MSC Orchestra Info?

[HandHandB]

We are booked on the Orchestra at the end of June and I can't find any personal info on this new ship. We were on the Costa Fortuna last year and really enjoyed our trip and are wondering how MSC will compare? We will be travelling with our 12 yr old son. Some specific questions that may be answered by those who have been on other MSC ships include?

1. Is the golf simulator/ mini golf included in the price or is there an extra charge? How much?

2. Is the Sushi bar extra? Ice Cream bar?

3. Any tips, hints, etc would be greatly appreciated.

We are getting excited here. We are expecially looking forward to the ports of call on this trip and any tips would be appreciated also (Bari, Katakolon, Izmir, Istanbul, Dubrovnik)

Thanks .

[hawaiicondos]

HI, We are booked on June 23rd on this ship..............obviously haven't been on it before, but looking forward to it. If anyone knows about excursions on this trip, and if finding one in port in Turkey is easy enough, or should we stick with the ship ones? Should anyone on this trip have already set up an excursion, we would be open to sharing..............the more people, the better the prices.

[HandHandB]

We will be on the same cruise as you. Have you checked the MSC site for details on the excursions? We are always torn as to whether to do tours or to try to find our way on our own. We did an Western Med cruise last year and were really upset that we didn't book a tour in Tunis; it was impossible to organize an individual tour.

 

We really want to see the Sassi in Bari but it doesn't sound like there will be time. Of course, we want to see Olympia in Greece (or at least our 12 year old son does). We haven't done much research on Turkey yet so don't know what we "must" see. If you or anyone else has any great ideas, we would certainly be willing to share.

 

Are you travelling with any children, by chance? There will likely be few Canadians on this trip (judging by our Sunquest cruise last year) so it would be nice to meet some English speaking people.

 

Only 2 weeks and 2 days to go!!!!

[evianh2ogirl]

Our family is also scheduled to take a Med cruise on the Orchestra-- although we don't depart until Jul 28. We'd love to hear what you think about your June 23 trip. We haven't found any reviews of the Orchestra on Cruise Critic and hope that when you return, you'll let us know how it goes!

[updaze]

I will be cruising the Orchestra from Venice in October...I would really appreciate any comments you have about the ship and crew after you get back...thanks y'all

[ConnieML]

Anyone on the 6/30 Orchestra?

[bhappy]

Finally, something on the Orchestra!! I have been browsing these boards and am surprised there is so little activity on the MSC cruise link.

 

We will be sailing on August 18th and looking forward to hearing about your experiences once you get back.....so please post and update us!

[hawaiicondos]

HI, We are a little older than you, and we are bringing one of our "kids" but he is 25. We are from California, and like you, we have been on other cruises. Generally we don' book excursions, except in Russia we did for obvious reasons. I have heard of a couple of outfits that will take you for a good price, ESPECIALLY if you have more people!

At any rate, Turkey has Eupheus and Istanbul looks interesting.

I do know that in Debrovnik, you can just go it alone...........no problem.

In Greece, I thought I wanted to see Olympia too.....but the cruise is charging a lot x 3 people.......and I rented a video of all the Greek Islands and that looks like it it mostly gone. I can't see spending 150 euros, and there isn't much left there to see. IF I could find an excursion, with a lot of people, taking the price down, we would go.

I'm glad you are bringing your son, age 12. We have always brought our kids, from the time they were little. IT's a great history lesson, to travel everywhere. They are now 38, 35, 25, and 21.

Perhaps we will meet.

[hawaiicondos]

HI, We are a quite a bit older than you, and we are bringing one of our "kids" but he is 25. We are from California, and like you, we have been on other cruises. Generally we don' book excursions, except in Russia we did for obvious reasons. I have heard of a couple of outfits that will take you for a good price, ESPECIALLY if you have more people!

At any rate, Turkey has Eupheus and Istanbul looks interesting.

I do know that in Dubrovnik, you can just go it alone...........no problem.

In Greece, I thought I wanted to see Olympia too.....but the cruise is charging a lot x 3 people.......and I rented a video of all the Greek Islands and it looked like Olympia is mostly gone. I know one reason the price is high, is the port (Katakolon) is an hour away. I can't see spending 150 euros, and then not seeing much. IF I could find an excursion, with a lot of people, taking the price down, we would go.

I'm glad you are bringing your son, age 12. We have always brought our kids, from the time they were little. IT's a great history lesson, to travel everywhere. They are now 38, 35, 25, and 21.

Perhaps we will meet.

[saamk67]

Hi - just read your post and had to register to reply. We are going on same cruise in September. I think because this ship is brand new there are no reviews as yet. Would love to hear how the cruise is after you take it. Have a great time!!!

 

Regards. S

[sandancer]

We are considering a Canary Islands Christmas cruise on Orchestra and we have no experiece of MSC cruises at all although we have 23 cruises under our belts. How does MSC compare with the American lines such as Princess/RCCL etc. We are from the UK and well travelled in Europe but have never tried a European cruise line. Any comments would be very welcome.

[scottsdale cruiser]

My Family And I Will Be Crusing Msc Orchestra On July 21, 2007 From Venice Italy For The First Time. Please Advice And Give Feedback. What Excursions Should My Family And I Not Miss? Where Can I Shop For Great Bargains In Each Port? I Have Been Reading All The Reviews Will They Allow Me To Bring My Own Bottled Water? Is There Anybody In The U.s. Taking This Msc Orchestra On July 21? :)

[HandHandB]

I will post a full review in the next few days but.....we had a great time!

 

MSC Orchestra met and exceeded our expectations. Great food, great service and a wonderful time in each port.

 

You WILL have a great time, we sure did. Our 12 yr old loved the ship and found lots to do (this was his 4th cruise and his favourite).:D

[neko]

Hi HandhandB and others, I will be cruising the orchestra on July13th and I really look forward to your reply. If you can comment on your port experience (excursions with the organized tours or if you explored on your own), it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance! :)

[HandHandB]

I have posted my full review on Cruise Critic and included details of the excursions we took. If you have any questions please post and I will do my best to answer your questions.

[Karipatta]

Hi HandHandB and Alexander.A,

 

What great reviews you have both written about your recent Orchestra cruise. I am booked on the November 14 cruise of the Eastern Mediterranean, leaving from Genoa, and feel very excited about what is in store. Thanks for the tip forewarning about "butting in line and pushing".

 

HandHandB, can you give us an idea of the cost of a meal at the Chinese Restaurant? What time are the evening meal sittings in the main restaurant? How dressy are the gala dinners and the Captain's dinner - is a cocktail dress OK or did most gals wear a long dress?

 

Is the pool deck (Chitarra) the only 'outside' deck that you can walk around or just gaze at the water over the rail?

 

Thanks both of you for taking the time to write the reviews.

 

Cheers,

Karipatta

[saamk67]

Hi HandHandB-

 

What a great review!! Thanks for taking time to do it. We are taking same cruise in Sept. and was very happy to read your review, especially the helpful excursion info. I have put this site in my favorites so that I could check to see any reviews. Yours was so helpful. Someone else asked about dress code - I too am curious about that, although it can certainly differ depending upon people. We are American and although I don't really care that much, I do hope we have other English speaking cruisers. Did you go to casino? Do you need cash for it??

Thanks again for your great review -

[HandHandB]

Hi Karipatta and Saamk67

 

Glad to help as others have helped me with travel info over the years. To answer your questions:

 

1. We paid 33 Euros at the Chinese restaurant. There were 3 of us and we each had soup, and then shared three items from the dim sum and 3 main courses. We bought the wine package so our wine was served in the Chinese restaurant so we didn't order drinks. My son had the fried ice cream for dessert. We have eaten at some great Chinese restaurants in Canada and the US and none compared to the one on the Orchestra.

 

2. There are two dinner sittings (7:15pm and 9:15pm). They are very strict that you arrive no more than 10 minutes late. There isn't an evening buffet restaurant so you either arrive on time or make a booking at one of the paid restaurants (Chinese and a special restaurant that we didn't bother with).

 

3. Dress code was VERY flexible. I hate fancy dresses so wore a basic black skirt and blouse to the two gala nights and fit in fine. My husband wore a sports jacket, shirt and tie. There were others who certainly looked more dressy but it certainly wasn't necessary. A cocktail dress would be fine.

 

4. There are many very neat areas to watch the water. We found that the very back of the ship had small decks on both corners. These were on several decks (I believe decks 5,6,7) and no one seemed to know about them. You just head to the back of the ship, bypassing cabins until you get to the last hallway and head left or right. This will take you to these totally quiet observations spots. There are no chairs but the view and the peace is wonderful. There are also lots of more public viewing spaces and we loved the area at the back behind the smokestack (find the mini golf and you will see what I mean) This area had chairs and was very quiet but sometimes windy.

 

5. We walked through the casino but never played. It looked very impressive but we are not casino people and I can't comment on the cash question.

 

6. You will certainly find English speaking people if you look for them. They have an English info session on the first afternoon so go to that and memorize/meet a few faces. If you ask your travel agent to book you a large dinner table with English speaking patrons, they will. We asked for a small table and just sat by ourselves (because we travel with our child, this has always worked out best for us).

 

Hope this helps and if you have further questions, please post.

[Downdie]

Hi HandHandB:

It was so nice to read an MSC review that mirrored our cruise on the Opera back in October 2004 out of Genoa when that ship was brand new. It seems that MSC is a much more appreciated line when cruising in Europe, I do wonder why?

Like you, we avoid the mainstream cruise lines here in North America for various reasons. In fact our last trip was in the Caribbean in February where we had a great cruise on an older ship of the Pullmantur Line out of Santo Domingo. Believe me, a Spanish cruise is just as good as an Italian one.

The fact that it was marketed as an all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic at a reasonable price didn't hurt either.

[evianh2ogirl]

HandHandB,

 

Thank you so much for your informative review! I've been keeping watch over this page for weeks--hoping that eventually someone would come back and review the Orchestra! We are all indebted to you!

 

If you wouldn't mind, I have a few questions as well.

 

I had read somewhere that MSC doesn't provide water throughout the day. Were passengers allowed to bring their own bottled water onto the ship?

 

In Bari, we were thinking of going on the Alberobello tour to see the trulli. Did you talk to any one who took that excursion?

 

I am traveling with my three teenage sons, ages 13,15, and 17. What did most teenagers wear for dinner? Jackets, ties...?

 

Did you use the laundry service? If so, was it expensive?

 

Is the tennis court a full sized court?

 

I had read that you can use your ATM in Turkey. Did you use one or see any about town?

 

Again, thanks for all of your help!

[HandHandB]

1. Water - bottled water is sold onboard. We requested jugs of water at lunch and supper and always got it. Most people buy the bottled water with meals but we are cheap.;) You can also get water from the dispensers at the buffet when it is open (approx noon-3pm). Many people filled their own water bottles from the buffet and it wasn't an issue. You could take your own water onboard, no problem. We also bought large bottles of pop on-shore and stored them in our cabin fridge. Again, no problem.

 

2. We did not speak with anyone who did that tour. We also saw trulli houses along the roadside on our tour to the Sassi. They are very cool.

 

3. Most teenagers wore dress slacks and golf type shirts to meals. Some even wore shorts (later in the week my son chose shorts and golf shirts for regular meals). For the formal nights (there are 2) my son wore dress pants, a shirt and tie (no jacket). As we were spending 2 days in Venice after our cruise, we wanted minimal luggage and were glad of this decision. Hauling bags in Venice is a nightmare.

 

4. We didn't use the laundry but I did look at the price list and felt it was expensive. I washed a few light items in our cabin sink and they dried in about 24 hours.

 

5. Tennis court - sorry no idea whether it was regulation size or not. My guess is not, though.

 

6. ATM cards - yes, we used an ATM in Turkey to get enough local currency to get us through the day. There are lots of ATM's and they are easy to find. We also found it easy to pay in Euro in Turkey, only the really small shops would refuse.

 

Hope this helps.

[scottsdale cruiser]

:) Hi HandHandB,

I want to thank you for your excellent reviews regarding Orchestra. My husband, I and our two boys ages 12 and 10 will be on the Orchestra on July 21. I have a few questions regarding Venice. Did you visit the glass blowing demonstrations in Murano Island? How was the food in Venice? Are there many small restaurants you recommend? My husband wanted to know how you brought your water and soda. Did you hand carry the water and soda or did you pack it in your suitcase? We are renting a car in Katakolon, Greece to visit Olympia is this advisable? Are there other sites/places you recommend a must see?

 

HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON:)

[Karipatta]

Hi evianh2ogirl,

 

Regarding the tennis court, I came across this reference on the website Ship Parade:

"Directly aft of the funnel is a full tennis/basketball court"

 

Hope this helps.

 

Karipatta

[Karipatta]

Go to Ship Parade:http://www.shipparade.com/indx.htm

 

Click on MSC Orchestra (here should work, or on the top right hand side of the home page) to see 6 pages of photos and information about the ship. It looks fabulous.

 

Karipatta

[Karipatta]

Hi HHB,

 

Thanks for your informative reply to my questions. Just wondering.....was the icecream bar free? Was there indeed a Sushi bar?

 

Cheers,

Karipatta