso to lattes, liquer ones etc). tea in the dining room is the same as every where else. Although for some strange reason you sometimes just get a tea bag in your cup, topped with boiling water, sometimes they give you a pot of boiling water with the tea bag on the side for you to put in yourself and other times they bring a pot of tea.

 

 

I hope Sterling holds for your next cruise, during these troubling financial times.

Thanks so do I. at least it will be priced in dollars rather than Euros which should work out cheaper. No idea what the rate is like for Brazilian currency but i'll find out next year

 

Have a great cruise next month and I'll look forward to hearing how you got on when you get back

[MMDown Under]

Thanks. i've answered all your questions below. You've not got that long to go now. You must be getting excited

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions so well.

 

Yes, I am getting excited. Just got a delightful surprise when I converted left over Japanese Yen into Singapore dollars, for shopping en route.

 

 

Where was the water rough? Was it the Bay of Biscay, infamous for rough seas (where, even I got seasick).

Yes and the English Channel which I expected but the worst was one day and night in the med itself which did surprise me. I'd thought that once we'd passed gibraltar it would be smooth sailing all the way at that time of year.

 

From our experience, I expect the med seas could be rough on our trip. One November, the Med seas were so rough the large ferry couldn't leave Athen's port. Fortunately we had a berth, but most didn't and there was a near riot - "no you can't get off; no there is no food, etc."!

 

Did you attend the Italian lessons/or have you in the past?

Not this time, but my friend and i went to them all on our first TA sailing from genoa to Fort lauderdale on the Opera. They had them for an hour each afternoon of the 5 day crossing and on other at sea days. it was a good laugh and i managed to learn a few of the basics which then encouraged me to learn some more when i got home.

 

I have a free Italian CD from a local newspaper, which I must listen to before I leave. I'm looking forward to the lessons. Although my husband is much better at pronunciation, I am better at understanding through reading body language.

 

 

Multi language quizs/bingo don't appeal, as we had enough trouble with American quizs in the same language!!

Couldn't be bothered with the bingo, but found the quizzes quiet amusing, especially some of the English transalations, susch as "Who was the painter who exposed himself in the Louvre in whatever date!" After we'd killed ourselves laughing, we di tell teh poor guy from the entertainment team that exhibiting and exposing were not the same thing!

 

That is funny.

 

Now that you mention it, we did find the quizs amusing, especially when they tried to ask some Australian questions. I have had lots of laughs reading the English translations as I've been researching my Italian travels. However, I'm grateful to find anything in English, especially when the front page is in English and, just when you think all is fine, the response is in Italian.

 

Our favourite breakfast is smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, or smoked salmon and poached egg. Did you observe that this was a possibility at breakfast? I notice you included Eggs Benedict under the lunch menu. Thanks for your tip re toast and bacon.

That is one of my favourites too and I managed to get it in the dining room. You sometimes have a bit of bother getting them to understand you want it on the same plate as they will bring the salmon on one plate and the eggs on the other. Dont know if it's available at the buffet though

 

Two plates won't be a problem. Our family is used to putting the breakfast pancakes aside on a bread and butter plate, to eat at the end of breakfast as desert. :)

 

 

Was tea, coffee and tap water offered at all meals or did you have to ask for it? We like tea/coffee at the end of the meal or with the dessert at the earliest. No to all at lunch and dinner. if you specifically asked them to get you tea or coffee they would. Tap water just wasn't available at all. On European sailings it's invariably bottled water. However on TA sailings and caribbean sailings, you will get all 3 offered at meals (or at least they have in the past) I'll warn you now, coffee in the dining room is not good. They don't make it the same way as they do in the coffee shops and bars which is excellent 9and you can get whatever you want from espresso to lattes, liquer ones etc). tea in the dining room is the same as every where else. Although for some strange reason you sometimes just get a tea bag in your cup, topped with boiling water, sometimes they give you a pot of boiling water with the tea bag on the side for you to put in yourself and other times they bring a pot of tea.

 

Thanks. Glad we're going on a TA crossing re water. I'll take coffee for my husband and see if I can just get a pot of boiling water to share for his coffee and my tea.

 

 

I hope Sterling holds for your next cruise, during these troubling financial times.

Thanks so do I. at least it will be priced in dollars rather than Euros which should work out cheaper. No idea what the rate is like for Brazilian currency but i'll find out next year

 

Brazilian currency? From what I read on CC, to convert to Euros, they have to multiply x 4 and I was feeling poor multiplying x 2. You'll be rich there, so hope you're planning to stay awhile. :)

 

I wondered why Royal Caribbean charged for some cruises based in Australia in American dollars. Now I know!

 

Have a great cruise next month and I'll look forward to hearing how you got on when you get back

 

Will let you know our cruise impressions in the New Year.