MSC Poesia - Questions Please

[FLchick2]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am considering my first ever solo cruise. I’m looking at the MSC Poesia. I see a November Caribbean cruise, balcony room, that looks interesting. I have a few questions I’m hoping others can answer.

 

What hours is the buffet open? Which meals? The last (and only) cruise I went on- sometimes I just didn’t feel like eating in the dining room.

 

Is there a refrigerator in the room?

 

How does the tap / cabin water taste? Is it drinkable?

 

The pool / Jacuzzi area – was it very crowded and/or noisy? Where there many children on board?

 

If you’ve ever cruised solo, or even if you haven’t – does this seem like it would be a good solo ship? Does the staff and/or guests seem friendly to solos? (I would think they would, they offer a very low single supplement.)

 

Thank you in advance for any guidance, it’s greatly appreciated!

[mamasue]

If you're going on Nov 14th, the Shiprocked cruise is on.....it's several heavy metal bands, and they've booked most of the ship.

Lots of noisy young people that seem to have a beer in their hands 24/7.

The Poesia's a lovely ship, and the staff are great.....my favourite ship!

[FLchick2]

Yes, that was the cruise I was considering. After I wrote this post I went to Roll Call and found out Shiprocked was during that cruise. Not my idea of peace and quiet! I’m still considering another date…..

[joybaby]

I don't know what other dates you are looking at, but my hus. and I are going on the Nov. 19-26, a balcony on the 9th deck. We have done the OPERA, we absolutely loved it. European like, wonderful music in the lobbies, more upscale than the traditional Mega ships.

MSC has an entertainment staff of about 12 people who mingle in the lounges and ask singles to dance or talk. I learned a lot about these folks and about their hometowns in Italy. It was always a good dialogue as they had not seen family/friends for a long time.

I think it would be an excellent ship to cruise solo.

I don't remember the hours of the buffet, but I do know they were available.

I think there will be kids as they have the kids free promotion, but we never had a problem on the last MSC cruise.

I started a roll call for the Nov. 19th date, but there was no interest.:confused:

 

Joyce

Ormond by the Sea

[Satincruz]

Where there many children on board?

 

I think there will be kids as they have the kids free promotion, but we never had a problem on the last MSC cruise.

 

Half of the kids onboard will be European--generally, polite and very well-behaved :)

[AmoMondo]

I've cruised solo with them a lot and have been perfectly happy onboard. the staff seem to make more of an effort to talk to you when you are on your own than when I've been onboard with a friend.

 

they don't really do singles events onboard though. very occasionally they'll have a session in a bar designated a singles events for solo passengers to meet up but they don't work well because of the differing languages.

[FLchick2]

Joybaby – 8 days? That’s sounds awesome! May be out of my price range…..but I’m going to have to check into all the dates since Nov 14th is out.

 

Satincruz – Thank you!

 

AmoMondo – Thank you for the info! Sounds like going solo would be ok.

 

Can anyone give me info on the other stuff?

 

Refrigerator in rooms?

 

How does the tap / cabin water taste? Is it drinkable?

 

Thank you everyone!

[AmoMondo]

Joybaby – 8 days? That’s sounds awesome! May be out of my price range…..but I’m going to have to check into all the dates since Nov 14th is out.

 

Satincruz – Thank you!

 

AmoMondo – Thank you for the info! Sounds like going solo would be ok.

 

Can anyone give me info on the other stuff?

 

Refrigerator in rooms?

 

How does the tap / cabin water taste? Is it drinkable?

 

Thank you everyone!

All the cabins have mini bars. there is a bit of space to put your own stuff in or if not you can ask the steward to remove them.

 

When I've had iced tap water onoard it tasted fine. can't really remember about cabin tap water as I only used it for cleaning my teeth. presume it must be the same as the stuff they serve in the dining room. It was warm though.

[monicajay]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am considering my first ever solo cruise. I’m looking at the MSC Poesia. I see a November Caribbean cruise, balcony room, that looks interesting. I have a few questions I’m hoping others can answer.

 

What hours is the buffet open? Which meals? The last (and only) cruise I went on- sometimes I just didn’t feel like eating in the dining room.

 

Is there a refrigerator in the room?

 

How does the tap / cabin water taste? Is it drinkable?

 

The pool / Jacuzzi area – was it very crowded and/or noisy? Where there many children on board?

 

If you’ve ever cruised solo, or even if you haven’t – does this seem like it would be a good solo ship? Does the staff and/or guests seem friendly to solos? (I would think they would, they offer a very low single supplement.)

 

Thank you in advance for any guidance, it’s greatly appreciated!

 

Fridge in cabin, cabin water great to drink as long as you add ice. Lots of kids because they are free but many quiet spots on the ship too. Cruised with hubby but we split up lots of times and I was always comfortable alone. Check out the piano bar. Staff and guests were chatty. Too many people in Jacuzzi's but that is me. On the first day or two the one in the spa is empty but then it gets discovered by everyone it is busy too.

 

I would have no problem cruising alone on this ship. Staff don't push to sell drinks so you can sit and enjoy music in the varying bars without feeling overly pressured to over drink.

[FLchick2]

AmoMondo and Monicajay - great, thank you for the information! Now I just have to figure out what I want to do. I was really hoping to do a 5 night cruise - 4 nights seems short and 7 nights is getting a little expensive! I'll figure it out.

 

Thank you again! :)

[Unserious]

Sailing 11/19. I didn't see any MSC roll calls on the list.

Kids free = why we are sailing MSC. (And why not try something new?) They are 5 and 7, and they loved Camp Carnival so we're hoping they will love this one. Maybe we should teach them some Italian phrases?

[joybaby]

Sailing 11/19. I didn't see any MSC roll calls on the list.

Kids free = why we are sailing MSC. (And why not try something new?) They are 5 and 7, and they loved Camp Carnival so we're hoping they will love this one. Maybe we should teach them some Italian phrases?

 

There is a roll call. Little activity. I am also on this sailing.

The Children's program is not as active as Camp Carnival. If you kids are flexible, I am sure they will be fine.

I think Italian would be wonderful for them to learn. Impressive to me!

[readboat]

If you teach your children the simple words for please and thank you, hello and goodbye the Italians will be thrilled and attentive. they love to see an effort made with their language.

[Janet&Carl]

Half of the kids onboard will be European--generally, polite and very well-behaved :)

 

We travelled with our children and were disappointed that there were not many other for them to mingle with. We thought there would be a lot more. I guess it depends on whether you cruise in school holidays or not.

[Janet&Carl]

All the cabins have mini bars. there is a bit of space to put your own stuff in or if not you can ask the steward to remove them.

 

When I've had iced tap water onoard it tasted fine. can't really remember about cabin tap water as I only used it for cleaning my teeth. presume it must be the same as the stuff they serve in the dining room. It was warm though.

 

 

We drank the tap water in the cabins - no problems for us. The fridge in the room is stocked and small. You can ask for the items to be removed if you want the space for yourself.

[ssgirl54]

This is my first cruise so I am making it a short one, I was driving to Key West and staying in Miami so this acts as my floating hotel and I do not need to drive...............it is all new to me, started out 2 weeks ago with an inside cabin, now have upgraded to a balcony, I am traveling alone and it should be just fine/fun......trying to figure out the all-inclusive packages, seems there is no wine in the rooms. Oh NO ........

[AmoMondo]

This is my first cruise so I am making it a short one, I was driving to Key West and staying in Miami so this acts as my floating hotel and I do not need to drive...............it is all new to me, started out 2 weeks ago with an inside cabin, now have upgraded to a balcony, I am traveling alone and it should be just fine/fun......trying to figure out the all-inclusive packages, seems there is no wine in the rooms. Oh NO ........

 

Not to worry... there are small bottles of wine in the min bar (usually), if not you can order stuff from the main bar menu as room service. You could also take the risk of bringing a bottle onboard with you, as they rarely enforce the policy of not allowing you to do this.

 

Being solo on a cruise is not like being solo in a hotel....there is just so much going on onboard that you don't necessarily spend that much time in your cabin. No one will think anything odd about you having a drink on your own in any of the bars. Personnally, I've found it easier to just sit at the bar...the bar staff chat to you and often people sitting either side of you chat too. It feels so much more comfortable than anywhere else. I'd have a drink in a bar in a hotle on my own now but I'd still be very uncomfortable venturing in to a bar. The 5-10 minutes i sometimes wait before my friends turn up, feels like an eternity but I have absolutely noqualms on a ship.