Splendida embarkation in Messina

[CruiserFromTheRock]

We will be embarking on our cruise aboard Splendida in Messina. We are flying into Catania airport which is about 2 hours away by bus. I've done my research, and know we can get a bus at the airport. We are getting to Messina the day before the cruise in order to avoid any transportation issues!!

 

Does anyone have first hand experience doing this? Was it as easy as it seems?

 

Does anyone know how many (or few) people embark in Messina? I've searched online and it doesn't seem to be a popular embarkation port, which is excellent for us! (I think!)

[MM42]

We will be embarking on our cruise aboard Splendida in Messina. We are flying into Catania airport which is about 2 hours away by bus. I've done my research, and know we can get a bus at the airport. We are getting to Messina the day before the cruise in order to avoid any transportation issues!!

 

Does anyone have first hand experience doing this? Was it as easy as it seems?

 

Does anyone know how many (or few) people embark in Messina? I've searched online and it doesn't seem to be a popular embarkation port, which is excellent for us! (I think!)

 

Most of the people who will board the ship are people from Sicily. So no problem there since most of the people will board the ship in Genoa. The port is right downtown :)

 

Messina was the highlight of my cruise. I climbed mount Etna at 2000 meters (sorry, no idea how many feet it is). Bring lots of sunscreen and very light clothes... ;) Sicily in July is a very hot.

[JoLoca2208]

hi,

 

As MM42 stated above, port in Messina is based in downtown. You can just walk in from the street, no need for bus shuttles etc.

When we were there two weeks ago, we saw queue of people for check in, but it wasn't huge and it seemed it was going pretty fast.

I can't speak about transportation from the airport, as we didn't embark in Messina.

[CruiserFromTheRock]

hi,

 

As MM42 stated above, port in Messina is based in downtown. You can just walk in from the street, no need for bus shuttles etc.

When we were there two weeks ago, we saw queue of people for check in, but it wasn't huge and it seemed it was going pretty fast.

I can't speak about transportation from the airport, as we didn't embark in Messina.

 

Thanks for the info! Did you do a review of your cruise? I'd love to know about your experience.

[CruiserFromTheRock]

Since both of you have sailed the cruise we will be on, I have a couple of other questions.

-- What nights are the Gala nights? How dressed up did people get?

--Also, how tightly is the dress code followed? Per the MSC website, it says "After 6:00pm, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, and bare feet are not permitted in the ships' public areas." Is that adhered to, especially shorts, is my question. Are jean/denim capri pants ok? We're from the USA and have only done Carribean Cruises before, which were casual and did not have any specific dress code in public areas after 6, except the MDR. (At least not that I knew of)

 

Any other hints would be greatly appreciated, too!!

Thank you!

[Skier52]

Since both of you have sailed the cruise we will be on, I have a couple of other questions.

-- What nights are the Gala nights? How dressed up did people get?

--Also, how tightly is the dress code followed? Per the MSC website, it says "After 6:00pm, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, and bare feet are not permitted in the ships' public areas." Is that adhered to, especially shorts, is my question. Are jean/denim capri pants ok? We're from the USA and have only done Carribean Cruises before, which were casual and did not have any specific dress code in public areas after 6, except the MDR. (At least not that I knew of)

 

Any other hints would be greatly appreciated, too!!

Thank you!

MSC dress code is "advisory" and on Gala nights very few, < 10%, will be in formal dinner jackets although a quite large number will be in lounge suits. People in shorts will probably be turned away from the MDR and asked to go to the buffet in the evenings

 

Often the Gala nights are on the evenings of a day at sea ;

On port intensive ( no sea days) they tend to be evening 2 and 6 based on the change over at either Genoa or Venice as day one.

On a Sat to Sat, 7 night, cruise that would be Sunday and Thursday

 

When I did the itinerary in Oct 2010 the Gala nights were monday (Barcelona) and thursday (Messina)

 

 

Pete

 

PS I wrote a short review ( nowhere near my present standard of review, no pictures included but it can be found on ths link:-http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=270&t=670

Edited May 11, 2014 by Skier52

[CruiserFromTheRock]

Thanks for the info and link, Pete! Good info!

[JoLoca2208]

Since both of you have sailed the cruise we will be on, I have a couple of other questions.

-- What nights are the Gala nights? How dressed up did people get?

--Also, how tightly is the dress code followed? Per the MSC website, it says "After 6:00pm, jeans, t-shirts, shorts, and bare feet are not permitted in the ships' public areas." Is that adhered to, especially shorts, is my question. Are jean/denim capri pants ok? We're from the USA and have only done Carribean Cruises before, which were casual and did not have any specific dress code in public areas after 6, except the MDR. (At least not that I knew of)

 

Any other hints would be greatly appreciated, too!!

Thank you!

 

Hi again,

 

Yes, myself and my husband are in the process of doing the review :) Should post it here in a couple of days.

Gala nights - as we embarked in Barcelona, it was first and fifth night for us (Barcelona and Messina stops).

As to the dress code, true, I didn't see anyone wearing shorts after 6pm in the public areas, but long jeans, capri pants are ok. On the gala nights, not everyone were dressing up for dinner and it wasn't really enforced. Some people were wearing smart/casual clothes and that was fine. We did dress up, maybe not over dress, but we did make some effort :)

[CruiserFromTheRock]

Thanks for the info, JoLoca! That means we'll have a gala night the day we board! Which is fine, especially since we'll get on the ship earlier than folks returning from their excursions! And with fewer folks embarking there, getting our luggage shouldn't be difficult!

 

Looking forward to reading your review!

[AmoMondo]

Just for info, shorts are not worn in Europe in the way they are in the US. They are ok at the beach and during the day on pool deck. People don't wear them to go out in the evening over here. They are not widely worn in cities either, that much.

[CruiserFromTheRock]

Just for info, shorts are not worn in Europe in the way they are in the US. They are ok at the beach and during the day on pool deck. People don't wear them to go out in the evening over here. They are not widely worn in cities either, that much.

 

Great info to know, AmoMondo! We want to be appropriately dressed and being over 50, I don't wear shorts much anyway. What about wearing capri length slacks? Our 21 year old daughter will be with us, but is studying in Malta, so she's familiar with customary clothing!

[CruiserFromTheRock]

For anyone else who may embark in Messina.... there were less than 200 people who boarded the ship here! Extremely easy and quick. Disembarkation was the same way.