OceansOfTravels
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Hello all,
The title says it all, I just disembarked the Seaview today in Barcelona after a 7 night western Med cruise to Marseille, Genova, Naples, Messina and Malta. I know many have had some questions about Seaview and theseports, and some Americans in particular about the differences between American MSC cruises and European MSC cruises, so I'm happy to answer any question to the best of my ability! I hope to do a review with some photos I took later but I will say, I had an AMAZING cruise, and this cruise fortified to me that MSC offers a great product, one that I know I will keep returning to in the future. So, leave all of your questions below and I'll answer them! Happy cruising! :D
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We did Genoa last year and went to Santa Margherita Liguria and Portofino on public transport without speaking any Italian! Its very easy, the train station is easy walking from the port, you take the train to Santa Margherita, its about 30 minutes, when you get off, you walk down the hill to the town where theres numerous little buses to Portofino. Even if you think you dont want to go there, the journey is stunningly beautiful and if you go early, you will arrive in Portofino before the tourists arrive. We had coffee there and then took the bus back to Santa Margherita, its a beautiful destination in itself, a lovely harbour with beautiful walks, cafes etc. After time spent there, we took the train back to Genoa. This is all very easy and very cheap, if you have an elderly person, then it is a bit uphill back to the train station, maybe take a taxi to there. And check the return train times when you are leaving the train station, they are about every 30 minutes. We found there was plenty of time to do this journey, and Santa Margherita was just as interesting as Portofino. The beauty of this coastline is truly spectacular.
How much did the trains and buses end up costing you per person? Which train station in Genoa did you go to?
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We will be in Genoa in Sept. The options I am considering are the hop on hop off bus, a short 'Genoa by Sea' boat tour of the harbor, and a food tour.
I cannot recommend any of these because I haven't yet been on any of them yet, but these are the specific excursions I'm looking at, if that is any help.
Genoa
https://www.liguriaviamare.it/en/news-4/genoa-by-the-sea-2018.html
Thank you, I'll take a look at these! We may end up just winging it in Genoa, seeing what there is off the ship tour wise and just enjoying the local area. I'm thinking we should invest our money in Messina and Marseille instead of Genoa.
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I have found the Trip Advisor Genoa forum has a much better response rate for questions like yours with local experts available. :D
Thank you, I asked on there after you suggested and I'll look to see what they said soon.
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I believe that the Carnival Pride in Baltimore makes periodic cruises to Bermuda as well. I know they did at one time unless itinerary has changed.
They do, but the person I was responding to had a focus on short cruises to introduce their husband to cruising, the Pride's cruises are 7 nights or longer that stop in Bermuda.
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I hope you get get some other reply’s.
We love the Blue Lagoon we used Hop on Hop off bus for transportation you would be able to stay for a while depending on your schedule then return to Valletta. This depends on how much time you have in port.;p We used Malta Sightseeing available as you disembark ship. Very reasonably priced, better than City Sightseeing. Check their website for pricing and different routes.
I don’t remember see chairs for rent but we weren’t looking for them.
Okay, I will look into that, thank you so much for your help! We were planning on falling back on a HOHO bus if we couldn't find anything to do, but it sounds like that may just be what's best for us if we can't find anything else. Thank you!
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Why not a Bermuda 3-day itinerary?? It would be a different option.
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They do offer 4 night cruises from New York, but 3 nights will not be enough time. You need at least one whole sea day each way in order to arrive, and typically a little late arrival or a little late departure. Your best bet may be to drive up to Baltimore and book a 5 night on the Grandeur of the Seas on Royal Caribbean, which will overnight in King's Wharf, giving you about 26 or so hours in port if I'm correct. The ship is smaller and manageable, and will give a good taste of what cruising is like.
But, if you don't want to try Royal and the Norfolk region is your preferred departure, you could take a short cruise from there, or drive south to Charleston or Jacksonville and board a different Carnival ship for a 5 night Bahamian cruise. All good introduction options.
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Hi, We're looking to take an 11-day Mediterranean cruise on the Poesia. It's our first MSC cruise and we had some questions.
1. We are considering a suite, which comes with the Aurea package, including drinks. The site says "Depending on cruise destination, the drinks package may be either All-Inclusive Restaurant & Bar Drink Package or All-Inclusive Classic Drink Package." I'm not sure of the difference in those packages.
Some restaurants onboard cost an additional amount. So, the all inclusive drink and restaurant package includes unlimited drinks and food at those additional eateries, whereas the all inclusive drink package includes unlimited drinks, but the food at the eateries that are not free is not included.
2. Does the Poesia have tables for 2 in the dining room, and do they have early and late seating resevations, like other cruise lines?
There should be tables for two, but you may need to request them from the Maitre'd either in advance or upon boarding.
3. Is the room service fee per item or per order? Is room service included (no service charge) with the Aruea package?
I have never ordered room service on MSC, so I unfortunately cannot answer this.
4. We only know English, so will that be a problem communicating with the staff aboard the ship in the Mediterranean?
No. The staff on MSC ships know a variety of languages, and it should not be a problem, as English is an official language onboard, meaning literature and announcements will be made in English, in addition to other languages. Furthermore, depending on where your ship departs from, there may be a surge of American, Canadian or British passengers, meaning there will be more of a reason to use English with a higher English-speaking population.
thanks for any help !
I've answered your questions above in red. I hope you decide to cruise MSC, one cruise made me fall in love instantly! I already had my Fascination cruise booked, but I plan on cruise solely MSC until I find a reason not to after that. I really feel like MSC gave me everything Royal and Carnival did, but tied the loose ends each of them had, and gave me the ideal cruise experience. Making that decision was one of my better travel decisions! :)
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Thank you so much for your report! I will be boarding the MSC Seaview next month for my first ever European cruise and I am very excited!
Question: What would you recommend doing as a day trip in Genoa or Valletta? I cannot seem to pinpoint anything for either of these two ports. I will be with my grandmother, so we can't do anything too strenuous, and she has a fear of small boats, so we are avoiding any small boat tours. Thank you in advance, and thank you again for writing this stellar report! :)
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Hello,
We are trying to plan a day to Comino/Blue Lagoon so we can come and go as we please, giving us enough time to spend time at the beach but also come back to Valletta and enjoy the area. We would like to do this without a tour if possible, but we understand if that is impossible. How have you all gotten from the ship in Valletta to the Blue Lagoon, and about how much did you pay for the transportation? Are there chairs available for rent on the beach?
If the Blue Lagoon is too touristy to enjoy or impossible to really enjoy without staying the during of our port times, what other beaches would you recommend in Malta? Again, how much would the transportation and chairs run up to be? There will be two of us.
Thank you to advance to anyone that can help, any and all help will be appreciated! :)
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Hello,
We will be docking in Genoa in Italy next month onboard the MSC Seaview, and we cannot figure out what we want to do. I will be with my grandmother, who can spend long days off of the ship and doesn't mind the sun, but will not be able to do prolonged/direct harsh heat, or loads of steps. We have ruled out Portofino as a possible place to spend our time, as it is very expensive and touristy. We also do not want to see the Aquarium or Biodome, because it's not of interest to either of us. What we want to do is either visit a town like Camogli, or even venture out to the Cinque Terre, or do some kind of cooking tour/demonstration, as my grandmother loves to cook. We would prefer something guided, however we are not opposed to doing something on our own, as long as we will be able to do it as Americans that do not speak Italian. I have asked in the Port of Call forums a few times and have received almost no responses, so I decided to just ask on the MSC board, hopeful of a response. Can someone please let me know how you spent your day in Genoa, and how we could replicate it? Thank you in advance! :)
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Hello,
We will be in Genoa next month onboard the MSC Seaview. We want to visit some town in the Italian Riviera, and while we will be okay with Portofino if there are no other economically viable options, we would rather stay away from the huge tourist crowds and expensive stores. I will be with my grandmother, so a guided tour with a bus is preferred. Can anyone please link us with some companies that they have used so I can look around and book something? It would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance! :)
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Thumbs up to the Japanese Sports Officials for this idea. In Japan and Tokyo for that matter, real estate is premium. Building housing for athletes/sports officials will require a lot of resources. Most times after the games, these buildings are abandoned or under developed. Maybe hosts of international games like the Olympics that are near ports should consider 'renting' cruise ships for athletes/sports officials housing.
This has been done before for Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, and Rio 2016. I would've actually been surprised if Tokyo 2020 did not do the same, as the accommodation is surely needed. Pyeongchang couldn't do it because he Gangneung harbour/pier was not big enough, and London was too far from the sea. But, I do expect this to become Olympic norm when possible.
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https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180528_10/
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it has chosen a Switzerland-based shipping company to operate a "hotel ship" during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
The "hotel ship" concept is one of the measures being taken by the central government to address an anticipated accommodation shortage during the sporting events.
Tokyo city officials say they chose the Japanese arm of the Switzerland-based MSC Cruises to operate a "hotel ship" after inviting public applications.
Officials say the 65,000-ton cruise ship "MSC Lirica" is expected to be used as a temporary hotel. The mid-size cruiser boasts about 1,000 staterooms and can accommodate up to 2,600 guests.
The ship will be docked at a pier in Koto Ward. The Tokyo government and the shipping company will discuss details of its operation after signing a memorandum.
The central government will also allow several other piers on Tokyo Bay to be used for such temporary accommodations.
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Yes, that is true from Scotland...and add Jet2 to the mix of direct flight options! Another reason for Barcelona is its beauty and cultural aspects, meaning many tag on a day or two either side of the cruise....strongly recommended for first timers.
Booked three day pre-cruise and one day post-cruise, all in free hotels! Plus 3 days in Paris before moving to Barcelona. I love Paris and cannot wait to go back. But, for my trip as a whole, there is nothing I'm more excited for than Barcelona, not even the MSC Seaview itself comes close to my excitement for Barcelona. Any recommendations on things to do? I have many of the typical things planned, and then given my Olympic history/legacy interest (and the fact that I wrote a thesis on the Barcelona 1992 Games) I plan on spending lots of time in Montijuic, Port Olimpic and Barceloneta. Any out-of-the-way sights worth checking out?
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There is no way that I know of other than at either airport and the ferry terminals, If you take a ferry to St.Barth from Phillipsburg, you may have an opportunity, but the only stamp I have from St.Maarten came from my recent land vacation.
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They have these times mostly so you could just say you were to Puerto Rico, it is not ideal for many excursions, so most people just get off the ship and pour into the forts, shops, and restaurants and enjoy nighttime in Old San Juan.
But that is more of a reason to go to the Bahia Bioluminiscente, as it will get you out of the craziness of OSJ at night, because all 5000 people onboard will want to be there. I have never done it myself, but I would definitely recommend doing it, just from my go-getter nature! Why not, right? Have fun! :)
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Thank you all for this information. I too will be on my first MSC cruise in Europe in July on the Seaview and this information was very valuable.
Question: I've heard that many British people in particular board MSC ships when they depart from Barcelona. Can any say if this is true or not? I assume most of the English speakers onboard will be from England, not the USA/Canada, but will most of them board in Barcelona, or will they opt for Genoa, or even a different place like Valletta or Messina?
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Excited to read this, I send my best "congrats grad"!!
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I too never would've noticed. I haven't booked my flights yet, as I'm waiting for Southwest to release their calendar, but I will keep this in mind. The one time I did this cruise, I landed around 5PM and it was enough time to get over and board the ship. I didn't like it, but we saved $480 per person. Should I do this again, I worry, because that cruise was in the spring, this is in the winter.
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I haven't even been on Magic but that is what I would pick. I have gone on Glory 3 times before they took away the upper pool and some deck space and I always remember struggling to find a place to lay out, so I can't even imagine how that is now. Glory has a new waterpark, but the Magic's is larger and has a ropes course. I think your kids will enjoy Magic much more, and that will likely give you a better taste of where Carnival is going in the future of its ships, so that way you get the best feel of whether or not your Sensation cruise was a "bad fit" issue, or a Carnival issue.
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I have not done it, but like stated above, you go through the first set of locks, and then turn around in Gatun Lake and go back out into the Gulf of Mexico. You can usually save time and money by going on a partial transit cruise because they're shorter and depart and arrive to the same place, saving money on expensive one way flights.
It is certainly worth it, I went on a land trip to Panama in November and I was pleasantly surprised, I absolutely loved it. The canal is such a cool thing to see!
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A flight to EWR is probably the quickest and most convenient.
You could take a bus or train from Boston to Port Authorty/Penn Station, take the Path or some type of NJ transit to Bayonne, or to a place where you could affordably Uber. That option gets harder with increased luggage and people, and involves numerous hectic changes, but it will likely be your best bet. Like stated, I'd go under the departures board and see if others have better suggestions.
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Even though I posted what I did above, I would not be completely shocked if Port Canaveral is chosen as a new homeport. I think New York is much more of a viable option, where they could offer 7 night cruises to Port Canaveral (for Orlando), Ocean Cay and Nassau, but preferably Bermuda (speaking of, why don't they build another pier? The demand is obviously there?) cruises. They could also do fall foliage from New York, maybe one ways between New York and Quebec or just the typical 7 night roundtrip. Then, the ship could go down south to a Caribbean island, or possibly even South America for the North American winter, if that market proves successful.
Asia is also on their radar, as it is with every line. A ship may soon get positioned or even designed for full time Asian deployment.
(An American) Just Off Seaview in Europe .... Ask Away!
in MSC Cruises
Posted
Yes, you could embark the Seaview anywhere it docked. Most passengers embark in Barcelona or Genova, with Marseille being the next biggest, then Messina, then Malta, but the embarkation is rolling. I don't think I really have too much of an opinion, as I really didn't notice it. It was weird seeing suitcases in the hall almost every night of the cruise, because that usually means that mine should be outside as well, but I got over that. There is a sailaway party after every port, so you miss your typical massive party mid week. There isn't a "welcome aboard" or "goodbye" show like most cruise ships have, so if you like these things, you will miss them. But, overall, I didn't mind this and don't think it inhibits the experience in any way. It always brought new people to the disco and lounges to talk to! :)