C. Newman
Itinerary: Western
Caribbean (Key West, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman,
Cozumel)
Sailing Date: December 5th, 2010
Age: 50
Occupation: Self-Employed
Number of Cruises: 7
Sail Dates: Dec 5 – 12, 2010
Cruise Ship: MSC Poesia
Cruiseport: Port Everglades, FL
Itinerary: Western Caribbean (Key West, Ocho
Rios, Grand Cayman, Cozumel)
Who We Are:
Married couple 49/50 years old, adventure
enthusiasts who love the outdoors, scuba diving,
traveling, gourmet cooking, exploring new
places, experiencing other cultures,
photography.
We have been on at
least 6 cruises with various cruise lines. Our
overall cruise experience with MSC was just
okay. Here’s our review:
FLL Airport
Note: during this time of year, this small
airport had crowds of people everywhere
sitting/standing/laying in the aisle ways and
only a couple of eateries that had long lines to
get in. We chose to fly in on a “red eye” rather
than stay the night, arriving approx. 10:00 the
day of embarkation. Had been told by the cruise
line we would be able to board around 14:30 to
15:00, so we hung around Ft. Lauderdale airport
a little while until we could no longer stand
it, which was not long. The airport is very
organized with its taxis, which is good. We took
a taxi to the cruiseport. Driver was fast. Cost:
$15 including tip.
Embarkation
Pros: Best experience we’ve ever had on a
cruise. Our taxi arrived at the cruiseport
around 11:30. No lines. Very organized. We were
seated in a waiting area for about an hour or so
inside a building. We used the Express Check-In
online, and were easily and quickly able to
board the ship, much earlier than the stated
14:30 to 15:00 time previously given by the MSC
rep we spoke with prior to our trip.
Cons: None. We had wished we were given
the correct information regarding boarding, as
we told our friends who joined us on the cruise
(a family of 5) the original time, and they made
later shuttle arrangements accordingly.
Ship
Pros: The MSC Poesia is a beautiful,
newer ship, built in 2008. Smaller than what we
have cruised on, but very lovely. Everything
sparkled on it. One of the prettiest ships we
have been on. Several lounges on board with
different themes. Beautiful Carlo Felice Theater
where the nightly shows were held. Plenty of
outside areas available to sunbathe, be
secluded, or watch games being played. Nice
pools and spas. Hand sanitizing stations placed
in all the public areas to keep us healthy.
Cons: None. Some voiced that it would
have been nice to have an adults only pool.
Our Stateroom
Pros: Balcony room 9125. LOVED IT. Very
appealing darker blue colors and tasteful modern
artwork. The best location, as it was mid-ship,
so you hardly ever felt the ship moving or
shuddering, and close to exits. Two single beds
were pushed together for us to make one large
bed. We also had a sofa bed. We could not
imagine having a 3rd person with us in the room,
but it was plenty big for the 2 of us. The huge
floor to ceiling mirror is nice. Plenty of
hanging room in the wardrobe (bring your own
hangers if you wish to hang all of your clothing
as the number of provided hangers is limited),
plenty of deep drawers to use, 2 night stands
with drawers, and a desk with more drawers, a
hairdryer, and 2 electrical outlets. I was able
to unpack and put away everything we brought.
That included day/excursion outfits, (our dive
gear sans BC/Regs was stored under the bed),
appropriate dining room attire including 2
formal nights attire, and swimwear. The private
veranda has 2 chairs and a table, very nice to
enjoy your morning coffee or evening beverage
on. There is a safe in the wardrobe. Bathroom
was efficiently laid out and had room for all my
cosmetics, along with under sink cabinets for
the rest of our toiletries. Inside the shower is
a dispenser of liquid body soap and shampoo.
Although I brought my own, I switched to the
provided body soap as I enjoyed the scent. The
water is filtered, so it is soft, which left our
skin nicely hydrated.
Cons: If you are used to having all of
your day to day toiletries provided (toothpaste,
body lotion, mouthwash, cotton swabs, etc.) you
are out of luck. Just bring your own travel size
products. I knew to do that by a previous
reviewer. Not a big deal. We have been spoiled
by other cruise lines in the past.
Restaurant
Pros: We were first seating in Le Fontane
Ristorante, table 521. Our waiter was Nyoman
from Indonesia. He was the BEST! We had
requested seating with our friends, so there
were 4 adults and 3 children ages 11, 12, and
14. The first night we informed him we were
Americans who enjoyed our water with lemon
slices. After that, we always had a bowl of
lemon slices waiting for us, with quickly filled
water glasses. We girls liked our coffee
immediately after our meals while the rest of
the table enjoyed hot chocolate. Nyoman
remembered that. He was always cheerful, smiled
and laughed easily, and even joked with us. He
was a joy. He made sure the kids always enjoyed
their meals, and would even get dishes that were
NOT on the menu to make them happy. His
assistant Dan from Honduras was very polite and
somewhat shy. Our dishes were always cleared
immediately, which we appreciated. We ate
breakfast in the dining room and overall wait
staff was always very good.
Cons: We were a very thirsty bunch, and
are used to having our water glasses refilled
promptly. We did have to ask to have them
refilled. At dinner, Dan got better at refilling
our glasses as the cruise progressed.
Note: you must ask for water if you want any at
breakfast in the dining room.
Stateroom Attendant
Pros: Excellent! Although the sign in the
bathroom says to hang towels you wish to re-use
and put those you wish to have laundered in the
sink, ALL the towels and washcloths we used were
always replaced with fresh. Our stateroom
attendant did a terrific job of clearing any
used glasses or small plates we had (from room
service), all the glass sparkled, bathroom was
spotless, and bed was either made or turned down
perfectly. The glass and railing on the veranda
were always cleaned of sea spray.
Cons: None.
Note: The MSC Poesia is a “green” ship, which we
appreciated. You insert your cruise card in a
slot on the wall as soon as you enter your
stateroom. This allows your lights to be turned
on. When you remove the card, your lights go
off, so no more wasted energy to light an
unoccupied room. Removing the card also signals
your attendant that your room is unoccupied, so
she/he can discreetly enter and clean it.
Photographers
Pros: Roaming photographers were never
intrusive, which we liked. All were very
professional. After reading a previous review,
decided to use the gals with a nice background
and soft lighting. We ended up buying a few
photos from the 2 formal nights. We had our
choice of several different poses, and they
always made sure the pose was more natural and
flattering.
Cons: None
Reception Desk
Pros: Available when you needed them.
Cons: Reps were polite enough, albeit a
little curt. We sometimes received facial
expressions that portrayed a look of “what an
absurd question…” My girlfriend had the same
observation.
Food & Beverages
Pros: Presentation and menu selection was
good. Fresh pasta of the day in the Villa
Pompeiana Cafeteria was always good, as was the
Cheese Lasagna and the Osso Bucco in the dining
room. Coffee was very good. Good selection of
teas. Watermelon, cantaloupe and bananas were
perfectly ripe. Cheese plates, shrimp cocktail,
and the Caesar salad in the dining room were
good. About 3 different types of bread were
good. That was the extent of the good.
Cons: The food was the WORST we have EVER
had on a cruise.
Everything LOOKED good, so our brains told us it
would taste good. WRONG. Meats, with the
exception of the Osso Bucco and the breakfast
bacon that was cooked only until rubbery were
always overcooked to the point you could not
tell if you were eating beef, pork or chicken.
My husband took one bite of the lobster tail,
which we had all looked forward to eating, and
promptly pushed the plate aside, with a sad
shaking of his head. Flavor was non-existent in
everything except the items I mentioned above.
From breakfast to lunch to dinner to dessert we
were all hopeful that a new menu item would
satisfy our palates – no such luck. When I tell
you the Ruben sandwich and chips I bought on one
of the US Airways segments flying back home was
the best meal I had the entire time, that says
something. We actually met a couple from Canada
at breakfast one morning who had been on the MSC
Poesia back in January, 2010. Afterwards, they
SWORE they would NEVER be back because the food
was “inedible,” as they put it. Price point got
them back on this cruise, and they made the
comment the food was much improved, albeit
flavorless…
Entertainment/Shows
Pros: This was a Baseball Greats Cruise,
and several well-known former baseball players
were on board. There were pitching clinics and
autograph sessions, along with storytelling and
various activities involving baseball. We were
not aware it was a theme cruise, but it didn’t
affect our decision to book one way or the
other. The cruise ship had an Animation Team,
who overlooked various games and pool-side
activities. Cruise Director Katharina was
outstanding as she eloquently flowed from
English to German to French to Italian to
Spanish in her translations. The main shows at
night, held in the Carlo Felice Theater had a
handful of outstanding acts (roper/knife
thrower, female aerialists, male acrobats, tenor
Aurelio Gabaldon and soprano Rosita Tassi).
Costumes were good. We always sat in the center
front row.
Cons: An Italian singer was showcased. A
terrific vocalist, it was actually hard to look
at her due to the countless ill-fitting gowns
she wore (she is not a small woman) as well as
the harshly drawn-on eyebrows and lips and
frazzled hair. I mean no disrespect. As I
stated, she was a wonderful vocalist. The
pairing of her with a lesser male singer during
the Broadway performances was weak. Male dancers
were pretty good. There were marked differences
in the abilities of the female dancers, and they
danced mostly out of sync. My husband wondered
aloud where all the pretty dancers were.
Disembarkation
Pros: We were able to arrange an early
“self-assist” departure, as we had a morning
flight to catch out of Florida.
Cons: The lines to see an Immigration
Officer were run very poorly. We were part of 2
single line rows of people who arrived at the
same time and were told to wait. A 3rd row was
added next to us. All of a sudden, the 3rd row
of individuals was allowed to start going
through, until a few of us voiced our complaint.
Overall, our vacation was good, due to our
wonderful experiences in the ports. We highly
recommend Yardie Tours for Ocho Rios, Living the
Dream Divers in Grand Cayman, and Chucho
Underwater in Cozumel. While the Poesia is a
beautiful, comfortable, spotless ship, our
cruise experience with MSC was just okay. We
would have to see reviews of much improved food
flavor to book a future cruise with MSC.
