Introduction:
My cousin, Francesca, is a cruise expert. She goes on at least two cruises every year and can’t get enough of them. She often suggested that we should go on a family cruise together but it was not something that really appealed to me.
The reasons I didn’t fancy it were the expense (especially for a family of 5), too many people (I like my space), not being able to experience places for more than a day or at night-time and fighting over sunbeds.
Why I decided on a cruise:
Having said all this, I was the one who approached her to go on a 7 day cruise in March. The reason why, my brother – Tom. Tom has learning disabilities and lives with my parents. They wanted to go away for their Golden Wedding anniversary so I offered to look after Tom while they were away. What better way to entertain him than to take him on a cruise?
I had experienced a 4 day mini cruise on the P&O ship Britannia during the pandemic, just me and my cousin, so I kind of knew what to expect and that there would be nothing to worry about; no cooking, cleaning, washing and we’d have non-stop entertainment. I asked Francesca to come along and she of course said ‘yes’.
Our package:
This was to be a budget break, so we found a cheap cruise with MSC around Northern Europe and because she was a top customer, she got us a great deal. We paid £550 for a week’s cruise, including a room with a window, all our meals and a full drinks package!
This was an out of season cruise so much cheaper than usual prices. Francesca is an independent travel agent. If you would like an experienced expert cruiser to recommend and help you book a cruise. See her on Facebook – Francesca Not Just Travel.
Our Itinerary:
Our itinerary was originally Hamburg, Rotterdam, Ze Brugge and Le Havre but because of strikes, we ended up doing 2 days in Ze Brugge.
My Review:
So, what did I think about the cruise? The following is my review of the MSC Virtuosa Northern European cruise.
The Ship:
Decor and features:
Virtuosa is a beautiful ship. In the main atrium, there is a Swarovski crystal staircase that spirals down for your grand entrance on Gala night. The ceiling in the Galleria Virtuosa is an LED domed indoor promenade, with boutique shops and the LED lights change frequently giving an impressive display.
On deck, there is the Atmosphere pool and even a waterpark with slides and, for rainy days, an indoor Tropical pool.
Accommodation on MSC Virtuosa:
We booked the most basic room available, which on hindsight was a mistake. For my brother staying on his own in the room, it was perfectly adequate and there were no issues. For a couple sharing the same bed it would probably be ok too. Unfortunately, for us ladies, sharing was terrible because of the lack of space.
The room was not large enough to accommodate 2 single beds comfortably. We literally had to move my bed to use the tiny wardrobe and our beds were so close together we felt like we were on top of each other. My advice, pay for the bigger room!
Food options on MSC Virtuosa:
There are a few options for dining, a canteen where there are many choices and you queue with a tray, a formal dining room with menu and waiter service, the pool snack bar and themed restaurants (that cost extra).
We decided to not pay extra for the themed restaurants and to opt for the canteen at breakfast and lunch and the formal dining room for dinner. I would say that the food was nice but average. It was ok but there was nothing that astounded me. I would definitely pay the extra for the restaurant options for better food and a bit of variety, especially if I was going longer than a week.
Facilities:
There are two theatres, a casino, a spa, an exclusive Yacht club, kids clubs, a bowling alley, high ropes, many bars, restaurants, boutiques and lots more.
During days at sea, we made use of the swimming pool, gym and jacuzzis. Unfortunately, the bowling costs extra and although we wanted to play we didn’t book a slot in time.
The good thing about the MSC Virtuosa is that it has an indoor pool and an outdoor pool so even though the weather was cold, we could still have a swim and drinks at the tables around the Tropical pool. The pool and jacuzzi were a little crowded for my liking and it was the same in the gym; we had to queue to use the equipment.
At an extra cost you can book massages and treatments in the Spa. My cousin had a free treatment because she is a gold card holder.
Bars
There are so many bars that we didn’t visit them all but our favourite had to be the sky lounge. This was my favourite place on the boat. There is a great view and the cocktails are speciality, signature cocktails. You can order bar snacks and it is waiter service.
Another of our favourite bars was the champagne bar, which serves a wide range of all sorts of fizz including Prosecco, Cava and of course Champagne. Again, waiter service and snacks are available.
There is a Starship Club, where a robot makes your drink but this costs quite a bit extra so we didn’t bother.
The bar in the main atrium holds entertainment like quizzes and dance lessons. It is the bar next to the nightly themed parties and therefore, very busy in the evenings and although the bartenders tried their best, there was always a long wait.
Night time entertainment on MSC Virtuosa:
The main theatre puts on shows that are mainly singing and a bit of dancing. We paid extra to watch the Carousel Production, which is like a Cirque de Soleil show. It was very entertaining and far better quality than the performances in the main theatre.
After the theatre performances there are themed parties in the main atrium, which are really good fun. We joined in with the ‘white night’, ‘flower power’ and the ‘formal evenings’. Everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves and the singers and dancers put on a good show. We ventured to the nightclub once but we found it a bit seedy and didn’t stay long.
Other entertainment included singers like the Fisherman’s Friends and other famous acts.
My cousin and I love to dress up; we particularly enjoyed the themed nights and Gala nights as it was a chance to wear our sparkles. (There are no baggage restrictions on a cruise so you can bring as many shoes and bling as you like.)
Day time entertainment:
A full programme of entertainment is offered every day. There are loads to choose from including cookery demonstrations, quizzes and yoga classes. We took part in a magic trick workshop and a dance class. The magic trick workshop was excellent.
MSC Virtuosa Yacht club
For a lot more money, you can stay in the MSC Virtuosa Yacht club. For us, this was a budget break so not really an option, but if you want an exclusive luxurious stay then it looked very nice from the pictures!
The places we stopped:
You can pay for MSC coach excursions at each port you visit. We decided to book our own excursions and activities to save money.
Hamburg:
Instead of catching a coach in, we walked from the port to the city so that we could go through the Old Elbe Tunnel. This tunnel connects the port with the Landungsbrucken piers.
We arrived in Hamburg on a Sunday, which meant, unfortunately, all the shops were shut so we decided to visit ‘Wunderland’. This is the largest model railway in the world and is incredible. They have built miniature versions of cities and places from all over the world in fantastic detail. There is even a football stadium with thousands of little people. http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de
As an extra you can use a VR head set to transport yourself into and explore ‘Wunderland’. It was a great immersive experience and I would recommend it.
Afterwards we stopped at a traditional restaurant for schnitzel and a german beer.
Rotterdam:
I was pleasantly surprised by Rotterdam as it is such a unique and modern city. Rotterdam was virtually destroyed during the second world war so it was completely rebuilt, but instead of just building boring buildings, they encouraged creative architecture.
There are so many modern marvels – it is really interesting to see. We visited the Cube houses, the Markthal (Market Hall), and had lunch at a restaurant in the Old Harbour .
The Cube houses were designed by Piet Blom. They are houses built in the shape of tilted cubes. You can go inside one of the houses for a small admission price and explore the unusually shaped rooms. People actually live in these houses and you can even rent them on Airbnb.
The Markthal is a food market hall with stalls and restaurants. It is a huge arched construction with the most amazing artwork painted over the ceiling. There are loads of food stalls and eateries with all types of food. It looks and smells divine and is a must see if you are visiting Rotterdam.
The Old Harbour was built in the 14th century. There are large sailing boats on the water and it is a vibrant, colourful area with many restaurants.
Ze Brugge
Ze Brugge is not far from Bruges. There was an expensive coach trip option with MSC but the majority of passengers booked the coach that was available at Ze Brugge port for a fraction of the price. http://www.getyourguide.com
Bruges was the place I was most looking forward to visiting but I have to say I was underwhelmed by it. Bruges is pretty but not as pretty as it looks in the pictures.
We walked around the city and took a boat trip. We ate belgian waffles and climbed up the Belfry Tower to admire the view. I had watched the comedy film ‘In Bruges’ so while we were walking and sailing around I kept myself entertained spotting locations from the film.
The last stop was supposed to be Le Havre but due to strikes we ended up staying in Ze Brugge again so we caught a tram to the coastal town of Blankenberge.
My overall thoughts about cruising:
My overall thoughts about the MSC Virtuosa cruise and would I do it again?
Disabilities:
We had a great time and my brother thoroughly enjoyed himself. I noticed there were quite a few people with disabilities. Cruise ships have lots of facilities for people with disabilities so that is a great benefit.
Dining Options:
At times I was a little bored with the same dining options. Also, I could not relax in my room so if I take my brother again, I would pay the extra to have a bit more luxury in terms of the choice of room and restaurants and maybe I would book a spa treatment for some ‘me time’.
Convenience:
Cruising is easy and convenient and I can see why people opt for this type of holiday but I do prefer a land holiday. The main reason is that I would rather explore a country over a few days than just a day trip.
Destinations:
Ports don’t tend to be the prettiest of destinations and it takes a lot of time out of your day to travel to another area and there’s always the worry of not getting back to the ship on time. I’d rather see the restaurants and nightlife in the country I am staying in than the ship’s food and entertainment.
Having said that, it is a fantastic way to see lots of new places on one holiday, everything is done for you and for families there is tons to keep the kids entertained and well fed. You get a lot of value for your money.
Conclusion:
I would happily take my brother on another cruise and maybe the family if it was the right destination like the Caribbean or Alaska!
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