And so started our first day on board the MSC Virtuosa. We had ordered breakfast in the cabin which was delivered by our own Cabin Steward. He had to apologize as there was no magarine on board, so we had to have butter. But we think it has more to do with the fact that all the Stores and Provisions that came on board yesterday had not all been sorted out yet.  I wonder how many cabin breakfasts are ordered if there arel 6000+ guests on board. We think it must be considerable as there were mistakes in our order. So a rush job. A cheese plate is quite different from a meat plate. It is not the same color so you really can not miss the plate. I had also sent up a copy of one of  Holland America books to Captain Lefering as we had sailed together in the grey mists of time with Holland America. At lunch time a nice thank you note came back and with it a little bag with chocolates from the large store on board. These 5 day cruises are very intense for a cruise ship captain so I was not expecting that there would be time for a chat.

The sea side of the terminal which you normally do not see. But the ship is so big that it takes up the whole pier. The black oblong box across the little park, is the end of the French nuclear submarine. Le Redoutable.  There are still plans to restore the old gangways seen on the left but nothing has been happening for a long while, and they are in quite a sorry state.

We decided not to go ashore with the heat it is supposed to go up to 32oC, plus the fact that we have been here many a time and have done all the shore excurions. But we had several thousand guests marching ashore to invade Cherbourg, so we would not be missed. The town had their shuttlebus system ready and they must be used to mega liners visiting as instead of the regular size buses they used bendy-busses, so double the size but still with only one driver. I ran ashore quickly to look in the maritime bookshop but there was nothing new for me. They were doing a good business with selling Titantic – Revell plastic kit models.  They had about 8 different kits for sale, but in the book department there was only a new book out about Le Redoutable, the french submarine which sits in a dry dock basin as a museum next to the cruise terminal.  On the way back I overheard one of the French shuttle bus drivers complaining to the security guard about his guests on the bus. It seems that the whole bus had filled up with black guests and they had started a sing-a-long which was not in line with this french ideas of culture. I would have loved to have heard it  as normally the harmonizing is incredible. When we were last here, there was a sole security guard “protecting” the door from the museum side to the terminal side and was checking ids . She had now been replaced by a single male guard with a gun, who was checking nothing. I just wonder how many passengers a ship has to bring in, before a security guard gets upgraded with a pistol ? Up to 2000 no gun? 3000 – 6000 a hand gun ? over 6000 a machine gun ??. Guiding these large number of guests back on board, was too much for the local staff and hence the ship provided crew to stand in the terminal, to push the flow, to one of the 2 gangways or if needed to the lift. Also inside at the security check when entering the ship, the regular security guards, there seem to be about 30 of them, had help from housekeeping. That is all extra staff that then is not used to provide service to the guests. So we are already figuring out that all the focus is on selling stuff, restaurants, bars and shops and beyond that, you need to be in the Yacht Club to get some personal service.

Entrance to the chocolate shop and factory Jean Philippe..

So we went into the ship, to see what it was like with most guests gone ashore. Well most venues were closed for lunch, with only one general restaurant open for lunchtime and some of the – to pay for- other food outlets opening up in the course of the afternoon when most guests were returning. What was open was the chocolate shop and cafe.  And that brings me to the first main difference with other mega liners as this ship has a large, very large, choclatier shop (and chocolate factory)  on board with cafe area for ordering and enjoying.

Plenty on display and for sale, and not cheap, but then it is a “branded” product by the world famous Choclatier Jean Philipe. Note: the Stiletto shoe on the counter, can be bought and modified for creating your own choclate selection.

The choice of chocolates is very large and most of it seems to be made on board. I counted on this port morning, when all was quiet, at least 10 attendants in function so it must be a large happening. And also a very succesful happening. One thing that intrigued us was that you can order a chocolate shoe (like a high heeled stiletto), select the color of chocolate you want to have it made from, then they poor the shoe and then you can have it filled up with your selection of “bons-bons” as we call it. I did not look at the price but it looked like a nice present regardless. Then they also have the ship as  a silhouette in chocolate and a lot of other stuff.

Buy your own ship in chocolate.

From there we walked up and aft to the Lido Restaurant on Deck 16 after the breakfast here finished at 10.30. We walked through it yesterday and the place was a big mayhem with so many children milling around with special focus on the pizza outlets. I was not amazed that there is no Ice Cream stand in the place; imagine the horror if a 1000 or so childeren descending on that outlet, not counting the adults.

With so many guests being and staying in the Lido for a prolonged breakfast, the staff has barely an hour to clean up and to have lunch themselves. Before lunch starts at 12.00 hrs.

The setup is the same as on any other ship, with 2 identical line ups on the port and starboard side and with sufficient beverage and tea stations. On port days it can handle the crowds without much of an issue but on sea days it is cramped, even with it being such a big ship. It does not call for a relaxed experience but is similar to Holland America and Celebrity during Thanksgiving cruises, when all the families decide to go for lunch at the same time. But here they have that every day.

The crepe and gelati station on Deck 6 in the main parade. The prices are around 7 pounds a cup.

For those who want a free icecream, you have to go to a sit-down restaurant. There is ice cream in the outside to the pool bars or you can go to the Crepe & Gelati outlet on Deck 6.  But that is not free of charge.  Prices on board are in English as the ship is homeporting in the UK and a soft ice cornet in the pool area is 3.80 pounds. (We pay 3,– on the beach in our home town, so the price is not that outrageous)

For lunch we returned to the Yachtclub as at least we get personal service there. The menu’s are the same as in all price included restaurants (Menueto, Symphony and Bolero) but In the YachtClub the dishes have been tarted up a little bit with more attention to detail.

This is the Yacht Club day lounge, seen from the Dining room level. Panoramic windows offer a magnificent view and good service does the rest.

The show tonight was a magician so we decided to skip him and walk through the ship after dinner. Her ladyship wanted to inspect the handbags. She only has 100 of them and is missing a small blue evening one that can hold her phone, so we are on a mission. I wanted to see  the ceiling again as it changes twice a day and the 2nd time is at 21.10. (This time co-incides with most guests coming either out of the show or out of dinner). I was not disappointed and with loud sound effects the ceiling changed from fishes in the ocean to thousands of small photos. The handbags were either too big, too small, the wrong model or the wrong color………. or much too expensive and thus my bank account could take a deep sigh of relief.  When looking around, the logo shop, the liquor shop and the parfume shop were doing good business but the expensive shops were empty.

A picture ceiling where the colors keeps changing.

Another bar that makes a great impression on the kids on board is the Robot Bar or better called the “The Starship Club”. Here you can order a drink, cocktail or other mix; your name goes on the TV monitor so you can follow the progress of the drink being mixed. Quite nifty but it is a novelty and the process is quite slow. Hence on the side there is also a regular bar, for “quick orders”. If you order via the robot, you get your glass in a small box honoring the occasion. The staff is quite busy with stopping “little” johnny’s and not so “little” johnny’s from trying to touch the robot and the other equipment. I do not think it is a big money spinner but certainly a nifty gadget and focus point.

The Robot Bar, called the Starship Club.

Apart from entertainment in the lounge, there is also non stop action in the Virtuosa Bar, next to the chocolate shop on deck 6, it has a band in the evening and lots of quizzes during day time.Straight above on Deck 7 there is a similar space called  the TV studio and Bar, also for quizzes and Disco.

This is the Carousel Lounge. Which is during the day time using its LED banners to promote Wellness, which is located on deck 7 above the show lounge.

Then at the stern of the ship, the end of Deck 7, there is “Caroussel” Lounge. This is a 270o circular theatre for special shows such as acrobatics and related. A sort of Cirque due Soleil but then on a smaller scale. This is a pay-for lounge and a ticket sets you back 18 pounds.

Finally there is the Horizon Ampitheatre, a half circle open space on deck 16 at the stern, which is during day time a regular outdoor space but can be used in the evenings for performances. So far I have not seen anything advertised.

And the guests kept marching on. This was at 22.30 hrs.

While walking around, there was a never ending flow of guests, on the way from one place to the other and now all the pay-for venues on Deck 7  (steak house, pub, sushi, etc.etc.) were full.  We decided to retreat to the cabin as her ladyship wants to go to the Aurea Spa tomorrow, and wants to go fairly early, to see if we can beat the crowds. The use of the regular Wellness facilities are included in the Yacht Club price everyday, but no treatments.

Here a better photo from our cabin, in the Royal Suite Class. The machine on the left is an Nesspresso machine and Still and Sparkling water is delivered daily, as is a complimentary fridge with soft drinks and beer. But you only get one small box of Pringles and some nuts free for the whole cruise. Not pictured, but present is a kettle for the British for their cup of tea in the morning. (Photo courtesy MSC Cruises)

Tomorrow we are in Zeebrugge, for Bruges. Weather is expected to be sunny again but now with temperatures of 18oC / 65o F in the morning and rising by about 6 to 7o celcius during the day. Inland in Bruges is will be somewhat warmer. If one does not buy a tour (*) then there is the complimentary shuttlebus to the Gate from where you can take the local coastal tram or try to get a taxi, or pay 11 pounds for a transfer from the ship to Blankenberg. (With Cunard and other more upscale company’s this shuttle is included. So I had hoped that MSC would extend that also to their Yachtclub people but no such luck)

(*) We have now found out that sometimes you can get the tours with a big discount if they have not sold out. One came down from 150 pounds pre cruise to 59 poundson the day,  so if you are NOT that bothered, have a little gamble on sold out/not sold out and save yourself a considerable amount of money.

The lay-out of the cabin with a floor space of 307 square feet. In some of these cabins, the sofa can be turned into an extra 2 beds, but then 2 extra wardrobes are added which takes space away from the rest of the cabin. The two (brown) wardrobes in this diagram, one for hanging, one for laying, offer enough space for one week but not more. So if you do a longer cruise, you either have to recycle your clothes or rotate from the suitcase.