MSC SEASIDE

MSC goes global

I just returned from a one week Caribbean cruise on the MSC SEASIDE.

My comments about the vessel are totally subjective and are my impressions of the experience on that particular sailing.

First of all I must say the ship is beautiful, modern yet not cold. The common areas are well spread out on several levels of the ship, so there are plenty of private nooks and crannies to find tranquillity and comfortable seating. The bars and lounges are decorated tastefully, and their use of subdued colors for the furnishings and walls was a smart choice. The only objection is the overuse of mirrors in many corridors giving a disorienting feeling at times.

Despite the fact that the Seaside accommodates more than 4000 passengers, I must say it never felt crowded.

I didn’t attend any of the shows, so I can’t comment on those, but quite honestly, in speaking to other passengers, none were raving about shows, or even recommending seeing them, for whatever that’s worth.

The balcony cabin I had was spacious, the bedding comfortable, the bathroom functional and typical of most ships of that category.

Storage and closet space was a bit sparse, but workable.

I was very pleased with the terminal at the Port of Miami, ( G) which was upgraded and modernized, making the check in process quick and seamless compared to the chaotic scene I experienced during the last cruise.

This was only the second ship to dock at their newly inaugurated private island “Ocean Cay Marine Reserve” and while one could tell there’s much more work to be done on the island, a pleasant feature was the enormous space on the various beaches, so even there you never felt you were in an overcrowded situation. The food venues, cafeteria like and with huge lines, were a big negative, also the lack of entertaining play areas for children needs to be worked on.

Now let’s get to the major flaws of the MSC line.

I won’t go into the detailed history of the company, but rather will synthesize as best I can.

MSC ( Mediterranean Shipping Company) started as a family owned company from the Campania region of Italy and went into the passenger cruise business in 1988. They initially were an Italian product which was reflected in the bar and restaurant offerings, as well as the mood and music onboard. As they began venturing beyond the Mediterranean, they began a transformation to make the ships more globally palatable.

This means, they have started to resemble all the other cruise lines in their category ( NCL, Royal Caribbean, Carnival etc..)

Result: food in the main dining rooms is mediocre at best. Some of their competitors do a much better job despite serving the same number of passengers.  There are no more Italian waiters, sommeliers, bartenders.

The service is very spotty; you could sit at a bar for a long time before being noticed. Tipping bartenders (which is officially discouraged) makes a difference in service.

I’m not inferring Italians make better servers or bartenders at all, but I can say the  entire mood of the ships is generic; one of many.

I think the marketing department of the MSC has missed the boat ( pardon the pun). Their ships could have been a piece of Italy in the Caribbean, Northern Mediterranean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, yet they decided to go generic.

Think of how many people go to great lengths to visit Italy. Everybody loves genuine Italian food, they love the mood, the music the ambiance.

Why not create that atmosphere on MSC ships? That would have distinguished them from all the others. 

So they have an espresso bar and Venchi chocolate. Many malls around the world have those. At least the Divina had an EATALY restaurant when it was first introduced, but alas no longer.

Again my subjective thought.....no Italianity to be found.

Last of of all my greatest pet peeve: If one should want to sit in their cabin to watch the latest news, the only offerings are CNN Domestic,

CNN International, CNN Espanol, CNN Headline News.

Those are not choices.

I would rather have watched Italian news, but none was offered, while French and Spanish were.

A DUMB choice on MSC’s part. If I wanted fake news, I would read The NY Times.

SPECTACULARLY UNIMPRESSIVE

This was my third voyage on the MSC DIVINA , a ship I wanted desperately to love, and not just because Sophia Loren is the ship’s godmother, ( I needed to clear that up), but because I thought the introduction of “Italian” vessels in the Caribbean as ambassadors of all the wonderful things and products that Italy exports all around the world, it would have filled  a much needed void  from that cookie cutter mentality that permeates the cruise industry.

I sailed the Divina twice in the Caribbean and I must confess the first time was a huge disappointment. Starting from the check-in process, to the lack of decent service, to the inedible food, the over priced specialty restaurants, and the sense that they were trying much too hard to cater to an American crowd. Don’t we already have Carnival and Royal Caribbean for that?

The food and service in the dining room was so bad, we ended up eating at the buffet most nights, where at least we could choose our food by being able to see it before placing it on our dishes.

The second time the dining experience improved dramatically only thanks to the simple luck of having one of only two Italian waiters on the ship assigned to our table. That time, we never had to peruse the menu, rather just sit and Raffaele knew exactly what the best dish would be that night...it was as simple as that!

The ship is beautiful, the cabins spacious and well appointed, the common areas attractive embellished with vintage photos recalling “la dolce vita”, comfortable seating and mostly soothing colors and decor.

When we as travel agents are asked to inspect  a new vessel we see it empty of passengers, pristine, everything in its place, quiet....staged.

Sailing the ship on a routine cruise tests the ability of crew to provide the services, the food, the amenities that are promised in the advertisements and by the sales representatives.

In both the above sailings, that test was failed by a large margin.

So why did I decide to sail the same ship a third time? Timing and itinerary. I happened to be in Palermo at the tail end of a “Friends & Family” trip on the same day that the Divina sailed from there to Cagliari, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Marseilles, Genova and Civitavecchia.

A wonderful choice of ports in places I had not visited in many years.....an easy decision!

The ship had a completely different feel this time, the majority of the passengers Europeans. The noise level was increased dramatically, as well as the number of children who were obviously skipping school that week. Our cabin had an interior door separating it from the cabin next door. The insulation was non existent and we were able to hear every word of every conversation the family next door had sometimes very early in the morning and then again very late at night. Quite disquieting!

I noticed that the servers at the buffet seldom cleaned the tables, making it difficult to find a clean table to have a meal, particularly at breakfast.

Many chairs and banquettes were stained and dirty and in dire need of a good scrubbing, one of the beverage stations had a leak that was never repaired the entire duration of the cruise.

Disembarking at the various ports was disorganized and at times difficult to figure out....most times compelling passengers to go to the 5th level in order to then descend to the 4th level for disembarkation. A small inconvenience but a nuisance for those with small children or those with mobility problems.

One of the most annoying aspects of the cruise was the constant hard sell of their “beverage packages” ( very overpriced in my opinion), their spa offerings, the photographs. I know this is common on most ships, but it seemed more flagrant on the Divina.

The food offerings improved only slightly, but the service in the dining room was still spotty. Most nights the meals were quite uninspired and bland. A small example...someone in our party ordered a paella and got a dish of yellowish rice with one mussel sitting on top of it.(!!)

As I said I wanted to love this ship, I gave it three chances but unfortunately I must declare it spectacularly unimpressive.

Prosecco

PROSECCO FINALLY RECOGNIZED....
THE AREA IS NOW A UNESCO HERITAGE SITE.

In the core of the Veneto Region, in an area stretching from Valdobbiadene to Conegliano, there is a small, hilly area where Italy’s most famous sparkling wine, the Prosecco, is produced. 

Characterised by dramatic steep hills (hogback) cultivated with a system of grassy terraces (ciglioni), interrupted here and there by small parallel-running valley, the synergy between man and nature gave life to the perfect viticultureenvironment. 

Already between the XVIII and XIX centuries, young men heading to Venice for their Grand Tour were totally conquered by the romantic views offered by this area. The “patchwork” landscape of small vineyard plots, interspersed with wooded areas and green meadows, offered the perfect place to stroll, meditate and relax. Nowadays, it is possible to follow in their footsteps and admire this wonderful and luxuriant land with special walking or biking tours that will lead you not only among the vineyards, but also to the small historical villages and little medieval towns of this area. You can even rent a gorgeous red Vespa and ride the rolling roads among vineyard, stopping to the casual osteria for a plate of simple food. Every journey in the Prosecco region is a glorious experience for all the senses: not only the beauty of the hills will fill your eyes and soul with gorgeous images, you will also please your belly with a perfect risotto matched with a fresh glass of sparkling Prosecco. Evviva!

#italywithjoe

Beware Caribbean Travel

While I personally have not recommended travel to Mexico for the past 18 months because of very disturbing occurrences some shared by media, some not, I don’t feel that way about the Dominican Republic.

The incidents being reported are eerily similar and all have one thing in common: drinking from an item in the room’s mini bar.

While the FBI is investigating, this is almost a common sense precautionary tale.

* If a bottle is not sealed, or seems to have been tampered with, DO NOT DRINK ITS CONTENTS!!

*watch your servers make your drinks...if in doubt, DO NOT DRINK IT

*NEVER leave your drink unattended.

The above advice is for ANYWHERE in the world you happen to be.

In Mexico, one of the major  issues was much more subtle and difficult to pinpoint ;  some resorts were caught buying cheaper, imitation liquor which had been tainted, and when served to guests, they got violently ill.

This was a way for those resorts to save money, and it backfired greatly.

Then, to make matters worse, when ill  tourists were taken to a medical facility, they were extorted by being asked for  large amounts of cash  before  being cared for.

For this and other reasons I am still not recommending Mexico as a destination. Drastic changes must occur before I do once again.

There is also another factor which is difficult to speak about....

The erratic and sometimes risky behavior of some travelers, who lose all sense of propriety and self preservation while abroad. From trying illegal substances, to engaging in behavior they would not dare try at home.

Basically, in all cases, in any country......... travel judiciously.

Travel to Egypt is on many people’s bucket list, and for good reason.

There is history, there are pyramids, there are sarcophagi, there are camels, and the very hottest attraction is the yet to be completed Grand Egyptian Museum, an archeological museum telling the story of a unique civilization with hundreds of thousands of artifacts.

BUT....there is also an under reported underbelly of dangerous crime activity, risk of terrorist attacks, and tourist scams.

Hygiene at many public sites is also a concern, with many visitors becoming ill after eating while on popular Nile River cruises or at the tempting side of the road food vendors and even at popular  tourist restaurants.

If you are interested in all things Egyptian, and you want to travel in a safe environment, enjoy incredible food and wine, shop for the latest in fashion and artifacts, go to Italy!!!

Italy you say? What does that have to do with my “ Egypt bucket list”?

Well, as a matter of fact, Torino, in the northern region of PIemonte,

has the most ancient museum dedicated to Egyptian culture in the world. It is the second largest Egyptian Museum in the world, after the one in Cairo.

I have visited it several times and have always left the museum  amazed at the incredible number of artifacts, sarcofagi, mummies, jewels, dehydrated food items all found in ancient Egyptian tombs and brought over into Italy.

The Museo delle Antichità Egizie in Torino, is the only museum other than the Cairo Museum that is dedicated solely to Egyptian art and culture. Many international scholars, since the decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs Jean-François Champollion, who came to Turin in 1824, spent much time pouring over the collections. It was Champollion who famously wrote, “The road to Memphis and Thebes passes through Turin”.The collections that make up today’s Museum, were enlarged by the excavations conducted in Egypt by the Museum’s archaeological mission between 1900 and 1935 (a period when finds were divided between the excavators and Egypt). Italy was the major recipient of this arrangement.

Italy, (PIemonte to be exact) is where you can find the Egyptian Museum, truffles, wine, chocolate, hazelnuts, the museum of motion pictures, an incredible automobile museum, fantastic food, elegant coffee bars, in one compact, elegant city: TORINO or TURIN as it referred to by the English speaking.

In the surrounding areas you can enjoy the Museum of fragrances when you can create your own personal scent, you can participate in the “Vermouth Experience” , go truffle hunting, experience a grappa tasting, and much much more!!

I will return there again in 2019 and encourage all my readers to do the same!