MSC Poesia – Now that’s Italian!

In November 2009, amid media hoopla and fanfare, the MSC Poesia arrived at Port Everglades from her home in Italy to begin her maiden Caribbean season.  Meaning “Poetry” in English, this beautiful ship will sail 3-5-7-10 night amazing itineraries throughout the Caribbean including the Yucatan, Panama Canal and Bermuda during her first season in North America.

MSC Cruises is a family-owned Italian cruise and shipping company whose original name was “Mediterranean Shipping Cruises.”  With a fairly recent entry into the passenger cruise industry, MSC Cruises is known for their new ships (among the newest fleet in the industry), Italian ambiance and European experience.

At 93,000 tons and carrying 2,550 passengers (based on double-occupancy), the Poesia is a medium-sized vessel by the mega-ship standards of today.  The Poesia is truly a state of the art ship equipped with the latest advances in eco-technology, safety and design.  There are four banks of elevators, so despite the smaller-sized ship, MSC makes sure that you never have to walk very far to the nearest lift.

Called, “The President’s Cruise” this was the North America debut for the MSC Poesia. Suzanne Somers, the North American Godmother of the Poesia, was onboard for this sold-out cruise.  An at-capacity cruise makes for a good review because you get to see how well the crew manages with a full house.

EMBARKATION

While it is important to note that at many ports in North America, it isn’t the cruise line that staffs the embarkation/debarkation check-in but rather an out-sourced company hired by the port.  MSC oversees the embarkation procedure with upper level staff that is friendly, knowledgeable and most important, quick.  Ft. Lauderdale’s embarkation area in many of the terminals is enormous which facilitates boarding.

As is the MSC tradition, as you step onboard you are greeted by a ready and waiting white-gloved attendant to assist with your carry-on bag and escort you to your stateroom.

ITINERARY: Five-night cruise to Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  Grand Cayman still requires a tender to go ashore.

STATEROOMS

Of the 1,275 staterooms and suites, 80% are oceanview and 827 boast a private balcony.  At no time did I hear any noise from my neighbors on either side of my cabin.

Wheelchair accessible staterooms are plentiful aboard the Poesia, with seventeen cabins on six different decks, both oceanview and inside.  The beds, however, cannot be pushed together to form a king-sized bed.

The inside cabins at 151 sq. ft. are about average inside-size within the cruise industry.  The use of mirrors gives the illusion of a larger accommodation.  The new flat-panel televisions allow you to use more space on the countertop than with the older bulky TV sets.

DINING

The Poesia has five dining areas including two formal dining rooms, Le Fontane on deck 5 and Il Palladio on deck 6.  The buffet on deck 13 is the Villa Pompeiana Cafeteria.  For alternative dining there is the Kaito Sushi Bar and Restaurant L’Obelisco.  Make your specialty dining reservations early.  Unlike most ships’ alternative restaurants, Kaito and L’Obelisco do not at this time, have fixed per person pricing.  Kaito is priced nearly the same as a land-based sushi bar, at about $20 per person without alcohol.  L’Obelisco, a fine dining Continental restaurant, will cost somewhere in the area of $20 – $30 per person, without drinks.

At L’Obelisco, the waiters and staff do their best to be sure that your upscale dining experience is memorable.

I have to comment on my appetizer; Tuna Tartare, Swordfish Carpaccio and steamed King Crab leg on a bed of Arugula with citrus sauce.  It was positively awesome.  The King Crab legs were steamed exactly right and the tuna tartare was incredible.  Possibly the best appetizer I have had on either land or sea.  Reminiscent of a Michel Roux creation from Celebrity.

At Kaito’s, the sushi was excellent, the fried rice was not at all greasy and the dumplings were superb.

As at all ship buffets, people seem to put on their brakes and stop at the first sign of food.  FYI:  keep going til you reach the back section of the buffet.  It’s the same food with much less waiting in line since everyone else has opted to start at the beginning.

Breakfast in the Le Fontane Restaurant is a very civilized way to begin your day.  At least once try the Eggs Benedict.  It is prepared with a wonderfully thinner but rich and flavorful non-neon yellow sauce over perfectly poached eggs with a slice of grilled ham and the standard toasted English muffin.  My favorite selections in the evening were the pasta dishes and any fish.  As on any cruise ship, beef can be hit or miss, but while my prime rib was done exactly as I requested, my tablemate’s was too rare for rare and he sent it back.  When it returned…it was almost medium well.  FYI: don’t order rare unless you are prepared for a possible under-done cut of beef.  Medium-rare seemed to be right on target every time.

The dinner menu offers six entrees, including a vegetarian selection.  The Chef’s Suggested menu offers yet another three “America-style” entrees. If you don’t order the pasta, you are missing a treat. My favorite was the pasta Bolognese.  One night I ordered it for my entrée instead of just a starter portion (which is nearly big enough to be called an entrée.)  Fresh fruit is available as is a good selection of cheeses.

Dining times are different on the Poesia than on your typical American cruise ships. A formal ala carte breakfast is offered in the Le Fontane Restaurant from 6:30-9am, buffet-style in the Villa Pompeiana Cafeteria from 6:30-11am.  A continental breakfast from Room Service is available from 7:30–10am. Buffet lunch is from 12:30–3PM.  Luncheon in the dining room is available on sea days from noon–2PM.  Snacks begin at 4PM. My advice is to read the Daily Program and note the dining times as they will vary.  There is a pizza bar and an outdoor grill for lighter fare.

MSC does not have a Dine-When-You-Want policy. At Le Fontane and Il Palladio there are two dinner seatings: 5:30pm and 8:00pm.  At 11:30pm in Villa Pompeianan there are freshly prepared crepes, sandwiches and a variety of snacks. Don’t miss the fabulous midnight gala buffet which is reminiscent of the midnight buffets from many years ago.  Room Service is available 24 hours and has mainly salads and sandwiches.

The chocolate desserts were very good, as were the pastry selections and a fabulous blueberry cheesecake.  The tiramisu and cannoli are the best that I have tasted anywhere.

LOUNGES AND PUBLIC AREAS

The Poesia boasts fourteen bars and lounges including the wine tasting bar, Il Grappolo d’Oro on deck 7 and the Aurea Spa Bar located within the spa itself.  Il Grappolo d’Oro features only Italian wines and gives you the opportunity to taste a huge variety of wines from all regions of Italy.  The wine sommelier is extremely friendly and loves to share his knowledge and passion for wine.  The Spa Bar is very different and features a variety of cold, colorful blender drinks mixed with fruit, yoghurt and/or berries.

Getting into the Caribbean mood is the very easy to do at the Mojito Bar poolside on deck 13.  Most of the bars/lounges are on decks 5, 6 and 7 with the Pigalle Lounge taking up the aft area on deck 7.  The S32 Disco on deck 14 affords a panoramic view of the ocean.  The Cigar Room is on Deck 7 is the only lounge that allows cigars.  The Zebra Lounge was my favorite place to meet friends before dinner.

The MSC Poesia has a small library with books in several languages.  There is an attendant who will unlock the bookcases for you but you need to check the time that it is staffed.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAM:

The kids arcade has several of the popular video games and there is a very spacious and well-equipped children’s center.  Check the Daily Program for staffing hours.  MSC offers a “Kids Under 17 Always Sail Free” promotion.  Not once did it ever seem like kids were taking over the ship.  The kids program is staffed by well-trained counselors who keep the children entertained and occupied with fun activities.

SHOPPING

Surrounding the centrally located Bar di Poeti is the shopping area. There are six well-stocked shops consisting of a boutique, a duty-free shop, a jewelry store, a perfumerie, electronics and a of course, a logo store.  There were some very good sales in the perfumerie/cosmetic store at the beginning of the cruise.

ENTERTAINMENT

When it comes to live entertainment, MSC delivers.  The Carlos Felice theatre is acoustically wonderful as well as amazing with no blocked sight lines.  Every night, not just on the two formal nights, there is a lavish production number to watch.  From the talented vocals of Mimma Barra who is also performs opera, to the lanky dancers and their Sin City review, to aerialists, there is always something for everyone.  The performers on MSC are exceptionally well trained and professional.  If it isn’t to your liking it certainly isn’t because of the quality of the entertainers.

During my five day cruise I didn’t miss one show in the Theater.  The first night’s show featured Mimma Barra and the MSC dancers performing to a Las Vegas tribute.  Another night was a musical journey through Italy highlighting familiar songs accompanied by the fabulous dancers.  This creative, high-energy entertainment continued throughout our cruise.

Aboard the Poesia, you are never far from live music.  It has been said that MSC is one of the best cruise lines for live music and I have to agree.  Starting in the late afternoon and continuing into the wee hours, live music can be found at seven locations throughout the ship.

The acoustics seem to prevent “spillage” from one venue to the next and you never have to yell to carry on a conversation should you settle into a banquette with friends.

INTERNET

Like all ships sailing today, the Poesia is wired for wifi.  There are various hotspots throughout the ship, mainly in the public areas.  If you bring your laptop, here’s a little known SECRET: At the reception desk, you can borrow an ethernet cable and connect it right to an outlet on your flat tv.  You’ll need to purchase an internet package in order to get online, but it is so nice to be able to use your own laptop in your cabin.

The internet cafe has plenty of computer stations and no one was ever waiting to use the public computers.   The cost of the packages is competitive with the other cruise lines.  As on other ships, connectivity can be frustrating at times due to satellite coverage, lack of bandwidth, etc.   Except for one day at sea when nearly all internet was down, being able to use my laptop in my room was wonderfully convenient.

RECREATION AREAS

The pool area is comprised of two very large swimming pools and four whirlpools, on Deck 13.  Most remarkable were the deck chairs. They have a little “sun visor” attachment which can easily be positioned to keep the sun off of your face.  Surrounding the pool on two decks above are additional sunning locations.  What I love is that no matter which deck you choose to sunbathe, the ship designers have placed glass-enclosed showers.

There are more lounge chairs throughout the outdoor areas including some very cool aft location chairs.  Secret: Starting on deck 14 at the back of the S32 Disco, there is a narrow outdoor area for sitting with lounge and upright chairs which continues down an outside stairwell all the way to deck 9.  These decks are absolutely wonderful for quiet moments to look out at the sea, read or just relax.

SPA: Aurea Spa Wellness and Relaxation Center forward on Deck 13 features Balinese spa treatments.  Book your spa treatment as soon as you board, especially if you want to be pampered on sea days.  The spa facility is owned and operated by an Italian company and has a selection of its own skin care product line.

The adjacent gym is equipped with the usual workout machines.  There were only six treadmills, two of which were having issues the entire five days of the cruise.  MSC also tries to limit your time using the equipment so that everyone gets a turn.  I think this is a European design mindset.  Americans probably devote more time in shipboard gyms than Europeans, thus the smaller facility.  Twice I opted to walk the corridors within the ship rather than wait for a treadmill to be available.

Positives: MSC is definitely the best value for your money.  With ten gorgeous ships, one more on the way for 2010, and two more on the drawing board, MSC has so far invested over $7 billion in their fleet.  Yet they somehow are still able to offer incredible rates, continental dining, great entertainment and a quality cruise experience.  The varied itineraries for the Poesia range from 3, 5, 7, 10 and 18 night cruises for 2009-2010, fall through spring.

Embarkation and debarkation procedures in Ft. Lauderdale as well as in Caribbean ports are smooth and efficient.  The staterooms are wonderfully arranged with plenty of storage space.

If you like anything European, from opera to art to language to cuisine, you might find that a cruise aboard the Poesia is like a mini-trip to Italy and beyond.

Reality: An MSC cruise isn’t like a Carnival, Royal Caribbean or NCL cruise.  It is an Italian cruise line with Italian officers and a very European ambiance.  While you won’t hear announcements in five languages ad nauseum, your fellow guests will be from all over the world.  Personally, I enjoy meeting people from different countries, so this is actually a positive feature for me. While the officers are Italian, the crew is mainly Eastern European, Philippino and Indonesian.  On occasion there can be a language barrier between guest and crew, from the beauty salon to the dining room.  With a little patience, you will find the crew extremely willing to please and go the extra yard to be sure you are happy with their service.  MSC offers the best cruise value that you can find.

I must mention that MSC offers a plethora of themed cruises while in the Caribbean.  Baseball greats, polka, Big Band, Rock and Roll and of course, Italian, to name just a few.  Consult your travel agent for more information.

My overall impression: A cruise aboard an MSC ship is a true Italian/European experience.  With former Celebrity Cruises President Rick Sasso now the president of MSC Cruises, expectations run high from those that remember how he ran Celebrity.  I have not been disappointed.  The Poesia is beautiful and spotlessly clean (as are all of the MSC ships), the food quality and preparation is very good and the overall service is good to very good.  The service staff was attentive and friendly, the entertainment was fabulous and there is a feeling of warm Italian hospitality.  Many times, Captain Romano was seen mingling amongst his passengers, creating a friendly and warm environment for all.

Would I sail on the MSC Poesia again? Absolutely.

SHIP FACTS

Christened by Sophia Loren – 2008
Gross Tonnage – 93,000
Guests – 2,550 based on double occupancy
Total Guests – 3,013Speed – 23 knots
Length – 964 feetBeam – 121 feet
Current – 110/120 voltage

REVIEW BY:

Sherry Laskin
Cruises: 76
Age: 50+
Occupation: Cruise and Destination travel writer
Website:  CruiseMaven.com

Photos:  Courtesy of Sherry Laskin and MSC Cruises
Copyright Sherry Laskin 2009 © All rights reserved
May not reprint without permission.

Tagged as: caribbean cruise, msc, msc cruises, msc poesia, poesia