We went on a cruise! And what a fantastic holiday it was. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. We are more ‘sitting-by-the-braai’ type holiday-goers, but MSC Cruises, you’ve got us hooked. Not sure if the cruise life is for you? Stay tuned and I’ll tell you why we loved our recent MSC cruise aboard the Musica.

We went on a MSC cruise and it was awesome

In January we embarked the MSC Musica and cruised from Cape Town to Walvis Bay and back for what was supposed to be a four night cruise. Our plans changed a bit though. Did you see the articles in the news about the marooned Musica in Cape Town? That was us!

The Cape Doctor kept the ship from docking and we had to spend 2 extra nights aboard the ship. Although it wasn’t part of the plan, we weren’t complaining.

I had such a giggle when I read an article posted on Times Live whilst we were stuck at sea:

‘But while those on board are unlikely to start eating fellow passengers anytime soon – and there are enough lime slices at the bar to stave off scurvy – those waiting to board are feeling the pain.’

I did feel very sorry for the passengers who’s cruise was cut short due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control. But back to our cruise…

THE MSC MUSICA

TO CRUISE OR NOT TO CRUISE

A cruise ship is a floating hotel that offers a lot of perks.

The biggest perk for me was the fact that a cruise is all-inclusive. Your MSC Cruise ticket price includes your cabin, meals, on board activities (games, quizzes, craft classes, etc), 24-hour room service, use of the card room, library and fitness centre, nightclub admission and Broadway style shows. And I’m sure you know this, but kids cruise free! Not included are your drinks (see my tips below), spa treatments, shopping, etc.

You can choose your cabin according to your budget. We opted for an inside cabin, but hopefully next time we can go for a balcony suite. Our cabin was lovely. Although a tight squeeze, it had everything we needed. You only spend so much time in your cabin anyway. I did however take an afternoon nap every day of the cruise. I never nap! It was absolutely lovely.

Food, glorious food. Included in the cruise is dining at one of the main restaurants where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can choose between early or late dining when booking and your table will be reserved for the entire duration of your cruise. 20 hour a day dining is also available at the buffet restaurant. We chose to have most of our meals at the buffet restaurant or outside on the deck. We thoroughly enjoyed all our meals. I was disappointed to hear that people often complain about the food. You can’t expect to get caviar and foie gras at every turn and may I remind you that you get what you pay for. We were more than happy with the extensive breakfast buffet (waffles for the win!), pizzas, fresh salads, pastas, the carvery, freshly baked breads, etc and I also really enjoyed the vegetarian meals at the main restaurant. If it wasn’t for all the walking on the ship, I would have most definitely added quite a bit to the weight of the ship by the end of our cruise ;)

Drinks. This is where you need to listen up as I have a great tip for you.

Drinks are not included in your package (except for select hot and cold drinks at the buffet beverage stations – MSC, here I need to have a chat with you – the coffee needs work). You can purchase drinks with your cruise card or you can opt to buy a drink pass (you save if you buy before the cruise). These booklets contain tickets that you can use to purchase beverages on board. We chose the all-inclusive drink pass, but there are a few packages to choose from. Each ticket holds a set monetary value, but you can use it to purchase any drink that’s included in the selected package regardless of the price of the drink. We soon figured out that we saved money using a ticket for a cocktail rather than a coffee. We used our tickets for cocktails and the like and we swiped our cruise cards for the less expensive drinks. It’s easier to use your tickets and not think about it, but this tip will save you money. Especially if you like cocktails. And the cocktails are goooood. I would give my left pinky for a pina colada right about about now.

Entertainment. As I’ve mentioned, there’s more than enough entertainment on board if you are not one for lounging around by the pool all day. The evening shows on the Musica is a must and the Teatro La Scala is truly breathtaking. The images really don’t do it any justice.

There’s going to be a lot of people. We enjoyed the rabble though. Laughter and smiles were abundant. It was lovely. And if you wanted some alone time, you could choose between your cabin, the spa, the library. And even though there are only so many places you can go to get away from a couple of thousand fellow passengers, we often found ourselves exploring the magnificent Musica feeling like we were sailing the seas all on our own.

I think my favourite part of the whole experience was to be able to disconnect from the outside world. For a while you are able to forget about all the stress of ‘real life’ and just enjoy a well deserved break.

You can also literally disconnect. I purchased an internet package so that we could chat with our daughter in the evenings. For a change, the one with the cellphone was the odd one out. I left my phone in our cabin most of the day, and it was bliss.

Whether you prefer to just relax and stare out into the deep blue, or party up a storm in the disco, or both, a MSC cruise makes for a spectacular holiday.

BOOZE CRUISE OR FAMILY FUN?

We opted for a non-themed cruise which meant that we had a great mix of people cruising together. We had the party-goers, the families, the tour groups and of course, the seasoned cruisers.

The La Spiaggia pool area was always busy and filled with laughter and music and the best place to enjoy a cocktail (or 4!), but I liked that it was still a place where you could relax. The big party cruises may be a little different ;)

Last year I attended the launch of the MSC Musica in Durban and, as I focus a lot on parenting on the blog, I was curious to see how kid-friendly the Musica is and what there is on offer to keep the kids entertained. They have great areas for specific age groups and daily activities to keep the little ones and the older kids occupied. In all honesty, I liked the look of what a MSC cruise has on offer for families, but I didn’t see a cruise as a great option for a family getaway. Not for us at least. Not now.

Our MSC cruise in Jan gave me a bit of a different perspective. I didn’t realise how many kids were on the cruise until our final night. Hubby and I opted for a buffet supper on our last night and the first table we found was next to the ‘kids dining area’. The area seemed to be dedicated to the children who’s parents needed a bit of a time-out. There were MSC staff members looking after the kids, singing songs with them and even checking if they were eating their vegetables. They were having a freaking whale of a time. It made me think twice about going on a family cruise.

PS There is a Kids Cruise from Durban to Pomene in March next  year and it actually looks like a lot of fun.

WILL WE CRUISE AGAIN?

Oh for damn sure! We have our eye on another Cape Town to Walvis Bay cruise in 2020. But if I had my way, I would book for the next available MSC cruise from Durban to Mozambique. A girl can dream, right?

Happy cruising!

xoxo

PS There is actually so much more to tell, but this post is already a long one. I’ll be sharing a post to help you pack for your cruise soon. PPS Did you see our gorgeous Absolute Leather duffel bag in the first image? I am so in love.