Almost live from MSC Magnifica

[capnpugwash]

It only seems a few days since I was writing to you from MSC Opera and of course it was; I booked this little 7 day trip when I returned from my trip from South Africa on Sinfonia. This time I'm going to Zeebrugge (again), Amsterdam overnight (again), Hamburg (again) and Le Havre (again). The biggest attraction was the fare of less than £100 per day for a balcony cabin with all drinks included, which I think is a pretty good deal.

 

Traffic was quite heavy this morning as I drove down, there had been a smattering of rain after quite a prolonged dry spell of 2 or 3 weeks so the rain made the road a little slippy for some people and there were a few accidents en route. Nonetheless I arrived at dock gate 8 by 11.30 and with a touch of déjà vu, drove to and parked in the Shuttle Car Park. My bags disappeared and I got into a minivan for the transfer to the City Terminal where the registration process took but moments.

 

I waited until about 12.15 for boarding to start and by 12.25 I was in my cabin and dropping off my carry-on bag. I then went in search of lunch. This is a bigger ship than Opera and has 15 decks, the buffet and pools are on deck 13. The buffet was very spacious and well organised with sumptuous chairs and plenty of waiters to take drinks orders. The food was excellent and I had shepherd’s pie with salad and no dessert. That is part of my dessert free week that I have planned! You know what they say about the best laid plans though!

The ship is very modern with lots of shiny bits and lots of deep hues, my cabin is very comfortable and it has a balcony with a sliding door and it is about 9 foot by 4 foot square. The cabin is bigger than that though .

 

I explored some of the many bars during the afternoon and most of them had facilities and staging for entertainment of some description, some even had some live music going on. Most of them are quite large rooms and even while the performance is taking place it is possible to hold a conversation without interfering with the singer or vice versa.

 

The passenger drill was held at 5pm in the Tiger Bar which has a tiger skin style carpet, it sounds terrible but actually looks ok. I'm not sure that I would choose it for my home but in a large room it seems to work quite well.

After the drill I let the crowd disperse and then returned to my cabin to change for dinner. My restaurant is at the stern of deck 5 and is called L’Edera, this might be Italian for The Tree. It was Italian night with the staff adorned in the colours of the Italian national flag. The food was fine without being stunning but the Lasagne deserves special mention as it was delicious. I'm on a table for 8 and it wasn’t full, I don’t think that the ship is either. The people are from Lowestoft and somewhere small in Dorset whose name eludes me. They seem charming. No dessert was followed by a large espresso and a brandy, a perfect end to a lovely day.

 

I had the balcony door open and the sea was kind enough to wash strongly against the hull and send me to sleep very quickly, we lost 1 hour overnight and are now on European time.

 

With the loss of the hour, I woke at 7.30 to a grey overcast sky. Today is Thursday October 2 and having had breakfast the clouds are breaking up and blue sky is appearing. MSC are charging 14 euros for the privilege of using the free shuttle bus to Blankenberge, from where access by train to Bruges is simple. I've been here several times before and really have no burning desire to traipse around the city. It is a pretty place though and I've always felt that this is what Amsterdam would like to be but sadly fails to be on so many levels.

 

I watched the departing passengers as they streamed down the gangway following people with numbers on sticks heading for excursions or making their way to the shuttle buses; this has decided my course of action and I'm staying on board. It is a very pleasant temperature and I shall spend some time on the pool deck and my balcony. The pool deck will be favourite as I won’t then have a view of the very drab surroundings that is Belgium.

[Argentina Reka]

Hola!!!

I enjoy very much your "almost live"

Recently finished that one sailing Opera and now you surprises me with Magnifica.

I`m travelling whith this ship on November from Hamburg to my city: Buenos Aires.

Forgive my lousy and forgoten scholar english. But I really need to tell you two things:

1) Your "living review" is part of my pre cruise trainment.

2) L`hedera means Ivy.

Hasta pronto!!

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

The sun did come out and I had a very relaxing time on board, the pool deck was quiet apart from the passing passengers who were dressed to go hiking. It was quite a pleasant temperature and in my view way too warm for rain jackets and scarves, somebody should have told these people. I'm sure that within 10 minutes of leaving the ship they would have stripped off and then had to carry everything for the remainder of their excursions.

The sun remained out all day and after a very nice lunch I had an espresso and returned to my cabin to do some work. I had a Tom Clancy book to finish and then I went up to the pool deck for a cup of tea, they really can’t make tea to any acceptable standard. I don’t know if it is the tea bags or the non-boiling water but whatever it was it was awful. I had an Aperol Spritz to make up and I was reminded quite how nice a drink that is. It’s perfect for a sunny evening.

 

All passengers had to be back on board by 6.30 and at 7.05 we pushed off our berth and sailed back out into the North Sea. We are heading for Amsterdam tomorrow but it can’t be very far so I anticipate a slow and circuitous trip. We are spending tomorrow night in the port for some reason, it certainly can’t be to allow time to sample the wonderful Dutch cuisine unless you really like deep fried everything.

 

Tonight is a casual night and the recommendation is to dress in white, I have a very nice blue shirt that should fit the bill. I'm showered, dressed and ready for a drink!

[AmoMondo]

Back onboard another MSC ship so soon! You must barely have had time to unpack and pack again.

 

I shall look forward to reading the rest of another almost live review.

[sofsolnanny]

Gosh Jim-you are a lucky fellow :).

 

Very interested in this blog as I will be getting on the Magnifica as you get off. First time on MSC.

 

Love your little observations ;).

 

Di

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

I went to my nearest bar and there was a great duo playing a selection of music from The Blues Brothers and other shows, it was foot stomping stuff. After a couple of drinks it was dinner time and another couple arrived, these are English and from Cheshire. They skipped last night’s meal because they were tired after a 4 hour drive!

 

I ate lightly with a small portion of pasta with a tomato and bacon sauce and then Veal Saltimbocca but made with pork instead. It was excellent and just enough after a good lunch.

 

I was in bed by 11.30 and even though it was cool I left the balcony door open. The ship was creeping along which seemed to make the sound of the water even louder, I was asleep within minutes.

 

Today is Friday October 3 and I woke at 4.55 to the sound of powerful diesel engines alongside the ship, we were boarding the pilot who will guide us through the 4 lock system that is the North Sea Canal which is so aptly named as it links Amsterdam with the North Sea At Ijmuiden. There is no significant difference in water levels but the locks prevent salt water from the sea mixing with the fresh water in Lake Ijsselmeer and protect Amsterdam from flooding in the event of a storm tide.

 

We entered the entrance to the canal thirty minutes later and now at 6.30 have just passed through the first lock. It takes about an hour to transit the canal completely so we should be in the city by 7.30. there are no bridges across this waterway but in addition to the tunnels there is a roadway that is traffic light controlled at one of the locks and a section of it sinks about 25 feet to allow vessels to pass over it, then it is raised again once the ship has passed and traffic flows normally until the next time.

 

We are here until 9am tomorrow when we sail for Hamburg.

[earn]

Enjoying your review, and looking forward to reading about the rest of your cruise. I did not know about the lock system approaching Amsterdam.

[dun123das]

I am looking forward to the trip through the locks next week, on Magnifica, which we last did on the Queen Elizabeth II in2012. It was good to read your post, which confirms that we are actually docking in Amsterdam. The Opera docked in Ijmuiden the last time we went to Amsterdam and we went on an excursion coach from that port to Amsterdam. However this was a free excursion, courtesy of our TA, and it included a canal boat trip as well, but I believe it was quite expensive if booked on board. I am enjoying your posts, thank you, and I hope you have good weather for the rest of your trip.

[dun123das]

I am looking forward to the trip through the locks next week, on Magnifica, which we last did on the Queen Elizabeth II in2012. It was good to read your post, which confirms that we are actually docking in Amsterdam. The Opera docked in Ijmuiden the last time we went to Amsterdam and we went on an excursion coach from that port to Amsterdam. However this was a free excursion, courtesy of our TA, and it included a canal boat trip as well, but I believe it was quite expensive if booked on board. I am enjoying your posts, thank you, and I hope you have good weather for the rest of your trip.

Edited October 3, 2014 by dun123das
Posted twice??

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

Today was such a beautiful day, the weather was perfect again and the sun shone. I got off the ship just after 10am and walked the 100 or so yards to the 26 tram stop, once on board I purchased a ticket valid for 1 hour on all and any trams for 2.80 euros. The tram dropped me at the Central Railway Station where most if not all of the trams pass I got onto a 2 tram and went out for about a ten minute ride to somewhere quite unpronounceable near a canal. I wandered around and had a coffee and then headed back to the ship, I arrived in time to catch lunch and then spent the afternoon on my balcony taking advantage of the sun.

 

5pm was Aperol Spritz time up on deck 13 and then it was time to shower and dress for the casual evening. It feels really strange as we are moored and will remain so until 9am when we start to navigate the North Sea Canal again back to Ijmuiden and on to Hamburg. It is a lovely evening and I can hear the water in this river/canal lapping against the far bank.

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

I stood on my balcony as we sailed out through the North Sea Canal and we went past a lot of residential and commercial areas and then after a little over 2 hours we arrived at the outskirts of Ijmuiden and entered some heavy industrial zones with cement and steel works. There were acres of coal which were being sprayed with water, either to dampen down the dust or for fire prevention. Either way there were some stunning rainbows produced. When I said yesterday that the roadway sinks at the lock it actually withdraws to one side. The 4 lock system is in reality one lock but with 4 separate sections side by side for vessels of different sizes. We crept in at minimal speed and then the roadway behind us closed across the chamber and traffic started to cross, the lock filled a few feet and then the roadway in front of us slid to one side and we sailed out into the large entrance of the harbour and into the North Sea.

 

By then it was time for a pre-lunch beer and then a glance around the tat stalls that appeared in the bar area. It was just tat but many people clearly couldn’t resist the stuff on offer. There were straw hats, Officer’s caps, playing cards, coasters, cuddly toys and overpriced perfume. All came with the free offer of 1 hour in the steam room of the spa if you purchased 3 items. It is going to be unpleasantly crowded in there if they all take up the offer.

 

Lunch was wonderful as usual and the pasta of the day was the little butterfly pasta in a great arrabiata sauce with a perfect bite of chili.

 

This afternoon we are sailing north and east towards Germany and early on we passed a massive wind farm with about 60 or so windmills on a sandbank in the middle of the sea, it really looks eerie but it is an ideal place to site them. I imagine that it belongs to the Dutch as it was close to the Netherlands and I wonder whether it produces enough power to justify its cost.

 

The sun is trying to shine but the clouds seem to be winning the battle, it is still pleasant though and could easily be a lot worse.

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

I went to the bar and then into dinner, we were 2 people missing again tonight but they were the latest couple to join us as well. I think that because we are docking in Hamburg tomorrow, MSC are treating it as the end of the cruise and so we had the parade of chefs and Baked Alaska tonight. We had a lot of fun at the table and were still there at 11.15. I had a coffee and a brandy and then headed back to my cabin. We are very close to the German coast and will soon be entering the River Elbe to sail the 80 nautical miles to the city of Hamburg.

Edited October 4, 2014 by capnpugwash

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

It took us a little over 7 hours to cover the 80 nm and at 7.15am we were at our berth at Altona Cruise Terminal. I'm more used to docking at the Hafencity terminal which is a mile or so further along the Elbe. This is quite central and the St Pauli district and the Reeperbahn are within walking distance. MSC have told us that we are a 20 minute ride to the Town Hall at the centre of the City, I think that they are exaggerating so that they can charge 13 euros for the shuttle bus.

 

Today is Sunday October 5 and I'm staying on board today, I have been here many times and seen what there is to see. On a Sunday most places are closed which makes sightseeing a little easier because there are many fewer people milling around, it does preclude entering most buildings but the view of the exteriors and the areas are better.

The sky is clear but it is too cold currently to sit on deck, I believe that it will improve as the sun gets a little higher in the sky later.

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

In the region of 1500 passengers disembarked today, they were streaming ashore from 8am. Most had their luggage in tow but some had theirs collected overnight and would collect it later in the baggage hall. I imagine that we will have a similar number embarking later so it will be fun watching them trying to find their way around this quite large ship. I think that there are 3200 passenger berths on here which seems a lot to me but there are larger ships in the MSC fleet of up to 4500 apparently. That is too big for me and I prefer the smaller Opera and Sinfonia if I’m honest.

 

This isn’t a bad trip but I think that the staff could be a little friendlier; I suspect that one reason for their slight diffidence might be the fact that this is only a 7 day trip so we are no sooner on that we are off. It is noticeable though compared to the crew attitude last week. It’s tough to put my finger on it but I do feel it and I'm not overly sensitive.

 

It is almost lunch time and I will head to the main restaurant again, I hate buffets and much prefer to have food served to me.

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

Lunch was excellent and just afterwards the ship started to fill as replacement passengers boarded, I believe that it is school holiday time in Germany as there are hundreds of school age children running around the ship excitedly. All afternoon the roof of the cruise terminal was packed with people waiting patiently and it seems that they were waiting for us to sail. All passengers had to be on board by 5.45 and we pushed off our berth at 6.30. We gave 3 long whistles in farewell which is the first time we have done that during this trip. It seems that MSC are trying to encourage the market in Germany as well. There were no ships sailing along with us unlike when QM2 departs but we did have a waterbus alongside for a while.

 

At 7pm we boarded the river pilot and I believe that the harbour pilot disembarked. We are scheduled to leave the River Elbe at midnight and head west south west towards France where we arrive on Tuesday. Tonight is a 70s and 80s theme night so I will wear something old.

 

I'm showered and dressed and ready for the evening’s fun.

Edited October 5, 2014 by capnpugwash

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

I had a couple of G&Ts in the Tiger Bar on deck 6 listening to the music and chatting to a few people and then made my way down to deck 5 for dinner. I've noticed that the menu I had last week on Opera is being repeated this week, it’s no surprise really but I just haven’t experienced 2 trips so close together on different ships before.

 

There was little evidence that anyone was wearing 70s theme clothes during the evening. There were many single stemmed paper flowers being carried so that may have been a reminder of the hippie movement, or not.

 

We were still heading along the Elbe when I went to bed.

 

Today is Monday October 6 and I woke at 5am to a very surreal scene. My balcony was open and my curtains drawn back. Looking out into the darkness I could see what appeared to be pieces of white paper swirling in the backwash of the exterior floodlights that illuminate the side of the ship. I watched for some minutes before it dawned on me that these were birds. I went out onto the balcony and there were hundreds of thousands of these small white creatures swooping and soaring up and down and round and around. They weren’t diving into the sea so weren’t feeding. I have never seen anything like it before. They were slightly larger than sparrows and appeared to be white but that could just have been the floodlights, they were definitely light coloured but I have no idea what breed they might be.

 

It is now 7.45 and the sky is overcast with mixed dark and light grey clouds, it looks like a typical northern European day. I hope that it clears up a little for this final sea day.

 

I'm going for breakfast now.

 

Just outside the restaurant is a marble floor and it seems that overnight the crew steam cleaned the adjacent carpet which has left it wet. I was the third person to slip with wet shoes on the marble and I fell flat on my face. I didn’t break anything and apart from a very sore right knee I'm ok. It was a nasty shock and I will have to rest my leg as the bruising develops. It is so stupid that they didn’t bother putting out a sign or a non-slip mat on the marble. They day is grey and rainy and the temperature has dropped about 7 or 8 degrees, the inside areas of the ship will be horribly packed with hordes of passengers who are prevented from using the outside decks.

[poshtotty]

I enjoy all your blogs Captn... you are my breakfast reading.So sorry to hear about your fall...pure negligence...hope there are no lasting effects and the remainder of your cruise is not affected. You mentioned a lot of schoolchildren embarked yesterday , do you think they are a school party or travelling with family and has the number of children impacted on your experience so far ....An elderly neighbour of ours is embarking at Southampton next week and was looking for a relaxing time...Any tips for him ?...he does like a dram or two, is there a particular bar you would recommend?

[capnpugwash]

I enjoy all your blogs Captn... you are my breakfast reading.So sorry to hear about your fall...pure negligence...hope there are no lasting effects and the remainder of your cruise is not affected. You mentioned a lot of schoolchildren embarked yesterday , do you think they are a school party or travelling with family and has the number of children impacted on your experience so far ....An elderly neighbour of ours is embarking at Southampton next week and was looking for a relaxing time...Any tips for him ?...he does like a dram or two, is there a particular bar you would recommend?

 

No, it is children with their parents. Most bars are fine, I like the Tiger BAr on deck 6. Thanks for your good wishes.

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

The day has remained grey and dismal. I tried sitting in one of the bars to rest my leg but all the outside activities have been have been relocated inside so it was noisy and quite unpleasant. I decided that I would be better to rest in my cabin with my leg up. It is less tender now than it was but it is still quite sore.

 

It is fortunate that it is such a horrible day as there isn’t very much that I'm missing. I had a pleasant lunch but I don’t really want to be wandering around too much. The rain has stopped but it is still very unpleasant.

 

It is almost 6pm and we are heading south west into the English Channel, there is a strong force 9 gale blowing from the south. The ship is gently swaying as the wind and sea strike her. The sea has plenty of white horses across the surface and we are passing through a fishing fleet of trawlers. Seeing them out in this weather tells me that I should never complain about the prices we pay for fish at home and if the European Commission would mind their own business, we wouldn’t be throwing half of the dead catch back into the sea. What a tragic waste of resources.

 

I'm going to shower and dress now for the final Gala/Formal night, I wonder whether we will repeat the Parade of Chefs again. I'm going to give out a little cash as well to my waiters and a barman who has been very helpful, nothing over the top but enough so they realise that they get a reward for good service. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of my steward so he is off the list.

[sofsolnanny]

Jim,horrified to read that you had a bad fall--cant believe there were no warning signs :mad:. Hope that you are feeling better and can enjoy the rest of your cruise.

 

I will certainly be looking out for that piece of marble,as I have elderly parents with me on this trip,and would hate anything like that to happen.

 

Di

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

I went to the bar for cocktails and it was laid out for the second cocktail party at 8.30 which was for the first sitting guests, quite how you have a cocktail party after dinner and at that time confuses me. Clearly I had missed the one for second sitting passengers but I soon got over it. Dinner was a lot of fun and I had a couple of brandies to celebrate not having the parade of chefs again.

 

It was windy and cool overnight so I had to close my balcony at some time during the early morning.

 

Today is Tuesday October 7 and we approached Le Havre at 7am, the sky was cloudy as we were making our final manoeuvres to berth. I have a nice view of the town centre from my cabin as we are docked opposite it. The buildings are mostly constructed from concrete and are uniformly grey yet Unesco have seen fit to designate it as a World Heritage Site. This puts it on the same level as Machu Picchu and many other places which must delight the occupants of them.

 

I had breakfast and on my return to my cabin I found my luggage tags which reminds me that today is P day, time to pack!

[capnpugwash]

Update

 

I packed almost everything and will finalise this evening after dinner. Tonight is another theme night and the suggestion is carnival, perfect for the final night. I don’t understand why they make these quite odd suggestions because from what I've seen only the entertainment staff dress up.

It has been a chilly and grey day here in Le Havre with quite a strong wind blowing from the bay. It is now 5pm and the clouds have dispersed, the wind has dropped and the sun is shining. It is a quite beautiful evening with which to conclude this trip. We sail at 10pm to cover the 75nm to Southampton where we are due at 7.30 tomorrow.

 

I will finish now unless something exceptional happens overnight, this has been an interesting 7 day trip but it has had a mediocre itinerary in my view. I don’t think that I will take another trip on any cruise line that calls at any German port. I just find their behaviour boorish and quite ignorant. They aren’t all like that I know but the majority that travel seem to be.

 

Thanks for riding along with me, it has been quite a lot of fun and I hope you think so too.

Fin.

[Pennbank]

Update

 

I packed almost everything and will finalise this evening after dinner. Tonight is another theme night and the suggestion is carnival, perfect for the final night. I don’t understand why they make these quite odd suggestions because from what I've seen only the entertainment staff dress up.

It has been a chilly and grey day here in Le Havre with quite a strong wind blowing from the bay. It is now 5pm and the clouds have dispersed, the wind has dropped and the sun is shining. It is a quite beautiful evening with which to conclude this trip. We sail at 10pm to cover the 75nm to Southampton where we are due at 7.30 tomorrow.

 

I will finish now unless something exceptional happens overnight, this has been an interesting 7 day trip but it has had a mediocre itinerary in my view. I don’t think that I will take another trip on any cruise line that calls at any German port. I just find their behaviour boorish and quite ignorant. They aren’t all like that I know but the majority that travel seem to be.

 

Thanks for riding along with me, it has been quite a lot of fun and I hope you think so too.

Fin.

 

Thats Cunard out then capnpugwash

[capnpugwash]

Thats Cunard out then capnpugwash

 

I know what you mean but I will probably have to travel on a Cunard ship that has or will call there, I just won't be on board again when they do. :)

[Wightryder]

An interesting report as a friend of mine is on the next cruise with the same itinerary.

 

That silly ant attached to your avatar is a distracting pain when trying to read the text though!