A Mediterranean Cruise

arrival in Naples

Punctually we arrive in Naples at about 8:00. First, breakfast of your choice: coffee for the early risers at 6:00 in the coffee bar or from 7:00 to 9:30 in the restaurant, or from 7:00 to 10:00 always in the coffee bar. What was there? Everything and more. From the classic coffee with milk to omelettes, wurstels, potatoes, and the beauty is that there is NO LIMIT!!!! EVERYTHING YOU WANT UNTIL 10:00. You can disembark with the organized tour or for 5.00 euros per person you can use the MSC shuttle bus that takes you downtown every 15 minutes. These buses are also always on time. We decide to go down on our own, and we walk toward the center (Via Toledo) very beautiful among other things and very close to the port.

At 5:30 PM there is "ALL ABOARD" because at 6:00 PM there is the departure for Palermo.Among the guided tours there was the visit to Vesuvius, Pompeii and the shopping streets.Quite a lot of traffic but very suggestive. First stop OK.

PALERMO

After the evening spent watching in the theater (which holds about 1,500 people) the welcome show, with however the choice of being able to play bingo (with beautiful prizes), play in the casino open until morning, disco, and more, we head to our cabin on the 10th floor with very fast elevators. We enter and realize that they had come to prepare our beds, our pajamas ready, soft lights, television on the satellite channel and the program for the next day resting on the desk. BETTER THAN THAT!! We have a guy dedicated to our cabin and available 24 hours a day. Punctually we arrive in Palermo. Here too we go down on our own and the first impact is with the warmth of the Sicilians. Everyone helpful and ready to show you the most beautiful views of the city. We decide to take a carriage that for an honest sum takes us to the most beautiful places in Palermo.

Unfortunately here I couldn't take photos because at the most beautiful moment I realized I hadn't brought the spare batteries and so I filmed something with the video camera. Anyway a piece of advice: go straight into the heart of Palermo. It's fabulous. And a little majolica souvenir is a must. Here too "ALL ABOARD" is at 5:30 PM.The guided excursions were: CEFALU' AND PALERMO MONREALE. I forgot that at 10:00 there was a mandatory emergency drill. Life jackets and everyone gathered at the various meeting points. It lasts about 20 minutes and is interesting. We return on board and prepare for the "BYE BYE ITALIA" the farewell to the last Italian port before heading to Tunis. We also discovered a very convenient and well-organized BABY CLUB. From 8:00 in the morning until 10:30 PM you can take the children to this 100% safe club.

They have a blast and you can go on an excursion without worry. Stop number 2 OK!!

TUNISI

7:00 a.m. We arrive in Tunis. All aboard will be at 12:30, destination Palma de Mallorca. Unfortunately we only stop for four hours and on top of that it's pouring rain and freezing cold...... so we decide to stay on the ship. Anyway, some friends who did the excursion and went to the Medina, the typical Tunisian bazaar, weren't very pleased. Another excursion was historic and cultural Tunis towards Carthage to visit the archaeological remains, the Baths of Antoninus and the hill of Byrsa with the museum, where to take photos you had to pay a fee, free time for shopping. It wasn't free shopping but guided. In short, beautiful sea, beach too, but given the weather situation and the tight timing, better to stay on board. THIRD STOP? SO-SO......bye bye Tunis......

PALMA DE MAJORCA

2:00 p.m. we arrive in Palma! I won't tell you what a marvel this island is. Actually, I will tell you.....FAIRYTALE ISLAND.......We get organized after stocking up on calories at breakfast. GUIDED EXCURSIONS: Dragon Caves about 50' min. from Palma, City Tour, Marineland (a sort of aquarium), and Palma by Night to watch a typical flamenco show while sipping sangria!!!!! What do you think we choose? Of course, we go with the "DO IT YOURSELF". (HONESTLY TOO EXPENSIVE)! Here too we take advantage of the shuttle bus service to the center and I see that like us many do the same. 10 minutes and we're at the cathedral of Palma. Unfortunately you can't visit the interior but even from outside it's a spectacle.

We meet lots of street artists: from guitarists playing beautiful Spanish music and selling their cds, to the characters who stay motionless all day on pedestals and move exclusively when you throw them a coin, a few movements and they go back to being motionless under a sun that splits the stones. FANTASTIC!!!!!! The most fascinating neighborhood is "Portella Quarter" which is behind the Cathedral where you can admire the last Arab monuments. Anyway Palma is truly a postcard and on top of that it's very clean and there are lots of wonderful public gardens full of fountains. All aboard this time is at 00:30 (half past midnight) to then set off towards the ASTONISHING BARCELONA. HERE WE GO!!!!!!

BARCELLONA

9:00 a.m. we're in BARCELONA. What do you think?....... No, this time we weren't stingy and we did the guided tour. The choice was: City Tour, Panoramic Barcelona and Camp Nou, Gaudi's Barcelona, Panoramic Tour and shopping. We choose the city tour, shopping is better kept at a distance......... We all meet at Bridge 6 at the Teatro La Scala and wait for the escort's call. Meanwhile they "TAG" us with the MSC logo to avoid losing any cruiser. 20 minutes and we're on the bus. First stop GAUDI'S SAGRADA FAMILIA. There are no words to convey the experience of seeing a work of that kind. You just have to stand in front of it. We get off the bus, admire it for a few moments and get back on because the traffic is making itself felt. We head towards the Cathedral and along the way we glimpse LA RAMBLA, the most "IN" street in Barcelona.

At ten in the morning they close the street to cars and it becomes pedestrian until late at night with an endless number of shops. As for shop hours, they open from 10:00 in the morning until 24:00 without "SIESTA" (break). The Cathedral is also stunning, Gothic style and a cloister with a pond with beautiful swans. They leave us about 20' min. to browse in some shops, have a p........ and last stop towards the hills. Ten minutes and we're on the hill. Here there's a beautiful uninhabited neighborhood where all the most beautiful buildings of Spain and Portugal have been reproduced with their descriptions and dates. Here too there's no shortage of shops and bars with the typical "Tapas and Paella". We go back for lunch and luckily we find our "little waiter" ready to pamper us. All aboard is at 6:30 p.m. At 7:00 p.m. departure for Marseille. Barcelona will stay in my heart.

It's impossible to convey the emotions it gives. P.S. I forgot to tell you that the high-speed train has started service that will do the Barcelona-Madrid route in just two and a half hours. Isn't that wonderful? Come on, France is waiting for us. GOODBYE BEAUTIFUL BARCELONA!

MARSIGLIA

7:30. We're in Marseille. EXCURSIONS: Avignon and Les Baux, Cassis, Aix En Provence, City Tour.........And yes, yes, yes, yes, alone and with a little more money in our pockets. Actually we're not alone but with a couple of friends who were left "broke" after the various guided tours...hi, hi, hi.Shuttle bus at 9:00. I'll tell you: the only thing I liked about Marseille? The lavender soaps!!If I had known I would have stayed on board. We even got lost in the Arab quarter, and I advise you to bring a "chamber pot" in your backpack because bathrooms are out of the question.In bars they make you consume and then they don't let you go to the bathroom!!!!! The public parks? they're for the exclusive use of nomads. Not that I have anything against them, let that be clear, but free spots for tourists there aren't any, and a bit more cleanliness in the streets certainly wouldn't hurt.

Nothing particular to visit (in my humble opinion). We come back a bit late but happy to find our "little boat" all nice and tidy and fragrant! Off to eat our food!!!!! (just for a change). THIS STOP? NO COMMENT!!!

GENOVA

It's 6:00 and we're back in Genoa. Yes, the week flew by. We come back with many beautiful memories and also many extra "rolls of fat" after going through all the various buffets, little lunches, various snacks for a week. By 8:00 the cabin must be left free. We have the last "pharaonic" breakfast and head to the theater to wait for the disembarkation call. We disembark around 11:00 and they give us the good news that our coach will arrive around 2:30 p.m. We wait in the port and finally at 3:00 p.m. it arrives. CONCLUSIONS: SHIP, CREW, SERVICES OFFERED ON BOARD AND ASSISTANCE all perfect, we couldn't have asked for more. EXCURSIONS: perhaps a bit too expensive, however the one we did in Barcelona was satisfactory. COACH SERVICE ROUND TRIP: not bad on the way there (50' min.

delay), terrible on the way back: 4 hours waiting in the port with children, the kind of thing "THE CRUISE IS OVER NOW YOU CAN WAIT TOO"!!! Oh well, in the end perfection doesn't exist. FINAL OVERALL SCORE FROM 1 TO 10: 9 AND A HALF. I hope you found something interesting and that it might be useful to you in the future. If I forgot something I'll update the diary. GREETINGS TO EVERYONE.