Looking to make the best of the Orchestra

OK, here is my situation. I am booked, with my family, on the Orchestra. I have read all that has been posted on these boards, and do not wish to debate whether or not that was a good decision. Nor do I work for MSC, Nor am I a travel agent, Nor do I have my head stuck in the sand, all of the time. Yes, I am a recent addition to Cruise Critic, but have cruised 5 other times. Only recently, while searching for MSC information did I stumble across this board. I have booked this cruise, cannot get my money back, and am planning on having a wonderful cruise, regardless of what is going on around me. This is where you come in...I want something specific from Orchestra Carribean Cruisers....not the 2 day fiasco, but people who have been on the 7 night sailings. I want to know what the good part of your cruise was....And I mean specifics.....For instance....the Filet in the main dining room was amazing or the best place to sit and watch the sunset is....Yes, I know I am asking for something specific and positive, there are plenty of other threads where one can post their dislikes, and I will read them, too. I do not wish to diminish anyone's bad experience, but I can do nothing to change that. What I want is a compilation of facts that will make my cruise as pleasant as possible (Regardless of your opinion as to if that is possible). Thank you, in advance, for your suggestions.

Frank

We just did The Orchestra, B2B, Jan 31 and the Feb.7 voyages.

Here is what I think:

You will enjoy the cruise if you go with a positive attitude, and overlook some of the "complaints" that others have given for the 17 day and 2 day.

Dining rooms: if you can get the dining room on deck 6.. that would be my choice. We had both dining room experiences. The lower dining room seems to be a bit noisy and busy.

In the Caffeteria, go to the very back for quiet dining. Some people never knew it was there.

You can sit at an outdoor table and watch the sunset there.

Food lines in the Caffeteria: there is the same food basically on both sides, except that if you want hambergers, hot dogs etc. they are only on the right side. Also, in the morning there is fried eggs there. (the grill section).

There is a quiet corner in Shakers Bar, all the way aft overlooking the wake of the ship, however, this room seems to be reserved on occasion for special groups, as it was for the Superbowl people and Irish Stars group.

We did enjoy ourselves. Re the fillet: it was not to my taste, and way overdone twice. The lobster....you get the whole tail, but ask for it to be removed in the kitchen. It was hard to get at. Ask for extra butter.

You will have a good time.

Oh....we never encountered any rudeness by the staff. I went to the girls at the main desk to ask a question, and I always got a smile. I also had a big smile when I approached them....a smile begets a smile. They are a little slow in understanding English, just be patient. I wrote a few phrases down from my Italian phrase book and it worked.

Grace, Thank you for your comments now and while on board.:)

Thank you, Cruzinmom....

Another hint: if you are not really a wine connoseur, you can order a little pitcher of wine. It is the house "table" wine, much like what you get over in Italy. ($8.00) and you get about 4 glasses. I liked the white, while my DH liked the red.

Bar service in the Diningrooms was a bit slow. Order your cocktail at one of the bars and carry it into the dining room.

Internet service: pretty slow. I spent around $40, getting my e mails and then surfing the boards here.

Library: if you are an avid reader, bring your own books. English books are very limited.

Bathroom amenities: no conditioner for your hair. If you go to Key West, there is a CVS right in town. We did purchase some items, especially conditioner.

The hair dryer is pretty good, and is located in the drawer of the vanity in the bedroom. Much better than those that hang on the wall in the bathroom.

Grace-- funny I was going to ask you about the hair dryer...

Was it a hose or a real dryer?:confused:

The hairdryer is a regular hand held dryer, not a hose dryer. I thought it was pretty good.

Read Inshape's comments and you will be as excited as I am to try this cruise line. Lots of specifics in those comments.

Seriously, maybe you are approaching this backwards. I too read the comments after booking and was horrified. But then I recalled that the same thing happened with my first cruise a few years ago on Costa Magica. There were some very critical reviews yet we had a wonderful time.

What I learned was to read as much as you can to be prepared for any problems issues and otherwuse be prepared to enjoy everything else. So what have we learned reading these boards.

The ship ran out of beer - if it had been my superbowl party, I would have been pretty upset too. But that is not likely to happen on a standard cruise.

Folks were not pleased with the level of service but others have explained that on this line, you may need to be a bit more assertive when you want something. And the language barrier suggests we might get a phrase book and go to the language class (someone posted the daily events and I saw this offering.)

There were issues with the food - be prepared to be a little adventursome. In this regard, if you have children who are picky eaters (and ours was back then) the Italian selections can be a bit much (at least they were on Costa). Luckily, our DD liked buttered pasta and they would always bring this as her main course if she couldn't find something else on the menu. From what I have read, we have lots to look forward to if we are expecting italian fare. We do have to plan a bit because maybe food isn't as available as on other lines in the evening hours. But I can work around that if I know ahead of time.

I guess my point it that you don't need a list of all the good things - you just need to figure out what the legitimate issues are and plan how to deal with them. After that, the rest should be wonderful.

Your responses are most helpful. My thinking process is quite simply this...I do need a list of good things so I know how to spend my time on this ship. For instance, on a RCI ship, the Viking Crown Lounge is the best place to have a drink and watch the sunset. There is so little information on the Orchestra, that it is those little "quirks" for which I am searching....Please keep the hints coming.

We just got home yesterday. We were part of the Irish Group on the 2/7-2/14 sailing. We had no problems getting on the ship (we were onboard and at the buffet at 12:30). The internet was VERY slow. We bought a package of 120 minutes ($50) and another of 60 minutes ($30) and barely got our updates sent out and email checked. We made the mistake of trying on an "at sea" day and the internet was super slow. DH tried the next morning at 5am :rolleyes: and it was fine.

I never ate steak because I like it super rare, but DH did and said it was ok. The veal chops and lamb chops were excellent! The bread is sinfully good. Our waiter and assistant waiter were great. They were helpful and anticipated our needs after the first night. I loved all of the Italian selections, but I can see that more American tastes might not. Search out both sides of the buffet for breakfast and lunch since they have different items.

We had private entertainment for our group, so I can't tell you what the regular shows were like.

There was a communication barrier at times, everything wasn't always perfect, but we had a great time. We are planning on doing the Irish Stars cruise again next year on the Poesia.

I was on the same cruise as Grace, and the five people in my party all had a great time. I wrote a review last week (in the member review section) but it hasn't been approved as of yet.

One person to look for if you find yourself with a language issue, look for Liverne. She is the staff person responsible for seeing after the English-speaking passengers. She is very enthusiastic and anxious to help.

At dinner, my favorite course was usually the pasta dish. The deserts were great, too... always ask for a scoop of ice cream with whatever you get! The bread sticks were wonderful.

The prime rib was good, but the other steaks weren't the greatest things on their given nights.

Being a Southerner, I have to have my iced tea at dinner. We all found the tea on the Orchestra to be really good. Our waiter was fantastic, and our drinks were always waiting for us when we arrived.

I have sailed a couple of times on Holland America, and their cuisine is incredible. I actually thought the food on the Orchestra was better than that on HAL.

All that said, I am still shaking my head in disbelief at the negative comments. I know we all have different tastes, and maybe that explains a lot of it.

One of the things we laughed about on the first day in the cafeteria was the difference in the wait staff. On "American-based" cruises, if you mention a drink or a food item you "forgot", they'll break their necks to get it for you. On the Orchestra, they'll politely point you in the right direction. I think some folks saw that as arrogance or an unwillingness to help... I think it was really a difference in background and training. When someone REALLY needed assistance finding or carrying something, there was usually a crew member there providing assistance.

As Grace has said, a smile goes a long way. I really enjoyed interacting with the staff and crew. Then again, I have always relished learning from people of different backgrounds and cultures. If you fall into this category, your are going to have a fantastic time!

We sailed on the Feb 7th to 14th trip and we had a great time. We wrote a members review that hasn't been published yet. Here are our suggestions for a successful trip:

1. Try being polite to the staff. A simple 'Bon Giorno' goes a long way.

2. Use 'Please' and 'Thank you" when ordering at the bars or in the restaurants - these people are working hard to serve you. I lost count of the number of times while waiting for a drink at the bar someone would approach and bark something like, "Budweiser" at the barman. No 'Hello'; not even "Budweiser please", just barking orders at the servers as if they were dogs. We never encountered any rudeness and we spoke to as many of the crew as we could. The crew includes people from 44 different countries and they all have fascinating stories to tell.

3. If you don't like smoking, avoid the casino and the smoking areas.

4. The best place to watch the sunset is from far aft, actually decks 10 through 12 have a series of access stairs and the surrounding areas are rarely if ever used (of course they might be crammed after people read this). Grab your drink, lean on the rail and watch the sunset.

5. There is still some sort of disconnect between the galley and the dining rooms. We saw an incredible amount of barely-touched food being returned in the buffet and in L'Ibiscus. Something has to be wrong when folk are sending icecream back untouched. The ship boasts 120 cooks on board: well then, they should be able to do better. If I was the chef I would be concerned at seeing so much wasted food. Our best advice re eating: the Villa Borghese on deck 5.

6. Tip your cabin steward at the start of the trip - you'll get incredible service - and then tip him/her again at the end. It's $20 well spent.

7. We booked three trips, two of which were cancelled and the ship has no mechanism for fitting you into the remaining jaunts.

8. MSC has clearly felt the sting of so many complaints and they seem to be making a real effort to get their act together. We were a bit apprehensive about booking, and in truth not everything was as we would have wished, but when you are in the situation, just relax, smile and stay calm. The crew will sort out your problem, even through the language barrier.

9. Would we sail with them again? Certainly, but not in the Caribbean because we've seen most of it. Panama Canal perhaps, or the Med, or Australia ...

Frank, Ok I will try to give you only good positive suggestions about the orchestra outlining the high points and must see and do as you suggested. Best place for a sunset is on your balcony. uh eeh well cant think of anything else. Caio

That last comment was cruel, the request was well stated, no obnoxious remarks, I sailed on the Jan 10 cruise with 4 other couples & it was great but as you requested you want specific. I agree that aft areas, especially rear of deck 13 just outside buffet are tables to eat & enjoy scenery. My best moments were the 2 concerts given by a Maestr from Naples, & the Opera one afternoon. The entire entertainment is outstanading, more professional than any other line & I have been on them all. The lounges are also great, also there are many with a assortment of shows & music. Our dining room was on deck 5 & had a table for 10 that was in a area that was quiet. This restaurant is not just one large area like most other ships but spread out so I guess it depends where you sit for noise factor. Be sure to have the gialotto by the pool, its only $1.50 tip inc & why people complain about that besides anything else is crazy, anyway its great. Wine pkgs are inexspensive 7 bottle for $105 tip inc., theres also a cocktail pkg. Another good policy is smoking is very contained to limited areas, most lounges its not allowed. Have a great time !!

We were also in the Villa Borghese dining room on deck 5 and it was great. See if you can get Wirawan as your waiter and you will be all set. Make friends with the captain; that can go a long way too!

Watch for whales in the waters as you depart from Cayo Levantado as they are plentiful and beautiful to see.

Make sure you try the pain au chocolate, eggs benedict and gelato. They are heavenly. I heard that the cafe au lait and cappuccino are worth purchasing as well.

Try and eat off hours when going to the buffet. Lunch is from 12:30 to 2:30 and at 12:30 there was line. At 1:30 there wasn't!

Enjoy your trip. It's a wonderful ship and WAY exceeded our expectations after reading all the reviews.

What I want is a compilation of facts that will make my cruise as pleasant as possible (Regardless of your opinion as to if that is possible). Thank you, in advance, for your suggestions.

Frank

One of the most intelligent/savvy posts I have read in this forum. Frank, I'll bet you and the family will have a good time. Here is a tip that might help. Learn how to say " Excuse me, I don't speak Italian. Do you speak English?" in Italian. If you need to deal with offices staffed by Italians, e.g. Reception, Excursions Desk, Dining Room Mgr, etc this little shtick may go a surprisingly long way in eliciting a more sincere/ helpful reponse from staff.

(p.s. this assumes you don't speak Italian :))

That last comment was cruel, the request was well stated, Wine pkgs are inexspensive 7 bottle for $105 tip inc., theres also a cocktail pkg.

I agree. Sarcasm not appropriate. Wine and spirits are well priced. I've heard contradictory stuff about the kids' program. To the extent it is feasible, you might want to give some thought to bringing along the kids' entertainment to supplement what is available on board.

just a couple of hints

I found the glasses for water and juice to be very small - get some plastic 10 oz glasses from the dollar store to take if you drink much with your meals. We would also take a 24 oz water bottle that we filled in our room to dinner so we could refill our glasses as we needed to

find out from your room steward where the nearest ice machine is if keeping ice water available is important

The wine package is a great deal!! Also, house wine by the glass at the bar was a great bargain ($4 for a 10 oz plastic cup of wine)

The outside seating area at the stern of deck 13 is the best place to just get away from everything and enjoy watching the wake - a great place to watch the sunset skies even if not headed away from the sunset

Get on-line and translate many of the phrases you might use frequently into Italian and print them in an index-card flip book - especially any medical issues you might have. Things like "Please replace our towels", "may we have a _______", "where are the tender tickets/lines" and things like that.

take some blue painters tape along so you can tape up things like schedules, excursion tickets, daily activities and such that you want to keep up with. There is not much flat space in the cabins and it is easy to misplace paperwork so I always tape mine to the walls. I also use painters tape to mark my cabin door so others in my group can find me easier

Hope these help and have fun on your cruise!!

just a couple of hints

 

I found the glasses for water and juice to be very small - get some plastic 10 oz glasses from the dollar store to take if you drink much with your meals. We would also take a 24 oz water bottle that we filled in our room to dinner so we could refill our glasses as we needed to

 

find out from your room steward where the nearest ice machine is if keeping ice water available is important

 

The wine package is a great deal!! Also, house wine by the glass at the bar was a great bargain ($4 for a 10 oz plastic cup of wine)

 

The outside seating area at the stern of deck 13 is the best place to just get away from everything and enjoy watching the wake - a great place to watch the sunset skies even if not headed away from the sunset

 

Get on-line and translate many of the phrases you might use frequently into Italian and print them in an index-card flip book - especially any medical issues you might have. Things like "Please replace our towels", "may we have a _______", "where are the tender tickets/lines" and things like that.

 

take some blue painters tape along so you can tape up things like schedules, excursion tickets, daily activities and such that you want to keep up with. There is not much flat space in the cabins and it is easy to misplace paperwork so I always tape mine to the walls. I also use painters tape to mark my cabin door so others in my group can find me easier

 

Hope these help and have fun on your cruise!!

Large water and juice glasses are now available and plentiful so no need to bring your own. As to the Italian phrases, some would be good to know but for the most part, we found that everyone speaks English. There are 2 doctors on board, 1 Romanian and 1 Serbian and they both speak fluent English as well.

Great stuff people! I appreciate all the hints, and can deal with sarcasm without feeling the need to hurl. Several posts on other threads have suggested that you could carry soft drinks on board. Has anyone had an experience contrary to this? Also, where is this naval base in Key west, as opposed to the square where the cruise ships usually dock?

Thanks,

They do have large glasses avialble also in the buffet but naturally they run out & the small glasses are a pain for iced tea. Other complaints unfounded, no special order eggs, front of lines both side there is a sign order here for special order. next, no waffles, at entrance to buffet, poolside is a hot waffle bar, later they serve pizza. Pizza is served FREE during lunch & tea time, & pls stop telling everyone to take pillows from home, you obviously have a big mouth here, so open it on the ship & ask. By the way, 1st time in many I didn`t have to ask for a eggcrate for the bed as it is comfortable.

:eek:Okay boca7--- I have decided to once again pack clothes!!!:(

I was really hoping to just pack pillows....:eek:

Also, where is this naval base in Key west, as opposed to the square where the cruise ships usually dock?

Thanks,

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Key+West&1s=FL&1pn=Cruise+Ship+Pier&2c=Key+West&2s=FL&2pn=naval+station#a/search/l:::Key+West:FL::US:24.5553:-81.782799:city:Monroe+County:1/m::10:24.546502:-81.793928:0:::::/so:Cruise+Ship+Pier:::r::25:::::/e

You can pan this map to see the lay of the land. Looks like it is too far to walk. Have the Company Commander send his car and driver to pick you up....

There is a free trolley that takes you right to Mallory Square. It takes about 10 minutes and you get a nice commentary from the driver as well. Then, you also catch the same trolley on the way back, and have to go through security at the gate of the Naval Base. Have your ID and/or passport with you.

OK love texas, you gave me a good laugh, go & enjoy & pls forget all the negativity. When you board its in the main reception area where there is almost always a string instrument group that is great to sit by & relax, there are plenty of choices of lounges to go to at night after the theater, the Savannah bar which is breathtaking in decor is where the staff does there stick with the audience which is quite funny, amber bar is a nice dancing band, all non smoking areas, there are several more plus a karaoke lounge where smoking is allowed. Have a great time!!!