Americans just back from MSC Fantasia in Barcelona

[NannylovesVienna]

Before we left for our July 31 cruise, I read all the posts on CC to get as well informed as possible. Extremely helpful---thanks to all of you. However, we are a Southern California couple with an American point of view to share with others who are interested in knowing how comfortable Americans are in Europe, on an Italian ship, surrounded mostly---99%---by non-Americans. It will really help to realize that fact before you book. If you are not very flexible or adaptable, choose an American line.

We enjoyed our cruise. Here are some of our experiences: with "kids sail for free" and deeply discounted (66%off brochure prices) promotions, this a quite a bargain. MSC has created what I consider "a la carte" cruising---you pay for what you want or will use. You do not have everything loaded in---whether you will want it or not---for an inflated price. There are many things you pay for along the way that you are used to having included, so you must always remember the bargain price you paid for the cruise. You must pay for water, coffee, maps of the port cities, shuttles from the ship to town, and all room service, except continental breakfast.

Coffee---only served at breakfast for free, with all the refills you can drink. If you want coffee any other time of day, you must order from any one of the many bars, or the Cappucino Cafe. No free refills.

Water---only served in bottles, with or without gas, at all meals. Ice is available upon request. A bottle is about 2 euros, and if you wish, you can take it back to your room and refill it from your tap, which is filtered, good water.

NOTE: don't get into a resentful mood about paying for these things. The alternative is to pay MORE---maybe even MUCH more for the cruise, and have them included. I'd rather pay a few euros here and there for the things I want than maybe $500 more for the cruise. We did not drink $500 worth of coffee and water, that's for sure!

Americans are used to coffee and water being served with meals and refilled constantly. That is in America.

Beer package---can be purchased online from MSC in advance. Works out to be 14 beers for the price of 10. Also can be purchased on the ship at any bar or dining room, at any time. The price onboard is 14 beers for the price of 12. The restriction is that not all beers are available for this package price, but the tickets don't tell you that. Heineken and Beck's in bottles---no draft---are the only choices for the lowest price beer package.

Wine package---also can be purchased online in advance. We bought the lowest price package of 7 bottles, which works out to be your choice of a white or red "house" wine each night. It was fine.

Smoking---my husband has asthma, and we are both non-smokers who hate to smell smoke. It was never a problem on Fantasia. Smokers can only light up on the outside decks around the pools---and they do. You can always find a windy, smoke free area up there. Never smelled smoke on the balcony from other rooms or balconies.

Bathroom---there are few amenities included. No wash cloths, no bars of soap, no conditioner. Bring them along if you need such things. A dispenser of shampoo and liquid soap hangs on the wall in the shower, another (very diluted) liquid soap dispenser is at the sink. Two nice terry cloth robes are in your room. Very small shower, with a curtain. Plenty of room for stuff.

Hand sanitizer---For a ship that holds 4,000 people you wouldn't think that TWO dispensers would be enough, would you!?! That is all there were! Bring your own.

Internet---a very nice internet/library room, with 5-6 pc's (european keyboard). Wi-fi is extremely slow and very limited range---you need to stay pretty close to the library. If you take a laptop, bring your cables. Forget using an iPhone---I tried to use mine and it was totally frustrating because of their slow wi-fi. Even on the pc it took about 15 minutes to "send" an email---at 20 euros an hour. You can find internet in the port cities for 4 euros for an hour.

Language---don't expect to hear much English being spoken. There are very few announcements made, but at the shows, for example you will be greeted with "Good evening Ladies and Gentlement" in Italian, French, Spanish, German and English. It takes awhile! If that bugs you, think about going on an American ship. You will not even hear many passengers who speak English. They do try to organize English speakers at the dinner table and on tour buses. However, there are so few that on one tour bus it was a combination of languages, so they lumped together English and German. That way the tour guide just said everything in two languages---not five. But, that was kind of annoying, anyway, because she had such a strong accent and was difficult to understand. Another reminder of being in the minority. You just have to adapt, you made this choice.

Ports---we have never been on another cruise where multiple ports could be used to embark. It appeared that this was a Barcelona round trip, but one could begin or end their cruise at every port, except Tunis. Very good idea. It really reduced the numbers getting on and off, and it only took us about 15-20 minutes to go through the embarkation process in Barcelona. Also gives everyone more options. Genoa was the prime location---and seemed like the "beginning" of the cruise. One should just think of the itinerary as a big circle you can join anywhere, except Tunis.

Tunis---I'm not sure why they even go there. Few people got off the ship. We were only in port from 8am to 1pm. We were told it was not very nice by those who left the ship. We "took the day off" and just stayed on board.

Dress code---very casual. Even on formal night, we never saw a tux. Very mixed, but I would say dressed down. Maybe because it is summer? My husband didn't even wear a tie---long pants and long sleeve shirt for him. Women can do a lot with scarfs or jewelry and black. No high heels for me, but plenty on board.

Departure flights to US. We flew Delta and their latest flight out was 11:40am. The scheduled return to Barcelona was 9am for the ship. That was going to cause too much stress for us, so we stayed in Barcelona that night and flew back to the US the next day. Delta told us not to even try to make it. The only other American couple we met on the cruise DID book their departure for that Delta flight---and THEY MADE IT! The ship did a priority departure for those who requested it, they had their passports in hand (important), they did not put their luggage in the hall overnight, instead they rolled it off with them the next morning. The ship came in early, they were off by 8:45, got a taxi right by the ship, and made it to the airport in plenty of time. Delta only requires a one hour advance check in for this international flight---different than in the US where it is two hours.

Navigation---my husband likes to know where he is, where he is going, and where other stuff is. There is absolutely nothing on board to navigate with---no maps, not big, interactive screen like we've seen on other ships. Bring a GPS with your coordinates, and maps if you want to navigate.

Finally, this is a very beautiful, new ship. Launched in Dec. 2008, I believe. It is huge---the biggest ship sailing in Europe. Big is not for everyone---figure out if big is for you. Consider this: from our room to the dining room was 350 foot steps. Go outside and step that off and see if you are comfortable doing that three times a day for meals, and maybe numerous other times per day---to the pool, to the spa, to the show, etc. And, we were not at one end---we were about a quarter of the way back from the bow of the ship.

We never stood in line once, so the number of passengers seems well matched to the size of the ship. Even though kids sail free, there were no more or no less than on any other cruise ship during summer vacation when kids are out of school. Not a problem.

The best way for Americans to prepare for this trip is to get informed. Know what to expect. Don't think it will be the same as in the US. You have chosen to go to Europe. Relax and enjoy it.

Teri

[Thecat123]

Thank you very much for taking the time to write that really full report NLV. We are going on Fantasia shortly and we are going with a very open mind. We are looking forward to it and we hope to meet some English speaking people on the 2 cruises we are doing. It could be interesting as we don't know or are able to speak any other language

[AmoMondo]

Hi NannylovesVienna
First of all I'm European not American but agree with every word you wrote in your informative and unbiased review. I think you are doing your fellow contrymen and women a huge favour here. many of the compliants that I've heard onboard result from people not being informed about what it is they have bought before they travel. i particularly agree with your comment about having to pay extra for some things and balancing that aginst the base cost. On a week cruise, i probably only spend max £70 on water and coffee but would have to pay at least £600-700 more on other lines which include it as part of the price.

[camofwilliamsburg]

If more of us, the americans who are negative would go with an open mind like you showed then more would understand this line. It is so beautiful and elegant. The shows and the ship are top notch. You got it all. The ambiance and the European flair that it prides itself on. So glad you had a good time. Now remember, sailing MSC for Caribbean cruises is a lot different. We get free coffee, free tap water poured, buffet, no room service charges, free use of the turkish baths and saunas. For more info on that, you can email me.
We are doing Poesia for the wonderful itinerary on Nov 30.

[jerryjash]

Thanks for an informative report ..Had I known all of this when my TA switched me to MSC, I would have insisted on another cruise line... I would much rather pay more up front than cruise a la carte. I think most Americans that have cruised on other American cruise lines would not be happy with all the extra charges...MSC seems very successful... Maybe they do not need the American Cruisers....

[Kan't Wait]

Originally Posted by jerryjash

Thanks for an informative report ..Had I known all of this when my TA switched me to MSC, I would have insisted on another cruise line... I would much rather pay more up front than cruise a la carte. I think most Americans that have cruised on other American cruise lines would not be happy with all the extra charges...MSC seems very successful... Maybe they do not need the American Cruisers....

Personally (I am an American) I don't need free coffee all day long or free flowing coffee at meals. I drink water but not with meals so having water at meals isn't an issue for me either. I don't care to have free ice cream or pizza either. I don't feel the need for a 24 hour buffet either. I feel that all the "free" brings out the gluttony factor in people. And quite frankly it makes me sick to see people walking around all day long gorging themselves on all the "free" c**p that American lines provide.

Just my opinion....ala carte seems fine to me.

[AmoMondo]

Originally Posted by jerryjash

Thanks for an informative report ..Had I known all of this when my TA switched me to MSC, I would have insisted on another cruise line... I would much rather pay more up front than cruise a la carte. I think most Americans that have cruised on other American cruise lines would not be happy with all the extra charges...MSC seems very successful... Maybe they do not need the American Cruisers....

Hi jerryjash
Where are you cruising with MSC? if it is the Caribbean or new England and Canada - then you have nothing to be concerned about as these additional charges won't be relevant to you, if it is in Europe, then I'm sorrying that you are regreting your decision to cruise with MSC. A cruise is something to look forward to and then enjoy, not something to be regretting before you even get there. All i can say is that if you are so seriously regretting your decision and can't cancel without financial loss, then try to bear in mind that the additional charges that will end up on your bill are likely to be considerably less than the difference in cruise cost to those lines who allegedly pride them for "free". the reason i say allegedly is that (for me) if the cruise cost of a similar cruise is £500 or £600 more per week (which it is for me), then in my opinion i will be paying for the water and cofee over and over again. I think if you go on any kind if holidy with the mind set it is going to be nad in some way, then that is what it will be. I'd hate for you to havea rotten time on any cruise.

[Signor John]

Originally Posted by jerryjash

I would much rather pay more up front than cruise a la carte.

In that case, why not try Silversea, Seabourn, or one of the other (mostly) "all-inclusive" lines?

[buggins0402]

Teri,

Thanks for the very informative, non-judgemental review. You didn't say MSC was better, didn't say it was worse - just said it was different. Everyone can decide for themselves if that difference is what they want.

Actually I was glad to see it was a little less formal than I thought it would be.

[romes]

Thanks Teri,

I was so anxious to hear more about this cruise. I don't see it on the roll call & have only seen comments from a few people. Glad to hear it's casual! I'm expecting it to be perfect for my boyfriend & I. We leave next week. We are more into the ports than extra food & drink on the ship. So, it sounds like we'll buy the wine package. I heard there is a water & wine one you can get with dinner. We can just buy that on the boat? And I don't need a hairdryer do I? (not picky about type) Did you buy any wine at the ports & try to bring that on? Do you have any recommendations for a beach in Palma de Mallorca? And what did you do in Naples? We want to see Pompei (first trip entirely to Europe for me!), but have been advised to not incorporate anything else into that day except maybe locally around Naples.

Glad to hear you enjoyed yourselves!!

[AmoMondo]

Romes, you can buy the wine and water package onboard. they will have all the details of all the drinks packages available at a table in the embarkation hall - be sure to compare them all and decide which works out for you. They do have a hairdryer in the cabin.

We did Pompeii and Sorrento by train (same line easy and cheap to do). However if you want to spend more than 2 hours at Pompeii suggest you forget Sorrento.

[minke]

Roames, easy way to do Sorrento/Pompei is to take the ferry from near the cruise terminal to Sorrento (we found the open slower ferry a better bet than the enclosed higher speed ferry). Take the little shuttle bus us the hill, have your look round. Train to pompei from Sorrento then train from Pompei to to Naples (get off at Centrale station & take tram to dock - train ticket covers the tram within the time) Easy peasey, all the numbers are available on the web in reviews etc, I think they are in one of my old reviews.

[Koolkrewser]

Thank you so much NannylovesVienna
As we are cruising MSC next year on the, as yet to be launched, Magnifica & MSC is relatively unknown to the Australian market, your concise, unbiased & very informative thread is just what we needed to read.
I think the Australian/New Zealand cruisers are very port motivated when choosing a cruise, as we have to go so far to get there in the first place, that we want to see as much as we can. MSC had a great 2 for 1(second passenger free only has to pay port charges) offer in the OZ market that has proved very popular and very quickly booked. Now that we have our bookings, we are after as much information as we can & your thread is one of the best that I have read. CC appears one of the only forums to access that. I have posted the link on our rollcall for others to read.
Cheers
Jane

[Maximum Power]

This is a great review. Thank you. What's the point in going to Europe if you are going to live in a little American "Bubble"? Get out there and experience other cultures. That's what being a traveler is all about.....

If not, see you in Disney World...

[woodofpine]

Thanks for the review. My family is booked on Magnifica's second cruise next March. Your comments are welcome. I am prepped for a European experience, rather than the chipper nautical Disneyland of a US based line. MSC's ships look terrific by design, the itinerary isgood, the price and schedule works well. This will be a European trip at sea and we generally do independent travel well so 'Viva La Difference'.

[cruiseman40]

nannylove and others who posted:

Thanks for posting information. I'm considering in trying MSC cruiselines and very surprised to see it doing so well the last few yrs with newer and modern type ships. I love the price and glad to find out more info from past guests about the La carte type setup in comparison to other cruiselines. I have 2 kids under 17 and would like to take advantage of their "Kids Sail free" promo.

[cakeordeath]

We are from the US (CA and RI) and sailed on the Lirica last year. I agree with your review, insight and information as far as the MSC experience in general.
We loved it and just booked the Splendida in November...same ports I think. We enjoyed the international feel and did just what you suggested...go with the flow.

We are so excited. Thank you for taking the time to share!

[poet123]

Originally Posted by woodofpine

Thanks for the review. My family is booked on Magnifica's second cruise next March. Your comments are welcome. I am prepped for a European experience, rather than the chipper nautical Disneyland of a US based line. MSC's ships look terrific by design, the itinerary isgood, the price and schedule works well. This will be a European trip at sea and we generally do independent travel well so 'Viva La Difference'.

We are booked on the cruise on 27th march out of venice is that the one you are on ?

[jensue1]

Originally Posted by Koolkrewser

Thank you so much NannylovesVienna
As we are cruising MSC next year on the, as yet to be launched, Magnifica & MSC is relatively unknown to the Australian market, your concise, unbiased & very informative thread is just what we needed to read.
I think the Australian/New Zealand cruisers are very port motivated when choosing a cruise, as we have to go so far to get there in the first place, that we want to see as much as we can. MSC had a great 2 for 1(second passenger free only has to pay port charges) offer in the OZ market that has proved very popular and very quickly booked. Now that we have our bookings, we are after as much information as we can & your thread is one of the best that I have read. CC appears one of the only forums to access that. I have posted the link on our rollcall for others to read.
Cheers
Jane

Hi, I'm a kiwi and looking at booking a New England/Canada cruise next year on Magnifica. We too have had specials out over here but not the 2 for 1 you are talking about! Wow that's so cool. I've cruised twice on RCL before and trying to find out a little more information on MSC.

[AmoMondo]

Originally Posted by jensue1

Hi, I'm a kiwi and looking at booking a New England/Canada cruise next year on Magnifica. We too have had specials out over here but not the 2 for 1 you are talking about! Wow that's so cool. I've cruised twice on RCL before and trying to find out a little more information on MSC.

Hi jensue1

is there anything in particular that you want to know or are you happy to just browse the threads and pick up info that way?