MSC Splendida 12/21-12/28 review

[mdobin]

Genoa

 

We booked a tour through Findyourguide.com. They then booked us with Lovingenoa. We would have saved 40% by booking directly with the tour guide. It was an excellent 2.5 hour walking tour that then gives you admission to museums at the end of the tour. Take the #1 bus from terminal to aquarium. Business drops you at the tour start.

 

There is Carrefour express on via garibaldi. This is a great place to pick up food, etc.

 

One thing we ended up learning is the difference between water labeled Frizzante v. Naturale. We bought water that said it was "natural" but at the top of the label, in very small print, it said "frizzante." Not a fan of sparkling water.

 

A 6 pack of water at Carrefour was 1.67€. Six pack at a small store near the port was 1.97€ for 2ltr bottles. Ship was 2.30€ for 1 liter bottles.

 

Marseille

 

Little train to Notre Dame de la Gard. You can book online. Cab from port to the Little Train was 18 Euros. Cab to port from the same stop was 24 Euros. We went through a tunnel, which was supposedly a shortcut. Not by the meter it wasn't. Our first experience with a cab ripoff.

 

Lots of shops in Marseille. Monoprix on ave du Prado is a general store. We borrowed Internet wifi from McDonalds on a pedestrian mall.

 

Barcelona

 

Bus touristic. Purchased online ahead of time and received a 10 percent discount, 86.40€ vs. 96€

 

Got off at two stops. Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. Took most of six hours to get off at the two stops and do most of both bus loops.

Walked to the World Trade Center for the bus from the port. Took about 20 minutes. Took cab back to the port. I think I got ripped off. 14€ for the same distance I walked. We were exhausted and cold. Barcelona provides Internet in many parts of the city. It can be fast and slow.

 

Tunis

Euro widely accepted. Dollars clearly not wanted. Fixed price for cab. 5 hours for 60€ included city, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, plus a side trip to a large mosque. Particularly if you are from the US, there are no real bargains to be had at the "souk." It felt like the Lower East Side of New York, only with a lot more people smoking. The church and ruins at Carthage require more planning than we did. The two main attractions are not free, despite what CC's guide says.

 

Souk is interesting to see but it is no big deal. Mostly knockoffs and some "local" crafts. Very crowded and you could easily get lost.

 

Carthage was interesting but pricey for what it is. Cathedral was 3€ per person. Courtyard next to it was 9€ per person plus 1€ for permission to take pictures.

 

Sidi was interesting to see as an old Mediterranean town. Also saw the outside of the presidential palace. Mostly just shops and restaurants where the cabs and tours take you.

 

Felt like we got a real flavor of the city. Felt very safe. We had one awkward moment after the mosque visit. Our cabbie, Mahmoud, wanted to discuss religion and handed me 10 printed Internet pages about Allah. Some of the "facts" were somewhat radical.

 

Palermo

 

Ship docks near the commercial center of town. Lots of sidewalks, but they were crowded. Palermo didn't really feel like it was worth stopping. There are old buildings. It's a city. Maybe going outside the city would be worth it. The drivers are crazy.

 

Rome

 

We signed up for the Open Tour bus. There are five competing tourist bus lines in Rome. 110 Open Bus, Green Line Tours, Ciao Roma, Christian Roma and Open Tours. The routes vary a little, with Christian Roma focusing mostly on religious sites. How this is different from the others is beyond me, since most of the history in Rome seems to have some religious significance.

 

Debarkation in Civitavecchia (Rome). One of the best onboard experiences we have had. One of the worst dockside experiences. We were off the ship by 950. We were told by an MSC employee to stand in a particular spot. We were among the first 20 to disembark. We found our luggage quickly, then waited and waited some more. We received no help from MSC. Cabs are not allowed to pick up passengers dockside, but car services are. The "shuttle" is poorly designated and is mobbed by everyone trying to get out, as if Hanoi is falling. 90 minutes after we got off the ship we got to the shuttle stop. A 10 minute or so walk got us to the train station. If I had been trying to diy Rome I would have been very unhappy. The train to Rome was 5 Euros/person.

 

My suggestion in Civitavecchia is to pre-arrange a pickup with a car service or take a ship's tour. Getting out was a nightmare.

 

Finally, the "water question." We did not initially receive vouchers when we boarded. 3 days into the cruise, we met our tablemates for the first time. They were talking about the vouchers they received. I asked at the front desk and was told I show that I should be getting vouchers. They would "check." I asked if I should wait. The desk clerk literally laughed at me and said someone would get back to me.

 

The following morning we still had no vouchers. I asked again. No update. Finally, we received the vouchers in the afternoon of day 4 of a 7 day cruise. We ended up getting bottles of water and bringing them with us to our hotel for our self-booked after-cruise stay in Rome.

 

Overall, I liked MSC. It has a very international feel. The food was pretty good, especially the pasta and Italian dishes. There is a lot of smoking. And our room smelled like it had been smoked in.

 

Our overall experience with Italian customer service (we also flew Alitalia from MIA to Rome) is that they are not very customer focused. I don't know if it was because we are Americans or just that way in General. The wait staff and cabin staff were very friendly.

[wantocruisemore]

Thank you for the reivew. I do echo about arranging private transport at Civitavecchia though. Alot easier to just walk out and with a driver waiting for you.

 

We will be going on our first MSC cruise this spring. What do you mean by water vouchers? We have actually signed up for the Allegrissimo package since we think all inclusive will be more enjoyable and less trouble.

[mmt44]

What hassle getting your Genoa water onboad the boat?

 

Marseille; what can you say about the port bus instead of taxi? Other's comments? frequency of operation during the time ship is in port? charged to cabin each way or pay in advance for round trip?

 

Barcellona port bus; 14e each way? when pay?

 

Civitavecchia is there only one bus to the port entrance? Or several waiting when ship docks? It circulates? How much time to walk to entrance instead of wait for shuttle?

[The_Big_M]

Thank you for the reivew. I do echo about arranging private transport at Civitavecchia though. Alot easier to just walk out and with a driver waiting for you.

 

We will be going on our first MSC cruise this spring. What do you mean by water vouchers? We have actually signed up for the Allegrissimo package since we think all inclusive will be more enjoyable and less trouble.

 

Passengers booking through MSC USA get bottled water vouchers included, since water is charged for onboard. This is because it is standard in the US to get water inclusive.

 

Of course, it is also standard to get water inclusive in Australia, but MSC Australia do not provide that. So, MSC are a bit one dimensional, but as said above, customer service isn't an Italian strength.

[Skipper Tim]

We ended a cruise in Civitavecchia and I must agree it is a terrible end! There were no shuttle busses for us only very pricey busses all the way to the airport. We walked in the rain to the train station with our luggage, took the train into Rome and then train out to the airport. My wet clothes were still clinging to me hours later.

 

I would now always recommend taking an umbrella, just in case.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review!

[wantocruisemore]

Passengers booking through MSC USA get bottled water vouchers included, since water is charged for onboard. This is because it is standard in the US to get water inclusive.

 

Of course, it is also standard to get water inclusive in Australia, but MSC Australia do not provide that. So, MSC are a bit one dimensional, but as said above, customer service isn't an Italian strength.

 

 

Thanks, I did book directly with MSC USA instead of going through a TA. I will be sure to check the first day if we do not get the water vouchers. Although, the Allegrissimo should also take care of it.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your review.

[mdobin]

What hassle getting your Genoa water onboad the boat?

 

Marseille; what can you say about the port bus instead of taxi? Other's comments? frequency of operation during the time ship is in port? charged to cabin each way or pay in advance for round trip?

 

Barcellona port bus; 14e each way? when pay?

 

Civitavecchia is there only one bus to the port entrance? Or several waiting when ship docks? It circulates? How much time to walk to entrance instead of wait for shuttle?

 

No hassle getting the water aboard the boat (two times) in Genoa.

 

Marseille - I didn't take the port bus. But it was 15 Euros a person, I think. so the taxi was still cheaper, even with the "long way home."

 

Barcelona port was a taxi. It was one way from the world trade center to the port. It is walkable from WTC to the port. We were just beat. You can see what the walk is by looking at Google Earth.

 

Civitavecchia - what we eventually figured out was that there was a bus to the parking lot and one to the shuttle stop. They stop about 100 yards from each other. The walk to the port entrance, as someone else said, is quite a hike.