We had a lovely cruise. Our first mediterranian cruise and probably not our last.
Loved the ship and the energetic vibe on MSC and would probably book again.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was fine. Took a bit longer than expected but nothing dramatic.
We embarked in France. We didn't like the staff at that port very much, but we only experienced it before entering the ship so maybe it was just the local staff that was a bit rude, once onboard the staff was extremly friendly and helpfull.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We loved the food and drinks on Fantasia.
The buffet was a little bit to crowded to our liking most of the time (esp. breakfast) but the food was always nice and plenty of choiche.
The pizza was amazing!
Food in the main dining room was also very tasty and our waiter did hos very best to make sure we had a good night.
We had a drinks package so we tried a lot of cocktails and nice coffees. I would totally recommend buying a drinks package.
Fantasia Bar
5 out of 5
We spend most of our time in this bar. Nice vibe and live music most of the time. A lot of dancing going on, wich we like to watch :-) We loved the staff in this bar the most. Nice to have a chat with and tje best cocktails. Made sure they had my hubbies favorite speciality beers in stock, he loved that ofcourse.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Lot's to do on the ship like dancing and games.
We dont usually participate but love to watch the games and shows.
One thing we missed was a bit more trivia/quiz kind activities. Or talks with the captain/staff kinds of seminairs like royal carribean does. We always enjoy those.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Lot's to do on the ship like dancing and games.
We dont usually participate but love to watch the games and shows.
One thing we missed was a bit more trivia/quiz kind activities. Or talks with the captain/staff kinds of seminairs like royal carribean does. We always enjoy those.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Overall the staff was really nice.
We felt bad for them sometimes because guests can be very rude to them and they just keep going with a smile.
We had a little problem with our shower drain. It was fixed quickly so no complaints there.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The desing we liked very much.
Nice rooms/venues.
Cleaning and maintenance was ok but not like (for example) on Royal Carribean. Only small details like cleaining the balcony and some maintenance around the ship.
For us it not a big deal, the cruise was a lot cheaper for us this time. But if you think these things are a dealbreaker for you i would suggest maybe another cruiseline is better for you.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We loved our cabin. Booked an outside view and got a balcony so that a plus! Nice shower en nice bed. Lots of space to put your things away. Nice seats on the balcony.
Ship tip
It's an Italian ship, wich is very obvious if you are on board. We didn't meet any other Dutch people onboard (wich we dont mind) and few Englisch/American guests. Mostly Italien, French and Spanish. We dont mind and liked te international vibe. But if you like to speak your own language with other guests and are not one of those nationalities, maybe another cruisliner is a better fit.
Also the food is Italien/mediteranian, so keep that in mind also.
We didnt really like Genoa.
We walked from the ship to the towncentre. A lot of hassle on our walk to buy things. Or men who give you a free bracelet and after they put it on, ask for a donation. Even got aggressive when my husband kindly asked not to touch him when they wanted to put on a bracelet. The most we experienced on our cruise!
We walked around a bit. Once you get to the center it is nicer than it looks on first glance and from the port. Lots of older and beautifil buildings.
Sinnce pesto is originated here we wanted to eat a pasta pesto here. Wich made it al worth it in the end ;-)
If we would go to Genoa on a future cruise we would problably stay on the ship next time.
We walked from the ship to the town center and did a bit of roaming around and shopping.
On the way back we took the "waterbus" from the harbor back to the ship. It's a cheap and fun way to get back to the ship. No need for a taxi or expensive shuttle here :-)
We booked an excursing with MSC to Pompei, a guided tour.
We loved the excursion, well organised and a very nice guide.
After that we went back to the ship so didnt see much of the city itself.
Took the shuttle from the shop to town. Walked around a bit and then took the local bus to a beach nearby. Not a very nice beach, a lot of rocks in the water, but a nice little quit place to relax for a few hours.
Had the best seafood pasta!
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