Splendida in November

[Two 2 Tango]

We cruised on Splendida on November 9th round the Med. After having many problems with customer service prior to the cruise I had vowed never to sail with MSC again, but it was all forgotten when we were on board.

Firstly we had flown from Gatwick (England) to Genoa, the flight was with BA as part of the package but we were only landing around 4pm so it was cutting it a bit fine. It was a Sunday and we were the only aircraft in the airport, so everything went very quick and we were soon on the transfer bus. Getting through the formalities at the port was also quick and we were on board in minutes.

Just as we got to the door of the cabin (12137) the alarm sounded for lifeboat drill, so it was grab the life jackets and back down the stairs. After drill our cases arrived at the cabin so we were able to get changed for dinner at 6.30.

The cabin was very clean and larger than most balcony cabins on other lines we have used. The view from the balcony on deck 12 is superb, though looking below at deck 8 and 9 the view would be obstructed with the lifeboats; so if you are booking any of these it may well be worth checking this out.

The ship is kept very clean, with cleaners working all day even going round picking up crumbs in the bars; they are by far the cleanest ships we have used. I wish the same could be said of some of the passengers who seemed to use every excuse not to use the hand sanitizer that is provided at all the dining venues and when boarding the ship. I guess these are the same people who blame ships for causing noro virus!

The food in the MDR was fine, I have had better on earlier cruises but they are all cutting back to keep prices down. We never went hungry and there was always enough to choose from. The buffet was a bit samey but again there is enough choice. Some people moan about never being enough space, but if you walk to the back of the ship there are always spaces; there is also the option to share a table (OMG).

We found that there were enough bars and entertainment to go round for a full ship and always found a nice venue. We particularly enjoyed the Aft Lounge, good live music with dancing, we like latin and ballroom and danced all night. We had pre-booked the Allegrisimo package and just to check how it was I kept the stubs and totted them up at home, I was quite surprised how much we would have spent with drinks coffee and ices. We are not what you would call big drinkers but the final bill if you add on the 15% service charge would have been double. We did have one waitress in the bar who said we couldn't take glasses into the next room I told her we would bring it back but she just grunted, so I didn't bother taking it back. Never had any problems moving from room to room with drinks after.

The weather and sea were great during the cruise I think there was only one day we had rain so not too bad for mid November. After seeing babies with nappies on in the pool and Jacuzzi we decided to give them a miss (Yuck). There were not many children on board due to it being just after the holidays, but the ones we met were well behaved and well looked after during the day with the animation team.

Bit of a mention to the animation team, they work very hard all day and night and are a great laugh. They keep everyone entertained with games during the day and dancing at night. Some of the productions shows were a bit hit and miss, some a big hit some a big miss.

The ports we sailed to were as follows but this is a personal view so other may see them in a different light.

Naples was our first port, it is a bit of a Marmite place you either love it or hate it; but it is a non compromising place that is what it is and always will be. I have been there many times and love the place, if you want to venture further you can get the ferry to Capri or Sorrento, or the train to Pompeii or Sorrento. The City and ferry are only a short flat walk from the ship, but the train station is at the far end of the main street; if you want to get there quick take a cab.

Next was Messina, again only walking distance but there is not a lot to entertain you for a full day, so in retrospect may have been better getting the train to Taormina.

We then sailed to La Goulette, there is not much in the vicinity and it is a long way to Tunis. We took the tour to Medina, It was a good tour though we were soon to find out we should have used a repellent due to the sand flies that are still active at that time of year. You don't feel them and don't see them, but you get an allergic reaction from the saliva; big extremely itchy blobs that were still coming up after we got home.

After a day on the very calm sea we sailed into Barcelona, having been before we decided to just have a walk round the city. It is worth getting the shuttle as it is quite a walk to the city though it is possible but why waste your sightseeing time looking at the port for half an hour each way.

Next stop was Marseilles, though it is ok round the port in town with bars and restaurants the rest of the town is a bit of a dump. The shuttle drops you off outside of a nice shopping centre so this is good if you want to pick up a few thing. The cruise port is a long way from town, about half an hour drive, so don't even think you can walk it; and there is area on the way so not very safe to walk. They charge an exorbitant 18 euro each for the shuttle, though there is a free one from the port but don't know where it will drop you off. As it was raining we decided to bite the bullet and pay for the ship shuttle.

We sailed back to Genoa and the process of disembarkation went quite well we left the ship at the exact time we were given. We were then transferred to the airport, this was not too good as or flight was not until late afternoon. At the airport we were able to leave out cases at the MSC lounge, and 6 of us got a taxi back to Genoa for a nice day out. It was a bit chaotic and busy at the airport but we left on time (well nearly) for a good flight home.