MSC Fantasia Questions

We have just booked a 7 night Western Med trip for April 2011. Just a few questions. a) Is there 1st and 2nd sitting for dinner and can you choose? What times are they? b) We have a guarantee inside, do people know if this means we get the worst cabins on the ship? There are not many inside cabins as it is. c) How much do MSC charge for shuttles in the ports? is it excessive d) If the ship leaves at 7 pm from Rome, what time can we embark?

1) there're two sitting, you can choose when you book when u want to sit. the 1st is 7pm, the 2nd 9pm (7,30-9,30)

2) no! :)

3) I don't know :(

4) The embark should begins (more or less) two hours before departure

enjoy it! :)

ps. when u'll return, could you write a review about that topics? :D

1) In the Med the two seatings are generally 18.30 and 20.30, sometimes a half hour later. You request the seating you want when you book.

2). I don't know because I've never had an inside.

3). The shuttle charge is whatever that particular port charges for the service. My experience has been usually 5 or 6 euros.

4) The embarkation start time will be stated on your cruise tickets. Embarkation at Civitavecchia (Rome) usually begins at 13.00 or 14.00 for a 19.00 departure.

Hope this helps.

MSC Fantasia is a great choice:)

On our MSC Fantasia cruise last September the departure from Barcelona was 18PM and we boarded the ship at 14PM, plenty of time. Remember that passengers can embark in most of the ports on your itinerary so there might be just a few embarking in Civitaveccia compared to the total capacity of the ship. My advice is to be there at about 14 PM.

There is a shuttlebus in Marseille at EUR15, you can take the bus as often as you want. In Barcelona there is a public shuttlebus that takes your from the terminal straight into the Columbus monument, at the end of the "Rambla". Very easy. In Genova you can take a small shuttleboat outside the terminal into the city center, a nice harbour cruise. Takes 5-10 minutes and costs EUR5 or you can walk in 15-20 minutes.

Happy cruising:)

Hi from Stockholm, Sweden!

I returned from MSC Fantasia last Sunday (Nov 7).

1) Be aware of the fact your request for the seating (Main or Late) you prefer, is a REQUEST only. When checking in at the terminal, you will get the final time, as well as information about the name of your restaurant. (The ship has two large a lá carte restaurants: They are both very nice and the menu is exactly the same in both of them.) If you’re not satisfied with the seating you’ve got, you can - when embarked - visit the Maitre and try to get it changed. Usually very many passengers are standing in this line…and probably he will not be able to help you.

Moreover, the ship has a very elegant restaurant, L’Etoile, at the top deck. You need to reserve a table here, and you even have to pay for the food. Furthermore, there is a Sport Bar and a Tex Mex restaurant onboard, and you may even buy something (not much) to eat in the Wine Bar. At all those places you have to pay for what you eat (and drink, off course).

Finally, prepare yourself for the fact that MSC does not serve a buffet dinner, as an alternative to the a lá carte, in the evenings in Europe. (However, when cruising in the Caribbean, they do).

2) All, (even) inside cabins are very nice. And “worst” you can get is situated onboard as high up as on deck 5. Do not worry about this!

3 )The shuttle charge depends on the port, the distance to the centre etc, etc. Euro 5 or 6 is quite normal….however, in Marseille (France) last Saturday, it was Euro 10:-/person/single ride. I recommend that you always ask a taxi for their rate……in Marseille the taxi-ride cost Euro 20:-/single ride: For the four of us, this was much cheaper than going by the shuttle.

4) Yes, as said above i another message, the embarking start time is stated on your ticket. However, now and then (it’s impossible to know for sure), they can let you go onboard before Noon.

For your info: The large buffet restaurant - stern at deck 14 - will be open until 16.00 hrs at the day of embarkation. At 16.30 hrs the Afternoon Tea will start at the same place…. J