Hairdryers on melody

Hi there

Just getting around to my packing for my trip on the melody next weekend and am trying to decide whether I need to take a hirdryer with me. Does anyone who has been on the melody recall if they have normal hairdryers in the cabin or those awful wall mounted hose types?

Thanks

Hi AmoMondo,

I could find only one review that mentions the hairdryers on Melody, and unfortunately it is a bit out-of-date:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=52408

On Poesia, there are normal hairdryers, but it's hard to know if Melody has updated theirs yet ...

Thanks so much for digging that info out for me Satincruz - really kind of you.

Well that's it then, I'm going to have to find space in my hand luggage for my hairdryer. I was worried that being an older ship it would still have those horrible ones. Just as well BA don't weig hand baggage as I'm already over on my checked case, with a couple of things still to stuff in!

I am so excited that you are heading out on the Melody! Please post about the experience as soon as you can! I know you are a MSC fan, so I hope you have a great trip! We are headed out on the 26th! Fair winds and following seas!

Kara

Thanks so much for digging that info out for me Satincruz - really kind of you.

 

Well that's it then, I'm going to have to find space in my hand luggage for my hairdryer. I was worried that being an older ship it would still have those horrible ones. Just as well BA don't weig hand baggage as I'm already over on my checked case, with a couple of things still to stuff in!

You're welcome, AmoMondo :) You are always so very helpful to everyone, I definitely wanted to try to figure out one answer for you. I was hoping to find a photo, but no one has put one on :(

Anyway, glad to hear you're already almost done packing. I hope your cruise will be a really special one, since you've had to wait "extra" time for it!

I am so excited that you are heading out on the Melody! Please post about the experience as soon as you can! I know you are a MSC fan, so I hope you have a great trip! We are headed out on the 26th! Fair winds and following seas!

 

Kara

Hi Kara

Got back last night and will get around to writing a review soon. Overall it was a pleasant experience.

Before I went I was concerned that I would not like the size and age of the ship. Whilst I definitely prefer the medium sized Lirica class ships, it was better than I expected in many ways. The food was much better (and hoter) and the service also better. The smaller passenger base meant staff got to know people well and were very helpful. Could not help be impressed by how passionate the Guest relations manager, Cruise Director and other senior officers were about this pretty little ship which was surprisingly in good condition for its age. Another plus was that even on sea days, there was no need to get up at the crack of dawn to "book" a sunbed. Even late on in the day it was always possible to get a sunbed in the outdoor pool area.

Another nice surprise was that they had a good selection of English books in the library and the Australian lady who looked after it was delightful.

I expected not to like the lack of balcony and promenade decks but it really wasn't an issue (although I still prefer to have a balcony). The cabin eas huge and I was surprised to have a bath tub.

There were 3 big dissappointments for me

1. No theatre - the theatre onboard is a movie theatre not one that can be used for shows. I really enjoy MSC's shows and they are often the highlight of my evening. However with the shows being held in Club Universe (main lounge) or Riviera Terrace (indoor pool area) - the shows were really dissappointing. I was on 2nd sitting so 2nd show. In the Club, the first sitting lot are still there so it is really difficult to find a seat, sight lines are dreadful and people carry on talking and drinking throughout - soo really hard to hear as well. I found it far too distracting to enjoy. The Indoor pool area was marginally better as they laid seats out in rows and the artists were on a raised stage, so you could see well. Still too many distractions as people strolled through the area and with a tiled floor, they didn't do it very quietly. I much prefer the rest of their fleet where they use a dedicated theatre for their shows

2. No Thermal Area - this was a complete surprise as the melody specific spa package I had bought lissted one of the treatments as a thermal suite session! I love using the steam rooms on their other ships and it was dissapointing that the spa facilities consisted of a massage area with 2 treatment rooms in it.

3 No mini bar/fridge - on this ship only suites have them. i really missed having somewhere cold to keep my drinks, although my cabin steward filled my ice bucket twice a day for me.

These 3 things were not enough to spoil my trip although in future I will probably sail the larger ships. I don't spend a lot of time in ports, so for me a cruise is all about chilling out and enjoying the facilities of the ship.

Thank you so much for your comments! We are leaving tonight for Italy - I am so excited! I'm glad you found the food and service to be good!

Hi Amo. There are many cruisers who actually prefer the older smaller ships and sail only on them. I'm with you however and like the medium size (the new super-large ships only get me lost for the first several days of cruise). Regarding the Melody I had similar experiences on my Costa Marina cruise in March. The ship was tiny but the staff were absolutely wonderful.