Opera at Sea. 8th April

[stowaway2k]

Hello Czechmate

 

How are people dressing in the evening?

Are men dressing formal on formal nights?

Well, my question is, should I bring my tuxedo on Lirica's transatlantic repositioning next month, or will I be out of place and overdressed?

I can only assume that the passengers on your cruise are similar to those who will be on Lirica's.

I like observing the suggested dress when at sea; tuxedo for formal nights, suit on informal, and sportcoat on casual. My nightmare is finding that I'm the only one dressed properly formal on the first formal night. I know a dark suit is appropriate, but I own a tuxedo and don't mind, actually enjoy, wearing it when it's called for. And I don't want to wear the same thing every night.

What have you observed on Opera?

 

A trend lately is ignoring dress codes, and jeans in the dining room on formal nights is no longer uncommon on some ships. My feeling is if you can't be bothered to go along, then don't go. Dressing up for dinner is part of the excitement of cruising.

 

Thanks for your help!

Kyle

[Rotterdam]

Czechmate - I am so glad to hear that you are thoroughly enjoyng MY Opera!

 

Thanks for egtting in touch with Galen - a great guy!

 

Was Neven one of teh asst pursors? I met him one day & he too is a great guy.

 

 

Just wait til you get home......you'll start crying, then throw yourself on the floor - and no stewards to help you get up!

 

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

 

Thanks for all your postings.

[czechmate]

Have just returned from a great day exploring Cadiz - a lovely city. The day started very chilly but warmed up and is now beautifully sunny.

 

The day of parting draws ever nearer and that is a terrible thought. Could stay on Opera for another months and enjoy every moment!

 

Kyle - Stoaway2k - you will certainly not be overdressed on formal nights with your tux. Like you - I enjoy putting on evening wear for the right occassion - and these gala nights have been the right occassion. There seems to have been a good mix of tux and suits but everyone seemed to take the time and make the effort to look their best. It does give a sense of style and atmosphere thats for sure.

 

The one thought I can cling to is that thank goodness I already have transatlantic Opera booked for April 2006 - that will help with the tantrums when they drag me off!

[cronestein]

Czechmate,thanks for all the time you spend ,giving -updates-

I was there in mind.

 

Today I am leaving my house ,for the first time.

Awfull tired.

 

Cadiz is a nice place ,been there,but indeed it can be --cold--in april,

like the Med!

 

I try to book an Atlantic crossing in May with Celebrety.

The-Lyrica- is full booked!

 

THANKS to your PR.I am sure of that.

 

Say please,bye bye from me to all the members.

 

And remember -memorys- can be so sweet when you are making your own bed at home.

 

Eternity

[Lill]

Can't believe that your cruise is almost over. Have sure enjoyed your posts and getting to share the fun. Enjoy your final days. Keep telling yourself as they drag you from the ship that you will be back, it was the only thing that got me off the ship. ;)

[robynp]

Never fear, fellow cruisers! While most passengers are leaving the ship in a couple of days - I'm staying aboard for another 5 days to VENICE !!!!!

 

Unfortunately, I think I am just prolonging my turn for a tantrum when I have to leave. It will involve a certain amount of kicking and screaming!

 

I'll try to post a couple of times to keep this thread and your vicarious cruising appetite going!!!!!!

 

Ciao ciao

[traveling lady]

Kyle:

 

Glad to read all the good things about the transatlatic. I'm on the Lirica on 2 May and looking forward to it. Glad people are 'dressing up" for the formal nights. That's part of the fun of cruising.

 

Traveling Lady

[boten]

...I'm staying aboard for another 5 days to VENICE !!!!!

...and then I'll board the ship for a week

[cronestein]

Hallo Robijn,

 

I have asked for the price 19 april-1 may

in a 10000 cabin solo,they asked ---4950 euro.-----

 

Completly ridicuous.

Lucky I am not well yet,otherwise I was very disappointed.

For a quaranty cabin they asked less/less

 

So I don't join you,have a really nice time,once we shall meet.

 

Eternity

[czechmate]

Having sailed from Palma de Mallorca 4 hours ago we are now in the midst of our final day at sea and tomorrow we reach Genoa. Today is packing day!! It sure is not as much fun as it was 3 weeks ago putting all the clothes into the cases!!

 

There is some consternation re disembarkation and it is a little chaotic although I think (Optimistically HOPE) all will go well when we dock tomorrow. Part of the problems is that the USA passengers were advised that arrival in Genoa was 7 a.m. European and others were advised 10.00 a.m. and they are predicting 10.00. The onward travel plans for some are thus rather disrupted as they booked morning departures from Genoa!!

Also Alitalia airlines are threatening a 24hour strike on 19th April and this could be a huge inconveinience!! We are told that whatever happens we must go to the airport an register and if not then the ticket may not be honoured on another day!! Travel is such a huge adventure and Fun! Like the sea always unpredictable so just go with the flow and wear a smile:

 

Wanted to report re Food. Pasta and Risotto as expected have been superb and so have all the sea food and fish dishes. Last night I selected 2 entrees for my meal - First was Med. Prawns with garlic herb butter on a bed of wild rice and then a delicious perfectly (to my tastes) meltingly tender beef rib. SCRUMPTICIOUS.

Both my lobster meals were excellent but the Tournedo Rossinni was just the opposite!! Funny enough with the Rossinni came the only overcooked veggies that we have had on the entire cruise!! Must have been a "bad hair" day for the Chef.

Overall though food has been excellent and very varied.

 

DO NOT BE AFRAID to request items NOT on the menu (within reason) - these people really try hard to please and satisfy the passengers.

 

What has been so excellent is that go into a lounge and request a glass of water (remember the stewards are paid a percentage of sales) and these wonderful boys and girls will serve it graciously and with a smile. These are special people. Two of our favourites have been Stacey and Eduard. So open and friendly but always so courteous and attentive.

 

We have had some windy days but overall have had sunshine and warmth and really good weather so even mother nature has been kind to us.

 

All I can wish is that every future passenger with MSC will have the same fabulous and happy happy days and nights and the same fantastic high standards of service that we have shared.

 

Once home there will be so much more to report.

[bigmike7]

Yo-

 

SO happy to read you folks great adventure-

 

Appears that - in the main - that you rate the MSC product up there like I did in my review-

 

Our cruise certainly deserved a excellent rating - and so many folks agree-

 

Happy Cruisin'

 

Mike

[stowaway2k]

Hi Czechmate,

 

You have such a great attitude. I hope I'm lucky to have you as a shipmate someday.

 

Kyle

[boten]

Hi Czechmate,

We are leaving for Venice on Thursady. My wife is allergic to milk. Do you know (or can you ask) if they have Soy Milk?

 

thanks

[Magwa]

boten.. did you not put this info on your booking form? If cruiselines know in advance of dietary requirements, then they are happy to do all they can. I suggest you ask you TA to pass this information on as soon as possible. If they don't have it, and I can't say I noticed any, then it may be too late to order some in:(

 

Pam

[cronestein]

Welcome home,

 

I see you are on line.How was the trip?

Het weer in bijzonder?

 

I am just better,and longing for an Atlantic crossing.

Celebrety is going in May,I have made contacts with the agent.

 

Waiting is in order.

 

How disappointing for you the Dutch weather conditions.

 

Hope to hear something,

 

Eternity

[henri]

Dear friends, we are at home again.

Slept well,... no rock and wobble, ...but get used to it fast.

Today shopping, washing, garden, post, mail,...looks like working.

But......still very full of all the wonderfull impressions.

Impressions of the ship, crew, food, itineries, all, and of course "OUR CC Party Friends".

Painfull to leave them, anyone goes his/her own way, but..... we're (all) not old yet, ships keeps sailing, Atlantic Crossings goes on, maybe we 'll meet again somewhere, somehow.

Hope everyone has a good/save trip home.

Eternity, this week I will bring you flowers and tell you how it was !! I will call you !

Hugs en greetings, everyone.

Henri.

[varadero]

Hello fellow cc friends...

 

We're just at home for less than an hour, very tired (we crossed switserland, france and Belgium by RV)... we will give much more info in the next days.

 

We have 21000 km of impressions, a million good things to remember (a few less than perfect - but these are very minor) and friend for life !!! That's for sure.

 

Greeting to you all !!!

 

GINO & CYNTHIA

 

We go to bed now !!!! kisses from us.

[Benitad]

I hope you all had a wonderful time overall. We were with you in spirit, thanks to all the ongoing updates! Czechmate, hurry up and report-- a big report! Henri, I look forward to your review too. Eternity, I know how devastated you must be to have missed the trip. ... I miss the updates already, and 2006 is SO far away!

[Lill]

Welcome home all! Looking forward to all the reviews once the swaying stops and the laundry is done. :)

 

Guess I'd better get something booked for 2006 before word gets out and the ship is sold out. :D

[cronestein]

Czechmate, hurry up and report-- a big report! Henri, I look forward to your review too. Eternity, I know how devastated you must be to have missed the trip. ... I miss the updates already, and 2006 is SO far away!

 

Benitad,I have allready had a long phonecall from Henri.

As a curious old lady I have asked him an awfull lot (poor guy)

I like to read like you the updates from Henri and Czechmate.

On this moment I am longing again for a cruise,it means I am nearly recovered.

 

I hope that you make a lot of dreamcruises in the future.

Tell/mail me about that please.

I am looking for your name on roll calls,

perhaps meeting you some/anywhere (I am not sure some or any,sorry)

 

Eternity

[czechmate]

Hi all.

So now it is back to life at home and it will take time to come down from the "high".

To all those who found the posts interesting, helpful or entertaining then I am grateful and really appreciate the kind comments and good wishes made by.

Maybe the time will come when we could all share the joy and the pleasure of a cruise together.

 

A few extra thoughts for those who will go transatlantic with Lirica soon. Lucky lucky people.

All onboard prices were in US $ and this was the currency used for billing.

 

Opera was not full and we understand that Lirica will be so some of the following may change.

The l'Approdo Restaurant (Lirica equivalent Ippocampo) did not open for lunch till after we sailed from Barbados. It then only remained open at lunchtime for the 6 days at sea.

Le Vele Restaurant (lunch and evening buffet) was open evenings 6 till 8 only as far Barbados. After that it closed evenings.

 

Disembarkation - Thats a LONG STORY and most will remain untold.!!

We berthed around about 10 - people began leaving at approx 10.45 in colour groupings according to their onward travel arrangements. We were the 6th colour grouping and left about 12 noon.

 

Promise that a long and full review will follow - but days ahead hectic as we are also entertaining our USA friends who have arrived for a holiday.

 

No doubt you will hear much more from our Australian, Canadian and American groups once they complete their travels around Europe and return home.

 

Must say we "scrubbed up" pretty well for the group photograph for which 19 of us posed on the grand staircase of Opera on one of the formal nights. Robyn was sadly indisposed that evening. Must try to get it scanned in and post on here.

 

Best wishes and happy cruising to all.

 

Barry

 

P.S.Happy to answer any questions etc. if anyone would like to e-mail

danbarry2@hotmail.com

[traveling lady]

ckechmate:

 

Have really enjoyed your reviews, and can't wait till your 'summary' comes out. Hope its before I leave. Sounds like agreat trip. Would like more info on disembarking in Genoa.

 

How warm was it crossing the Atlantic and then in Spain?

 

I am a widow in my early 70's traveling by myself. No cabin no. assigned yet. Hopefully

:) there will be other singles I'll meet but if not I'll still enjoy as I usually travel by myself.

[czechmate]

Regular members may recall that at St Thomas there was a private tour organised by our group - and 50% cheaper than the MSC tour.

 

Should anyone be interested there is now on the website http://www.havefunwithus.com a picture of our happy band. It is a smaller picture alongside the info for "Package 2" but can be enlarged. The pic was taken during one of our quieter moments :-)

 

Traveling lady - do e-mail me if you have specific question/s. (Address above), hope the following will help.

 

Disembarkation. Earlier on we were given forms to complete with details about ourselves and onward travel plans on day of arrival. From this MSC planned the Disembarkation procedure.

 

There were at least 2 meetings arranged by MSC where info was given about Genoa and the disembarkation procedure and full printed detail delivered to the cabins. Passengers were kept informed. It is important to remember though that Lirica and Opera are both "quiet" ships and announcements over the public address system are kept to a minimum.

 

Luggage had to be outside the cabin door by 2 a.m. day of arrival.

 

Passengers were divided into coloured "groups". You went ashore in "colour" order. On our crossing Pink was first, blue second, green third and so on. When you got ashore the luggage was in "Colour" sections and so easier to find. The colour was determined by the time of your onward travel. They were prepared to entertain requests (within reason) for a change of "colour" to get away earlier. An announcement was made over the public address system as the time arrived for each "colour" group to disembark.

 

Passports for citizens of European Union Countries were theoretically returned day/evening before arrival. All other passports were retained for immigration clearance and then collected in the theatre.

 

We were asked to leave the cabins by 8.30 and requested to wait according to "colour" in various lounges.

 

We berthed about 10. Disembarkation commenced about 10.45. We were in the 6th group "Gold" and left at about 12 noon. This had some benfits in that there was a great deal less luggage in the hall!! There were plenty of luggage trolleys.

 

MSC provided buses to both Milan airports. There had been some confusion over this prior to sailing and even during the crossing. People were able to book on board though and the charge was Euro25 per person. Wheelchair assistance etc was provided.

 

There was no shortage of taxis to get into Genoa town on your own. 4 of us travelled into town by taxi and the cost was 20 Euro. including all luggage.

Thanks to info from bdintertech we stayed at the Ramada Hotel in the heart of town and very close to the main rail station. It was a very pleasant hotel and our room was split level with the bedroom upstairs- celing was very low in places and I gave my head a good bang!! Price was 109Euros per room including a good "American" Buffet breakfast.

 

Next day we took a 5 minute stroll to the station from where the bus to Genoa airport departed. The cost to the airport (journey time was 25 minutes) was 3 Euro per person. This bus is NOT large. Has seating for only 16 people and not much luggage room. It was very crowded on our journey at 8.30 a.m. with aisles full of luggage.

 

If people plan to hire a car for onward travel do check out your conditions.

Some fellow Opera passengers who were staying in our hotel were surprised to discover that there was going to be a "drop off/pick up" charge at the end of the hire period. In one case this was in a different country and the charge was US$ 450. They were horrified and said that they were never informed.

It would have been one of my first questions of the hire company!!

 

It was WINDY across the Atlantic although most days were sunny and pleasant. There was one day when I needed a warm jersey to be out on the open deck but some hardy souls still used the sun beds attired only in swim suits. The last day at sea was beautiful and the Med like a lake. That night it got windy the sea a little rough and arrival day was cool and wet.

Tenerife started off cold but warmed up during the day and most people shed the jerseys and coats they started out with. Cadiz was very pleasant shirt sleeve weather as was Palma de Mallorca.

There was a lovely (small) mainly sheltered sun decks at the stern outside the Byblos Disco (On Lirica Blue Club Disco) and also above adjacent to the the mini golf. Another very good "sun" area on our crossing was outside the entrance to the Deck 12 cabins. This too though is not large and very popular. People were getting there at 7.00 a.m. to claim their spot for the day!

[Benitad]

Czechmate ... in our experience, people were getting around the pool at 7 a.m. and BEFORE to claim deck chairs -- for ALL day! I thought it was ridiculous, but how on earth do you make them accessible to all? We're waiting impatiently for what I know will be a brutally fair account of the trip ... nudge, nudge.

[pazielie]

Sue and I thought the cruise was great. Meeting Barry and all the others in the Cruise Critic Group was an extra bonus. The Italian lessons given by Daniella were a treat and proved to be valuable in warming up our Italian waiter Georgeo and communicating during our trip to and visiting Rome. Although we did not know what to expect on this our first cruise on MSC, our expectations were significantly exceeded on all aspects of the cruise. We were lucky during the de-embarkation retrieving our passports in the first group and being able to get off the ship with the first few groups and arriving at the train station at 11:10 AM well ahead of our departure. However, many others missed their flights and were not happy with all the confusion. The train ride to Rome was very comfortable and we had beautiful views of the Italian landscape and sea side villages. Many of our fellow passengers were on the train. Our two days in Rome were excellent but very expensive. The only constructive input we put on our cruise evaluation forms concerned people reserving chairs and not using them, all main activities scheduled at the same time, and the same movies being shown every day at the same time (plus my wife wanted nickle slot machines). I am sure they would have received many comments about the de-embarkation had you not had to hand in the comments the previous day. There was a lot of confusion on tipping but we just did what we normally do and gave our $20 per day spread out to all those who served us including the wine steward who although we didn't buy wine, provided water and fine conversation. I'm sure every one was happy with that and we consider tipping part of our budget for cruising. Even when we sail on a cruise line that charges tips to our shipboard account(which I appreciate rather then searching for money and envelopes at the last minure) we feel it is nice to provide a little extra to those that gave special service. Kudo's to Barry for being an exceptional host and gentleman. Paul