MSC Magnifica picture heavy fun review -- 12 days British Isles incl. DIY port trips

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

The Farewell show

 

 

okay, for others it was the welcome aboard show, because today a couple of new passengers had embarked in Amsterdam.

 

It was made up of dancers, our beloved opera singers and the wonderful trio, whose music we adored all cruise long... it was a perfect mix and we were drawn into the magic. Here are the pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:-( I must say I missed the red hair

 

 

and with this picture we'll close our show/entertainment -section. Lol -- I love violins ... have I mentioned I got a left handed one for christmas? I'm a total beginner and now the whole neighborhood has to suffer, muhahaha.

 

 

stay tuned!

 

Stef

Edited January 19, 2015 by Kreuzfahrtneuling
typo

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

good night everybody!

 

:o:(:o We'll wrap up the review tomorrow. Thanks for sticking with me one more day.

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Dailies day 12 and MSC tours for this day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

stay tuned!

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Day 12 – Hamburg – and sadly disembarkation

The day started with absolutely gorgeous blue skies, as we sailed up the river Elbe towards Hamburg. Yay, once more the feeling of a river cruise. Just that those boats are so tiny compared to our big chunk of metal … look at the incredible shadow-size which the Magnifica is throwing:

This morning, we felt rebellious. Usually on MSC, you’re supposed to fiddle a little sticker on the back of your cruise card, showing the identification number of your luggage and a colored letter. This colored letter will tell you where and when you are supposed to meet up with a group of people to wait for disembarkation.

Well, we decided to completely ditch that and just enjoy the remainder of our Allegrissimo drink package. We chose the outside area of the restaurant. Today was the only day this section was inhabited by people. Oh and it was the only time the sliding glass doors leading to that section worked by the aid of the designated buttons.

I have to tell you one little cautionary advice here… just in case you ever sail on the Magnifica: If you stand in the back of the restaurant facing the outdoor area, you have the choice to either use the left or the right sliding glass door to get there. Use the one on the right! The one on the left gave me a bad bruise on my fingers (and I seriously was worried to have broken one for a few seconds), because when the button

isn’t

working, and you manually pull the door shut, your fingers will likely get stuck in this small in-between area to the right of this tiny handrail!

l truly believe MSC should do something about that … it hurt like hell and the fingers were blue for weeks after the cruise. Maybe some official MSC person is reading this as well … please do something to fix that problem! Thank you!

Anyway, we enjoyed our arrival in Hamburg from this beautiful look out spot with some more wonderful cappuccinos.

Sigh, dreaming …. One day!

The restaurant was getting emptier and emptier as all the obedient folks were shuffling to their “waiting-stations”. Mhhh, I guess we should leave the restaurant as well now… but the weather is so beautiful … I refuse to sit inside….let’s get one last cocktail at the pool bar. We started our vacation here, let’s end it here as well. And so we did.

After a while of rebellious bliss, we decided to go take a look as to how far the disembarkation process had progressed. We sadly left our sunny chairs at the pool bar to mozy on down to the centrum. We passed many chunks of very bored looking waiting people, but also different chunks moving along towards the exit. Oh, well – no way to change it, the cruise is over … let’s disembark.

Oh what a stupid idea that was – we should have just stayed at the pool bar for at least another two hours, comfortably sitting and enjoying sun and drinks!

Well, we know better now for our upcoming cruise.

Following is a more than ridiculous disembarkation process. As smooth as the embarkation was, as catastrophic was the disembarkation … wait and see.

Stay tuned once more!

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Disembarkation

This is the cruise terminal.

The center was completely closed off. From Royal Caribbean I was used to those nifty movable luggage bands, where you – sort of like at an airport would step up to retrieve your bags and then leave the hall to be on your way … not so here.

They had just started bringing out the first bags on these carts you see in the picture (drawn by the guy in the yellow vest). They had a total of a mere FIVE of those carts… and had to unpack every single bag then go back to wherever to load up more.

The only place to grab a seat was the window sill in the back of the picture. I’m clueless as to where the hordes we saw disembark already got their bags from, cause they sure as hell weren’t in this hall.

Well – the waiting started, as the hall filled with an insane amount of people and oh so few bags. It dawned on us that this would take forever… and it did.

We waited close to

3 hours

for our bags to arrive and for the “permission “ to go get them… because just because your bags have reached the hall doesn’t mean anything.

Only

after

they have neatly stacked them in rows and opened up a complete section to start stacking another one, you were sort of free to plunder the section … all people at once, who had been looking longingly at their arrived bags forever …

...Stampede….

... it was worse than the worst bargain sale… You simply cannot believe the shoving and panicky hordes, all in motion at once.

Seriously, this needs to be improved… it was like a war zone. Then, when you finally had your bags, the previously abandoned, one-and-only-exit was of course stuffed. It was only so wide, that one person could leave at a time. Another stress inducer, if you ask me.

After three hours standing in this hall, we were actually kinda glad to leave … out here now!

Outside – more trouble. Because of construction on the port area that day, no taxis could enter port grounds …. And therefore the whole place was filled to the max with stranded people… we had intended to take a taxi to the station as well …. But more standing and no-use-waiting….no way. We started to simply walk to the station.

The only mean part about that is that it all went uphill and we were dragging insanely heavy suitcases behind us. We sweated profusely and took a break in this park:

Well I did -- to take a picture of the fountain …

Tanja and Tarik waited for me with the trolleys.

A couple of more minutes and a quite yummy sushi meal at the train station later, we waited for our – of course heavily delayed – train. Argh… I guess once chaos strikes, it strikes thoroughly. But after yet another wait, this time with seats to wait on (whoohoo), we finally got on our train and were happily back on our way home.

I know the disembarkation was a hassle and we were definitely in a not so perfect mood because of it, still, let’s not forget that it was a wonderful vacation with lot’s of fascinating sights. We got to see four countries and utterly fell in love with one of them….We will never forget the many wonderful impressions. Apart from the “to be improved “ -disembarkation, we definitely fell in love with cruising “Italian-style”.

Thank you all for reading along, it was a pleasure to share our memories with you. Lol - And lot’s of them there were … You’ve seen an incredible amount of more than 900 pictures and 230 written review-posts. It’s taken almost 5 months to finish and has grown to be my most lengthy review yet.

 

In only 38 days, Tanja and I will endulge in a romantic cruise for two with an overnight stop in Funchal, Madeira…and I hope to see you all again for the review of that cruise as well. Until then -- cheerio!

 

------------------------------- The end ----------------------------

[oreosmile]

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise with us! You have inspired me to look at cruises in this region for our next family vacation.

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise with us! You have inspired me to look at cruises in this region for our next family vacation.

 

:pyou're welcome!

 

:) you'll find so many things to explore there that the "discarding" of really cool sights will be painful:o. No way you can see it all. But oh so many possibilities! Write a review when you return!!!!!

 

 

Stef

[Sailing Grandma]

Stef, I thoroughly enjoyed your review! What am I going to read each morning when I head to the computer?

 

Have a wonderful cruise next month. Can't wait for that review and to see your beautiful pictures.

[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi Steff

You would all appear to have had a great and eventful cruise and I have enjoyed reading about your adventures. I am very pleased that you enjoyed your visit to Scotland and managed to visit your chosen sites, as we say to visitors here

" Haste Ye Back".

Happy cruising to you all.

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Stef, I thoroughly enjoyed your review! What am I going to read each morning when I head to the computer?

 

Have a wonderful cruise next month. Can't wait for that review and to see your beautiful pictures.

 

 

mhhh, are you through with all the other long reviews on here? Kanscocoa is THE classic and how about the ones from Sinnpu? Very fun indeed. Then there's crvng4more with the more than excellent pictures ... kirian for the fun text (but beware -- she hasn't finished yet ... I really hope she will -- same goes for Irish cath). Then windjamming, katonholiday and Mistermom.... just to name a few. Oh and for the Brit Isles theme of course Deloriangirl. Gambee -the emperor of all reviews, shall of course not be forgotten either. I'm sure there are many, many more! Please forgive me for not naming more... the list is sheer endless ... cruisecritic rocks!

 

 

:p thank you!

 

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Hi Steff

You would all appear to have had a great and eventful cruise and I have enjoyed reading about your adventures. I am very pleased that you enjoyed your visit to Scotland and managed to visit your chosen sites, as we say to visitors here

" Haste Ye Back".

Happy cruising to you all.

 

:p thank you! ...and yes I think "great and eventful" is pretty fitting:D:D:D! We had a blast!

 

 

Stef

[spinnaker2]

saga...

Thanks for taking the time to share your trip with us.

It was just wonderful, a mirror of life with ups and downs!

[bridgetjonesni]

I have the same feeling now as I do when I finish a good book... happy but slightly bereft! Thanks for writing your excellent review! Really looking forward to your next one :)

[AnnMR]

Fabulous review

I'm looking forward to being on the Magnifica during Easter.

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

:p thank you spinnaker2, bridgetjonesni and AnnMR! You were great company! Looking forward to welcoming you when I start the next one.

 

Stef

[denisey]

Okay, I am giving you a standing ovation for the best cruise review yet! Yaaaaah!!!!! Brava!!!!!

 

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication!

 

Looking forward to the next one in about 2 months...38 days until the cruise, time on the ship, time to get home an unpack...then back to work! Have a fabulous next cruise!

 

Denise

[floridianny]

I rarely post on threads but I just had to say how much I enjoyed reading your review these last few weeks:)

AMAZING review! The photos and history included are beyond wonderful.

Our oldest son was recently saying he would love to see Ireland and Scottland. Your review has inspired us to look into going on this trip during the summer of 2016 for his graduation!

Thank you for sharing your wonderful family's travels.

Hope you have a fabulous time on your upcoming cruise!

[ocbogian]

Stef, thank you very much for this great Cybercruise with you and your family. I had a great time and I am looking forward to the next one.

[lorrdean]

Stef,Tanya & Tarik thank you for sharing your cruise, your drama's your highs and lows. It was a pleasure to read, you made me cry with laughter, and to worry about you, when you got left behind, and your detail in the history of all you saw was and is incredible. I'm sorry this review is at an end, but I wait patiently for your next review.xx

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Okay, I am giving you a standing ovation for the best cruise review yet! Yaaaaah!!!!! Brava!!!!!

 

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication!

 

Looking forward to the next one in about 2 months...38 days until the cruise, time on the ship, time to get home an unpack...then back to work! Have a fabulous next cruise!

 

Denise

 

:DLol -- now "I" feel like the soprano ... which is very funny, because I really can't sing for the life of me. :rolleyes:But I enjoy the fantasy ... so right now I'm imagining me stepping forward, taking a deep bow in front of you! Thank you for the standing ovations ... they're my first. I'll give my very best in the future reviews, so that maybe I'll get another one ... I really like them!

 

 

:pThank you!

 

 

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

:p thank you floridianny, ocbogian and lorrdean!

 

it really was a pleasure to share our cruise with you!

 

floridianny -- Wow -- now that is one great graduation gift! Lucky son of yours... you all will have a great time! Lol -- never too late to start posting a wee bit more --so how about writing a review afterwards?!

 

ocbogian -- Lol I love the term "cybercruise" and feel honored that it felt like that to you. Guess that means I didn't post way too much details.

 

lorrdean -- The fact that you loved the downs as much as the ups is really reassuring ... I didn't want to write an "all was wonderfull and we never argue" report ... it wouldn't have been the real deal ... I'm happy you enjoyed the full picture.

 

 

 

Stef

[willma]

I have really enjoyed your review. Thank you. Still can't believe you missed your ship in Dublin. I will look out for your Canaries review. We will be there at the same time but on a different ship.

[timetosaygoodbye]

Dear Steffi

 

Thank you for your wonderful review. I learned a lot about the british isles and i'm looking forward for your canaries cruise.

Maybe we see us on a trip, who knows ;)

 

Herzlichst

 

Claudia

 

Es hat mir wirklich sehr viel Freude gemacht, aber manches hab ich nicht sofort verstanden. Es war eine gute Englischlektion für mich, drum werde ich deine Berichte mehr als einmal lesen! "Bewaffnet" mit iPad, Pons Englisch-Deutsch und einer grossen Tasse Tee hast du/ihr mir so manchen "Schlecht-Wetter Sonntag" verschönert und wirst es weiterhin tun !!

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

I have really enjoyed your review. Thank you. Still can't believe you missed your ship in Dublin. I will look out for your Canaries review. We will be there at the same time but on a different ship.

 

:p thanks. Hey, which ship will you be on , maybe I can wave if I see it go by... I know we'll be docked in two ports with two different Aida ships ... but I doubt you're on one of those as an English speaker?

 

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Dear Steffi

 

Thank you for your wonderful review. I learned a lot about the british isles and i'm looking forward for your canaries cruise.

Maybe we see us on a trip, who knows ;)

 

Herzlichst

 

Claudia

 

Es hat mir wirklich sehr viel Freude gemacht, aber manches hab ich nicht sofort verstanden. Es war eine gute Englischlektion für mich, drum werde ich deine Berichte mehr als einmal lesen! "Bewaffnet" mit iPad, Pons Englisch-Deutsch und einer grossen Tasse Tee hast du/ihr mir so manchen "Schlecht-Wetter Sonntag" verschönert und wirst es weiterhin tun !!

 

Somehow the quoting wouldn't work, so I just copied and pasted....sorry for that.

 

Hi Claudia,

 

:p thank you.

 

Yeah, who knows... hopefully there will be many more cruise vacations in the future:)!

 

Stef

 

 

PS: :DLol -- Gerngeschehen! Jederzeit wieder!

gezeichnet: :Dstolze Englisch-lern-Initiatorin:D So was bräuchte ich gerade fürs Italienische!