Topic: Just back from Fantasia.. My experience as a newbie

I thought I would pen my thoughts on my experience of Fantasia. I am a newbie so I hope I do not sound ignorant or offensive to anyone!!
The ship appears massive. It is beautifully decked out. Clearly no expense has been spared. Lots of swimming and jacuzzi areas; Tennis court; loads of sunbeds always with as many free, clean towels as you would like; 'Wicker baskets' that housed entire families, hanging in the sunshine. Impeccable, speedy service everywhere. 4 or 5 restaurants (paying ones).

Cabin (balcony- I am spoilt forever). Was far better than I had anticipated. Nicely decked out. Kingsize bed. sofa and coffee table, Didn't feel squashed at all. Balcony was lovely to have. We used it far more than I expected to. I think that was because it was such a large ship to negotiate (and it probably isn't that large...?!).

Coffee via room service came with big silver pot and hot milk. about 4 or 5 cups worth for about 2.20 euro for 2 people.

There are many bars - all very handsome.

Entertainment each night is very 'noble'- I was going to write 'middle of the road' but that doesn't do it justice. The same jazz trio, classical quartets, solo crooner, go from bar to bar every 40 minutes or so. They are all very adept in their chosen musical expressions. The show on stage each evening was mainly acrobatic, some evenings, singing. All the shows were impeccably crafted and the acrobatic guys were very, very good. However, all the entertainment felt very contrived. As of course it was; how could it be any other way, catering for such a diverse audience? I missed the 'heart'. I think what I mean is that because there wasn't a language connection, the 'craic' didn't happen. We seemed to be the only people drinking alcohol too. The first night we even took our drinks into the theatre for the show - we felt like alcoholics!! Didn't do that again!

Sharing a table was interesting?! One couple were very pleasant. One couple not so - poorly mannered, gutter talk for the most part- but completely unaware of this in themselves; not horrid people just uneducated in how to treat 'foreigners' and all things different. They coughed and spluttered (food spitting out of their mouths frequently...) and complained their way through each painful course. We considered changing but stuck with it - don't ask me why now, certainly we looked forward to our evening meal with a heavy heart. I think we just didn't want to offend anyone...?

Food was very good. However, because of the quantity of diners, of course there were delays and certainly the ambiance of calmness and attention that one would expect when dining out in a restaurant, were missing. This surprised me - I expected it to feel like a 'night out' each eveing. (I am speaking as a newbie and want to be helpful, not unnecessarily negative- sorry if that is not coming across).

One FORMAL night. I am sooo disappointed. Each evening dress code was 'informal' bar one 'Formal'. The last night was 'casual' !! I had brought dresses saved over years and so wanted to wear them. And I did but I was certainly overdressed. Ladies were wearing smartish day wear; a cotton skirt with cotton top. etc. Many men wore tshirts and cotton trousers. I was wearing cocktail dresses for the most part. Nothing outrageously fancy but certainly evening wear - and I certainly stood out- probably badly!. The brochure stated 3/4 formal nights, so I continued to dress up even though only one formal night was announced - my husband had dragged the dresses and shoes all the way; I had to make it worth his while!

I know there are different opinions on dress code. It occurred to me that the ascetic (I don't think that is spelled correctly!) quality is so important to me; the ship is indeed beautiful. The atrium sparkles with crystals and brass and glass and lights. What a sight it would have been to see women also sparkling in the atrium, wearing bright colours and gems. (Mine were cheap paste - but did the job). I don't think the more formal dress code was about being 'posh' for me; it was about simply having the chance to 'dress-up' and then the pure pleasure of seeing beauty around me.

Water was only about 1.20 a litre. We bought a book of vouchers which did us. We bought 3 vouchers of beer. (about 70 euro each). I also had a couple of cocktails.

I loved the different places each day. We got off independently.

Overall, a slightly surreal experience. I never felt I quite 'got it'. I missed not quite knowing my way around, or not having a favorite 'bar' because even thought they all looked different, the musicians went to each and there wasn't any chance of an atmosphere developing before they moved on. Also they and the bar staff always seemed slightly 'removed' from us. AND we were the only one's drinking and kept judging ourselves harshly for not drinking more coffee!.

I hope I haven't offended anyone. I believe I will cruise again, but perhaps a smaller ship would work for me, where the barman may want to engage in a conversation...? Or am I just a Palma Nova person, seeking out an english/irish bar (never done that - honest. Well, only when desperate)...

That's a very interesting review, thankyou!
Sounds like a more traditional cruise line like P&O or Cunard might hit the right buttons for you next time?

I think you have summed up MSC quite nicely. For us seasoned cruisers, as a cruise line MSC would not be our first choice but do give good value for money.

I would suggest you look at some of the RCI ships, I think Radiance class ships may suit you best (Brilliance of Seas). People do tend to dress up a little more on other lines - even on the smart casual nights I wear shorter cocktail dresses rather than long for formal nights. Even though some of the ships are big, if you choose the right one you can still find an intimate atmosphere. My favourite place on RCI ships is the schooner bar where you can sit around the piano and interact with the entertainer.

You will find the food much better on other lines - I always found the food on MSC to be quite basic and yes the restaurants always seem tightly packed with little room for the waiters to move around the tables.

With other lines the norm is to have coffee/tea and water etc freely available 24/7.

If you enjoyed the overall experience, then you can be rest assured that the best is yet to come.

Nice review. You said "Food was very good. However, because of the quantity of diners, of course there were delays and certainly the ambiance of calmness and attention that one would expect when dining out in a restaurant, were missing." Well it should not have been like that - on many other ships/lines it is not like that, it is like a night out. The size of the ship/dining rooms does not mean courses should be slow. Once again it is NOT like than on some bigger ships!

I think you should look at Royal Caribbean, P&O, Cunard or Celebrity next time. The latter two are more formal and cost more, but they do offer a 'premiun' product. You do get what you pay for.

hmm.. I know I said food was very good - not sure about the 'very'. It did seem churlish to complain about it though, 'cos I thought it was definitely 'good enough' for the amount of diners. However after reading what you have been saying though, clearly there is a different experience of dining to be had.

Hi Bobbie
Your review + experiences seems to almost echo mine after cruise on RCI Adventure of the Seas.
Absolutely no atmosphere.
Why dont they put just one decent live band on in one bar playing popular music (Rock,Country,60/70/80s).
Not everyone wants to listen to Jazz,Pianists,Classical,Latin,Calypso,,
That's all there was on mine,Boring!!!.
Oh, we had a Guitarist in the pub who when it seemed people were starting to enjoy themselves went to bed
Try Thomsons,people + staff enjoying themselves + enjoying a drink.
I see your from Ireland,if your not on A/I on Thomsons, a pint of "the black stuff" = £2.90 if on A/I i think its £0.90,Thats if you drink it:D
JC

Gosh that is a big difference in price. What is A1?

QUOTE:

Gosh that is a big difference in price. What is A1?

AI is all inclusive

Oh yes. of course!! Duh!

A good reflection on my own experiencees of MSC and also a recent RCI mini-cruise out of Barcelona on Adventure of the Seas.

I think any cruise that attracts a Mediterranean clientele will naturally be more relaxed as far as sticking to dress codes goes.

My experience of a USA ship out of the UK (Celebrity) is entirely different to a USA ship in the Med (RCI) however this may be due to departure port or due to the Celebrity being a grade higher (5* v 4*).

I definately agree, Bobbie, that you ought to look for a more traditional line for your next cruise if you want to enjoy the classic cruise experience. You won't feel over-dressed on P and O, Fred Olsen, Cunard, Celebrity, etc.