Ah, the white ship, the azure wave... part one
Ah, the white ship, the azure wave...
MSC Splendida - self cruise - Barcelona
M. S. C. Splendida
Just a couple of years ago, I was not going on a cruise, mistakenly believing that this pleasure was only for the rich. Then I read the reviews of ordinary people, studied the Internet, saw the prices and it became clear that everything was quite affordable.
After the holidays were distributed at the end of November, and it became clear that the first 2 weeks would fall at the end of January, I began to look after Norway. But my husband resolutely refused to go again in the winter in the cold, and after not much thought we stopped on a cruise in the Mediterranean. The most tempting prices were from MSC. And since we never swam, it didn't really matter to us with whom to swim. So, the cruise was found, Barcelona was chosen as the starting point, because it is most convenient to fly there from Frankfurt, and after swimming there, I wanted to linger a little to see the city.
So our route is:
January 27 - Barcelona
January 28 - day at sea
January 29 - La Goulette (Tunis)
January 30 - Palermo (Sicily)
January 31 - Civitavecchia (Rome)
February 1 - Genoa / Italy
February 2 - Marseilles / France
February 3 - Barcelona
The route itself is classical in the western Mediterranean. MSC Splendida, translated from English and Italian, is a chic, luxurious, sparkling, Post Panamax class ship, which means that its size does not allow it to pass through the Panama Canal.
Landing on the liner
In the cruise documents, the landing time was 13:30, so we slowly got off the plane and after receiving our luggage, we decided to look around at the airport and find a Lebara SIM card. I didn’t have to look for a particularly long time, it is sold right there on the 1st floor. After calling everyone we could, we took a taxi (32.00 euros) and went to the port.
What a wonderful sunny day it was, especially after rainy Germany, how we got into spring.
The taxi stopped next to the counter where they hang tags on suitcases. Despite the fact that the baggage tags were sent to us, like all other documents in PDF format, I did not print them out, they seemed very simple to me ...
An employee from MSC approached us, we told her and showed her the number of our cabin, she wrote it on the tags, attached it to our suitcases and directed us to the terminal, where registration was already in full swing.
We entered the hall, looked around, a little ahead there was a table with some sheets of paper and another employee of the company gave everyone something and sent them somewhere. We approached him, said who we are and what we are, he gave us the number of queue number 5, wait, he says, your queue number will be announced and then you will come to the registration. We did not wait long, going up to the counter we immediately got to a Russian-speaking employee. From the whole pack of documents, he took 3 sheets, passports, they photographed us, made payments through a credit card, issued cards / keys, returned passports, the cabin was already ready and that's it, welcome to Splendida.
There was no special search, the usual one, like at the airport, why is everyone so afraid of the search?
True, we didn’t have any alcohol anywhere, why did we need it, if our Allegrissimo package already contains a lot of all sorts of drinks, we haven’t tried them all.
On the way to the liner, photographers pester, but we didn’t take pictures, and not even so much because it was expensive, but because we were after the plane, in camping clothes, without makeup, etc. Therefore, having passed everyone and everything, we went up to their cabin.
Our cabin is 10154, I chose it myself and did not regret it. 10 meters to the elevator and we go down to the 7th-6th floor and immediately get to the center of the liner: the reception is here, the atrium, shops, bars...
The cabin seemed to us very comfortable, roomy, functional. The closet is quite spacious, there is a safe on the shelf that simply closes, the beds are comfortable, high, suitcases are placed under them.
The hair dryer in the drawer works great, but the detergents in the bathroom, to put it mildly, are not of very high quality, for those who have too sensitive hair, it is better to take the usual shampoo in a small package, I always do this. There will be only shampoo without balm / conditioner and shower gel.
In the cabin there is a big thick blue book with all kinds of information, various instructions, as well as additional brochures and advertisements, such as how much ironing and washing cost and so on. Didn't use anything. We didn't use the bar either, but we drank the water on the table. After 2 days, the steward brought an invoice where these 2 bottles were indicated, it had to be signed, then he took it away and after that they were included in the total bill for us. Only checks and amounts that we sign are included in the bill, nothing else. The ship's newspaper with the program the next day arrived in the cabin in the evening, we had it in German, and our neighbors from Moscow had it in Russian.
Do you need a balcony in the cabin in winter? We needed it, every day! The first 3 days were very warm and sunny, and when a cold wind was blowing all over the ship, we had peace and grace on our balcony, we sunbathed. We often slept with the door open, to the lapping of the waves ...No noise of running engines or anything else was heard at all, but if people passed along the corridor and talked, then yes, it was heard. If a neighbor went out to the balcony to talk on the phone ...if children jumped upstairs ...from these noises, of course, there is nowhere to go.
Restaurants
Having settled in the cabin, we went to the Bora Bora & Pago Pago buffet on deck 14, which is open from 6:00 am to 2:00 am. These are 2 restaurants, passing one into another. One stretches on the left side, the other on the right. In these restaurants we always had breakfast and lunch. There are many dishes, the choice is huge, but something tasty is not to be found. A lot of Italian food - for an amateur, which was especially striking - pizza, none at all.
Dough spread with tomato paste and that's it, if you use it instead of bread. Bacon is always fried almost to the coals, 2 types of smoked sausage, 2 - tasteless ham, but everything else is like in 3 * + hotels.
If you go through all 2 restaurants, then you can find 2-3 dishes to your liking. Salmon has never been offered here, just like seafood, not counting sea fish.
I really liked the juices in bottles, you order the waiter, he brings them to you. We ordered the drink package Allegrissimo ALL Inclusive 24 Hours, 23.00/person. /day. These juices are included in this package. I also liked the pastries. But in general, all the dishes are under-salted, under-peppered, lacking spices, semi-cold. Of course, all this can be corrected on the table to your own taste, but the taste of the dish is already not the same.
For dinner, we always went to the à la carte restaurant, we had 2 dinner shifts at La Reggia restaurant on deck 6.
Initially we wanted the first dinner change at 18:00, but we liked the second one more than 20:30.
By 19:00 we went to the theater for a performance that lasts 40-45 minutes, then we drink cocktails at the bar and for dinner. Here, it seems that the taste of food was a little better, a couple of times there was salmon, a couple of times king prawns, pieces of 3, everything else is ordinary food. Once I ordered squid risotto, they brought a ladle of rice and 1 squid with a 10-kopeck coin, my husband was more fortunate, he had 2 such squids. We didn’t get pleasure from delicious food, it simply didn’t exist.
They took the menu in 2 languages: in German and in Russian, compared the dishes, those who write that the Russian menu is not complete are absolutely wrong, everything is exactly the same with the only difference that in German is in a common book, and in Russian - on separately printed sheets.
Our waiter was great, he served quickly, as far as possible in this restaurant, gave tips a couple of times, saw how others put them in too, and even paper bills.
They treated their neighbors on the table with wine and juices, because they did not have a package of drinks. The waiter saw everything, smiled and kept quiet. Our dinner took a long time, from 20:30 to about 22:30-23:00, this is not because the dishes were not brought for so long, but because our neighbors turned out to be talkative. Either excursions were discussed, or stories about grandchildren were heard, or we were asked about Germany ...in a word, we were not bored.
Everyone came to the restaurant very smart. Everyone tried to adhere to the recommended dress code. I liked it too. It's nice to be in a beautiful outfit among also smartly dressed other guests. And not only in the restaurant, but also in the theater, casinos, bars...
There is a paid Santa Fe Tex Mex restaurant and a Sports Bar, but we did not get there.
On the day of landing, a drill is conducted. Without waiting for the agreed signals, we arrived at the theater at the appointed time. The exercises are conducted in several languages, including Russian.
After we mastered the unbuttoning / fastening of vests, in certain groups, we had the letter G, with instructors, in vests, we went to the so-called gathering place in case of evacuation. And that was it, the onboard maps scanned that the exercises had been completed.
Further, before sailing, we went to inspect the liner.
Swimming pools, walking areas, bars...
From decks 14 to 18 in different parts of the ship there are swimming pools, walking areas, various terraces, sports grounds, bars ...Sea water in the pools and jacuzzi, +36 degrees in the jacuzzi, and not heated in the pools, so they mostly swam there, where it's warmer.
In our cabin description it was stated that for an additional fee we have access to a special sun deck. Let's go find out what it is and where. We found a small area of the deck with wicker sunbeds and chairs made of rattan, a high quality natural material.
We walked, looked, it was warm, settled down on these sunbeds and not only us, of course, without undressing. The sun warmed up ...and then the "head of this deck" appeared. He looked at everyone's maps and escorted everyone out of here, including us, go, he says, to the reception, pay for these sunbeds. We didn't come here again. But what always made me laugh: every day, this deck was offered in DAILY specials:
- Ratan lounger for the whole day 30.00 euros
- for the whole cruise 100.00 euros
- regular sunbed 10.00 euros
- for the whole cruise 40.00 euros
despite the weather. And it was warm only for the first 3 days, and then rains, winds ...so who wants to lie on a lounger in the rain? However, the information did not change according to the weather, the same thing was printed every day.
Departure from ports
Departure is a bit sad. A few beeps will be given and that's it. And I would like it to be different.
No greeting from the captain or crew to the newcomers on board, or at least a few words about the fact that the liner is leaving for the next port, not to mention any music about the departure. Everything is ordinary, as if the bus had left the stop. No solemnity, no celebration.
Before the cruise, I watched several documentaries, like German. ships departing from ports, captain's greetings and so on ...there was nothing like this here.
There were no greetings at all. The only time information was given was when we were delayed in the port of Palermo, in many languages, including Russian.
Thus, we quietly and imperceptibly left the port of Barcelona and headed for Mediterranean Africa - Tunisia.
Tunisia is, of course, not the national parks of Kenya, not the Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, not the Cape of Good Hope in the very south of Africa, in a word, not God knows what, but we still need to see, since we enter this country.
In the meantime, the next day to Africa at sea, we continue to explore the liner. Who says it's hard to navigate? Nothing like that, everything is extremely simple, well, you can’t get lost.
Center of Splendida - atrium
The sparkling heart of Splendida is, of course, the Swarovski ladder. No matter how many times I tried to capture this beauty, nothing worked. The photographs do not convey that sparkle and brilliance, that magical radiance and transfusion, which it really is.
This place is almost never empty, because it is the most beautiful.
In general, it should be noted that despite such a number of vacationers on the ship, there was no noticeable "crowd" in one place, everyone was somehow dispersed among bars and restaurants, casinos and shops ...some in the pools, some in SPA, etc.
Captain's reception
It was in Marseille. On the 6th deck in the bar La Piazetta there was an opportunity after 18:00 in the evening to take a picture with the captain, alas, we, having walked around Marseille, overslept this moment. But we, as always, came to the theater at 7 pm. First they introduced the team, the main managers, etc. on the stage, then the captain Mario Stiffa came, accompanied by a young girl who accompanied him only to the stage. Short speeches of welcome, a certificate of commendation for the best steward of the week, then everyone began to disperse. Young girl in spec. uniform again picked up the captain and they also left. Then, as usual, the performance began in the theater.
And there was another gala evening, without a captain, but the theater also represented the leading employees of the liner, chefs, recipeists ...it was in Tunisia. First there was a performance, and then the invited staff came on stage to the artists.
We did not take any excursions from the company, and did not even go to meetings with guides, although we were invited several times. In all cities, I developed my own program, a minimal program, but we fulfilled it to the maximum. Here are the prices for the excursions offered on the ship.
Of course, they visited and played. Husband won, I won't say how much! He plays very, very rarely, and as he says: beginners are always lucky and they need to stop and leave in time. Well, I lost, as always. I don't know how much I could start with, but for 50.00 euros it was already possible to buy chips. (in our city, for example, less than a hundred do not even accept bets) I love roulette, despite the fact that I always lose.
But after all, the process itself is important, you don’t lose everything right away, waiting, hoping to win, excitement, a gleam in your eyes, the joy of winning ...and at one fine moment, bam, and there is not a single chip! Having worthily lost 50 euros, with a sense of accomplishment, we leave the casino. Do you know how the Chinese play? How much money are they losing! With me, none of them won, and no one at all. And there are a lot of people in the casino, and they play cards, and slot machines, people relax, have a rest.
I had a birthday during the cruise. And in the next newspaper it was written how to celebrate the holiday. You go to the reception, order a cake and champagne, if you want, with your own money, and in the evening they will bring everything to you in a restaurant with a song. The cabin is not decorated with balloons, there are no flowers on the ship. My husband ordered a cake the previous evening. And in the morning, an envelope was slipped under the door, congratulations from the company, an invitation to dinner at the Santa Fe Tex Mex restaurant for their own money, because.
The restaurant is paid, but the cake will be free. But since the husband had already ordered the cake, we did not use this invitation.
And in the evening, at dinner in the restaurant, they brought a cake with a candle, and several waiters sang a song on duty. Those at adjacent tables clapped their hands. Then our waiter took the cake away again, cut it into pieces, and brought it to all of us in portions on plates. He asked where to put the rest, pack it into the cabin? No, I say, the rest is for you, because it was the penultimate day of the cruise for us and we already had nowhere to put it.
MSC Aurea SPA
The prices in the SPA are not small, we went there, looked at everything that was possible and where it was possible to go, having decided, let's think ...And a few days later they brought a special leaflet with a 50% discount on all procedures. We went, signed up, my husband for Balinese massage 30 min. /35.00 euros + 15% service fee, instead of 70.00 euros. And I signed up for Lifting radiofrequency treatment for face&neck for 50.00 euros instead of 100.00.
The procedure lasted 1 hour 15 minutes, a very long time, my back was numb and numb, I almost snored 2 times ...the couch was straight, hard, like in a hospital. When it was all over and I began to dress, I almost fell, my head was spinning to such an extent. Usually, after such procedures, I don’t get dizzy, well, a relaxed state, but that’s not the case. And at the end, I didn’t like the face cream, with a very strong smell of roses and something else. I prefer face and hand creams with no smell at all, or if they have a smell, then very, very weak. I don't know what made me dizzy so much, maybe it was from the strong smell...
And my husband liked the massage, he was satisfied.
Photo studio, shops
As I already wrote, we did not use the services of photographers, but many, many people took pictures with them. Always read the daily newspaper carefully, there are various pleasant discounts.
For example, on January 30, there was such an announcement:
Free photo! Come to our salon between 15:30 and 16:30 and get your photo against the background of the ship for free!
Or: buy 2 photos, the third one is free! Etc.
There are not very many shops on the liner, they sell mainly jewelry, watches, alcoholic drinks, sweets, bags, souvenirs ...the prices are very different, and there are always discounts.
Well, probably, about the liner itself and everything, something else I don’t remember anything else.
Comments, additions, questions, amendments... everything is accepted.
