Splendida Western Med 7 nights - winter 2016- 2017 planning

There doesn't seem to be much activity on the individual roll calls. But there seems be a number of us planning for this itinerary for this winter.

I thought I would start this thread to share ideas about port excursions, especially since it's winter/off season.

We are a couple from California. Will be spending 2 nights pre cruise in London and 2 nights post cruise in Rome. Initially going to fly in day of cruise but chickened out so taking late flight to FCO the night before and staying at the airport Hilton.

Palermo - waiting to hear from a friend living there temporarily to see if she can meet so no plans yet.

Malta - looks easy enough to walk around on our own. Will try to get up early to see the harbor as we sail in.

Barcelona - will go to Casa Baltlo and probably walk around the Gothic Quarters.

Marseille - wanted to go to Cassis and hike to the first 3 Calanques but not sure how the trails are affected by the 9/2016 fires or if winter rains will make it muddy. So now researching other trips in Provence.

Genoa - thought about going to Cinque Terre but risky if there are issues with train. So probably taking train to Santa Margherita and walking along the water to Portofino.

Will need back up plans if weather is bad.

We are more independent travelers so would rather DIY but understand with time constraints some things might be better with guides.

Questions...

Which ports are far from town and need paid MSC shuttle to town?

How does muster drills work if people are getting on at all ports? Just folks getting on that day will go to a particular spot? I suppose it won't be that disruptive to other folks if we are off to town anyways.

We are in a Fantastica aft area starboard balcony room. Plan to order room service for breakfast to save time as we're not morning people and don't eat big breakfast anyway. My understanding is that only pastry available correct? Continental breakfast?

Will get the 18 drink vouchers. Will call MSC as not on website yet.

Still deciding about phone and Wifi.

That's all I can think of at rhe moment. Hope to chat with some of you doing this itinerary.

Weather...

Checking historical data and seems that it's similar to home here in Northern California. I hope it will be nice enough to use the balcony. It was too hot and humid last January in the Carribean.[emoji14]

Activities...

Don't want to overload on similar churches and villages so hoping to have a mix of outdoors and culture.

Questions...

 

Which ports are far from town and need paid MSC shuttle to town?

Marseille, but there are always taxis which can work out cheaper

Palermo I don't know

 

all the rest are walkable

Barcelona (20 - 30minutes walk) the port shuttle is cheaper than MSC's shuttle and goes to exactly the same place

Malta 5 min walk

Genoa 10 minutes walk to old district

 

 

How does muster drills work if people are getting on at all ports?

Just folks getting on that day will go to a particular spot?This is corrrrect

I suppose it won't be that disruptive to other folks if we are off to town anyways.

Pete

Hi Chinita

I am going on this same cruise on Dec. 9th with my daughter, her best friend from college and her mother. My daughter and I have never been to Europe so we are very excited. Friends mom is a travel agent so she has experience here. We are doing a cruise tour in Marsielle and Malta, a private tour she arranged in Genoa, DYI in Barcelona and Palermo. My daughter wants to go to the catacombs in Palermo so maybe we will just take a cab from the port. We are staying at Hotel ****onale 2 nights pre cruise in Rome. It has very good reviews and is in a great location to walk around. We also have a private Vatican tour booked before we embark on cruise. This was a must see for me and since we don't have to board till late in the afternoon this worked out great.

We booked this cruise sometime ago so I have been on CC a lot. Not many Americans on MSC boards except for Divina out of a Florida. I have to say the reviews have been mostly positive on this ship. Pete above has a lot of good information. I have been checking weather and it appears to be much warmer than NJ now. I am bringing one of those packable coats in case it is cold. But I'm thinking my spring/fall quilted jacket is going to feel fine. As far as cell goes I think I am going with Verizon's 10.00 per day. Only charged daily rate if you use the phone. I probably will not use the phone much during the cruise but I would like to have it in the event I need it. My husband is a little nervous about this trip. He is a US traveler. No interest in going to Europe. Any tips you have for us is appreciated. Thank you

PS. I love California!!!!

I'd highly recommend the Lascaris War Rooms in Valetta if you are in to history - it tells the story of how Britain, America and the Maltese used the island during WW2 - very informative and well presented.

Marseille has a very nice Christmas market - as does Aix en Provence, there are regular TGV train services from Marseille to Aix en Provence that take only 12 minutes, costing €4 approx. A taxi from the port to the train station in Marseille costs about €15

Re the earlier question about muster drill - only guests boarding will be required to attend, and for the smaller embarkation points this is done without any disruption to other guests - at main embarkation points bar service is stopped whilst the drill goes ahead

Thanks for the details Pete. I guess will decide taxi vs shuttle at Marseille when we get there.

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Sandi -

I was thinking specifically of you when I started this. : ) Wow you are leaving soon! This will be our 3rd time in Europe. First was in May 2000 on a month long shoestring backpacking/hostel/Eurorail trip after grad school. 2nd was in August 2009 when we had a wedding in Germany and also went to Barcelona and Paris. Malta and Sicily are new to us as is visiting in winter. We travel quite a bit and like to think we are adventurous flashpackers (former backpacker with some $$ now) but here we are again on a cruise.

I had planned a trip to Vietnam for last January but my husband was really burnt out with work and not up for that pace - so we went on a Caribbean cruise instead on the Allure. Was planning again for Vietnam in January but then the Zika warning came out for SE Asia. Options then became China or Europe as flights were cheap. I can't believe he asked about a cruise again. But found this and booked right before Thanksgiving. I wanted to go to Greece or a river cruise but there was no itinerary during our time frame.

As for the weather, London will be quite a bit colder but I am not sure I want to bring my thicker long down coat just for a few days. Will definitely bring that to NYC when we go over Christmas.

Have a great trip and I hope you come back with some details!

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1fiftthavene - thanks for the museum tip in Valetta. The husband is into WW2 history so he may like that. I think we may just end up taking a train somewhere in Marseille. Isle sur la Sorgue looks very cute but not sure how feasible for the day. I really do not want to do a van tour if i can find one town or village that I like for the day. So will research some more.

Anyone else has ideas for Genoa? I guess I can just stay in town if the weather is bad and going to Portofino won't be a good idea.

Anyone else has ideas for Genoa? I guess I can just stay in town if the weather is bad and going to Portofino won't be a good idea.

Here is a link to an excellent guide to the old town written by a very experienced cruiser who writes terrific port guides all going the strap line of "One way to do ........."

A really excellent read.. he does a very detailed guide with masses of images

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2014/06/13/one-way-to-do-genoa/

They have a very good aquarium just 10 minutes walk along to the east of the terminal building, something to consider if it's raining

pete

Good blog link Pete. Thanks. We have been to the aquarium in Genoa before so will do something else if it rains. The husband loves aquaria and his favorite one in Europe so far is the one in Monaco.

I will probably stop by the public library for some guidebooks as well.

How about the question regarding room service items for breakfast?

Just continental breakfast stuff like pastry and coffee and tea or more cooked stuff as well? On the HAL Alaska cruise, it was great getting boiled eggs and toast for room service before all the early excursions. I think I might have written in some items and got some and not others.

Speaking of food... our motto for this trip is mangia mangia!

Not expecting much on the ship but will be trying local places while on land. The Mr is hoping to have some truffles stuff as it should be in season. I watch a lot of Anthony Boudain and Andrew Zimmern. I think there is a famous place in Rome for a simple pasta dish mixed in a parmesan wheel?

I hope the gelato on board is good. I think we that twice a day during our week in Italy in 2000. Though gelato is now everywhere so not as special.

Cin cin...

Can we bring a couple of bottles on board? Haven't sorted through all the details on the website yet. If not, may just buy a bottle on board for the room.

Speaking of food... our motto for this trip is mangia mangia!

 

Not expecting much on the ship but will be trying local places while on land. The Mr is hoping to have some truffles stuff as it should be in season. I watch a lot of Anthony Boudain and Andrew Zimmern. I think there is a famous place in Rome for a simple pasta dish mixed in a parmesan wheel?

 

I hope the gelato on board is good. I think we that twice a day during our week in Italy in 2000. Though gelato is now everywhere so not as special.

 

Cin cin...

 

Can we bring a couple of bottles on board? Haven't sorted through all the details on the website yet. If not, may just buy a bottle on board for the room.

The official policy is NO,

This is the sign that will probably greet you as you board (\with an enlargement of the relevant portion)

You'll find this wording on the lagage label portion of you cruise e-ticket

Guests are advised that MSC

Cruises operates the following

on-board policy with regard to

prohibited items, which include

alcohol (beer, wine, spirits,

champagne, etc.), firearms,

irons, hair straighteners,

weapons and sharp objects. Any

such items found in your

luggage when scanned during

the boarding process will

preclude embarkation. Unless a

guest disposes of such items

themselves at this point, they

will be confiscated and not

returned to the guest, without

exception.

Pete

Ho hum. The standard west med one week cruise that goes almost 52 weeks every year. The ports are the same, only the ship changes. For a first time cruiser or first time in the Med it's okay I guess.

Well bah humbug to you too! ; )

Yes first time cruising the med but we are hardly new to traveling and have done some interesting cruises before this. (See signature - husband's first one was the Galapogas).

Have anything to add about the ports in mid January?

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Thanks Pete. That's what I thought. Will buy a bottle of red vino on board then.

Other than perhaps Valletta, most probably they will all be cold and windy in mid-January. Also the sea going into Marseilles and Genoa can be horrible (Gulf of Leon).

It's what you make of it right?

10c/50F is not too bad as it's the same here in the San Francisco Bay Area in January. It was similar weather when we went to Alaska. I know people enjoy the Med more in the summer but my options were limited. Very few warm places without Zika in January.

But good reminder about the possible rough seas. I have to make sure I have scopalamine patches and buy Kwell when I am in London. We don't even have prescription version of Kwell here in the US so I always have to buy in when we travel abroad.

It's what you make of it right?

 

10c/50F is not too bad as it's the same here in the San Francisco Bay Area in January. It was similar weather when we went to Alaska. I know people enjoy the Med more in the summer but my options were limited. Very few warm places without Zika in January.

 

But good reminder about the possible rough seas. I have to make sure I have scopalamine patches and buy Kwell when I am in London. We don't even have prescription version of Kwell here in the US so I always have to buy in when we travel abroad.

Having done 5 Western Med cruises on MSC in Oct and Feb you can be assured that rough weather does occur in the Med ( the spray from the bow wave reached our balcony on deck 10 of Orchestra) but I've only experienced it on 1 of 5 cruises in the W. Med and 1 out of 4 cruises in the E. Med

And in Genoa in Feb there was snow

Here's a link to my review of that Feb cruise

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews/msc-cruises/msc-splendida/read-review-33408/

Pete

Yes I hope to use the balcony too. I only

Cruise with a balcony

Have you been to Rome before?

Yes I hope to use the balcony too. I only

Cruise with a balcony

Have you been to Rome before?

We will see what the weather on the one sea day looks like and for mornings breakfast on the balcony. We only had a balcony on the last Carribean cruise. Ocean view in Alaska and no balconies on the "adventure" boats in Galapogas and Great Barrier Reef.

We spent 2-3 days in Rome at the end of our month long backpacking trip in May 2000. Saw most of the main sites but we were poor grad students then and it was getting hot and crowded by the end of May. Will stay at a nicer place this time - Babuino 181. We didn't make it to the Trevi Fountain last time so will go there. Not sure what else we will do yet besides eat.

Well my friend in Sicily can't get the day off from base so I guess we're on our own there too.

Will probably just stick around town.

Woohoo... got the e docs from the travel agent. And 3 separate emails from MSC with the same thing. Weird but duplicate is better than none.

Went to the library to get a bunch of guidebooks as I still need to read up on places.

But first we have a trip to NYC for Christmas so gotta prepare for that first🎄.

Then 🛫 🚄 to get to 🚢 in January. Can't wait!

We are on the Splendida in early March. I am so glad I found this thread. I have gotten a ton of useful information off of it. I'm curious if any of you have cruised this line with teens? This will be the first time in Europe for our 14 & 16 yr old daughters. I'm hoping someone has some tips for helping us keep them from being bored in the evenings. I'm not sure there will be many English speaking kids on board for them to talk to.