MSC Virtuosa now - itinerary change

[NewWestwardbound]

Captain announced just before 1800  (local) departure from Valencia that due to forecast bad weather off Portugal (Lisbon) and the Bay of Biscay, MSC Virtuosa would be calling at Cartagena tomorrow and then sailing direct to Southampton, arriving Sat 12 Oct. 
 

Original itinerary:

Tue 8 Oct At Sea

Wed 9 Oct Lisbon 

Thu 10 Oct At Sea

Fri 11 Oct At Sea

Sat 12 Oct Southampton 

 

New itinerary:

Tue 8 Oct Cartagena

Wed 9 Oct At Sea

Thu 10 Oct At Sea

Fri 11 Oct At Sea

Sat 12 Oct Southampton 

 

 

 

[showingdiva]

Sensible plan.   No predicting how sea behaves, let alone that bit outside Lisbon and the BoB.   Is Chris Pugh still the Master at the moment?

 

Safe sailing to Virtuosa and her passengers and crew back to Southampton.

[NewWestwardbound]

Now Captain Alessandro Paparo. Seems both highly professional and very approachable. 

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

It does look as though it’s best to get through before the worst of the winds arrive

 

[frank808]

We board Virtuosa in Hamburg on Sunday Oct 13 hopefully.

[NewWestwardbound]

Letter from the Captain delivered to our cabin last night shows arrival in Southampton at 0700 local time on Sat 12 Oct, on schedule, I will try to keep this thread updated - connectivity permitting - if anything significant changes. 

[NewWestwardbound]

Now heading out of Cartagena amidst wise words from the Captain re: likely future sea state and the necessity of holding onto rails and leaving high heels in the wardrobe. 

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

12 hours ago, frank808 said:

We board Virtuosa in Hamburg on Sunday Oct 13 hopefully.

I don’t think you will be boarding Virtuosa on Sunday 13th in Hamburg as she will be at sea on route to Cork on the 14th.

[frank808]

My bad we board Preziosa in Hamburg.

[CruiseDad-NYC]

On 10/7/2024 at 12:37 PM, NewWestwardbound said:

Captain announced just before 1800  (local) departure from Valencia that due to forecast bad weather off Portugal (Lisbon) and the Bay of Biscay, MSC Virtuosa would be calling at Cartagena tomorrow and then sailing direct to Southampton, arriving Sat 12 Oct. 
 

Original itinerary:

Tue 8 Oct At Sea

Wed 9 Oct Lisbon 

Thu 10 Oct At Sea

Fri 11 Oct At Sea

Sat 12 Oct Southampton 

 

New itinerary:

Tue 8 Oct Cartagena

Wed 9 Oct At Sea

Thu 10 Oct At Sea

Fri 11 Oct At Sea

Sat 12 Oct Southampton 

 

 

 

Hi, how are you holding up? It looks like the Virtuosa is experience sees over 6 meters and I am curious how the ship is handling it and how it is to experience it on board.  Hang in there and hope all is well.

[NewWestwardbound]

We had an excellent day in Cartagena leaving early Tuesday evening, passed Gibraltar and north towards Lisbon. The evening shows went ahead last night (Wednesday) though - I understand - with reduced dancing. The ride has been  a little “bouncy” under mainly blue skies, but other than a few “creaks” in the cabin I don’t really have much to report - so must be good!

[showingdiva]

1 hour ago, NewWestwardbound said:

We had an excellent day in Cartagena leaving early Tuesday evening, passed Gibraltar and north towards Lisbon. The evening shows went ahead last night (Wednesday) though - I understand - with reduced dancing. The ride has been  a little “bouncy” under mainly blue skies, but other than a few “creaks” in the cabin I don’t really have much to report - so must be good!

 

I haven't personally been in anything more than a Force 6 on Virtuosa, but have read and heard plenty comments that she copes very well in "weather".   When I last looked on MT, you had Iona just behind you.   Hopefully everything is okay on board her too.

[NewWestwardbound]

Please don’t take this a definitive, but I understand that last night there were up to Force 8 winds with a swell of up to 8 metres. 

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

Celebrity Apex and P&O Arvia  just behind you

[NewWestwardbound]

Have been watching our mutual progress; we appear to be taking a slightly more westerly course (probably because we last ported at Cartagena). Apparently we are still on schedule for a Sat morning arrival in Southampton. 

[NewWestwardbound]

Still forecasting an on time arrival in Southampton tomorrow (Sat 12 Oct) morning. 

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

Looks like you were 3 hours late docking this morning. Hope it doesn’t affect disembarkations. 

[kalos]

58 minutes ago, HalifaxYorksCruiser said:

Looks like you were 3 hours late docking this morning. Hope it doesn’t affect disembarkations. 

 

Had a relative phone me this morning at 08:45 .They were still waiting to disembark 

a delay caused by ,person overboard incident in the early hours.

[showingdiva]

36 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Had a relative phone me this morning at 08:45 .They were still waiting to disembark 

a delay caused by ,person overboard incident in the early hours.

 

I hope all is okay.   The tracking picture shows quite a tight turn, in a busy shipping channel, for such a huge ship

 

 

[kalos]

2 hours ago, showingdiva said:

 

I hope all is okay.   The tracking picture shows quite a tight turn, in a busy shipping channel, for such a huge ship

 

 

 Sorry to say a sad ending .....  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8j7v22d40eo

[showingdiva]

6 minutes ago, kalos said:

 Sorry to say a sad ending .....  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8j7v22d40eo

 

Sorry to hear this.   My thoughts go to her family and friends, to the crew on board and on shore at MSC UK dealing with the incident.

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

Sorry that it was a sad ending. I wondered why Virtuosa did a sudden slow down and tight turn. It was chaotic at the terminal as passengers were still being picked up at 12 noon when new passengers were trying to drop off. After drop my wife off I exited via City terminal and parked at West Quay. City terminal was very quiet despite Apex being docked. In future I will drop off at City terminal if Horizon looks busy. 

[puppycanducruise]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

 Sorry to say a sad ending .....  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8j7v22d40eo

So sad.  Prayers for the family and friends.

[caffeine_demon]

On 10/7/2024 at 5:37 PM, NewWestwardbound said:

Captain announced just before 1800  (local) departure from Valencia that due to forecast bad weather off Portugal (Lisbon) and the Bay of Biscay, MSC Virtuosa would be calling at Cartagena tomorrow and then sailing direct to Southampton, arriving Sat 12 Oct. 
 

 

I Hope you complained at guest services, and demanded a full refund and 200% FCC...