Magnifica Day for the MSC Virgin Part 1

Having never sailed with MSC before, I have a lot of misguided assumptions of what to expect before I visited them today. I have always stuck these in a class along side with Thomson and Island cruises, but today I was taught a valuable lesson

“NEVER JUDGE A CRUISE BY ITS PRICE TAG”

Generally I was looking forward to my ship visit, having spent the last 5 weeks of the summer holidays at indoor play areas and parks. I was looking to some adults company and a change of scenery.

Well the scenery part started the moment I arrived. The MSC Magnifica was docked for the day in Dover, which is a  short 45 minute drive from my home therefore I should be used to the beautiful sights of Kent. However this backdrop as I arrived along with the sun was enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. With the famous “White Cliffs of Dover” and Dover castle, I was just a little envious of all the lucky passengers was had passed on the gang way that had woken up to these view this morning. It was simply post card perfect.

On arrival into the 24 hour reception, I could not believe how grand and glitzy it was, I was really surprised by the high standards as soon as I boarded the ship. The Magnifica was launched in January 2009, she was the fourth ship to be built to the Musica class. At full capacity the Magnifica will hold a huge 3605 passengers along with 1027 crew. Magnifica shares many of Musica’s popular features, including a central foyer with a three-deck waterfall; large number of balcony cabins; a 16,000-square-ft. spa with chromotherapeutic hydro massage and a Turkish bath; a three-deck theater; a secondary show lounge; and a disco.

Whilst on board we checked out a number of the 17 bar and lounges she has to offer. But by far my favourite was the The Tiger Bar. We were told by Paula our tour guide that this bar was typically like Marmite, however whether you love it or hate it you will never forget it. Decorated entirely in luxurious tiger print fabric, filled with deep comfort tube chairs and a hotspot for live music and fantastic entertainment, we are told in the evening this is the place to be.

Another venue that caught my eye because I could see my very own husband spending a great amount of time in was the Sports bar. A great place to grab lite-bite snack foods and catch up on the big sporting events including football, tennis, Olympics ect..with most tables having large screen entertainment . I can see this bar getting a big thumbs up from all the sports fanatics out there .

Next up no ship would be complete without a fantastic swimming pool area and the MSC Magnifica has 3 of them. Including one with a  ingenious ‘Magrodome’ retractable roof – perfect for winter cruising. The pool area I found was lovely very well thought out, with lots of very comfort sunbeds and each pool have relaxing Jacuzzis surrounding the area. They also benefit from pool side bars serving the most delicious home made Gelati Artigianali (Italian Ice cream) yum yum.

Another Big feature of this great floating resort  is the 1200 seater Royal Theatre. Purposely arranged so that each and every seat receive a clear view of the stage with no obstructions to ruin your show. The plush and comfortable theatre is home to 2 nightly shows making sure that both early and late diners can enjoy there professional live shows.

On top of all this how could you possibility fit any more in well I am sure you will find a way as there is also , a nightclub, disco which also boasts two bowling lanes, numerous other bars and  lounges , library, card room, an internet centre, 4-D virtual reality centre, children’s club, and dedicated cigar lounge.

With all this to digest and I haven’t even started with how I found the dinning experience and all the benefits of all inclusive. So please join me next week for details on the rest of my visit.

TO BE CONTINUED…………………………………..