Fun, Port Intensive New Year Cruise
MSC Poesia Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean
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First Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 15
Helpful Votes: 550
10 Night Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 28, 2023
Ship: MSC Poesia
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 10086
Traveled as: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 9 months ago
Review summary
Overall this was a wonderful and good value cruise, visiting lots of interesting ports in the Mediterranean. We were originally due to sail on the MSC Sinfonia to Israel and Greece, however when that was cancelled we chose this (a 10-night roundtrip from Genoa) and definitely were not disappointed. MSC Poesia is a delightful ship with great crew and good food. Whilst there were some points for improvement, we had a terrific time and look forward to sailing with MSC again soon. It is worth noting during the second night of the cruise, around midnight, there was a small fire onboard. It was quickly and professionally contained within around 30 minutes by the crew, and we were kept informed by the captain and cruise director, with no further issues or impact on the voyage once it was extinguished. This emergency was handled well by MSC.Embarkation
We embarked the ship in Genoa, and overall the experience was fine. We arrived at the terminal on foot, but were then sent downstairs on a long walk through a car park to drop off our checked luggage (with no assistance) which was the only inconvenience. Once back inside the terminal the check-in process was quick and easy and we walked straight on to the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
We were really pleased with the dining offering throughout the cruise. The buffet always had an excellent and extensive selection, of high quality and healthy food. It was open throughout most of the day and the midnight buffet at New Year was particularly impressive. We also had a good experience in the main dining room every night, with a variety of dishes offered and we were never disappointed. There was only one specialty restaurant onboard (Kaito Sushi Bar) which we didn't try. Venchi ice cream at the Mojito bar was particularly good.
Onboard Activities
There was always a good activity schedule, with mini golf and other things to do. The pools were never too crowded (although this was Europe in December/January!) and the ship is nice with good facilities for sea days. The cruise director and entertainment team were all great, with fun themed parties. The New Year's Eve celebration was particularly fantastic.
Entertainment
There was great live music around the ship and the DJ was good. However, the theatre shows were overall very poor. There were some talented variety acts, although these were incorporated in an odd way to other theatre shows. The quality of the main theatre cast, combined with the strange themes for performances was just low - it was more a junior school play vibe than professional theatre. In addition to this, there were some serious issues with the stage technology. Throughout the cruise there were often issues with houselights going on and off during the performance, sudden and juxtaposing lighting changes to the action on stage, poorly positioned spotlights, projection on the main screen of a mac home screen and sudden cut outs when sound cues were played accidentally, along with one show which was just so much louder than the others we had to leave it was physically painful without ear defenders. There was also one performance of visiting flamenco dancers (who were brilliant), but had their show largely ruined by the music cutting out about 1/3 of a way in to the performance and not returning until the very end, meaning for most of the show they were dancing in silence (and at times darkness). At no point was the issue acknowledged or an apology given, despite something very obviously being seriously wrong. In 17 cruises (including others with MSC), this was probably the most disappointing entertainment experience in terms of theatre shows both quality of performance and stage tech.
Children's Programs
No children.
Service and Staff
Overall the service was great, and all the crew work really hard are very friendly, and keep the ship in immaculate condition whilst being attentive to your every need. However, not at all the fault of the crew themselves, but I think MSC could work on training in certain aspects of service which weren't overly professional. It didn't make for a bad time, just had some interesting/comical experience with things such as how drinks are poured, plates cleared and ice cream scooped! Particular positive mention must go to Angel (waiter) and Michael (cabin steward) for being great and making our cruise enjoyable.
Ship Quality
MSC Poesia is a beautiful and very well maintained ship. It is well appointed with a good number and variety of public spaces. During our cruise, there were 2,870 passengers and 924 crew onboard, which is quite a lot of guests for a ship of this size. We never really had an issue with this, except in the buffet at peak times, which got incredibly crowded and was difficult to get a seat, along with the relatively small gym, which meant having to wait a while for a machine at busy times. We had a small problem one morning when the toilets stopped flushing, and we were informed this was a ship-wide issue, however it was resolved and guest services went to the trouble of following up with us to ensure everything was ok, which was good handling of the situation. One final comment relates to hygiene - the ship itself is kept spotlessly clean, however in comparison to other cruise lines, there was a lack of visible disinfecting and hand sanitising, especially in the eating areas. We noticed a lot of people were ill and coughing and unfortunately two of our travel party also got cold-like symptoms at the end of the cruise. When they got home they actually tested positive for covid, so I think this may have been going around the ship. They're fully vaccinated and now absolutely fine, no worse than a mild cold, so it's no major issue. However, since there was illness going around, whilst stringent pandemic-like measures certainly aren't called for, a slight step up of precautions, such as mandatory hand washing in the buffet would've been good to see. I must emphasize that these are relatively small negatives and overall we had a great experience, it's just worth mentioning. When we disembarked, the ship was setting off on its 120-night world cruise, and I'm sure those onboard for that will have a great time on this lovely ship!
Cabin / Stateroom
Our cabin was perfect for us - two people with twin beds. It was well equipped and clean. It was the right size, with a nice big sofa as well. The balcony had a good view and a good size. The bathroom was spacious and well-laid out, whilst there was a shower curtain, the shower was big enough and never flooded the bathroom. There was ample storage space and the beds were comfortable.
Ports of call
In Barcelona we took an excursion to the Sagrada Familia and a drive around Gaudi's other buildings. This was a good way to see the city, with an informative guide and not too many crowds. After this we independently walked down la Rambla which was nice, and shuttle buses (free for us as we'd had an excursion but otherwise would've been expensive) took us back to the ship.
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Gibraltar was fantastic, we took a tour to Europa Point lighthouse at sunrise, which was spectacular, followed by the cable car to the top of the rock. This was nice and quiet and gave amazing views. We then walked around the delightful town before returning to the ship.
In Lisbon we took a bus and tram tour of the city. Unfortunately it was raining and cold, but we got to see all the major sites with an informative guide. The ride on the traditional tram was also great, taking us around the old streets, and included traditional Pastel de Nata tarts and Port Wine being served.
When docked in Cadiz we took an excursion to Seville (with independent time there). It was unguided, with only a "bus companion" (?) who apparently was not qualified to tell us about the city, simply there to look after us and get us back to the ship on time! It was a nice city to walk around, however is quite a long journey from the port (about 1.5 hours), and our time was also reduced due to docking late after poor weather the night before.
In Malaga we took the Hop on Hop off bus around the city. It was a good way to get around and we enjoyed walking around the old town and cathedral. The only disappointment was this had been advertised on the ship as €10 per person, but when we bought tickets in the terminal they insisted that was wrong and there was no chance of a discount, charging €25 per person.
In Civitavecchia we took a bus tour to Rome. We quickly drove past the main sights and then had 1 hour free time in the Vatican. Given the tour was only 5.5 hours, and Rome is over 1 hour away from Civitavecchia this really wasn't enough time to properly see the city. Nevertheless, it was still nice to get a brief taster.
Genoa is a good port for embarkation/disembarkation. You can get to/from Milan quickly and easily by train, however the walk to the port from the train station is quite difficult, especially with luggage.
In Marseille we took an excursion to Aix-en-Provence. We had a knowledgeable and friendly tour guide who taught us a lot and some free time. It was an interesting and pleasant town.
Disembarkation
Disembarkation was quick and easy. We left the ship around the time indicated on the luggage tags we were given, walked straight off and collected our luggage in the terminal with no waiting. We were in a taxi to the train station within 10-15 minutes.