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THE GOOD,THE BAD AND THE UGLY. |
| Reviewed By: SHEPPARD, MIDDLESBROUGH on 23rd Nov 2008 |
| Cruise Line: MSC Cruises |
Times cruised before: 10+ |
| Cruise Ship: MSC Melody |
Sailed:
October,
2008 |
| Destination: Africa |
Age: 65+ |
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My wife and I cruised in the MELODY from 28/10/08 to18/11/2008.We chose the cruise because of the itinery and it seemed to represent fair value all things being equal.We paid for our own flights from our local airport to Heathrow stopping overnight at T5 Travelodge in preparation for the early morning flight to Milan.Flight to Milan no problem,then we had a 3 hour transfer by coach to Genoa.A pleasant enough journey.Upon arrival in Genoa the embarkation process was no problem,we were taken to our cabin,inside on Oceanic deck.The cabin was clean and had eveything we expected.No problem.Throughout the cruise,our cabin girl,was spot on with everything.First port of call was Naples,we had been before so we just went ashore.Breakfast was buffet or dining room.We always went buffet,and there was ample choice to satisfy anyone.Lunch was also buffet,and again ample choice to satisfy,the carvery joint was always very good.However the evening dinner was somewhat different.We were first sitting,and quickly found that the second waiter at our table of 8 was learning the job.Not his fault.As the cruise went on he got better and better.What we also found was that the transfer of food from the kitchen to the dining room caused problems,the food quite often being cold or warm at best.The secret in the dining room was to get your choice from the menu correct.Some people made the wrong choice,and because they didnt like it made the assumption that the food was not good.Not so.However I have had better.Port Said next call,we had also been there before for Pyramids etc so I went ashore on my own for a wander around,runnung the gauntlet of the sellers.Going through the Suez canal was very interesting,on the way to Jordan,Aquaba,and Petra.Petra was an 8 hour excursion,and some rough terrain walking.Well worth seeing but overpriced excursion.A few days at sea to Safaga for Luxor and Karnak.This was a 12 hour trip,4 hrs there,4hrs back,and 4 in between.The trip out was in daylight and the sightseeing was very interesting.The onboard toilet blocked and overflowed,not very nice.But it was fixed for the return o.k.We received our packed lunches at 15.30,10 hours after our breakfast,not good.Again overpriced.6 days at sea followed this on our way to the Seychelles.You could relax,read,sunbathe or join in the activities.The availability of sunbeds and towels was good.Of course there was always the pool.In the Seychelles we took a half day tour to the north of the island-cruises-summer-holidays/">island.Very poor value,so we put a complaint in,as did a lot of other people.Next Mauritius,where 4 of us got a taxi to take us on the equivalent of the ships excursion for a total of 140 dollars.We initially agreed $110 but he had us out for 4 hours and showed us everything so we paid extra.The ship excursion would have cost $139 each!.Then to Reunion Island,where we tried to do the same thing,but the shuttle and transport arrangements were a comlete shambles due to lack of information,eventually we gave up.On to Durban,out of cabin by 7am,quite early,eventual transfer to Durban airport,on to Johannesburg for flight to Heathrow.The only other thing to comment on was the entertainment.Around the ship were various venues,duos,piano player,4 piece band in the theatre.Juggler,magician,acrobats,show girls,featured .Also there were classical music and opera .concerts.Quite good if you like that sort of thing.The big problem in the theatre was that the band were in situ on the small stage,so all the acts performed on the dance floor.This meant that outside of ths front row you view was mainly of head and shoulders.Summary,we enjoyed the trip.Room for improvement in the dining room and in communication,excursions overpriced.We never did receive a reply or acknowledgement to the complaint we put in even though we followed it up..Bingo shouted out in 4 different languages,and repeated,gets you after a while.Fair value.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Buffet breakfast and lunch,dinner in dining room | | Entertainment | |
| A completely mixed bag. | | Shore Excursions |  |
| All excursions overpriced,North Mahe was a disgrace. | | Staff |  |
| Could not fault any of the staff at all. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| Apart from the odd quiz we were happy to relax.BUT others took a more energetic role,good for them. | | Cabins | |
| No problem at all | | Overall Rating | |
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