Splendida Review Feb 22, 2013

[annim]

Highly Recommend!

 

I will begin this review with the bad points because they are so minimal. First off, the beds and bedding are the pits. It's like sleeping in a cheap hotel. Really should do something about those MSC! Secondly, the whole drinking water situation is ridiculous. All the food in the world is included in the price of your cruise, but it's unheard of to have ice water served with a meal. I just don't get it. Ok. That's the bad stuff.

• We flew into Rome to spend a few days there before we cruised. Took the train from the airport to Trastevere station (around $40 US for 4 of us) and a cab to our hotel. We stayed at the Trilussa Palace, and cannot say enough good things about it. Excellent location, across the street from the tram, and restaurants within walking distance (even gluten free). The breakfast (included) was very, very good, and the hotel staff exemplary

  
  

• We took the train to Civitavecchia(around $50 US round trip for 4) , and had there not been freezing rain, we would have walked. The cab was nice, strait to the terminal. Once inside, we were on the ship within 15 minutes! It was the easiest embarkation ever. Once on the ship, we were greeting by a staff member that took us to our rooms, which were ready upon our arrival. It was 2:00. Time for the buffet.

  
  

• The buffet was good. Always pizza and focaccia available. The food was fresh, and tasty. At breakfast (while I was a little bummed they didn't have oatmeal, but that's just me) they did have fried eggs - and they were good! Drinks available in the buffet, juice at breakfast, water, coffee, and hot tea. After breakfast the juice is gone. Make sure you explore the entire buffet. I didn't realize there was a whole 'nother buffet in the back untill the day before we got off the ship! I give the buffet a 4 out of 5 stars

  
  

• The dining room. This is always a big subject. Lots of good things to say here. While the food wasn't overly exciting, (I can't exactly put my finger on it)but it was good. The service was excellent - loved our waiter Jaya. The poor guy - was supposed to have gone home our 2nd day(after 10 months and 2 weeks away from his wife and baby) but his tickets had not arrived yet. We felt so bad for him, but happy to have him as our server! Better yet, our daughter is gluten free. She's not as delicate as a celiac, she just can't eat gluten. On this ship they have a gluten free chef, who works in a special gluten free kitchen, and Katie had her very own, personal gluten free waiter named Christian. He was awesome. Made her feel special, which is hard when the rest of the family eats normal food. I was very impressed with the variety of gluten free food available for her. Kudos MSC!! While we enjoyed each of our meals, and there was nothing I really didn't care for, nothing made me say "Wow! I need this recipe!" (like the pumpkin soup on Carnival ships) Perhaps my attitude was too "American", hoping for steak, lobster, and a baked potato. Again I give this a 4 out of 5 stars

  
  

• The ship itself was beautiful. I LOVED the stairs in the main lobby. I would have taken them home with me if I could find a place to put them in my house :) The clubs were great, the shows were really, really good. Normally I don't care to go to the shows, but we didn't miss any of them! Spent a bit of time in the casino, and didn't do too bad. The dealers and pit bosses were really nice - even buying all my drinks one night (and I'm not even a high roller!) The indoor pool area was great. It wasn't overly crowded, 4 hot tubs and a nice pool. While my husband and I didn't take advantage of it, the kids did and loved it. All in all, a lovely ship, and a very good time

  
  

• The ports were very good. Too bad the weather didn't co-operate in Genoa and Marseilles. It was snowing, cold, and blowing in Genoa, but we braved the elements and made it to Christopher Columbus's house, and inadvertantly came across the Piazza di Ferrari which was incredible

  
  

• We had to skip Marseille because of weather, which was a disapointment as we had a tour scheduled with Marseille Greeters. Instead we went to a very quaint, charming town called Villefrance, which was located between Monaco and Nice. Again, the weather. Cold and rainy. Had it not been, we would have ventured to Monaco. I felt like all I did was walk up hills and steps in this little town! We bought some bread to carry around and munch on,(so we would look "French" lol) did some shopping, visited the citadel, and ate crepes in a tiny little restaurant. My only disapointment besides the weather was that everything basically closed up from 1 - 3:30, and I didn't get to purchase my favorite souvenier - one bottle of red, and one bottle of white wine.

  
  

• Barcelona was incredible. We took a tour (which was free by the way) with Runnerbean tours. I give them a 10 out of 10. We did the Gaudi tour, and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Katherine our 6 foot tall Irish guide was a hoot! Very passionate, very knowledgable, made a great host. The La Sagrada Familia is absolutely not to be missed in Barcelona. It honestly made me cry. It was just so incredible. Along the tour I saw a "Russian Delicatessen", so we decided that would be a pretty cool place to eat lunch. Well, come to find out it wasn't a deli as we know them here, but a grocery store, and it was awesome! The kids got a bunch of really neat candy for their friends, and while I can buy imported French wine here, I can't get Russian wine. So I was one happy girl! Barcelona was a very pleasant surprise

  
  

• A much needed sea day followed. We were pooped. As you can imagine, in Rome we walked our little feet off, and then did 3 ports in a row. The sea day was a nice break, and went by too quickly.

  
  

• Tunisia...... You know, I could go the whole rest of my life without visiting Tunisia again and I wouldn't mind. I was leary about this port from the get-go, and it didn't disapoint. Ok, it wasn't THAT bad, I just don't want to ever go again. There is an MSC recommended cab company available at the terminal. Our driver Tuhami took us to the Souk in Medina, the North Africa American Cemetary in Carthage, and Sidi Bou Said. Anyone who has been to Mexico or Jamaica knows how pushy the peddlers are when the ship docks. They don't hold a candle to the ones in Tunis!! It was SO frustrating. While the Souk was pretty cool, it was seriously clostraphobic and a little nerve wracking. The prices were good, but they do expect you to haggle. Honestly - something you end up paying 5 euro for, starts at 30. The Cemetary was another highlight of the trip. I am a WWII buff, and it was a very moving experiance. Highly recommended. I don't see what all the big hype is about Sidi Bou Said. Yes, all the houses are white, and the roofs are blue. Other than that, there is yet another market, and a few restaurants. Did I miss something? Or was it perhaps that a shop owner LITERALLY chased me down the street trying to get me to buy a bracelet. It was horrible. I was SO MAD. Anyway, on to Sicily.

  
  

• We took a hoho tour in Sicily. What a great way to go! Too bad it was so cold, you get the best pics if you sit on top, and I got brain freeze being up there and had to go down. But I do recommend doing this, and make sure you purchase online ahead of time - it was 1/2 the price to book ahead. We got off, and visited the Capucini Catacombes. What a trip! Behind it is a beautiful above ground cemetary. Inside the the church, underground are the catacombes. I wouldn't say this is one of those things "not to be missed", but it certainly was unique!! We saw a trip advisor sign on the window of a restaurant, so we went in hoping for a canolli and cappucino.(in the event you did not know, Sicily is the birthplace of the canollo) WELL..... What we ended up with was a VERY pushy, yet personable restaurant owner, who told us what we were having, did not have a menu,it was all made fresh, and he would take care of us because we were family. Ok. The next thing I know, we are served foods that had to be traditional dishes, because I'd never seen or heard or any of it. We didn't really care for most of it (kind of squishy, squiggly things going on in the antipasto plate) did not care for the pasta at all, but the canollo was DELICIOUS. I believe he mention 8 or 12 times to make sure we did a review for him on trip advisor, and then presented us with the bill. At which time I about fell off my chair. We went in for coffee and dessert, and ended up with a $150 meal! Now don't even think for one second we could have changed things - he was THAT PUSHY. Oh well.....lesson learned I guess

  
  

• Sadly the next day we disembarked. But it was a breeze. There's certainly something to be said about letting passengers off and on at each port. We walked to the train station this time, and I'm glad we did as there is a really neat statue - the iconic WWII sailor kissing the nurse that I had to get a picture of. While the train ride was a fiasco (this being my husbands fault) as I mentioned previously, round trip for 4 was $50 US. A cab one way back to Rome was $120 - and I can't remember if that's euro or US. Anyway, we made it back to Rome safe and sound, to our bed and breakfast, then off to the Vatican

  
  

• We toured the Vatican museum, and I must say there is simply nothing on this earth that compares to that place. Wow. Simply wow. We even went to see the "Pope-mobiles" as hubby is a car fanatic, and they were pretty cool! I won't give away too much - but the Sisteen chapel is probably not what you have envisioned in your head;)

  
  

• Had a car waiting for us early the next morning to take us to the airport. Sad to say good bye to a wonderful vacation! If anyone has questions - shoot me off an email and I'm happy to answer. There's so much more to tell, just not the time to tell it! Ciao!

  
  

[mmt44]

Did the MSC Tunis all day bus tour to Kairouan operate (enough passengers signed up)? Did you hear any comments about it?

 

Did the "other" buffet have different food from the one you used?

 

Was the sea day warm and sunny for using the pool?

 

Thanks for the write-up.

[annim]

I don't know about the bus tour, didn't hear anything about it. The back buffet did have some things the front did not, a mediteranean section, and desserts for example. But it wasn't completely different.

The outside pool area on deck 14 was pretty much always available - but no one in their right mind would get in it! It rained, it snowed, the warmest day was 40* I think! Add that to the constant "wind" from the ship moving, and you'd have to be a brave soul to swim out there.

[ROCruiser]

Thanks for the review. We were on the Splendida last November. The Splendida is a beautiful ship indeed. Fortunately we did not experience the kind of pushy shopkeepers in Sidi Bou Said.

[VABeach]

Thanks for the review. We were on the Splendida last November. The Splendida is a beautiful ship indeed. Fortunately we did not experience the kind of pushy shopkeepers in Sidi Bou Said.

 

 

I was on Splendida in November and loved, Loved, LOVED it!! ...and we loved the bedding as well. :o

 

*Sorry, sitting over here pining away for another trip. ~

[cruising-tom]

Thank you very much for this extraordinary view on your cruise.

Maybe you had some bad luck with the beds, in x nights we never had problems. (and we hate cheap hotels :D)

My Splendida. I hope you give Jaya a good tip.

Some few of the crew trying to do everything for the guest. And they are the lowest-paid. Forget the 6/7 Euro/Day.

 

Some of the very good things and highlights of ship, service and cruise comes a little too short, but i understand. THANK YOU for giving a very neutral way comment. Respect. I like this ! (but i m not on facebook)

 

My, (very arrogant and selfish) opinion: Do not drink water on a MSC-cruise. Relay, enjoy, buy a Drink-Package and have fun.