In April of 2011 I went on my first cruise! One of the best holiday experiences you can get. It's a great way to see many cities and countries and even experience different cuisine in a short space of time, in my case it was a week cruise. The cruise line we went with was MSC Cruises and spent the week on MSC Fantasia.
Ports of Call
Valletta, Malta
Messina, Sicily
Civitavecchia/Rome, Italy
Genoa, Italy
Marseille, France
Barcelona, Spain
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| MSC Fantasia | | | |
Departure was firstly from London Gatwick, flying to Barcelona, Spain for the first port. It was quite a while to get onto the ship as you can imagine, the ship held up to around 4,000 passengers at any time. We finally made it into our balcony cabin.
Cabin
The original itinerary was to first stop in Tunis, Tunisia on the Northern Coast of Africa. However, due to political issues there it was not allowed. Full steam to Malta! Valetta is the capital of Malta and here we went on two excursions around Valetta and into Mdina, a second city.
Valetta
Mdina
Messina in Sicily was the second port of call. Here we visited Mount Etna which is the tallest active volcano in Europe, standing just over 10,000ft. 12 days prior it had erupted.
Mount Etna
Civitavecchia/Rome was the port of call everyone was most excited about. Previous to this I had been to Rome for the day once in 2006. It's a great city, lot's to see and a great range of ways to explore the city. Highlights included The Trevi Fountain (Fontana Di Trevi) and petite restaurant on a back road which was amazing!
St Peters Basilica/ The Vatican
Trevi Fountain
Colosseum
Spanish Steps
Genoa did not grant us from good weather, none the less, Portfolio, another highlight of the cruise. It's a chic, small fishing village situated on the Italian Riviera. It's a very stylish and expensive area with shops in the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci. It's pastel colored buildings and ambiance created a perfect atmosphere.
Portofino
Portofino
MSC Cruises. What a great company to cruise with. Their customer service, facilities, decoration, atmosphere and especially the food was first class! The Red Velvet Restaurant was the main dining area and here each table had their own personal waiting service, had a different menu every evening and made extra effort on top of the first class service for the formal Gala evenings. I would highly recommend a MSC Cruise and a cruise's in general. |
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MSC Fantasia
Upper Deck Pool
Swarovski Crystal Staircase
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Hello,
ReplyDeleteMediterranean cruises are one of the best ways to visit the region.These are a terrific way to see this fantastic part of the world. It is the most popular cruise destination for British passengers seeking a great holiday with guaranteed good weather. It provide the opportunity to visit greece and the greek islands, turkey, croatia and even places as far away egypt. Thanks a lot...
Best Mediterranean Cruises
I loved looking at your pictures! I've never been on an MSC cruise but it looks like there was never a dull moment! I have however been on several Mediterranean Cruises and I am always stunned with the beautiful sights I see, just as the ones you've shared above. If you've never gone on one, it is quite the experience! Thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteGreat article you have here! The cruise ship is just awesome! And the ports of call were all must see countries of the world! Thanks for sharing your experience.
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