Sunday,
March 25,
An Italian Style Cruise
Experience in the
The
ANNOTICO Report
MSC a
Genoa-based relatively new entrant to cruising and long known mainly for
container shipping, has ambitious plans to convert
Americans to its sailing style.
Of
course, its 8 ships have Awesome Pizza, but more important, one can savor
the culinary specialties from a different region of
The
limited Room Service Menu and Charges are a
shock to Americans, who are Not as prone to the Italian tradition of
schmoozing with other passengers.
For
other Italian touches, MSC proffers Pagliacci, a
group of strolling minstrels that meanders the ship amusing passengers with
song-and-dance frissons. The line also presents authentic European stage
performances that appeal to its mostly international audience including
contortionists, acrobats, stilt performers, and a tenor and soprano, plus a
smattering of Vegas-style routines.
MSC's ship seem like a different species from today's brand of enormo-ships, lacking any kind of overt gimmicks -- no
planetariums, no rock-climbing walls, no 'decorate-every-surface' design
schemes. What they are are ships on which people can
get together to talk, loll in the pool, throw away their inhibitions, and
relax, without having their senses overwhelmed.
Indeed, life aboard MSC vessels is serene, with action on pool deck more
Notably, MSC is a line on which you'll get a big bang for your buck.
CRUISING
2007
The
Good and Bad of European-style Cruising
The
By Arline and Sam Bleecker
Special to the Tribune
March 25, 2007
When vacationers think "European-style
cruising," what comes to mind may run along the lines of endless espresso,
low-key conversations and highbrow entertainment -- aspects not typically found
aboard the resort-style ships of many popular cruise lines.
But when a cruise line actually promises a "European" experience,
what exactly does that mean?
On Italy-based MSC Cruises, it means, for one thing, superb pizza. For
But cruising with MSC doesn't mean having to forgo your favorite finger-lickin' food staples. The Genoa-based company, a relatively
new entrant to cruising and long known m ainly for
container shipping, has ambitious plans to convert Americans to its sailing
style. To woo those vacationers, particularly to its
Most American cruisers hadn't even heard of MSC just five years ago. The line,
which sails the Mediterranean year-round, Northern Europe,
Charging for room service
So, what does "European" mea n for the
Italian line's American cruisers? If our experience on Lirica's
Christmas sailing last year is any indicator, it's all a matter of
expectations.
On its
With the bulk of its business still catering to Europeans, some MSC attributes
may seem odd to American cruisers. For example, in
Effectively, the line's position is this: If there's something you want that
isn't on the room service menu, eat breakfast elsewhere. After all, schmoozing
is considered an art in
For other Italian touches, MSC proffers Pagliacci, a
group of strolling minstrels that meanders the ship amusing passengers with
song-and-dance frissons. The line also presents authentic European stage
performances that appeal to its mostly international audience including
contortionists, acrobats, stilt performers, and a tenor and soprano, plus a
smattering of Vegas-style routines.
European-style also translates MSC ships into floating Towers of Babel, as it
does on other lines, such as Costa, that carry large international contingents.
On MSC, announcements are in German, English, Spanish, French
and, of course, Italian. Although, blessedly, these are kept to a minimum
Language barriers, though, sometimes can get in the way. If timing is
everything in comedy, a punch line in five languages isn't.
Frommer guidebook editor Matt Hannafin
says MSC's "[modest-sized 58,600-ton] Opera and Lirica almost seem like a different species from today's
brand of enormo-ships, lacking any kind of overt
gimmicks -- no planetariums, no rock-climbing walls, no
'decorate-every-surface' design schemes. What they are are
ships on which people can get together to talk, loll in the pool, throw away
their inhibitions, and relax, without having their senses overwhelmed."
Indeed, life aboard MSC vessels is serene, with action on pool deck more
The ship does abound with bustling mini-cafes and comfy lounges, where, in
typical European style, most passengers enjoy their after-dinner coffee.
Lirica's modest size renders the vessel quite
intimate, and mirrored walls -- lots of them, on stairwells, in elevators,
restaurants and cabins, and even on
The gym, though, is inadequately equipped for a contingent of nearly 1,600
passengers. Americans with an appetite for exercise won't find feature-rich
treadmills with personal TV screens here, but perhaps for not too much longer.
According to the ship's purser, when Lirica gets its
next face face-lift, the gym and spa areas will get pumped up to speed
If Italian-style means laid back, that can translate into a laissez-faire
attitude on the part of staff and crew that some American passengers may not be
used to. This is not a line that hand-holds its passengers. Some staff appeare d to master a look that falls somewhere between a
pout and a shrug, signaling either ennui or culture clash (we never figured out
which). We were particularly puzzled by a lack of initiative on the part of the
wait staff and their reluctance to accommodate off-menu requests.
But cruisers who prefer the charm of quiet evenings, conversations with
new-found friends from around the globe, demure decor and Italian sensibilities
will find it here.
Notably, MSC is a line on which you'll get a big bang for your buck. Travel
agents on our sailing told us that many American passengers had opted for Lirica's Christmas cruise strictly on the basis of price.
As a consequence, they were not disappointed.
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For more information, visit msccruises.com or contact a travel agent.
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