MSC Cruise review SW page 2
1
75 December 14, 2014 Tel: +353 (0)66 719 9100 | Email: [email protected] www.felspointhotel.com Subject to availability. Excludes bank holidays and special events 2 Nights DBB from €99 pps 2 Nights Bed & Breakfast, 2 Evening Meals at Morels Restaurant (4 course meal each night), plus discounts to local visitor attractions! Free Car Parking & Wifi Access 3 Nights DBB from €139 pps Enjoy 3 Nights Overnight Accommodation in one of our superior rooms and 3 Evening Meals with complimentary tea / coffee and scones on arrival Quote SUNDAY WORLD to avail of offer For all the latest movie news and reviews, check out facebook.com/ sundayworld1 twitter.com/ Escape ROYAL COUNTY DOWN DATES ernireland.com/irish-open-2015 or check out irishopen.ie IF YOU’RE still frozen after Christmas you can get some winter warmth on the cheap. Lowcostholidays.ie have a few week-long breaks like Malta on January 31, staying at the four-star Solana Hotel, from €165 pp including flights. You’re guaranteed the heat in the Canaries and on the 21st there’s Tenerife and the 3* Hotel DC Xibana Park from €245, Fuerteventura’s Pue- rto Caleta Apartments from €249 on the 30th or Gran Canaria’s 3* Tisalaya Park Apartments for €275 on the 13th. AN IDEAL honey- moon should include the exotic and luxurious. Gohop.ie has a two-centre break with nine nights in the Shandrani Resort in Mauritius, all inclusive, followed by five nights half-board in Dubai at the Sofitel on The Palm for some top shopping with all the wedding cash. The price of €2,525 pp includes all flights, transfers, etc. TEE: View from third hole at the Down golf course MED CRAIC (which left from Salerno) and an island tour of Ibiza. Wanting to sample as many sights as possible, we flew into Genoa, home to 631,000 people, the day before our cruise. We took a 40-minute tour of the city on the Pippo tourist train, which stopped at the house where the legendary Christopher Columbus was born. We also visited Acquario di Genova, the second-largest aquarium in Europe. Dolphins aside, we were suitably impressed by the seafaring facility and its 500 marine species. We set sail from Genoa the next day. We were blown away by just how big, white and shiny our vessel was. The 824-foot MSC Sinfonia consists of 783 cabins, three restaurants, eight bars, a nightclub, a theatre and a casino (and believe it or not that’s actually considered quite small in comparison to the rest of the fleet). Wanting the best of both worlds, we opted for an ocean view cabin which, while more basic than a suite but fancier than a standard room, provided us with bunk beds, a dressing table, television, bathroom and window. Indeed our comfy sea bunker was just like a floating hotel room with us waking up somewhere different each day. One of the nicest yet naughtiest aspects of our cruise and indeed any liner we found has to be the food. All kinds of everything were available at the buffet onboard from curries to pasta to burgers to salad so if, like me, you fancied being healthy one minute and bold the next it wasn’t a problem. We were also assigned to one of the ships two main restaurants on board named Il Covo. There, the happy attitudes of the staff who celebrated Italia with some fine napkin swinging on two nights (yes I’m not sure why but we were waving napkins around over our heads!), music and flowing wine ensured we polished off numerous courses. It would also be a crime not to mention the pizzas on board. Let’s just say they were tastefully cheesy, plentiful and that the ship’s master of pizza ensured we didn’t go hungry! As fairly health conscious people recently turned pizza addicts, Ruth and I were delighted to see the ship offered a fully decked out gym in which we could work up a sweat after a morning of exploring. It also featured a spa called the Aurea, which meant we could pamper ourselves with hair and beauty treatments ahead of the ships many theme nights, two of which were gala evenings and had a formal dress code (which we felt was a really nice touch.) In addition to this, the ship had a Turkish bath, camomile suite and luxurious heated ceramic chairs which allowed us to kick back, relax and gaze out into the ocean. One of the funny things about our cruise had to be the fact that there were so many facilities and so much entertainment onboard that we actually found it difficult to leave! But our seven days on board still saw us embark on excursions to the stunning spots listed on our itinerary each morning. After a few hours sightseeing we would then retire to the ship for a spot of lunch, head to a pool party (they resembled raves that one might experience in Ibiza!) go wining and dining and finish our day off in the ship’s nightclub Pasha, which was absolutely thriving with people of all ages all night every night. Although our ship didn’t have as many restaurants or facilities as bigger liners we found it to be perfectly adequate and immensely enjoyable for what it cost. The little frills approach to our ship meant it was clean, the service was top notch, the food was fabulous and the party atmosphere was unreal. We thoroughly enjoyed our mad week in the Med (which was pretty much guaranteed considering the overnight stay in Ibiza was part of our intinerary!). It was also fantastic to experience people of all H THE 12-ship MSC fleet sails year round across the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. They also have itineraries in South America, Dubai and Southern Africa. Around 1.7 million people are expected to travel on board the MSC liners next year. H The fleet consist of three different classes the Fantasia class (which is the highest) the Musica class and the Lirica class Each ship has different character- istics. The MSC Sinfonia was based around musical legends while the MSC Divina was inspired by superstar Sofia Loren. The MSC Magnifica has its 16 decks named after some of the most famous Italian cities. H All four of MSC’s Lirica class ships are undergoing a makeover before 2015, with sections of nearly 24 metres being built into the middle of the vessels, meaning more facilities and higher capacities. H For more information see www. msccruises.ie or visit your local travel agent. VIEWS: Overlooking the Med and, right, with the captain of MSC Sinfonia TRAVEL FACTS generations and nationalities on board, which resulted in the making of many friendships and memories. Would I cruise again? Certainly! Would I change anything? I would probably try and stay on board longer if I could (we had plans to hide in the ships lower deck which unfortunately went to pot!) Would I have any advice for those interested in sailing the ocean seas? Bring your finest clothes, prepare to mingle and get ready to wave all your worries away. Rebecca Lee
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Transcript of MSC Cruise review SW page 2
75December 14, 2014
Tel: +353 (0)66 719 9100 | Email: [email protected]
Subject to availability. Excludes bank holidays and special events
2 Nights DBBfrom €99 pps
2 Nights Bed & Breakfast,2 Evening Meals at MorelsRestaurant (4 course meal
each night), plus discounts tolocal visitor attractions!
Free Car Parking & Wifi Access
3 Nights DBBfrom €139 pps
Enjoy 3 Nights OvernightAccommodation in one of oursuperior rooms and 3 Evening
Meals with complimentary tea /coffee and scones on arrival
Quote SUNDAY WORLD to avail of offer
For all the latest movienews and reviews, checkout facebook.com/sundayworld1
twitter.com/Escape
ROYAL COUNTY DOWN DATESernireland.com/irish-open-2015 orcheck out irishopen.ie
IF YOU’RE still frozen after Christmasyou can get some winter warmth onthe cheap. Lowcostholidays.ie have afew week-long breaks like Malta onJanuary 31, staying at the four-starSolana Hotel, from €165 pp includingflights. You’re guaranteed the heat inthe Canaries and on the 21st there’sTenerife and the 3* Hotel DC XibanaPark from €245, Fuerteventura’s Pue-rto Caleta Apartments from €249 onthe 30th or Gran Canaria’s 3* TisalayaPark Apartments for €275 on the 13th.
December 14, 2014December 14, 2014AN IDEAL honey-moon should include the
exotic and luxurious. Gohop.ie hasa two-centre break with nine nights in
the Shandrani Resort in Mauritius, allinclusive, followed by five nights half-board in
Dubai at the Sofitel on The Palm for some topshopping with all the wedding cash. The price of€2,525 pp includes all flights, transfers, etc.
For all the latest movieFor all the latest movienews and reviews, checknews and reviews, checkout facebook.com/out facebook.com/sundayworldsundayworld
twitter.com/twitter.com/EscapeEscape
TEE: View fromthird hole at the
Down golf course
MEDCRAIC
(which left from Salerno) and anisland tour of Ibiza.
Wanting to sample as manysights as possible, we flew intoGenoa, home to 631,000 people,the day before our cruise. We tooka 40-minute tour of the city on thePippo tourist train, which stoppedat the house where the legendaryChristopher Columbus was born.
We also visited Acquario diGenova, the second-largestaquarium in Europe. Dolphinsaside, we were suitably impressedby the seafaring facility and its 500marine species.
We set sail from Genoa the nextday. We were blown away by justhow big, white and shiny our vesselwas. The 824-foot MSC Sinfoniaconsists of 783 cabins, threerestaurants, eight bars, a nightclub,a theatre and a casino (and believeit or not that’s actually consideredquite small in comparison to therest of the fleet).
Wanting the best of both worlds,we opted for an ocean view cabinwhich, while more basic than a suitebut fancier than a standard room,provided us with bunk beds, adressing table, television, bathroomand window. Indeed our comfy seabunker was just like a floating hotelroom with us waking up somewheredifferent each day.
One of the nicest yet naughtiestaspects of our cruise and indeedany liner we found has to be thefood. All kinds of everything wereavailable at the buffet onboardfrom curries to pasta to burgersto salad so if, like me, you fanciedbeing healthy one minute and boldthe next it wasn’t a problem.
We were also assigned to one ofthe ships two main restaurants onboard named Il Covo. There, thehappy attitudes of the staff whocelebrated Italia with some finenapkin swinging on two nights(yes I’m not sure why but we werewaving napkins around over ourheads!), music and flowing wineensured we polished off numerouscourses.
It would also be a crime not tomention the pizzas on board.Let’s just say they were tastefullycheesy, plentiful and that the ship’smaster of pizza ensured we didn’tgo hungry!
As fairly health conscious peoplerecently turned pizza addicts, Ruthand I were delighted to see the ship
offered a fully decked out gym inwhich we could work up a sweatafter a morning of exploring. It alsofeatured a spa called the Aurea,which meant we could pamperourselves with hair and beautytreatments ahead of the ships manytheme nights, two of which weregala evenings and had a formaldress code (which we felt was areally nice touch.)
In addition to this, the ship had aTurkish bath, camomile suite andluxurious heated ceramic chairswhich allowed us to kick back, relaxand gaze out into the ocean.
One of the funny things about ourcruise had to be the fact that therewere so many facilities and so muchentertainment onboard that we
actually found it difficult to leave!But our seven days on board stillsaw us embark on excursions tothe stunning spots listed on ouritinerary each morning.
After a few hours sightseeingwe would then retire to the shipfor a spot of lunch, head to a poolparty (they resembled raves thatone might experience in Ibiza!)go wining and dining and finishour day off in the ship’s nightclubPasha, which was absolutelythriving with people of all ages allnight every night.
Although our ship didn’t haveas many restaurants or facilitiesas bigger liners we found it to beperfectly adequate and immenselyenjoyable for what it cost.
The little frills approach toour ship meant it was clean, theservice was top notch, the food wasfabulous and the party atmospherewas unreal.
We thoroughly enjoyed our madweek in the Med (which was prettymuch guaranteed considering theovernight stay in Ibiza was partof our intinerary!). It was alsofantastic to experience people of all
We were also assigned to one ofWe were also assigned to one of offered a fully decked out gym inoffered a fully decked out gym in
H THE 12-ship MSC fleet sails yearround across the Mediterraneanand the Caribbean. They also haveitineraries in South America, Dubaiand Southern Africa.
Around 1.7 million people areexpected to travel on board the MSCliners next year.H The fleet consist of three differentclasses the Fantasia class (which isthe highest) the Musica class and theLirica class
Each ship has different character-istics. The MSC Sinfonia was basedaround musical legends while theMSC Divina was inspired by superstarSofia Loren. The MSC Magnifica hasits 16 decks named after some of themost famous Italian cities.H All four of MSC’s Lirica class shipsare undergoing a makeover before2015, with sections of nearly 24metres being built into the middle ofthe vessels, meaning more facilitiesand higher capacities.H For more information see www.msccruises.ie or visit your localtravel agent.
actually found it difficult to leave!actually found it difficult to leave!
VIEWS: Overlookingthe Med and, right,with the captain of
MSC Sinfonia
TRAVELFACTS
generations and nationalitieson board, which resulted in themaking of many friendships andmemories.
Would I cruise again? Certainly!Would I change anything? I wouldprobably try and stay on boardlonger if I could (we had plans tohide in the ships lower deck whichunfortunately went to pot!) Would Ihave any advice for those interestedin sailing the ocean seas? Bringyour finest clothes, prepare tomingle and get ready to wave allyour worries away.
Rebecca Lee
