Review of MSC Fantasia 24th to 31st October 15

May I start by introducing ourselves. I am a 58 year old Technical Director from Sheffield in England, and my wife is a teacher of history. We have 4 grown up children, ranging from 40 years old down to 21. My brother, Robert has been trying to talk I was into going on a cruise for some considerable time. He along with his wife Dawn are regular cruisers and have been with MSC on quite a few occasions. As my wife Lisa is a teacher it has always been difficult for us to get a reasonable price on any holidays as we have to go during school holiday period, which invariably means inflated prices. Robert told us about a deal he had seen that may fit in with the October half term holiday, with MSC doing a tour of the Med. As soon as I saw the ship and the places it was going to visit I fell in love and decided that we were going to go for it no matter what. We had two choices we could either fly into Marseille on the Saturday of go into Genoa on the Sunday. When I looked it at the price of the flights available it made the decision to go much easier as there was a very good deal into Marseille, flying with Ryanair very early on the Saturday morning. We decided that if we were going to do it we were going to do it right with a balcony etc. if possible. With my brothers help we sorted out the deal and got it booked including the flights into Marseille. The next few weeks were going to be all about planning to make this a wonderful experience. As we were going to be flying from Stanstead airport I firstly booked a hotel on site with parking and got a very good deal on that. We went for the mystery deal which meant we could have ended up in any local hotel but we were very lucky as it put us in the Radisson Blu which is only a five minute walk from the terminal building and is a five-star Hotel.

Over the following weeks I spent many hours on Cruise critic reading as much as possible to help in planning and it certainly was a help. My Brother advised us that he does not bother with excursions he always makes is own way around once they dock in Port. We are quite adventurous so this appealed to me but I was also a little nervous about the possibility of missing the boat. I looked into all the options for each of the ports that we were going to visit. My DW was very keen to visit Pompeii but other than that she left all the planning to me. The Pompeii trip was the one that worried me most as it was possibly the shortest day in port. After much consideration and looking at all the options available including private trips I decided that this was the one trip that I would book through MSC. I also read great things about Sicily with Mario so I decided that for our visit to Messina I would book a private trip with them to take in sites that we may not be able to get to easily on our own. My research also included planning train times, advanced tickets etc for getting to other sights and attractions that we wanted to visit. I also had to plan the transfer from Marseille airport to the cruise port and as you will read later this was possibly one thing that I would have done differently.

So after what seemed like an eternity, the big day finally came around, and the very minute my wife walked in from work on the Friday teatime we set off on our big adventure. The journey from Sheffield to Stansted was around three hours so I planned for us to have a meal in Peterborough to break up the journey. We eventually arrived at the airport having first dropped our car into the long stay car park. We then had to jump on the transfer bus to the terminal building and take a short walk through to the hotel. The transfer took around ten minutes going, but would be a cause of great frustration on the return journey as you will read later. We were very fortunate to have been given a upgrade into a junior suite. This was very nice and the room was lovely and they also included breakfast.

It is a very nice hotel but the prices in the bar are quite extortionate. There is a huge wine tower in the hotel bar, with “Angels” performing an acrobatic show every so often to fetch bottles of wine from the top of the tower.

We needed to be up at 6 am to begin our journey so we had quite an early night. After breakfast we made the short walk to the terminal building where we got rid of our cases and we are also booked the fast track through security, which would have been perfect, other than the gate closing on me very quickly leaving me on the wrong side of the gate and it would not let me redo the fast track pass so I had quite a wait until the manager came along to let me through. It was still worthwhile as the queues to get through security were quite long. By the time we made the long walk through the terminal building to our boarding gate, it was time to board and we were on our way to Marseille.

I had pre-booked a transfer tickets from the airport through to Marseille Saint Charles train station where we would continue our journey via the Metro and also after much debate on Cruise critic we would take the free shuttle bus through to the port. It was a bit of a pain travelling through with three suitcases but we eventually got to the location where we would pick up the free shuttle bus.

This was where we had our first experience of how rude the Europeans can be when it comes to queueing. We were the first ones in the queue for the shuttle bus but when it finally arrived everyone just rushed forward and got on the bus pushing and shoving their way through. It was a surprisingly long trip on the shuttle bus but it eventually dropped us at the cruise terminal little did we know that it was still an extremely long walk through to the ship itself.

It was quite a memorable experience to see our ship for the very first time although by the time we reached it with our cases we were quite tired.

The embarkation procedure was very quick and painless and before we knew it we were boarding the ship. We desperately needed a drink at this stage but we went to find a room first which was a great experience as we were very pleased with the room itself.

Our cases haven't arrived at this stage so we set about finding a bar where we could get a drink. Not many of the bars were open but we eventually ended up in the coffee lounge where we have our first use of the Allegrissimo package that we are pre-booked and our first glass of rosé each. In hindsight we should have gone straight to the buffet restaurant and had a drink with our lunch as by the time we got there most of the counters were pretty empty but we still managed to get burgers pizza etc and of course another glass of rosé!! After lunch we went back down to our room where our cases have arrived so my DW wanted to set about un-packing so she sent me out of the way while she got on with it!! This gave me my opportunity to go on a voyage of discovery around the ship and I was absolutely amazed with the sheer beauty of the surroundings.

Once we were all unpacked we went & sat at the pool bar by the aqua park & had a couple of non alcoholic cocktails as the wine had gone straight to our heads!! We had to attend the compulsory safety briefing, which was not too bad, and quite funny with everyone sat in their life jackets!!

Tonight was the first gala night so our chance to get dressed up. Unfortunately not too many others got formally dressed, there were quite a few in suits but not too many in dicky bows so I decided to dispense with mine. It was now time for our first show The Michael Jackson experience and it was an excellent show but it was obviously one of the big disembarkation nights as they introduced all the chefs and other staff to say goodbye. The show/ got a standing ovation & had been a great start to our cruise.

Following the show we went up onto deck 14 and sat outside the aqua park with cocktails until it was time for our first dinner in the MDR We had been allocated a table in the Il Cerchio d'Oro restaurant on the second sitting as requested. I had also requested a table for two, but unfortunately, or fortunately as it turned out, when we got there we were on a table for six. Eventually we were joined by our table mates, a family of Cockneys, with Mum Sandra & Dad Alan joined by their 40 year old son Stuart & his girlfriend Sarah They too were initially disappointed as they were wanting a table for the four of them, but we bonded very, very quickly and it was to prove a very special part of our holiday being with such lovely people. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal and then went up to the Il Cappuccino bar where we sat chatting and drinking until 1-30 in the morning. It had been a lovely night but we had to set the alarm on for 6:30 AM so that we could have breakfast in the Zanzibar cafeteria before docking in Genoa. Luckily, the clocks went back that night so we gained a much needed extra hours sleep.

I was awake very early, so went on a photo & video shoot around the ship, taking in the beauty of it without the madding crowds.

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We docked in Genoa at 8am, and this was to be our first adventure, getting ourselves to Portofino. We were ready and in position to leave the ship as it docked, but we didn't realise that it can take up to half an hour after docking before you can get off the ship, so we were stood around for quite a while and it soon became apparent that we would not make the 8:35 AM train that we were hoping to catch into Santa Margherita Ligure.

Eventually we left the ship and made the short walk to the train station giving us time to buy our tickets and be ready for 9:12 AM train into Santa Margherita. It was a very pleasant 50 minute journey along the coast on the train. Our plan was to catch the bus through to Portofino from Santa Margherita but we took the short walk down into the Harbour area, and as it was The weekend the ferry boats were running hourly, so we decided to hop onto that and it was a very pleasant trip offering great views as we approached Portofino, and also of Santa Margherita itself, which is a very pretty place and well worth a visit.

We were very keen though to get to Portofino, and as we approached it looked like it was going to be everything we had dreamed of. It is a very pretty harbour village with stunning views. We both fell in love with the place as we walked around. We particularly loved the church at the bottom of the village which was absolutely stunning with an amazing ceiling.

We then followed the coast road round for a little while taking in all the views before getting back into the village and sitting by the Waterside for drinks - I couldn't think of anywhere I would rather have been.

Next we did the climb up the hill to the top church and though it was a lovely walk up with stunning views along the way and especially from the top, the church itself was nowhere near as pretty inside as the one at the bottom of the village.

The graveyard behind the church though was lovely and unique and had good views of the castle above it.

We had loved our time in Portofino, but it was time to make our way back, as we certainly didn't want to miss the ship on our first excursion! We took the ferry back to Santa Margarita where we had a short walk around to take in the scenery. before catching the train back to Genoa. We made it back in plenty of time and went up to join the sail away party around the Aqua Park on deck 14. This was a very good and quite emotional waving to all the people on the streets outside the port and was especially moving when they played "time to say goodbye" The show that night was Zorro which was again very good, with some brilliant acrobatics, especially the pole climbing but the link to Zorro was a bit weak!!

We joined our new friends for dinner, again enjoying their company and the food, before once again going up together to the Il Cappuccino bar for Baileys and coffee. One thing that we found strange, was that you were not able to order a Baileys coffee on the drinks package but you could order a coffee and a Baileys and just tip the Bailey's into the coffee!!

We then went off to try and lose some money in the casino, taking advantage of the offer which gave you €20 credit for your two first €10 investment. My DW managed to win €50 in the first two attempts at blackjack more by luck than judgement so we took the money and ran!!

After a few more cocktails it was soon 1a.m again before we went to bed but we were not due to dock in Naples until 10 AM so my DW planned a bit of a lay in. It had been an absolutely lovely, unforgettable day.

To be continued

WOW can't wait for the next part!!

What a fantastic review - thanks for sharing - love the pictures

sorry I hit enter before I'd finished - I wanted to say I"m looking forward to the rest of your wonderful review. It's refreshing that you have picked out the highlights I would have picked and not the nitty gritty everyday - well done :)

Thank you for the review! I cannot wait to hear more as we are on the Fantasia in March. How was the weather?

The weather was lovelu Jules & it got better as the week went on, which was good for our sea day between Malta & Palma, as we got some sun bathing in!

Here are a few more pics of the first couple of days, as I'm restricted on how many I can add to each post:

The Aqua Park

The Indoor Pool - the roof stayed closed all week

The Baked Alaska Parade on the first Gala Night

The Lift area right outside our room

Looking back at Santa Margherita from the ferry boat

The pink meercats in the beautiful gardens overlooking the harbour

Thanks so much for that! We are going at the end of March and I'm concerned about the warmth of the pools for our young son. Thanks for posting pictures of the pools!

Kevin, thanks for sharing this and for including photos to tell your story.

I'm looking forward to what comes next!

Cheers,

Norris

What a nice review! I like your photos and it looks like you really enjoyed your cruise! :)

I would have to say Jules that the outdoor pools were quite cold until you had been in them a while, the indoor one was lovely & warm but very deep.

I was up again at 7 AM and headed straight for the Jacuzzi. I let my DW sleep until around 9 AM before waking her so that we could go to the MDR for breakfast. This was our first experience of the red velvet dining room and while the food served was of better quality than in the cafeteria it was not a great experience for us. We were put onto a table with two German ladies who never spoke or interacted in any way & I must admit I preferred the decor in our own dining room to this one.

Once we add finished breakfast we watched the sail into Napoli, getting our first site of Vesuvius.

it was time for us to head to the theatre which was our meeting point for our MSC excursion to Pompeii. We were allocated a coach number based on the language that we spoke. We had decided to book the MSc excursion as this was a shortish day in port and we add the fear of getting back later missing our ship. It was also quite reasonably priced as it included the entry into the Pompeii ruins and also had a tour guide which proved to be very useful.

Our guide was a bit of a strange character but he certainly knew his stuff about Pompeii and pointed out several other points of interest along the way including great views of Mount Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri.

We really enjoyed the trip and Pompeii is certainly a must see sight. We were issued with headphones on arrival at the ruins and our guide gave us all the information we needed to know as we walked around this very unique site.

Here are a few more shots of Pompeii

The back of the Fantasia

Our cabin was the second one from the left on the top deck

The benefits of going on an arranged tour became even more apparent as our Sailaway was delayed due to one of the official tours to the Isle of Capri getting back very late. I understand this was a problem with the ferry back from the island, which could have resulted in anyone doing the trip privately getting back too late to get on the ship.

We watched the sail away and then had to rush to make it to the show due to the late departure. I must admit that this was a show I wasn't really looking forward to as it was opera singers, but to my great surprise I loved every minute of it as they sung all the songs that I knew, and was able to sing along to.

It was a shame that the theatre was only half full which may have been due to the trip getting back so late. It had been a really tiring day,so after another lovely meal with our new friends we called into the il cappuccino bar for a couple of drinks together, before retiring at around 12-30am, as we had another early start in the morning. We needed to be up at 6:30am for a very special day that I had planned in Sicily.

On the advice of people on Cruise critic and trip advisor I had booked a private tour through Sicily with Mario for our stop over in Messina. Our driver was called Ignaz io and is the brother of Mario. It had been an absolute pleasure to deal with the company right from my first contact. Ignaz io suggested a plan for the day which met our needs and kept us informed on cost and timings etc and even booked us into a restaurant that we had read about on trip advisor that really took our fancy.

Again I was up really early & enjoyed the early morning sun in the Jaccuzzi

The approach into Messina was spectacular, and we had to do a brilliant three point turn into the bay to avoid the Queen Elizabeth!!

As we left the ship in Messina Ignaz io was waiting for us and we set off on what was to be a totally unforgettable day. Our first destination was to be Taormino, and as we made our way along the beautiful coast road our host fed us with plenty of local history and pointed out some breathtaking sights along the way.

When we arrived at Taormina, Ignaz io Took us 1st to a viewing point just outside the town where we got to see Mount Etna smoking away (just up above the clouds on this picture).

We were so glad that he had done this for us, as while it was a very warm day Etna soon disappeared into the clouds and we would not see it again all day. At least I managed to get a photograph of it as well as the stunning coastline. This was one of the most unforgettable views we had ever seen, but this was only the start of our outstanding day.

Ignaz io then dropped is off right in the town giving us 2 1/2 hours to explore on our own, pointing out particular areas that he recommended that we visit. This included the amphitheatre which was a spectacular sight itself, but the views all around it were totally breathtaking.

Apologies, but I just had to put a few more pictures on of the absolutely stunning scenery:

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The castle up on the hill is Castlemona which we would soon be visiting

We then walked down to the stunning gardens just continuing to take in the views. My DW had already fallen head over heels in love with this place and we could have easily spent all day here in Taormina but it was time to meet up with Ignaz io to move on to an even more spectacular destination.

Here are a couple of pictures of the spectacular gardens

and views of the main square in Taoramina

We climbed up an extremely spectacular hill until we reached Castelmola. The only word I can use to describe this place is WOW!! We walked through the village accompanied by Ignaz io until we reached the typically Sicilian restaurant that we had read such great things about called Gallo Cedrone.

This is run by a typically Italian mama called Maria and her two sons Roberto and Riccardo. They immediately made us feel like long lost family members and we felt so welcome. The restaurant usually offers outstanding views of Etna but as I said it was hiding now so the family showed us some great pictures that they have taken over the years of the volcano erupting. Maria does not speak English and she was sat removing the pips from freshly picked olives, which added to the real homely feel of the place. The food was absolutely stunning as they served us first with free bruschetta which was laden with beautiful tomato and onion and is making my mouth water just describing it.

My lasagna was made to Marias own recipe and was without doubt the best I have ever tasted washed down with a local wine which was very good and quite potent too. My DW had pasta Norma which was served with dried ricotta shavings and it was absolutely divine.

We tried the cannoli and I had mum is all made to the missal followed by a sample of the local arm and wine and coffee. After having pictures with the family and also meeting ignaz ios brother Mario we began a walk through the village taking in the local church before commencing the climb up to the castle.

Ignaz io with Mario

Once we reached the top it felt like we were on the top of the world and if the views from Taormina were spectacular the views from up here simply took your breath away.

All too soon it was time to set off back to Messina where we made a stop to take in a wonderful view of our ship the Fantasia. This was the first time we had seen it full on and it was certainly a great sight.

We then visited the beautiful cathedral with its famous clocktower though unfortunately it only performs once each day at midday. The inside of the cathedral was stunning yet again.

The short journey back to the ship was quite emotional as it was a day that we didn't want to end. Ignaz io gave us a gift of pastries as we said a sad farewell. He had been a brilliant guide and we would recommend Sicily with Mario to anyone visiting the area.

The Sailaway that evening was very emotional, as we had both loved our time in Sicily

We then went off to see the show, which tonight was called Sogno Italiano It was not my favourite show but the Italians in the audience loved it

This was Italian night when everyone dresses in green, white and red and the waiters perform the entrance of the tiramisu while everyone waved their green and red serviettes. This was really good fun and was followed by a rousing chorus of the VIva Espana started by a table of Spaniards.

Here's our table mate Alan, with our wonderful waiter who looked after us so well throughout the week.

Our menu for Italian night

We had our usual coffee and Baileys session with our table mates before retiring at around 1 Am which was quite late considering we were due to dock in Valletta at 7am.