MSC, Sinfonia Reviews

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MSC, Sinfonia
★★★☆☆
3.2
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  • Food - quality & variety

  • Entertainment on board

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Latest Reviews

“Terrible Restaurant Food, Bad organisation”

★☆☆☆☆

written by frankb123 on 08/03/2013

I was absolutely appalled by the quality of food served to us at the restaurant on the Sinfonia, to add to this when complaining to management, they were just plain rude about it, furthermore the games and entertainment for my teenage kids was none existent, every time there was something on the schedule they went to join in only to have a be a no show by the Sinfonia staff?

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“Embarkation was tiresome and entertainment was a bit...”

★★★★☆

written by on 03/02/2011

Embarkation was tiresome and entertainment was a bit poor. The crew should not disturb guests or they should give us the "dont disturb signs" as twice they almost bugged into our cabin. Good experience though.

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“Loved it; crew were mostly happy and helpful, and...”

★★★★★

written by on 27/11/2010

Loved it; crew were mostly happy and helpful, and there was a great party vibe on the ship. Excellent entertainment, good food, good night club.

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“This cruise had been re routed and the 2 African Ports...”

★★☆☆☆

written by on 29/04/2010

This cruise had been re routed and the 2 African Ports of calll, Walvis Bay & Dakar were awful. The entertaiment in board was dire unless you were a lover of opera and/or classicL music or had the mentality of a 10 year old. The cabins were clean and well attended and the bar and restaurant staff were hellpful. The drink on board was reasonable but was blighted by the 15% service charge. A great bone of contention was the mandatory daily service charge of 6 Euros whch was optional at the time of booking. Many passengers refused to pay this charge. The embarkation process was dreadful and we were made to wait for over 2 hours in a tent with no water or toilet facilities. Not a good start. This was an 18 day Transatlantic Cruise with six full days in a row at sea and considering the lack of good entertainment it was too long.

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“The bar staff were rude and the language barrier too...”

★★★☆☆

written by on 06/12/2009

The bar staff were rude and the language barrier too much to deal with. They never smiled, we had to repeat ourselves and they made us feel like we were just a hassle. We thoroughly enjoyed the boat ride to the island and back. The driver was a South African chap, great and up beat, told us we were special as we were on the blue boat. The theatre was overpacked and on two nights we could not find seats. Very expensive for what we got.

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“Our trip was the maiden voyage in South Africa and I...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 19/11/2009

Our trip was the maiden voyage in South Africa and I am sorry to say that the embarcation process was very poor, laborious and badly organized. Staff unable to speak proper English and I can count the friendly ones on my one hand. Only a 3 day cruise, one WHOLE day was taken up just to get organized with cabin, credit cards etc. Complete chaos. No background music anywhere, no party atmosphere. Did not enjoy at all.

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“We just came back from MSC Sinfonia cruise-such the...”

★★☆☆☆

written by gudruole on 03/05/2009

We just came back from MSC Sinfonia cruise-such the wrong holiday choice this company.no good service at all nowhere,just pay pay pay for everything.Not worth it even to try the food-bad,no taste,no presentation-awful! Rooms were not clean,bedlinen,throw were with holes(all of it),bathroom was never cleaned,when we arrived all week the floor stayed dirty with black hair,I needed to clean myself,bed broke in the first time when I sat on it.It took them 3 days to fix it.it is boring cruise,no fun at all, no music in restaurants,nowhere in the day time you can enjoy yourself!!! Nothing to buy in the gift shops-too expensive,no quality products. I feel really bad -we didn't believe experience from others!

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“Service was very good, very attentive. Entertainment...”

★★★★☆

written by 2ladybug on 13/10/2008

Service was very good, very attentive. Entertainment was good. Wine steward very accommodating when I discovered that the wrong wine package was purchased before the cruise. Kept very clean. Hot food not served hot, captain very standoffish, the head of restaurant scolded staff in front of everyone. Not all features of the ship was in working order eg. climbing wall not in service. No movies available in theatre. I would still go on another cruise but try another cruise line

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“Returned from a cruise on MSC Sinfonia today. The ship...”

★★★★☆

written by stanbaxter on 29/09/2008

Returned from a cruise on MSC Sinfonia today. The ship was clean and well presented but the problem lay with the officers who were ignorant and not helpful at all. We encountered a problem in Monte Carlo where 800 assengers were stranded asshore due to winds picking up. We don't understand why the Captain didn't know this would happen. We were left asshore for hours not knowing what was going on and one tender spent over an hour trying to get back to the ship. On it's return 2 passengers required medical attention. It was left to the other passengers to call the medical services and give first aide. The MSC officers dissapeared and did not assist at all. There wasn't any leadership from the officers. A very poor show.

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“We are a family of 4, in an outside cabin on the 9.th...”

★★★★★

written by walle on 30/10/2007

We are a family of 4, in an outside cabin on the 9.th level. We had a very good experience on out first cruise.
Well organized embankment procedures. Very service minded staff. Every important announcement in 5 languages, but only in public areas - no noise in the cabin. We have read other reviews stating problem with language, but we didn't encounter any at all. Everyone spoke English with no problems. Maybe it's a matter of attitude.
Super clean ship. The cabin was sized, so we had no problems staying 4 people, a lower double bed and 2 bunk beds - bathroom not big, but usable.
Waiters in the restaurant performed outstanding - we had a little girl with gluten allergy, and the maitr personally dealt with her special needs - no problem at all. Food was generally good - especially the entres, soups and pasta were above expectations.

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“We have been on several cruises and our conclusion is...”

★★☆☆☆

written by ecstatic on 02/10/2007

We have been on several cruises and our conclusion is that the for the MSC Sinfonia, the insecurity and stress involved in dealing with the incompetence of the MSC staff cannot be compensated for by the good food and entertainment.

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Maryd's Response to 314685_ecstatic's Review

Written on: 18/01/2008

I shall be going on a cruise (my 1st ever) on the Sinfonia at the end of March and I will write a note on the experience afterwards ...... watch this space!

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Chillynorth's Response to 314685_ecstatic's Review

Written on: 09/06/2008

I found this review helpful because the details turned out to be very true. I didn't pay close enough attention when I first read it; and unfortunately I learned the hard way. I will shortly write my own review to help enlighten others.

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“We've been on an MSC cruise for the third time this...”

★★★★★

written by lisaandlisa on 01/08/2007

We've been on an MSC cruise for the third time this year and for us there is nothing to complain about. We were on the MSC Sinfonia and the MSC Armonia and both ships provided everything for our perfect holiday. For us there is no better way to spend the holidays and we would definitely recommend the cruises of MSC!

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“Having used the MELODY last year, and after having a...”

★★☆☆☆

written by CALENDAR on 25/10/2006

Having used the MELODY last year, and after having a great holiday, you would not think that both these ships are operated by the same company. I would not return to the MSC Sinfonia on a free of charge basis.

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“The staff overall were not friendly, and we felt as...”

★★☆☆☆

written by Mrs J on 22/10/2006

The staff overall were not friendly, and we felt as though they did not like Americans. We were charged extra for everything -- including water.

Because the service and treatment was so poor on-board the MSC Sinfonia cruise, we had the tip excluded from our bill. We left a tip in an envelope for the cabin staff since the room was clean. Considering how poorly we were treated, it was not difficult at all doing this.

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Mrs J's Response to Mrs J's Review

Written on: 06/11/2006

I AM Mrs J and I don't know how my recommendation was a "Yes." No way would I ever go on the MSC Sinfonia, nor any MSC cruise ship in the future.

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“We loved every moment of it. We loved all the staff...”

★★★★★

written by kayti on 17/09/2006

We loved every moment of it. We loved all the staff there, and the Pasha club of a night time. We loved it there because we were dancing with all the Italian's on-board the ship, and we loved the cruise director. The waiters were all fab, and so were the professional dancers. We would all love to go back on the MSC Sinfonia Mediterranean cruise ship any time.

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“We have just returned from a 7 night cruise on MSC...”

★★★★☆

written by lynne29 on 23/04/2006

We have just returned from a 7 night cruise on MSC Sinfonia. This was our first cruise and we were a family of 4 - 2 adults, one teenager, one 9-year old. We are English-speaking, but do speak German, French, plus understand Italian and Spanish. We chose this cruise because of the itinerary; dates fitted in well with Easter break; plus we got a great deal! We had a Category 9 cabin, which is on the Tchaikovski deck with a window. We had a double (Queen?) bed (2 singles pushed together) plus 2 bunks for the kids. Category 9 is the highest possible category for 4 people sharing. We met some Americans who had a balcony suite (Category 11) and it was DEFINITELY worth the extra cost - assuming there are 2 or 3 of you only. It was much more spacious, cabin staff were better and service was of a higher level. Having said that, we were surprised at how well we managed to fit ourselves and all our luggage into our cabin.
We flew into Milan Bergamo Airport and rented a car for the short drive to Genoa. Be warned - if you catch a taxi from Genoa airport to the port - you should only pay around 25 euros - no more...
Boarding was quite swift and smooth even though it was Easter weekend and the cruise was totally packed. We boarded early and were even given lunch once on board. On embarkation, dinner tables are assigned. We requested 1st sitting for dinner (7 pm) as the 2nd sitting would have been too late for our 9-year old. We specifically requested a table for 4 as we didn't want to share - this was no problem and we were assigned a nice table in Il Covo restaurant (dinner is served in both Il Covo and Il Galeone - same menu, same everything).
Ship departed on time and from then on we were always sailing on time or earlier - never late arrivals or departures in or out of port.
As this was our first cruise we overpacked. Brought too many smart clothes as we were unsure and from the brochures it seemed that we were required to dress up. However this was not the case - even on gala nights there were people wearing shorts! The brochure specifically states - no shorts or t-shirts at dinner - but this is misleading as you can wear whatever and nobody seems to mind....
Food was OK - there was plenty of choice. Food was adequate - wouldn't say it was fantastic - probably of 4 star standard (this goes for entire cruise - standard was 4 stars overall). Dinner was 7 courses but always grilled steak, chicken or salmon if you didn't fancy anything else on the menu. I'm not a breakfast eater but the family enjoyed their breakfasts on Deck 11 out in the open - self serve buffet, eggs, bacon, pastries etc. On our last day we went to the sit down breakfast and found we preferred the more informal buffet.
Lunch - we mostly ate on Level 11 and there was always a choice of grilled foods, salad, pizza and pasta.
Gala dinners - dry lobster, baked Alaska
My husband and I used the gym almost every day. We went early (8 am - when it opened) and getting a treadmill or bike was never a problem. However, later in the day it did get packed out. Gym use is free but classes are charged.
My daughter tried out the kids club in the beginning but we found that even though the programme stated specific activities, a lot of the time it was just "free play" (ie kids running around doing whatever they fancied).
Every night we played bingo (9-year old is hooked) and it was fun, although there is a 10 euro charge to play.
Cannot complain about the choice and variety of entertainment during the day and at nights, although we did not go to the evening shows.
We only took one shore excursion - to Pompeii. We enjoyed it, although time was very limited. Other times we made our own way to see the sights and it was not difficult. Palermo was a delightful city, ship docked a short walk from shops. Tunis - we did not get off the ship so can't give any advice on excursions. Palma - we walked from the ship into town, delightful town, great shopping. Barcelona - made the mistake of using the ship-"recommended" shuttle at 6 euros per person. In hindsight - we could have walked or taken a taxi. Barcelona was easy to get around, used the metro. Marseilles - another delightful city; used the ship-recommended shuttle as ship docked far from the Old Town. There is also a huge shopping centre a 5-minute drive from where the ship docks - about 7 euros in a taxi.
All in all we really enjoyed the cruise. It was great for families (and there were lots of them...). However, we did feel that we were being "nickel and dimed" - ie everything was extra. We would probably have preferred to have paid a little more upfront and had more included. The drinks, tips and other extras do add up (we are not big drinkers so our bar tab was not huge, although our final bill for extras came to over 600 euros - mainly soft drinks, water, tips, the shore excursion, bingo...)
Also the standard of service was not fantastic - some waiters were quite rude, others were indifferent. Cabin cleaning staff were OK - nothing exceptional at all, i.e. they did the minimum required. Worst of all were the staff at reception/information, who were downright rude and unhelpful - doesn't matter what language we were speaking... Animation staff were friendly.
Printed information was very good - each night we were given the next day's itinerary, information on the port of call. Excursion desk had maps for every destination.
Disembarking at Genoa - we had prepared ourselves for a nightmare but it went really smoothly and really fast - we were off the ship in a matter of minutes; found our luggage with no problems.
All in all it was a great cruise for a family but be prepared to pay extra for absolutely everything. Couples might prefer something a little more upmarket. There were people from literally everywhere on the cruise - all announcements were made in several languages, including Japanese.
Last point - tipping..... We were left a printed notice mid-way through the cruise stating that tips would automatically be added to our account and only if we wanted to change this (give more or less) then we needed to contact accounting (42 euros per adult; a little less per child). Why not just make the cruise price a little more expensive (50 euros per person?) and just forget about the whole tipping thing - automatically give them the money as a tip instead of doing all this paperwork???? The notice did state that tipping was optional and not compulsory, but I challenege anyone to go to accounting and tell them you don't want to tip, or you want to tip less............
Final point - it was a good cruise if you are not expecting luxury. If you have 3.5-4 star expectations - you won't be disappointed. It was a great choice for a mid-range family holiday.

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Gudruole's Response to lynne29's Review

Written on: 03/05/2009

I agree with this review because...it is true, but I wouldn't recommend to go there and experience the same by ruining your holiday and money!!! We regret it- bad food,unfriendly people,no entertainment,for everything to pay,no fun...baddd!!!

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“Sunday 3rd July 2005 - 1 week Mediterranean - Genoa,...”

★★★★★

written by CJC on 13/07/2005

Sunday 3rd July 2005 - 1 week Mediterranean - Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Tunis, Palma, Barcelona & Marseilles on MSC Sinfonia.

We were met by an MSC representative in arrivals. The transfer from the airport all went smoothly, and we were at the port in Genoa by 2pm. The embarkation process was extremely efficient, and we were on the ship within 15 minutes of arriving. Having said this, there were only about 30 people there - we were later told that those embarking at Naples had a much different experience; taking up to 2 hours but that was due to there being around 300 people.

Ship
The ship itself was absolutely gorgeous. It was spotless and very well presented. There were always people cleaning and tidying up. We were met at the gangplank by a member of staff who showed us to the cabin. I was really impressed by the cabin - good size with a queen bed (could be 2 singles if preferred) and very modern. We had an inside cabin, so there were lots of mirrors to create a sense of space. There was bags of storage - didn't use half of it. Also had a large TV, minibar, safe and telephone. The charges for the bar weren't too bad either. Bathroom was small, but modern, clean and everything you need - the shower was always hot and powerful. The bed was always made in the morning, and then the bed turned down at night and the next day programme was left.

People
With it being an Italian ship, the Brits were in the minority - probably about 50 amongst all the passengers. However, they were really good about seating us together so that there was lots of dinner conversation - I had read on an earlier review that two Brits had been put with other nationalities and no one could understand each other, but this seems to have been ironed out. The staff aboard the ship were fantastic - they all spoke English and couldn't do enough to help - of course, this was reflected at the end of the trip when you tip the staff via envelopes that they leave in the room.

Food
Food was excellent. Breakfast was served in two restaurants - either the posh one downstairs (where you have the evening meal) or the self-service upstairs. I found both lovely with a wide choice of everything you could want. You can also have it delivered to your cabin. Lunch was in La Terrazzia restaurant (upstairs), with different items on offer inside the restaurant or at the outside grill - again, superb food. Afternoon tea was also offered here if you needed it!! Dinner - this was at the Galliano restaurant downstairs and you go to your allocated table. We were lucky enough to have brilliant company. Food was amazing - 7 courses, with even more extensive menus on the two gala nights we had. One word of warning - we were (unlucky) enough to be by the captains table, and they had a habit of inviting Italian "celebrities" aboard to dine with him - this mean a influx of people crowding our table to take their photos which became annoying on the 5th night of doing so, especially as they were Celebes we'd never heard of! Waiters are fantastic and ask about the wine package - you can pay 99 euros for a wine bundle for the week which works out cheaper.

Entertainment
To be honest, there weren't enough hours in the day for us to take much of it in. We were at the later sitting for dinner so by the time we'd used the gym and got ready, we'd missed the show. Not too worried as not really our cup of tea anyway, but I'd heard good things. The live music was entertaining and we spent most of our time in The Manhattan Bar. We used the gym which was good, and had a massage at the health suite - although we thought this was very overpriced.

Excursions
We did two excursions - one in Naples which was to climb Mt Vesuvius. Excellent trip and certainly the highlight of the week but be warned - you need comfy shoes and a good amount of puff!! The bus takes you so far but the last 250 metres you have to walk and it's all uphill! Well worth it though. We also did the Shopping excursion in Tunis as we'd never been to North Africa and didn't know what to expect. This was split into two parts - the first part was to visit a Souk - a Tunisian market. This was good to see but I personally felt that we spent too long there, and at one point you are taken into a room where they show you handmade rugs and carpets. All well and good, but I would have preferred to be outside rather than stuck inside. Also, they don't tell you this in the information so if it's something you feel you'd like to purchase, take some money or credit card with you. The second part was to a traditional Tunisian village called Sid Bou Said and this was lovely - very pretty with shops and stalls, and a look around a very grand Tunisian house. Only complaint was that there were loads of tourist coaches and it was packed. Apart from that, we did our own thing everywhere else. The Excursion Office on the ship has photocopy maps which you can take. The boat pulls right into the centre of all the ports, with the exception of Marseilles. Palermo, Sicily wasn't nice - dirty, smelly, traffic everywhere so I would recommend an organised trip here. Palma and Barcelona, great - easy to walk to and lots of see. Marseilles - to be honest, we didn't bother. It was the last day and we wanted to make the most of sunbathing by the pool and the fact that the ship docks 10km from the town didn't make it attractive, but they do lay on a courtesy bus if you can be bothered.

Transfer Back
Bit of a downside, but we left the ship at 10am and were transported back to Genoa airport, arriving about 12.30 and our flight didn't leave until 6.50pm. We considered going into Milan, but decided that we didn't have enough time. In the end we went to the Information Point at arrivals, and spoke to a really helpful lady. She recommended a restaurant about 7kms away, who would come and pick us up in their courtesy bus, take us there for a meal and then bring us back to the airport for 30 euros (not including lunch). So we put our luggage into left luggage, the chap picked us up in 10 minutes of the information point phoning them, and we spent the afternoon having a superb lunch in a fantastic family run restaurant in a lovely village - they then took us back to the airport about 4pm-ish. It certainly beat sitting in the airport for 6 hours like many others did. The restaurant is called La Pista - just ask at the information point in arrivals, or see their website www.lapistahotel.it.

Think that covers everything, although I'm happy to answer any questions. This was our first cruise and we loved it - the experience was made by the fantastic ship, friendly and helpful staff, great amenities and of course, wonderful food!!!

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Searover's Response to CJC's Review

Written on: 23/08/2005

Hi, We are Cruising on the Sinfonia on the 4th sept 05 (From the u.k )and were wondering about the formal evenings. Do the men wear DJ's or a Tux and Dickie bow or would a Blazer and Tie be acceptable ? Also how many formal evenings were there please. We are just going for a week.
<br>We are so looking foreward to the Cruise and I can't seem to find many reviews of the Sinfonia on the web so any info tips etc would be very helpful.
<br>
<br>Many thanks in advance.

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Cjc's Response to CJC's Review

Written on: 31/08/2005

It was a BA flight, going from Milan at about 6.50pm, and we landed in Heathrow at about 7.50pm so it would depend how quick your connection is. We were with people that were travelling on to Dublin and they were scheduled to get back to Dublin about 11pm. Will look at the flight details tonight. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

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Seasalt's Response to CJC's Review

Written on: 31/08/2005

Hi CJC, thank you. Reason I was curious is I am going on this ship in Dec. and my booking agent (Cruise Control) is very averse to give flight details. They say either Genoa or Milan. If its Milan and you docked at 10:00 and 2 hours travel and 6 hrs wait when did to take off ( and arrive). I need to know this as if too late arrival I will have to book overnight accomodation as I live in Aberdeen. Can you help?

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Cjc's Response to CJC's Review

Written on: 31/08/2005

sorry - re-reading it, it was a bit confusing! The ship docked at Genoa, but we were flying from Milan so we had a 2 hour transfer to milan airport. However, when we arrived at the airport, it meant that we had 6 hours to wait before our flight back to London, so thats where the restaurant fits in. It meant that we could put our luggage in storage and have a nice few hours in a lovely village restaurant, rather than sitting in a horrible airport cafe for 6 hours! If you're having to wait in Milan for hours like we did, let me know and I'll give you the details of the restaurant and how to get there.

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Seasalt's Response to CJC's Review

Written on: 29/08/2005

hi, I am a little confused about the mention of Milan. If you arrived at Genoa Airport with 6 hours to wait where does a Milano restaurant fit in? Please de-confuse me :-).

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Cjc's Response to CJC's Review

Written on: 25/08/2005

No problem – we rated it so much that I’m happy to answer questions!
<br>
<br>Not sure whether a category 4 is better than a category 3, but I’m 99% sure it will be – they wouldn’t have downgraded you and it seems quite common that MSC cruises upgrade people. The cabins were fabulous – far, far better than I expected, and totally 5* (and we were inside, bog standard!)
<br>
<br>Tips – you only tip once, at the end of the week. They will leave an envelope in your room on the last night. There are instructions so don’t worry. You literally don’t need cash on the ship – when you embark, you give them a credit card details that they keep, and then give you and/or partner a keycard – this operates the room and is also your payment and ID so you need to carry it AT ALL TIMES!! It gets you off and back on the ship! When you buy drinks etc, you simply hand over your card and they add the amount to your credit card bill, which you get given on the last day (you can also check it as you go along, either at the internet café or at the accounts desk).
<br>
<br>Food – food at the grill is great - if you go to the one outside, there isn’t quite as much choice but is different each day – but there was chicken, steak, pork, lamb, sausages, burgers… Also outside is a fresh pasta counter. If you go inside, there is more of a range and you can always take your plate back outside if you want to sit out.
<br>
<br>Funnily enough our insurance docs didn’t arrive either, but a quick phonecall and they came through! Just get the policy number over the phone just incase.
<br>
<br>Feel free to ask away!
<br>
<br>Regards
<br>Clare

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Searover's Response to CJC's Review

Written on: 25/08/2005

Hi ! Thank you so much for the quick response!
<br>Our tickets arrived this morning with all the bumph(sp) that comes with them.
<br>When we booked we were quaranteed a Cat 3 cabin but on out tickets we now have a Cat 4 cabin (Is that better ?)
<br>Just a couple of queries if you don't mind. The first one is Tipping. Did you tip "As and when" or did you tip at the end of the Cruise ?
<br>The second query is How is the food at the Grill? Was there a good variety of dishes such as Steaks Chicken etc ?
<br>I had to telephone Iglu.com this morning as our Insurance documents havent arrived yet so fingers crossed that they arrive before we go.
<br>I'm sure that I may think of a few more questions before we go so watch this space !...I hope you don't mind and thanks once again for your help.

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Cjc's Response to CJC's Review

Written on: 24/08/2005

Hi Searover
<br>
<br>There were two gala nights during the week, although you need to keep an eye on the programme that they leave in your room each night to tellyou when they are - its not obvious! To be honest, there were guys in the full tux, but also ones with just trousers, shirt and tie so its up to you. Same went for the ladies - some were in full cocktail dress, but I opted for trousers and a spangly top. It was all very relaxed and as long as there is an air of smartness, its fine - no one looked out of place whether in full evening dress or not. I think the italian style of cruising is more relaxed and I love it! Please feel free to ask any questions, I'm happy to answer if I can as I couldnt find many reviews so I didnt what to expect, so ask away! Hope you have a great time!

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“Booked on MSC Sinfonia from the 13/03/05 to 20/03/05....”

★★★★★

written by Packywack on 24/03/2005

Booked on MSC Sinfonia from the 13/03/05 to 20/03/05. Have cruised before but this was the first time with MSC. We had a really lovely time and would definitely use this company again.
Compared to our previous cruises there was a noticeable lack of waiters in the restaurants. However, that could be due to the fact that this was only the ships second week cruising and maybe still taking on staff.
We highly recommend this ship and if you want a good value for money cruise you will not go far wrong with this company.

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