adam7392

Done 2 fly/cruises with MSC, both from LHR to Dubai. I was able to choose the airport at booking. Both times we had standard check in luggage, 1 piece per person plus a carryon. Flight was overnight from UK to land early morning in Dubai for transfer to the ship so I expect your flight would be timed to land in Venice mid morning, meaning an early morning departure from the UK. Only 4 months out MSC should know your flight, I'd press your travel agent for details. The transfer to/from the airport from/to the ship were handled really well by MSC.

Hi, regards the midnight concert - is that the one in Tromso ? If so is there a need to take the ship excursion or can you just simply walk there yourself and pay the entrance fee at the cathedral ? From what I can see on the excursion you walk there anyway from the ship.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2942950-poesia-splendida-or-world-europa/#comment-65519776 If you go to this thread I have a couple of posts giving more detail. Istanbul is the highlight, you really should just take the walk towards Hagia/Blue Mosque area and spend the day doing them yourself alongside other nearby sites such as Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Roman Cistern. Takes about 30min to walk but you can take a tram from the port. Athens is easy to get to youself as well on bus/train from the port at Piraeus. For Katakolon you'll probably want to see Olympia the original site of the Olympic games - just take the train which is about a 10min walk each end (https://www.katakolon.org/katakolon-train/). The Kusadasi must see site is nearby Ephesus, we had previously seen this so spent the day walking around Kusadasi and on the beach. This is maybe one place an excursion would help - either ship or local. There are plenty of options at the port such as bus tours and taxis so no need to book in advance. It's a great itinary, so much to see.

Is this your itinary - Trieste/Katakolon/Athens/Kusadasi/Istanbul/Corfu/Bari ? (mayne different order). If so I did this exact sailing on Splendida in May/June this year. Didn't notice any issues getting off at ports and the ship was quite full. Couple of occasions boarding was a bit slow due to x-ray checks - Katakolon maybe 20 mins to get past security. We did our own thing in each port - most of the things to see in each port are in easy reach of the port by foot or local transport so no need for ship excursions or even the ships bus in Bari to take you to town - its a 10-15 min walk but MSC makes it sound much further when selling the shuttle. Don't be so down on the MSC experience, the ship is great, there is going to be lots of Europeans on board to the extent hearing English won't be usual so its going to feel like being abroad (kinda assuming your from the USA). It will definitely be different to RC around Alaska. Have done MSC 3x now with another med cruise booked next year on Fantasia the sister ship to Splendida.

Did Virtuosa in Feb 2022 and Opera in Feb 2023 both from Dubai . Don't recall any poolside bands just the entertainment staff doing games /quizzes all day.

Take metro to Al Ghubaiba Metro Station (green line). With no luggage its easy to walk to the port from there by following the path along the creek. With luggage take a taxi found outside the station but insist on the driver using the taxi meter - as they are legally supposed to do - don't accept a fixed price offer as it'll be a good bit more expensive than the meter. Should be less than 10usd.

Hi, Thought Splendida was good - have also got a Med cruise booked next year on sister ship Fantastica so now more looking forward to that now after being on Splendida. Food in MDR was generally v.good - especially if you went for the fish dishes. Likewise buffet had plenty of options, it could get busy at times but always managed to get a table. There will likely be a fair mix of nationalities on board. We heard very few British accents - probably more US accents and Australian than British. Plenty of other Europeans and a fair sprinkling of Russians. Wasn't really looking at the split between couples and singles given I was travelling with my wife! The L'Aperitivo bar (deck 6 ) and Purple Jazz Bar (deck 7) were the happening places in the evening. Didn't use the Casino but wandered thru a few times on the way to the theatre so can't advise on minimums. Didn't notice any craps but definitiely roulette and blackjack. On board currency is Euros.

Yes you can. I did roundtrip Trieste on Splendida a couple weeks ago. Arrived at terminal around 10:30 (had assigned time of 4pm). Luggage drop was to the right of the building, just handed luggage over and away it went. Then joined short line at terminal door and after a short wait in a holding area for 20 mins I was onboard soon after 11am. Great thing about Trieste is the ship docks right by the centre, literally a 2 min walk from ship to main square. Can't help with sim but I'd imagine there will be numerous shops nearby selling them.

Embarkation - we were given an embarkation time of 4pm, not sure if that was because we only had an inside on Bella level (lowest of the low! - but it was as cheap as chips!!). However our train from Venice arrived at Trieste at 9:50am so we walked the 15 mins to the ship, dropped the luggage (no queue) then had a few minutes wait at the terminal door. Then into the hall and checked in. We were so early we had to sit and wait with about 30 others - including priority boarders - for about 20 min before boarding. So by around 10:45 we were aboard and in the buffet which only had a snack section open at that point as it was between breakfast and lunch. A bite to eat then off the ship for a walk around Trieste. Back on board around 4pm and our case was at the door. I noticed when we got off the ship to go into Trieste and on the return the queues were a bit longer at luggage drop and the terminal door but nothing horrendous. Debarkation - We had a 3rd party 10:30am mini bus pickup from right outside the terminal to take us to Venice airport so we elected to keep our one large case with us. This can be left in a guarded area on deck 5. With that done we had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room then sat in a lounge for a while before picking up the case and walking off. I did notice that if we had stuck to our assigned debarkation time (10am) and left the case outside the room that it would have been waiting in the terminal hall. Buffet food was generally good, they had an ethnic counter serving mostly Asian foods, usually with several dishes to chose from and I'm sure some of the other stations had indian food at times. There was always a carvery station, burger/dogs/fries station and fruit station at the entrance then all the other stations were mirrored on the port/starboard sides. Couple of times it did get very busy but always got a table. We had breakfast there everyday except the last morning, lunch on both sea days and twice for evening meal (Corfu and Istanbul when late departures kept us off the ship beyond our early seating time in the MDR).

Just returned from doing that exact sailing on Splendida and it was fabulous. Thouroughly enjoyed all stops (we did round trip from Trieste, Bari and Istanbul are also offered as embark/disembark points). Bari and Trieste are both lesser known destinations but are great stops with lovely old towns to wander around, for Trieste the ship is literally a couple hundred yards from the main square and Bari old town is 10 min walk (don't be swayed by the MSC suttle offer at 10 euro that says it's a 15 min drive - it probably is by road but by foot you get there in a much shorter distance). Katokolon is a short train ride to Olympia the site of the original olympic games. Piraeus we took public transport to Athens very easily and cheaply. Corfu likewise has a local bus from the port to the old town or its a 15/20 min walk. Then the two Turkey stops gives you Kusadasi which is interesting enough to walk around but gives access to Ephesus which is an amazing ancient site and finally Istanbul. For Istanbul there is a tremendous sail in bettered only by the night time sail out at 11pm. MSC allow enough time to do lots. We walked off the ship and within 30 min we were at the Blue Mosque and had time to do that, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Tokpaki palace, Grand Bazar and the Spice Bazar before walking back across the river to Taksim Squate and finally back to the ship. (37k steps!) The 2 sea days are needed for a bit of rest. Ship itself was great, plenty of space, we went during a school holiday but end September will probably mean much less demand so fewer on board. Food in MDR was v good. Can't really speak for the other ships/itinaries but Civitavecchia is quite a way from Rome and probably means doing a very rushed ships tour of Rome itself that I doubt will be very fulfilling. Naples is a great stop, again ship will dock right by the city allowing easy self explore of option for visiting Pompeii and/or Vesuvius. Of the three itinaries the Splendida one is the best.

Have a look at this youtube vid which covers this question.

Hi, just done this 2 weeks ago specifically to get the 3x. Took 10 mins from applying on Tesco site to getting email code. Called the P&O number and was able to apply to a cruise in Feb 2025. So looks like as long as you purchase the cruise within the expiry of the vouchers it doesn't matter when the cruise is. I guess you could possibly eke it out to a 2026 cruise.

I'm surprised being in that part of the world you didn't spot a coconut carrying European swallow. Perhaps next time.

Hi, Did that exact cruise this Feb on the Opera and also similar one in Feb 2021 on Virtuosa (that did Qatar rather than Khasab and Muscat). We had a balcony both times but I think it's one of those cruises where it is not necessary, there is really no where particularly scenic in terms of cruising or in ports. Opera was by far the smallest ship we have been on but apart from the buffet being a bit cramped and with a restricted choice there wasn't anything that put us off. If this is your first time in this area than it is all about the ports. The MDR food was good as was the entertainment in the theatre. For excursions, we only did an excursion on the first, (Virtuosa) cruise in Qatar which was a 3 hour sightseeing tour. The cost was exceptionally good, I think around the $40 mark but that might have been explained partly because covid restrictions back then meant you had to do a ship excursion for that port. As for the cruise we did this year we didn't take any excusrions, our days were as follows. Sir Bani Yas - easiest of the lot, walk off the ship to the beach where there are free loungers/shades and there is an included buffet tent plus a few bar areas where drinks packages are included. Similar to the private beaches in the Caribbean (I've only done Labadee with RC) but much more stripped back. In Feb water was fine for swimming, I think in Dec it would be warmer. There are excursions available as the island is a nature reserve and didn't seem too expensive. Abu Dhabi - First cruise we used the hop on/off bus right from the port. Stopped off at the beach/corniche for a couple of hours, went to the fort and then to the Grand Mosque before returning to the port. This year we got a taxi from the port to the Presidential Palace which was about $30, then walked to the beach for a couple of hours before hailing a taxi back. Be sure to just use use the taxi meter rather than negotiate a price as it'll be cheaper. The Grand Mosque and Presidential Palace are both amazing and either or both should be top of your list. I think using a taxi would be cheaper than ship excursions if there are 2 or more of you and more convenient than the hop on/off bus. If doing both than negotiating a taxi price at the port for 4-6 hours of time might be best. Book your time slot for both ahead of time on the internet - the mosque is free to book. Muscat - As mentioned it is a short walk to the old town (part way by free shuttle). However we took a taxi to the mosque (around $25), then from there got a taxi to take us to the Opera house and wait for 30 mins while we had a quick whizz around before going to the Presidential Palace. This was also around $25 but we ended up sharing both rides with another passenger we met on the shuttle bus at the port. Also the taxi driver said it would have worked out cheaper to negotiate a single price with a driver at the port to go to the mosque and wait for you, then take you to the opera house and wait then go to the Palace. From the Palace we walked back to the ship along the corniche stopping at a few sights on the way. Note you can't go in the Palace here. Also at the port take the free shuttle to the taxi area just outside the port to get the taxi rather than the taxis right by the ship. Khasab - We just walked off the ship into the town and wandered round the back streets taking in one fort (closed) then going to the main fort to look around which was around $2 to enter. Then back to the ship for lunch before walking in the opposite direction to the beach for a couple of hours, again swimming was pleasant. We found this gave us a great idea of the town. There are various excursions you can buy on the ship to do a boat excursion around the 'fjord' which you can also buy cheaper off ship and another one doing a coastal drive to other forts but we were perfectly happy doing this low key and easy option. It was quite interesting wandering around and encountering a herd of goats every now and again. Dubai - So much to see here, first cruise we made use of the hop on/off bus, second time taxi to the Miracle Gardens (much recommended), then taxi to the Dubai Marina for a wander and beach and then the metro to the port (actually there is a 20 min walk/short taxi ride to get from the metro to the ship. Note it is possible and easy to walk off the ship, through the car park/taxi area and along the river to the Dubai creek/old town area.

Hi, thanks for that, makes our day there next month much easier to plan now.

I see you are in Katakolon today, do you know if the train from Katakolon to Olympia is running? Reports seem to be a bit hit and miss in previous years as to if it is running. Will be sailing Splendida in May/June.

Bergen - easy to walk into town and then either walk up to the viewpoint or take the funicular train. Olden - Ship docks right by the bus stop for the local bus to Briksdal glacier

Hi, I'm in the UK and have done 2 MSC cuises and have 2 more booked - one this year one next and do check the prices of my booked cruises from time to time. I can say that prices have definitely risen after booking, sometimes doubled. I have done a very early booking for a cruise next year and that didn't have the option of the cheap drink package. That cruise now is priced at a much greater value (with the cheap drink package) than it would be for me to add the premium drink package to the price I paid. I imagine you can always get a bargain very close to departure if flexible with dates and location but from my experience booking earlier definitely seems to be the way to go with MSC.

Loads of taxis outside Abu Dhabi and Dubai cruise terminals. We also had no issue flagging down a taxi in Abu Dhabi after leaving the beach.

We did our first MSC cruise on Virtuosa from Dubai in Feb 2022 and loved it so booked this Feb also from Dubai on MSC Opera, just back last week. Make sure you set your expectation for Opera appropriately, its a huge difference from Virtuosa to Opera in size, age, amenities, bling etc. We had a great time on the Opera and no great complaints other than the buffet being much smaller with limited options but we were expecting the differences. Service at bars was good, food in MDR was excellent and the shows were worth a visit.

We did this last year you really have 3 options, don't think the local bus would be doable. 1 - take an MSC / local tour 2 - take a taxi - its about 20km. We are literally just back from another cruise to Abu Dhabi and took a taxi to the Qasr Al Watan Presidential palace which was 15km and cost about $20 so expect about $30. Just get into a taxi at the port and ensure the meter is running rather than negotiate a price as it'll be cheaper on the meter rahter than negotiated. 3 - Hop on Off bus - did this last year. The HoHo bus from the terminal takes you to a central location. From there there is a circular route round the central area and a seperate route just to the mosque. My advice would be to get a taxi to the mosque first thing, spend an hour or so doing that, then get another taxi to the Presidential Palace which is spectacular. From there we did a 20 min walk to the beach for a couple of hours (entry to the beach plus sun beds and parasol is cheap). Then flag taxi back to the port. All in you'd be looking at around $70-$80 taxi fares and $20 for the beach.

Its about 3k to walk but there is a tram - google will sort you out. Also a good tool is the site whatsinport - link here to the section for istanbul : https://www.whatsinport.com/Istanbul.htm

How much was the Careem ?

Thanks for the reply. The Abu Dhabi bus website shows bus 9 going from right opposite the terminal to the palace - so if you have the prepaid card its a very cheap way to get there. Uber not in UAE but they have an equivalent - Careem - which is our backup.

Hi Have raised in the middle east board but as I'm on the MSC Opera next week and MSC currently have 2 ships visiting Abu Dhabi hoping someone knowa this. Is the prepaid Hafalat smart card for use on local buses available in the Abu Dhabi cruise port terminal ?