Any Fantasia Questions?

[AmoMondo]

Thank you! Your thoughts mirror my own. If what the OP said was typical I felt we would have heard about this way more often.

 

I've since found and read the review. Looks like part of the problem may have been due to the turn around after the repo when many things would be changing. Venice is a particularly big and busy port and extremely chaotic. It doesn't always mean chaos getting off though. In early April I managed to be 5 minutes from the airport at the time my group was scheduled to be off. I didn't do self assist but went off when my colour was called. We were on a smaller ship so maybe that helped.

[Raring to go]

Can anyone provide some advise on whether we should pre book our shore excursions or leave until we board ship? We are cruising the Mediterranean in early May 2014.

 

Only took two ship's excursions, but all of the English speaking ones were available on board.

[NJFrench]

Definitely think about booking Santorini ahead of time. They were all sold out by the time we were on board. We did the Bari Cave excursion and found it to be a good value and great excursion. We did Santorini on our own. We paid 40 euro for two adults and two kids for the boat to Oia that included a bus back to Fira. It was a fraction of the cost of the excursion. We walked down the donkey path in Fira. I DO NOT recommend doing this with children (mine were 8 and 10) It was absolutely disgusting and we were struck by donkey tails and saw a woman kicked by a donkey!

[Kiwiaus]

We paid 40 euro for two adults and two kids for the boat to Oia that included a bus back to Fira. It was a fraction of the cost of the excursion.

 

I am on the Fantasia in October and this sounds like a good option. Can you tell me where you get the boat for Oia from and where you booked this. Thanks.

[WA Girl]

Definitely think about booking Santorini ahead of time. They were all sold out by the time we were on board. We did the Bari Cave excursion and found it to be a good value and great excursion. We did Santorini on our own. We paid 40 euro for two adults and two kids for the boat to Oia that included a bus back to Fira. It was a fraction of the cost of the excursion. We walked down the donkey path in Fira. I DO NOT recommend doing this with children (mine were 8 and 10) It was absolutely disgusting and we were struck by donkey tails and saw a woman kicked by a donkey!

 

ThanksNJFrench for this information, was it busy in Santorini this day, any other cruise ships in port ?

Was there a wait for the transfer to Oia and back into Fira, or for the cable cars back down to the ship, at all ?

Thankyou

[NJFrench]

I am on the Fantasia in October and this sounds like a good option. Can you tell me where you get the boat for Oia from and where you booked this. Thanks.

 

The boat was right at the exit from the tender boats. I will look for receipt and get you the name of the company.

[NJFrench]

ThanksNJFrench for this information, was it busy in Santorini this day, any other cruise ships in port ?

Was there a wait for the transfer to Oia and back into Fira, or for the cable cars back down to the ship, at all ?

Thankyou

 

Since it is a tender port, you line up in one of the nightclubs starting at 7:45 and get a ticket for a boat. We were number 5 and got off the boat within 30 minutes of docking in Santorini. There was another ship and lots of tourists in the city, but it was Easter week and most European schools were off.

 

There were buses to Fira at 12 and 1:00, which left plenty of time for Fira. Leave time for the cable car and tender boat.

[WA Girl]

Since it is a tender port, you line up in one of the nightclubs starting at 7:45 and get a ticket for a boat. We were number 5 and got off the boat within 30 minutes of docking in Santorini. There was another ship and lots of tourists in the city, but it was Easter week and most European schools were off.

 

There were buses to Fira at 12 and 1:00, which left plenty of time for Fira. Leave time for the cable car and tender boat.

 

Thanks, this seems like a great option without having to book an excursion and there seems to be plenty of time to look around in both places.

What bus did you catch back and was it full when you left ?

Did you do any other tours while on the cruise ?

Thanks again

[luv2vacation]

Since it is a tender port, you line up in one of the nightclubs starting at 7:45 and get a ticket for a boat. We were number 5 and got off the boat within 30 minutes of docking in Santorini. There was another ship and lots of tourists in the city, but it was Easter week and most European schools were off.

 

There were buses to Fira at 12 and 1:00, which left plenty of time for Fira. Leave time for the cable car and tender boat.

 

Were you able to get off before the ship excursions left?

[Raring to go]

Hi Raring To Go. We are sailing on this ship in December from the same port. Did you find getting to the port easy? We are staying locally the day before and wondering if we will require a taxi to the port from our hotel or if we could walk it as it isn't far. Also did you stay in the Yacht Club? I'm wondering what that is like as it is quite high up and towards the front of the ship so was wondering how bad we would feel the motion.

 

How would you compare the rooms, food, entertainment, ship in general to companies like Royal Caribbean? Being from the UK I travel to Europe regularly so used to their type of food, etc. Wondered if it was the same on board the ship.

 

Thanks, Melissa

Melissa: Sorry I missed your question the first time through. I guess it would depend on where your hotel was, in Citivicchia or Rome. We stayed in Rome and took the train to Citivicchia on embarkation day. It was not a bad walk to the area from which the ship leaves, however, it would be a long walk if you had to the ship's berth. Just inside the pier area, on your left as you are walking in, you will see a large bus. This bus transports you to the ship itself. The same was true on the day we disembarked; the bus dropped us at the front of the port area.

 

If you can see my signature, you can see that we have cruised on several lines. My husband and I both thought that this was the most beautiful ship we had been on. The entertainment was excellent. The cabin was equivalent to any other ship we have sailed on. We did not do the Yacht Club.

Edited May 4, 2014 by Raring to go
wrong town listed as embarkation port

[WA Girl]

Melissa: Sorry I missed your question the first time through. I guess it would depend on where your hotel was, in Citivicchia or Rome. We stayed in Rome and took the train to Citivicchia on embarkation day. It was not a bad walk to the area from which the ship leaves, however, it would be a long walk if you had to the ship's berth. Just inside the pier area, on your left as you are walking in, you will see a large bus. This bus transports you to the ship itself. The same was true on the day we disembarked; the bus dropped us at the front of the port area.

 

If you can see my signature, you can see that we have cruised on several lines. My husband and I both thought that this was the most beautiful ship we had been on. The entertainment was excellent. The cabin was equivalent to any other ship we have sailed on. We did not do the Yacht Club.

 

I was just wondering what disembarktion was like, how long did it take to disembark ?

Was if fairly organised ?

Thanks

[AmoMondo]

Were you able to get off before the ship excursions left?

 

The people on ships excursions get off at another point before they drop anchor and start the tender service, or at least they did when we called at Santorini last year.

[Raring to go]

I was just wondering what disembarktion was like, how long did it take to disembark ?

Was if fairly organised ?

Thanks

 

We did self disembarkation, carrying our own bags. We were off less than 30 minutes after we docked. We actually had to wait outside for customs and immigration to open the building.

[WA Girl]

We did self disembarkation, carrying our own bags. We were off less than 30 minutes after we docked. We actually had to wait outside for customs and immigration to open the building.

 

Did you nominate a pacific time to be off the ship at all ?

Thanks again

[Wookiee]

Why nominate a Pacific time when cruising the Med??? :eek:

[Bra_BE2014]

I read in a 2013 review that dinner seatings are at 7PM and 9:30 PM. Is this still correct?

[MTcruiser1970]

We recently returned from an MSC cruise that sailed from Civitavecchia. I had a tough time finding info on this ship on the MSC board. If anyone else is planning to travel on this ship, I would be glad to answer any questions about the ship in general.

 

 

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hi raring to go. i am european and this is my first cruise ever. i have read that it is possible to buy water package. do you know if you can do this on board? and if each person in the cabin has to buy same package. ? i have tried online but i keep getting error invalid booking number,but i managed to do online checkin so assuming that Msc site has problem as i have my tickets

thanks for any info

[Raring to go]

Did you nominate a pacific time to be off the ship at all ?

Thanks again

They will give you a card with an assigned time on it. I know that it is possible to get it changed, as a couple at our dinner table went down and got their time moved to a much earlier time due to an early flight out of Rome. Self carry disembarkation takes place immediately after the Yacht Club disembarkation.

[AmoMondo]

hi raring to go. i am european and this is my first cruise ever. i have read that it is possible to buy water package. do you know if you can do this on board? and if each person in the cabin has to buy same package. ? i have tried online but i keep getting error invalid booking number,but i managed to do online checkin so assuming that Msc site has problem as i have my tickets

thanks for any info

 

Yes individual packages are sold onboard. You'll get info at embarkation and see notices about them in the bars where you can purchase them. They are a book of vouchers for a certain number, so yes you can share and no, you don't all need to buy the same one. Just hand over your cruise card and a voucher each time you want a bottle of water.