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First time cruiser review. I am doing this review as there were so many questions I had before cruising that I couldn’t find the answer to. I hope this helps some of you. Embarkation at Valencia … we drove to Valencia port and used ParkVia. They met us right by the ship and took our car away for underground parking. It was very straightforward at the terminal. All posted well. We checked in and were onboard within about 45 mins. There was a bubbly/nibbles reception which was lovely. We went to find our cabin and we could drop off our hand luggage. By the time we had had lunch at the buffet restaurant and went back to the cabin our luggage was waiting outside for us. Cabin … we were in Deluxe balcony. The cabin was lovely. Immaculately clean. Plenty of room with a king size bed and a small settee. The bathroom was plenty big enough. Lots of storage space and a safe. 2 chairs and a table on the balcony. We had a lovely cabin steward called Harrison who brought us some ice when we asked. He even asked if we wanted some every day! Food … we were assigned a dining time of 6.45pm which was a little early for us so we mainly ate in the buffet restaurant. The one evening we ate in the main restaurant (Villa Borghese) we found the food to be ok. Nothing special or photo worthy but the service was very good. The wine was included whether or not you had a drinks package by the look of it. The buffet restaurant had a huge choice but depending on what time of day you went depended on the variety and there was no rhyme or reason to this. Sometimes half of it was shut, other times it was all open. Getting a table was sometimes a struggle, you had to walk round a couple of times before you got lucky. Other times it was only half full. Food choices included everything from a vegan section to a full roast dinner. There was always pasta and pizza and always really good salad bars and fruit sections. Cheese and bread always plentiful. Also always a grill section with burgers, hot dogs, chips etc. Breakfast had a huge choice from pastries and continental cold cuts/cheese to a full English breakfast. My issue with it was the temperature. It wasn’t hot enough but that didn’t bother my husband. We are all different I guess! On occasion we took food from the buffet back to our room. No one questioned us about this. Drinks package … we had the easy drinks package. Cocktails up to a certain price, house wine, spirits etc. All the bars were great, some with live piano music, some with singers/dancers etc. You showed your cruise card when you ordered and the limit was 15 alcoholic drinks per day. I like a drink or two, or three (!) but never went anywhere near the limit. We also took drinks back to our room. We took a flask and poured them into that. Again, no problem with that. You could either order drinks at the bar or there was table service. We never waited more than a couple of minutes. At certain times of the day they also brought crisps/peanuts/olives with your drink. Ship generally … I’m not sure what I was expecting as some reviews were saying that she’s a little tired, needs refurbing etc but she was absolutely beautiful. The decor was lovely, different in each area. Absolutely spotlessly clean. You constantly saw staff vacuuming/polishing. Never a queue for the lifts. Definitely something for everyone. For anyone interested we saw a smoking area on deck 15 which had bars open even though the poor staff were pretty cold out there! Where we went … Barcelona. We took the ports shuttle bus into the City. It dropped you off at the bottom of La Rambla. We then walked up the rambla, dipping in and out of the Gothic Quarter on the way. There were Christmas markets everywhere. We passed the Cathedral and when we got to the top of La Rambla at the big square we got a taxi to the Sagrada Familia. Drinks not too expensive overlooking it and another Christmas market. Taxi back to the square and then we walked back to the meeting point for a shuttle bus back to the ship. Marseille. We didn’t immediately see the ports shuttle bus so took MSC’s shuttle bus. It was €30 and dropped us off a 20 minute walk from the Old Port. Very disappointed! We went to the Cathedral where it dropped us off and then got the hop on/hop off bus. We wanted to go to the highest point (Notre Dame Cathedral) so we could look down over Marseille. It drove past the Cathedral and then stopped for the drop off much lower down. There was no point us getting off as we have mobility issues and could not have climbed back up! We got off at the Old Port and had a lovely wander round there and then walked back to the shuttle bus meeting point. Lots of wasted money that day! The hop on was €23 each. Genoa. We did the MSC excursion to Portofino. Fantastic day. We went on the coach with a fantastic local guide and had free time at the town of Co….. then we got on a boat to Portofino and had free time there. It’s the most pretty place I think I’ve ever been to. Lunch wasn’t cheap but was worth every penny. We then took the boat to another town and then the coach back to the ship. I would thoroughly recommend this excursion. Livorno. The ship’s excursion to Pisa was ridiculously expensive so we looked into getting a taxi which was still going to cost a lot. And then I found the app “Get your guide” and we got tickets from Livorno to Pisa for €20 each return. The shuttle bus from the ship drops you off right at the place the coach leaves. Civitavecchia. We took the ship’s excursion to Rome which included the hop on/hop off bus tickets. Good value at €99 each I think. The problem with Rome is the traffic. We were dropped off at stop 4 and walked to the Colisseum. Then walked lots more (!) and got back on the bus for a couple of stops I think and got off for the Vatican. The tour guide had helped with where to eat so it wasn’t too expensive. After the Vatican we got back on the hop on with the intention of going to the Spanish steps and Trevi fountain. The traffic was horrendous. When we got to the stop for the fountain we had 1.5 hours to go to get back to the coach. We decided against getting off and got back to the meet up point with 10 mins to go! Right decision but we felt that it was a shame we couldn’t have seen more in the 6 hours we were in Rome. Day at Sea. It was rough
The elegant accommodation on MSC Orchestra includes interior and ocean-view cabins as well as balcony cabins and suites for even greater comfort.
MSC Orchestra will take you on an exciting culinary journey, ranging from the Shanghai Chinese Restaurant with its authentic Dim Sum specialties to the Four Seasons gourmet Italian dining experience and La Piazzetta, for the finest pizza outside Naples.
Seek the extraordinary and make your cruise holiday an unforgettable adventure.
We offer an incredible choice of shore excursions to suit every taste: whether you prefer adventure, nature, culture or history, we’ve designed something for you and the whole family.
From Culture & History and our breathtaking Scenic Routes, to our Active & Adventure tours and the discovery of Natural Wonders, to Sea & Sun’s relax, our Something Special experiences and our Accessible Tours, you can enjoy the treasures of each destination in your preferred way.
We’ve also established the MSC Family Explorer Club, Excursions Explorer Package and MSC Bike Adventours, which are unique to our line and available on selected MSC Cruises' itineraries.
Every moment you spend aboard MSC Orchestra is rich with possibility. The daytime hours offer a varied programme of activities, from arts & craft classes and dance lessons to sports tournaments. When evening comes, all kinds of fun awaits you in the ship’s theatre, its casino, its disco and bars.
If relaxation is your goal, there’s ample deck space on MSC Orchestra to unwind in the sun. And why not pay a visit to the lavish onboard spa? It offers a choice of Turkish baths, saunas and a myriad of magical massages to soothe and pamper you.
If you prefer to stay active even when you’re on holiday, you’ll enjoy the sports centre, the panoramic gym, the 5 stunning pools or perhaps the jogging track that lets you keep in shape at your own pace, out in the fresh sea breeze.
Kids can go wild to their heart’s content in the Jungle Adventure playroom, while teens get their own club too. Whatever your age and dreams, you can be sure they’ll come true for you, your friends and family on a cruise like no other with MSC Orchestra.
