Any questions regarding Magnifica...

[jmitchmpd]

Just returned from the May 29th - June 5th cruise on Magnifica. While everything is still relatively fresh in my mind I will be happy to try and answer any questions you may have. And btw, I'm American so my opinions are from that perspective.

[eliopia]

Just returned from the May 29th - June 5th cruise on Magnifica. While everything is still relatively fresh in my mind I will be happy to try and answer any questions you may have. And btw, I'm American so my opinions are from that perspective.

Hi,

Any info you can give us on how u spent your port day will be appreciated,especially Bari and Katakolon,in Dubrovnik how did you get to the old town?

Thank you for your time.

[jmitchmpd]

Bari was probably my least favorite stop. We simply walked around town and checked out the sites (the main ones are fairly close to the port) on our own. Katakolon we did an MSC excursion to Olympia, which is the main attraction for that port. I had seen some previous posts where people said that you can rent a car upon arrival in port (which is true) and make the drive on your own, but to me that wasn't worth the hassle. If you stay near port there is some shopping but that's about it. I say go with the excursion. In Dubrovnik MSC offers a shuttle bus for 10 euro per person roundtrip to the old city. However, about 20 feet from the ramp is a taxi stand that will take you there for 10 euro per carload. So if you have more than two people going to the old town you're better off taking a cab. Plus you get there quicker than waiting for everyone to get on the bus! Once you get there it costs 10 euro per person to "walk the wall" but it's well worth it. Very cool. Any other ??'s, just let me know.

[eliopia]

In Dubrovnik, is it easy to find taxis at the port and back from the old town,we are a family of four ,it is half the cost.

[jmitchmpd]

It's very easy to find the taxis. They line up right alongside the boat and are literally just a few feet from you when you come down the exit ramp. There is a mad dash for them when everyone is coming off the boat but there are many lined up and more keep arriving. They take you to the main gate for 10 euro per car load and pick you up in the same area. We took a cab from the "back entrance" of the city near the port (due to rain) and that cost us 15 euro to get back to the ship.

[eliopia]

It's very easy to find the taxis. They line up right alongside the boat and are literally just a few feet from you when you come down the exit ramp. There is a mad dash for them when everyone is coming off the boat but there are many lined up and more keep arriving. They take you to the main gate for 10 euro per car load and pick you up in the same area. We took a cab from the "back entrance" of the city near the port (due to rain) and that cost us 15 euro to get back to the ship.

Thank you,this is very helpful,one more question,Izmir,we already booked a private tour but i am still worried about the time ,they say it takes one hour to get to ephesus ,is there enough time to tour and get back on time?

[jmitchmpd]

We did an MSC excursion to the Virgin Mary's house and Ephesus and there was plenty of time to see it all even with the trip to and from port. Ephesus was much larger than I anticipated but we had plenty of time to see everything and I never felt rushed. Just a tip for Ephesus....there is very little shade and the day we were there the sun was blazing...be prepared!! Anyway, you exit into a little shopping area (where you will be hassled to buy one of the many "genuine fake watches") and we even had plenty of time to wander around that. The difference between an MSC excursion and a private one is of course they'll wait for their tours to return and won't wait for a private one but I'm sure that won't be an issue. They are all well aware of the time restraints involved.

[eliopia]

One more thing,did you have to buy kunas in dubrovnik or euro is acceptable.(please tell me when I should stop asking:))

[jmitchmpd]

The cab prices were all in euro. As far as I can remember all of the shops we went into were more than happy to accept the euro. The only place where it was a slight issue was a little cafe we stopped in outside of the "walled" area. We ordered four drinks and the price on the receipt was listed in kunas. When I asked the man how much it was in euros he said "about 8 euro." I gave him a ten and he gave me kunas in change. It seemed like a lot of change (I remember specifically a "ten" kuna bill) but when I walked into a currency exchange and asked how much I had they said "about 2 euro." So he didn't rip me off, which he could have. Even in Turkey they were very willing to accept the euro and I never found it necessary to have any other currency unless you just want some as a souvenir. And I don't mind your questions at all!

[eliopia]

Thank you again ,very kind of you.

[drblue]

Just returned from the May 29th - June 5th cruise on Magnifica. While everything is still relatively fresh in my mind I will be happy to try and answer any questions you may have. And btw, I'm American so my opinions are from that perspective.

Hello,

Thank you for offering info on your recent experience on the Magnifica. That is exactly what I need - recent experiences rather than opinions based on other posts. We are sailing in January 2011. So, I have a few questions for you:

 

1. Did you by any chance see the children facilities? If so, what did you think?

 

2. Was there a buffet open at night? We are worried about coming back from an excursion at a time that is too late for lunch but way too early for dinner.

 

3. What was the WATER situation in the dining room, Free or only for purchase?

 

4. Do you know if there is an OK beach near the port of Kataklon?

 

I will certainly appreciate your answers.

[sally10]

Just returned from the May 29th - June 5th cruise on Magnifica. While everything is still relatively fresh in my mind I will be happy to try and answer any questions you may have. And btw, I'm American so my opinions are from that perspective.

 

We are heading on 3rd July on Magnifica, could you please let me know what they charge to go into the speciality restaurants, and were they worth going to?

:)

[Need 1st Cruise Advice]

We are a family of five, children are aged between13 and 7. I was wondering what anyones opinion might be on the following.on day one we were going to take the trip to the caves in Bari,on day 2 in Kataklon we were going to just get the taxi into Olympia, on day 3 in Ismir we thought we d probably have to take the official excursion to epheus unless anyone has any other suggestions , on day 4 we intend to tour around Istanbul on our own and similarily in Dubrovnik we just intend to take the bus into the old city. What would anyone think of that as a plan?

[Atomica]

How was your overall cruise experience on MSC Magnifica? Would you do it again?

 

We're looking at them for a 2011 Europe cruise.

[rugbyfan]

Hi, thanks for your willingness to answer questions. I wonder if you can advise about boarding and disembarkation. What time are we able to start boarding in Venice? And how long did it take to disembark? What time did you have to vacate your cabin?

 

I'd also be interested in any feedback about the kids club if you have any?

 

Thanks:)

[jmitchmpd]

Hello,

Thank you for offering info on your recent experience on the Magnifica. That is exactly what I need - recent experiences rather than opinions based on other posts. We are sailing in January 2011. So, I have a few questions for you:

 

1. Did you by any chance see the children facilities? If so, what did you think?

 

2. Was there a buffet open at night? We are worried about coming back from an excursion at a time that is too late for lunch but way too early for dinner.

 

3. What was the WATER situation in the dining room, Free or only for purchase?

 

4. Do you know if there is an OK beach near the port of Kataklon?

 

I will certainly appreciate your answers.

 

1. I did see the children's facilities but did not have any actual experience with them. They had what appeared to be sort of a "day care" room that was staffed with cruise employees but I didn't see what sort of activities they were doing or what the hours were.

 

2. The lunch buffet usually ends by 3pm or so at the latest and I don't recall any other dining options until the restaurants open. The midnight buffet is much later and that usually is nothing more than pastries and food of that nature, not a full meal.

 

3. We received vouchers from our travel agent for a bottle of water at dinner, but we had an unlimited drink package and got it for "free" anyway. I did not see anyone with anything other than bottled water which you had to purchase.

 

4. I do not think there is a beach that is convenient to Katakalon, though I think there is an excursion that takes you to one that is nearby. The area right around Katakalon seemed very rocky.

[jmitchmpd]

We are heading on 3rd July on Magnifica, could you please let me know what they charge to go into the speciality restaurants, and were they worth going to?

:)

 

 

We did not dine at any of the specialty restaurants but did look at a couple of the menus and they seemed reasonably priced in my opinion.

[jmitchmpd]

We are a family of five, children are aged between13 and 7. I was wondering what anyones opinion might be on the following.on day one we were going to take the trip to the caves in Bari,on day 2 in Kataklon we were going to just get the taxi into Olympia, on day 3 in Ismir we thought we d probably have to take the official excursion to epheus unless anyone has any other suggestions , on day 4 we intend to tour around Istanbul on our own and similarily in Dubrovnik we just intend to take the bus into the old city. What would anyone think of that as a plan?

 

 

I know you were asking for anyone's opinions but I'll offer my two cents. Bari, I have no experience with the caves but sounds fun. Katakalon, I don't know what the taxi rate is but there is a charge for admission to the Olympia ruins (don't recall how much) so factor that in versus what you would pay for the excursion where you would have "no worries" as they say. In Izmir I definitely recommend the excursion to Ephesus. One of the highlights for us. And Dubrovnik I would take a taxi to the old city. It's cheaper than the bus they provide and they're very conveniently located. But

[jmitchmpd]

We are a family of five, children are aged between13 and 7. I was wondering what anyones opinion might be on the following.on day one we were going to take the trip to the caves in Bari,on day 2 in Kataklon we were going to just get the taxi into Olympia, on day 3 in Ismir we thought we d probably have to take the official excursion to epheus unless anyone has any other suggestions , on day 4 we intend to tour around Istanbul on our own and similarily in Dubrovnik we just intend to take the bus into the old city. What would anyone think of that as a plan?

 

 

I know you were asking for anyone's opinions but I'll offer my two cents. Bari, I have no experience with the caves but sounds fun. Katakalon, I don't know what the taxi rate is but there is a charge for admission to the Olympia ruins (don't recall how much) so factor that into your cost as well versus what you would pay for their excursion where you would have "no worries" as they say. In Izmir I definitely recommend the excursion to Ephesus. One of the highlights for us. And Dubrovnik I would take a taxi to the old city. It's cheaper than the bus they provide and they're very conveniently located. But the city is easily done on your own once you arrive.

[jmitchmpd]

How was your overall cruise experience on MSC Magnifica? Would you do it again?

 

We're looking at them for a 2011 Europe cruise.

 

Overall I was pretty happy with the experience. If you speak English you must be prepared to feel like a minority and in some respects be treated as such. You must also be prepared for the Italian style of waiting in line, which means they just ram in front of you like you don't exist.

 

Some impressions of the ship...the pools are a little small and close fairly early. Some people seem to have a lot of issues with the dining aspects...no water at dinner (other than bottled), the late dining times, the lack of a dinner buffet, etc. IMHO, the food was decent for the most part (some misses for sure) but the course by course presentation each night did get a little old. The breakfast & luch buffets are ok, though there's not a lot of variety from day to day, especially at breakfast. Smoking is allowed in some areas of the ship (certain areas of the bars, casino, outside decks) so be prepared for that if that is a huge issue for you.

 

I have to say that my main purpose for going was the itinerary and what you got to see for the price, and with that being said, I was very satisfied and would do it again.

[jmitchmpd]

Hi, thanks for your willingness to answer questions. I wonder if you can advise about boarding and disembarkation. What time are we able to start boarding in Venice? And how long did it take to disembark? What time did you have to vacate your cabin?

 

I'd also be interested in any feedback about the kids club if you have any?

 

Thanks:)

 

We did the online check-in and brought that print out with us. I can't say for sure that it helped us out, but we were at the port around 9-9:30am or so and were onboard in probably less than an hour. So we were very happy with the boarding.

 

Disembarking was another story. They give you a color and assign you to different areas of the ship to wait for your color to be called. If you have a reason that you need to be off early (flight, etc.) they will work with you. Anyway, they want you to vacate your cabin by 7:30am I think it was so you end up having to sit around for quite some time waiting for your color to be called if you're one of the later colors. We did go eat breakfast first but were still waiting in the theater for probably close to two hours. We had a private water taxi waiting to take us to our hotel and it left because it took us so long to get off. Trust me, that was a hassle trying to get them to come back. So that process left a little to be desired but I guess they did the best they could considering how many people were disembarking.

 

Again, I don't have any experience with the kids club so I can't really offer anything on it. Sorry!

[jmitchmpd]

Sorry it took me a while to catch up on these. I will answer anything else I can hopefully a bit quicker!

[CrusinAgain]

I am trying to find out about laundry prices. Do you remember how much it was? I know they charge per item - just pants and shirt prices is all I need to know (in American dollars).

[jmitchmpd]

I am trying to find out about laundry prices. Do you remember how much it was? I know they charge per item - just pants and shirt prices is all I need to know (in American dollars).

 

I don't remember specifically but it depends on whether or not you want them cleaned or just pressed. A friend of mine had several items pressed and the bill wasn't that bad. I seem to recall it being around $5 per item to be pressed.

[drblue]

Tahnk you for your answers and point of view. It was very helpful.