A Travel Seller’s Report: MSC Poesia – Now that’s Italian–Entertainment!

(Sherry Laskin, ACC is the owner of Florida-based Vacation Shoppe. She is a member of the CLIA Advisory Board and has been quoted in Travel and Leisure, Frommers.com and msnbc.today.com.)

Sailing with MSC Cruises is not like sailing with any of the major American cruise lines; the European ambiance is evident everywhere. Yet the Poesia still offers the same services and amenities passengers find on the larger cruise lines.

And, when it comes to live entertainment, MSC and the Poesia more than deliver. The Carlos Felice theatre is acoustically wonderful, with no blocked sight lines. Every night – not just on the two formal nights – there is a lavish production number to watch. The performers on MSC are exceptionally well trained and professional. If it isn’t to your liking, it certainly isn’t because of the quality of the entertainers.

During my five-day cruise, I didn’t miss one show in the theater. The first night’s show featured Mimma Barra, a vocalist who also performs opera, and the MSC dancers performing a Las Vegas tribute. Another night was a musical journey through Italy highlighting familiar songs accompanied by the fabulous dancers.

Aboard the Poesia, you are never far from live music. It has been said that MSC is one of the best cruise lines for live music and I have to agree. Starting in the late afternoon and continuing into the wee hours, live music can be found at seven locations throughout the ship. The ship’s acoustics seem to prevent “spillage” from one venue to the next and I never had to yell to carry on a conversation.

You’re never far from shopping either. There are six well-stocked shops consisting of a boutique, a duty-free shop, a jewelry store, a perfumerie, electronics and of course, a logo store.

Children are not forgotten on the Poesia. The kids arcade has several popular video games and there is a spacious, well-equipped children’s center. However, check the Daily Program for staffing hours. While MSC does offer a “Kids Under 17 Always Sail Free” promotion, not once did it ever seem like kids were taking over the ship.

Tell clients to book their spa treatments as soon as they board, especially if they want to be pampered on sea days. The Aurea Spa Wellness and Relaxation Center, on Deck 13 forward, features Balinese spa treatments. The spa facility is owned and operated by an Italian company and has a selection of its own skin care product line.

The adjacent gym is equipped with the usual workout machines, but there were only six treadmills, two of which were having issues the entire five days of the cruise. MSC tries to limit guests’ time on the equipment so that everyone gets a turn.  I think this is a European design mindset. Americans probably spend more time in shipboard gyms than Europeans, thus the smaller facility. Twice I opted to walk the corridors within the ship rather than wait for a treadmill to be available.

On days at sea, guests can hit the pool for some rest or recreation. The Poesia’s pool area is comprised of two very large swimming pools and four whirlpools, on Deck 13. I loved the deck chairs. They have a little “sun visor” attachment which can easily be positioned to keep the sun off of your face. Surrounding the pool on two decks above are additional sunning locations. I loved the fact that there were glass-enclosed showers on each of these decks.

There are more lounge chairs throughout the outdoor areas including some very cool aft location chairs.

My Tip: On deck 14, at the back of the S32 Disco, there is a narrow outdoor area with lounge and upright chairs. The area continues down an outside stairwell all the way to deck 9, each deck offering a small lounge space. These areas are absolutely wonderful for quiet moments to look out at the sea, read or just relax.

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