Kat goes on holiday - MSC Preziosa Eastern Med (5th July 2014)

[Katgoesonholiday]

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

 

 

[AmoMondo]

Loving all those photos of Venice Kat

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[Keith1010]

Great report.

 

Keith

[travelberlin]

Lovely pictures! We will be there in August to sail with the MSC Fantasia....

Ivi

[Katgoesonholiday]

After going completely crazy with the camera for a while, we dragged ourselves away from St Marks and continued walking along the Giudecca canal then back through Venice towards our hotel - we followed the 'Per P.Roma' signs.

 

Along the way, heaps more photos ensued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

And this is why we are warned not to book a hotel over too many bridges! There were quite a number of bridges that we traversed that had the shattered remnants of suitcase wheels scattered forlornly at the bottom. My soft hearted husband carried more than one mammoth suitcase over a bridge for its struggling owner.

 

 

 

 

After a while we decided to make our way towards a pastry shop that I had seen reviewed on TripAdvisor. By now we were really ready for a coffee and something sweet. I had printed off maps with walking directions and I had my iphone with Maps on it. Yet despite the best efforts of iMaps to guide us in completely the wrong direction, we soon found the pastry shop. After carefully selecting our treats, we left the crowded shop and found a quiet canal where we could have an impromptu picnic. This turned into the first of many “Perfect Moments”.

 

 

 

 

 

The pastry shop is called Pasticceria Tonolo - http://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g187870-d2362934-Reviews-Pasticceria_Tonolo-Venice_Veneto.html

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

By this time it was 10:30am and we had to be checked out of the hotel by 11am. Immediately after finishing our coffee we hotfooted it back to the hotel following my carefully printed maps. It didn't take long and we were soon pushing our way through the crowded foyer to pack our bags then join the throngs. Despite the seeming chaos in reception it took barely ten minutes for us to check out once we had manoeuvred our bags out of the tiny elevator and through the chaos of left luggage in the reception area.

 

It was immediately clear that the port would be busy. As we walked across Piazzale Roma to the people mover terminal we were only two of a multitude of people converging on the building. Inside the foyer was crowded - even so, it only took me a few minutes to buy our tickets from the machines. I think part of the delay was that the elevators were not functioning so there was a huge bottleneck on the escalators. It didn’t really help that people were milling around in the foyer with multiple suitcases getting in the way of those wanting to pass through. The foyer is an L shape with the escalators in direct line with the doors on the long part and the ticket booths in an alcove. Having people wait three or four deep along the walls blocking the path to the escalators wasn’t helping with congestion. By this time it was also very hot - so I guess people didn’t want to wait out in the sun. Later we also found that there were five ships in port that day - which would have contributed to the congestion significantly.

 

Anyway, we battled through, lugged the two big suitcases and one small one up the escalators and very soon were on the People Mover and getting our first glimpse of the port. The People Mover trip was fast and easy - having said that I would seriously consider getting a taxi next time if that is possible. Because when we got to the port terminal we had to schlep the suitcases down another set of escalators then it was a one kilometre walk in the searing heat to get to the ship. The people mover terminal is directly in front of the main port building with a section of empty land, currently functioning as a carpark, between. That area is fenced off which meant we had to walk all the way around it and then to the fatherest berth at the port which is where the MSC Preziosa was docked. That day five ships were in port and it was exciting walking and looking at them. Given a choice though, I’d prefer to do so from the back of an air-conditioned taxi.

 

Obligatory People Mover selfie

 

 

Our first glimpse of the port and the ships

 

 

Map showing the route we had to walk

 

 

Showing the car park/vacant land between the People Mover and the docks

 

 

Looking back from the port building to the People Mover terminal showing the fenced off area that we had to walk around

 

 

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

In port today...

 

 

Its a loooooooong walk in the midday sun!

 

 

My poor husband schlepping the cases

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

As we approached the terminal the excitement was palpable! We were hot and bothered, with jet lag, sore feet and aching arms but we were finally about to board the MSC Preziosa!

 

The first door we came to had a lady at it who directed us to continue walking down the outside of the building. This was sad as it looked like it might have had air conditioning - currently the pinnacle of human ingenuity in our estimation at that time. Only a few meters further on we came to the tent for the Yacht Club check in where we were warmly greeted, had our luggage taken off us and then were ushered into the nice cool terminal building.

 

 

Before we could pass through into the Yacht Club check in we had the obligatory photo standing in front of a screen gripping a ships wheel. We never saw that photo after that though we did go look for it.

 

Now as an aside, I don’t know how MSC compares to other cruise lines but I thought the photo stuff was remarkably inefficient, low tech and contributed to congestion on the relevant decks where the photos were displayed.

 

My first source of bemusement is that they didn’t scan our cruise cards at any time when we had ‘official’ photos. This meant that there was no way of collating all our photos easily. Instead they were printed out and displayed on massive boards on deck 7 according to which port, event or restaurant they were taken. This meant that much of the time there were significant numbers of people milling around in confusion trying to find their photos and asking each other whether it was Izmir or Katakolon that they got their portraits done.

 

I would have thought a much more efficient and environmentally friendly way to do this would be to scan the cruise cards when photos were taken (or even just photograph the darn thing before the people) and then have all the photos available in a digital folder which could be accessed via public terminals/screens in the photo shop and perhaps even from the cabin TV. The desired photos could then be ordered and printed and delivered to the cabin without the kind of wastage and congestion that we were seeing.

 

Also, they had package deals but they only applied to photos within a certain group - eg by 5 and get 4 free for photos taken at the Gala dinner. You couldn’t mix and match from different times. I would have paid a decent amount to be able to buy all our photos on a USB stick to take home and print myself. We have done this at various amusement parks and I think it would work well on this cruise ship as well. Not to mention that it would be very environmentally friendly.

 

Finally, the positioning of the photo centre in the main corridor between two banks of lifts meant that as people poured out of the Platinum Theatre at night they walked through to the back of the ship, pausing to stare slack jawed at the confusing array of photos - creating a near impassable barrier. My husband, like everyone else on the ship obviously, thought it would be a spiffing idea to check out the photos after the show before going back up to the Yacht Club. It also doesn't help that he never did quite get his head around which end of the ship we were meant to be at so numerous times I found myself trotting after him as he plunged off in completely the wrong direction - thus leading us into Congestion Central whilst I was jet lagged, tired and cranky. :mad:

 

And to be honest, that was probably my biggest gripe about the whole cruise so that isn’t too terrible.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Katgoesonholiday

[Katgoesonholiday]

Anyway, moving right along to the main event…. we very soon found ourselves seated in a nice waiting room with another older couple from Germany whilst two busy staff got us checked in, and two butlers served us light refreshments and bubbly. This was VERY civilised and The Boss and I were most delighted!

 

We did have to get up to get our photos taken for our cruise cards and to sign for our onboard spending but other than that the most onerous thing we had to do was lift our glass of bubbly to our mouths!

 

 

In the back ground you can see the check in desk and immediately there are signs that the butlers have a great sense of humour and a very light hearted approach. This suited us well.

 

 

Check in didn’t take long and it passed quickly as we chatted to the other couple. We speak only English but we have been consistently impressed and humbled at how much of our language so many others speak in addition to their own language - and often at least one more language as well.

 

Soon we were informed that when we were ready a butler would be happy to escort us to the ship so we could relax in the Yacht Club lounge till our rooms were ready. A few minutes later we had finished our drinks and intrepidly set off through the crowded main terminal following the butler like a family of obedient little ducklings.

 

 

Looking at the number of people waiting made me very glad we had opted for the Yacht Club. I have no idea what the wait time was like but it looked very very busy!

 

Edited July 23, 2014 by Katgoesonholiday

[alexkrn46]

great photos, some other cruiselines scan your card and use facial recognition to find your photos, loving your review !

[Katgoesonholiday]

The photos are a little blurry in some of these because I'm taking the surreptitiously with the small camera, whilst trying to keep up with the butler, and feeling slightly tiddly from the bubbly. Its not optimal photo taking conditions! :D

 

EDIT: Plus I blurred out some faces before posting - my apologies to the CIA if that inconveniences them. :p

Edited July 23, 2014 by Katgoesonholiday

[Katgoesonholiday]

We followed the butler through to the security area where we had to go through the scanner and our gumpf went through the x-ray machine. We then rejoined our guide on the other side and he led us around to the right where we immediately had an awesome view of the ship! It was HUGE! We walked up a long ramp then over a bridge and entered the ship on deck 7. This is the promenade deck and I have it on good authority (though I never attempted to verify it) that this is NOT a wrap around promenade deck. A great shame this - it completely spoiled the entire voyage for us! Just kidding - I can’t say that this caused me any undue concern or angst. We did more than enough walking without feeling the need to promenade.

 

 

 

 

We passed through the deck and into the ship with the butler leading us through the very impressive main foyer with its massive chandelier and iconic silver Swarovski staircase. We then took the lifts up the the 15th floor where we were ushered into the cool serenity of the Yacht Club One Lounge.

 

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

Very soon we had another glass of bubbly (water for me) and continued to enjoy chatting with our new German friends and gazing at the other ships in port. At one point I was asked to come to the Concierge and specify what paper and dining time we wanted. I was surprised to be asked to specify a dining time but I can understand that it helped them with their planning as the Yacht Club was travelling at full capacity. The Maitre D assured me that it was just an indication and that if we wanted to dine at another time it could be arranged. As it happened we did mix up our dining times significantly over the cruise and they took it in their stride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t long before our room was ready and we were escorted up to deck 16. I have to say that we were thrilled to bits with the location. The even numbered cabins on deck 15 tended to get a LOT of foot traffic past them as everyone seemed to exit the Yacht Club that way and the excursion groups were led past their from the Concierge Area each port day. We were on the 16th deck which meant I got to traipse blithely up the gold Swarovski staircase multiple times each day. In addition, our cabin (16029) was less than a metre from the stairs up to the 18th deck (remember that 17 is a ‘unlucky’ number for the Italians so the ship doesn’t have a deck 17) which was darned handy when we forgot something in the cabin. The only drawback was the traipsing blithely up and down the gold Swarovski staircase. I am a complete klutz and almost guaranteed to trip over my own feet at least once a day. With careful focus I managed to avoid embarrassing myself in front of the concierge by taking a dramatic tumble down the stairs. This was a huge win as far as I am concerned.

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

When we got to our room we spent the next half hour exploring all the amenities and features (with the exception of the port sockets on the TV).

 

Obligatory cabin photos

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2014 by Katgoesonholiday

[Katgoesonholiday]

We were delighted with the balcony and the lofty view it gave us. We could have spent hours watching all the little boats buzzing around the big ones like fruit flies round an overripe banana (guess what I have just had to deal with). Soon my husband’s suitcase was delivered, then a little later mine. We unpacked and got ourselves sorted in our new home for the next week.

 

 

 

 

By then we were getting tired and hungry so I ordered room service and decided it was such a shame to leave the bubbly unopened and it would be a crime to let it get warm - so we popped the cork and drank the bottle with our snack.

 

 

 

 

By that point we were feeling quite exhausted to the point of not being able to see straight - I blame the jet lag not the bubbly! So we decided to pull the drapes and have a snooze. Goodness me those drapes were effective. The room was immediately plunged into darkness despite the fact it was a very bright day!

 

I’m not sure how long we slept - maybe 60-90 minutes. I seem to recall that I set the timer on my phone but I’m a little fuzzy on the details. This will be a recurrent theme for the next few days whilst my body was adjusting to being 11 hours behind its normal time zone.

 

[Katgoesonholiday]

We had a little less than an hour till muster drill so I ordered a pot of tea. Along with this came a note from another member (H) of Cruise Critic who was also sailing with his spouse in the Yacht Club on this voyage - on his honeymoon! He suggested meeting in the lounge at 3pm for drinks - by this time it was at least quarter of an hour after and I was in my pyjamas with a pot of tea that I couldn’t abandon. I dithered for a few minutes then decided that we would send him a note and aim to catch up after the muster drill. This was at 4pm - 30 minutes before departure. According to the print out on our bed, when the horns sounded we were meant to retrieve our life jackets from the wardrobe and then proceed to our muster station (Safari Lounge on deck 7) without using the elevators. The horn sounded and we duly did as instructed (we were dressed again by then).

 

It was like a migration of lemmings - everyone trudging in the same direction. It was the busiest I ever saw the stairs! And like most crowd situations, the collective intelligence was defined by the lowest common denominator. Despite instructions to carry and NOT wear your life jackets, once one bright spark decided to put theirs on so did almost everyone else. My eyes started to ache from rolling so much. It didn't help that the staff on each floor (standing in front of the lifts because obviously not everyone could read instructions) were wearing their life jackets. It just made the sheeple even more determined to put theirs on too.

 

Once we got to the Safari Lounge my husband was a man with a mission. He was determined to find H & his spouse M and explain why we had rudely stood them up. I was skeptical - there were a LOT of people in the Safari Lounge - but my husband’s logic was impeccable. We knew H was Irish and M was Brazillian and therefore all he needed to do was to look for a couple where one was a startlingly pale white and the other was more olive toned. I didn’t have much luck explaining that in fact there were many Irish of varying skin tones and not all Brazilians were the typical color. Instead he dragged me across the lounge whilst he peered and muttered. I was both surprised and impressed when he found a likely looking couple and introduced himself and lo and behold it was actually them!!!

 

 

I should note in my husband's defence that he only put his life jacket on during the muster drill when they instructed people to do so.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Katgoesonholiday

[buggins0402]

Enjoying your cruise story very much....can't wait for the next episode! Very refreshing type of "review"!

[Got2Cruise]

I'm already to book but I'm going to wait to make sure how it's going.

[Katgoesonholiday]

I'm already to book but I'm going to wait to make sure how it's going.

 

SPOILER ALERT: It was AWESOME! We had a fabulous time and loved the ship!

[Katgoesonholiday]

Enjoying your cruise story very much....can't wait for the next episode! Very refreshing type of "review"!

 

To be honest, its not so much a review as an opportunity to indulgently relive this wonderful holiday ... and take anyone who reads it along with me! :D

[Katgoesonholiday]

We arranged to meet up at the One Bar on deck 18 for sail away and this time we managed to actually make the meeting. Sail away was amazing. We were so high up and the boats beneath us were so small! Travelling down the Giudecca canal was amazing and I feel very privileged and grateful that we have had this opportunity. Venice was spread out before us and we were so so high up! We resolved then and there to make sure we were alongside the canal the following Saturday when the Preziosa sailed out again.

 

It wasn't the bubbly - that tower was definitely on a lean!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2014 by Katgoesonholiday

[Katgoesonholiday]