Good cruise on a good ship but lacking a 'wow' factor - 20 to 27 Aug 2011 vom 08.09.2011

>>Hier<< geht es zu den Kreuzfahrten mit der MSC Poesia

Gesamtnote: 2,7
Autor: Sergio

The itinerary was ok but could be improved. Olden is reached through an impressive fjord, Bergen is a very nice town, Copenhagen and Oslo are very interesting capitals, but we spent too much time is small, and not so interesting Kristiansand and too little time in Oslo and Bergen. It could have benefited from adding Geiranger or Flam and deleting Kristiansand.

The ship itself is beautifully decorated and has an elegant flair. I would not describe it as luxurious but it was comfortable and rode the waves well. Unfortunately it vibrates more than the sister ships. Good deal of open deck space and an easy lay out are also very positive points. Temperatures on board were kept on pleasant levels. some of the seats on the lounges were really comfortable. The disco, quite high up, made up for a lovely observation lounge (which these ships do not have)

Quite standard balcony cabin but a bit too narrow and small for three pax. Carnival and Costa managed better the internal space for three pax. Balcony furniture was damaged and a bit dirty. Drawers were a bit defective. However cabin was quiet and the main bed was comfortable. It was decorated in beautiful shades of blue with a huge mirror on one of the walls, but access to the balcony could be quite difficult when sofa bed was done as a bed.

The menus were imaginative up to a point. Food was well presented and although there were several courses, the portions were small. Festive menu for Gala nights looked better on menu than on reality. Wine list was good. Desserts were a bit on the poor side. Afternoon sandwiches and cakes were a bit boring. The coffee on the buffet (available practically 24 hours) tasted like anything but coffee. It seems like something created by BASF or Merck but not as coffee. One of the worst I have ever encountered. Specialty coffees (at a price) were good. The Martinis were good but quite small.

The service on the cabin and restaurant was good and on time. However on the buffet and some other areas of the ship the staff did not seem well trained. They were, however, always friendly if addressed correctly and politely. They did their job well but did not seem to be happy to be on board the ship. Reception and Accounts did a good job and the host and hostesses seem quite active.

The shows were a hit and miss. Two were very good. Two were very bad. The three others were average. Some good singers though and interesting acrobatics. Gala nights were quite flat and nothing really special. Some of the bands (specially the jazz one) was indeed good. Cruise director spoke several languages but with an odd accent. he was neither very imaginative, nor funny but tried hard to be.