Sinfonia Black Card Perks?

We are going on the Sinfonia out of Venice in June 2018. Since this is an old ship and does not have any Specialty Restaurants, what perks do Black Card holders get on this ship?

Thank you in advance!!!

All the perks except the complimentary meal for 2, because, as you pointed out, there isn't a Speciality Restaurant onboard.

Thanks, was hoping they would have given something additional. That is one big perk to loose.

Very true! We did 3 cruises on Sinfonia in 2016 and it did feel like we were missing out. :rolleyes:

Very true! We did 3 cruises on Sinfonia in 2016 and it did feel like we were missing out. :rolleyes:

Did you write any reviews on the Sinfonia? We are gong on her for the ports which we enjoyed 4 years ago. Any suggestions?

I can't believe that MSC is still doing that itinerary where they visit Santorini and Mykonos in the one day! There was an actual bust-up at the elevator when we were in Fira (Santorini) as people panicked that they wouldn't get back to the ship in time, such were the queues. Fortunately, we had returned to the ship for lunch after our excursion to Oia and back to Fira, so we got back ahead of the queue build-up and didn't witness the fracas.

I didn't write reviews back then (my first was for Meraviglia last June. I only did that one because we were on one of the earliest sailings and there was a lot of interest) but if there's anything you want to know about, just ask and I'll try and answer.

Know food is subjective.

How was it?

How was entertainment?

Ship condition?

Booked 2 tours with MSC. They were reasonable.

Thanks!

The menus in the MDRs tend to be similar across the fleet (apart from US sailings) so the offerings are basically what you've seen in photos from Med reviews. Having said that, we enjoyed the food onboard. It seems to come down to how things are cooked - or maybe the quality provided on different ships? I know we didn't enjoy the food on Orchestra last December, despite the menus being very familiar to us.

On Sinfonia, both Fantastica balcony and Aurea bookings get MyChoice dining in Il Covo MDR. If you want the same table for dinner every evening, you have to book it. We had a wonderful table for 2 over 35 nights in total (7 night Eastern Med, then, 6 weeks later, 24 night repo B2B with 4 night Durban-Durban. On the Med cruise, we asked if we could book the table for the upcoming repo. They very kindly obliged!) We ate at the same time almost every evening when the MDR opened, which meant they could facilitate us, as another couple had the table for a later seating every evening, too. We did go later, one time and were assigned another table.

There were 2 main lounges that we hung out in - the Sinfonia lounge (there's no bar in this one so the servers have to go to the Buddha Bar to get drinks orders) and the Manhattan bar. These are the places for dancing. There was also music in Sheelagh's House, on the non-smoking side. There's a piano bar, too.

I recommend you go EARLY to the theatre if you want a decent seat to see the show. Sinfonia was stretched (like all Lirica-class ships) to add more cabins and venues. However, the theatre remained the same size, so there's usually 3 shows a day. Not only that, but MSC has added rows of chairs on wheels in between every tier of the original seating (there had been great legroom between the tiers which appeared to me to have once accommodated tables for drinks). This is so the theatre can hold the extra passengers from the added cabins that were inserted when the ship was stretched. It means that there are people seated at the same level in original seating and moveable chairs and not at a lower level, which can make viewing the stage very difficult. (Hope that all makes sense?).

The ship was in terrific condition when we were onboard, but it wasn't too long after her huge refurbishment and stretching.

Having done a few MSC excursions, I find they offer very good value, overall. I hope you enjoy yours! :)

Thank you very much for all the info. Greatly appreciated!

You're welcome! You triggered some wonderful memories, actually! :D

Another thing I forgot to mention is that you have to book in advance for the theatre shows (at least you did when we were onboard). There are screens around the ship where you can do this.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that you have to book in advance for the theatre shows (at least you did when we were onboard). There are screens around the ship where you can do this.

Thanks again for your help. Happy Cruising!!!!

We are black members and sailed the Grand Voyage from Venice to Durban last October. Although there are no speciality restaurants, there was a black members lunch which was well attended and included a ships officer at each table for about 8 persons, quality wines and a great menu including a steak choice. Don't know if this was because it was a Grand Voyage or will be generally available as a substitute for the lack of a speciality restaurant. We had a great cruise by the way!

They certainly didn't do anything like that in 2016!

We are black members and sailed the Grand Voyage from Venice to Durban last October. Although there are no speciality restaurants, there was a black members lunch which was well attended and included a ships officer at each table for about 8 persons, quality wines and a great menu including a steak choice. Don't know if this was because it was a Grand Voyage or will be generally available as a substitute for the lack of a speciality restaurant. We had a great cruise by the way!

Thanks for your info. We will have to wait and see what happens in June. Happy Cruising!

Wonder why MSC chose not to add a speciality dining room when they added the new mid section ?

Wonder why MSC chose not to add a speciality dining room when they added the new mid section ?

No room! As it is, the main MDR is split in two - divided by the lift & stairs area. One "room" was always used at breakfast & lunch for "Aurea" suite guests. We loved it! We got a more dedicated table service - similar to what you get in YC.

She is smaller but we had a fabulous time on the Sinfonia.