Telling people you’ve been on a cruise these days elicits lots of questions.
“You weren’t on THAT cruise were you?” I was asked when people heard my teenage daughters and I had taken a boat trip.
But no, our cruise was not on the ill-fated Costa Concordia in the Mediterranean – we were on the MSC Melody and returned safely after a fabulous four-night cruise from Cape Town to Walvis Bay and back. Just eight hours after we docked – on Friday 13th – the Costa Concordia went belly-up.
Our arrival back in Cape Town in pouring rain was chaotic, thanks to new regulations enforced by Home Affairs, who insist cruise ships must tie up at the distant Duncan Dock.
When we disembarked, they were not allowing cars into the yard in front of the gangway, which meant lugging our suitcases in the rain – not fun.
Hopefully this will be sorted soon so that cruisers are given a fine Mother City welcome.
The Mediterranean Shipping Company is an Italian-owned cruise ship operator with a fleet of 11 liners, including the Melody and Sinfonia, which regularly cruise in South African waters.
The Melody was built in 1982 and retains the early 80s décor. I thought it had great character – a retro Italian casino vibe. It reminded me of the Carlton Centre in Joburg.
Other than the pools which look a bit grubby (an upgrade is on the cards)
the ship is beautifully maintained. I looked at cabins in all categories – from the cheapest to the suites. Some are nicer than others but even the cheapest were fine.
The crew told me passengers were sometimes misled by booking agents.
For instance, they are told that they will get a balcony, but the Melody cabins don’t have balconies. A couple in their 40s said they had booked a cabin with a porthole but found there was no porthole when they got aboard. MSC upgraded them to a mini-suite at a nominal charge so they were happy cruisers.
Cruising is not for everyone. A friend cruised to Walvis Bay last year but became terribly seasick, staying in her cabin for most of the voyage. That’s miserable, so go prepared. My elder daughter, Jessie, and I popped motion sickness pills and we were fine. My younger daughter Sarah did not take anything and she was fine too.
Our 18m2 mini-suite was superbly appointed with spacious wardrobes, three chests of drawers and a lovely bathroom with a nifty stainless steel box shelf to stop medications and cosmetics flying around in a storm.
My daughters and I had a girls’ week at sea on this party ship. It’s not a five-star cruise ship with a butler for every cabin, nor is it a Zen yoga cruise where all you can hear is the swishing of the water as you chant “ohm”. But you can get a superb Balinese massage (about R1 000 and worth every rand). The music pumps on the deck most of the day. There is bingo, dancing lessons on the deck; karaoke, disco and shows. The entertainment team – headed by the ebullient and suave entertainment cruise director Derrick van Wyk (who grew up in Jeffrey’s Bay) – gets the crowds boogying, and they cater for all ages.
We thought the food was excellent in the Galaxy, the a la carte restaurant. You can dine there (at one of two sittings) or eat at the buffet by the pool. It is canteen style and quantity rules. People heaped their plates as though they were going on starvation diets tomorrow.
In addition to the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets, there are also teas and and midnight buffets and snacks – you cannot possibly go hungry.
The restaurant has more of a fine dining vibe with crisp white napery and table service. The menu always included a salad, a hearty vegetarian or meat soup, pastas; and mains (fish, meat and veg). The fresh breads and rolls and grilled fish and veggies were excellent. A terrific selection of desserts included a fresh fruit platter, ice cream and a dish with no added sugar.
All told, the Melody is a very good deal. Everything is included – meals, non-alcoholic drinks at the 24-hour beverage station and entertainment (films, music, and cabaret). You pay only for alcohol, bingo and the casino. We had a great time.
After several days at sea we arrived at Walvis Bay. Namibian passport control came on board to speed up disembarkation.
We did not take the pricey shore excursion marketed on the ship but used Carlo’s Shuttle service (www.carloshuttlenamibia.com.na), paying R200 each.
After a whistlestop tour of Walvis Bay it was on to German-flavoured Swakopmund, where we shopped and stopped for the famous apple strudel at Café Anton at the Hotel Schweizerhaus.
Carlo delivered us back to the ship at 3pm. Tossing our bags in the cabin, we went up on deck and reclined with a strawberry daiquiri as we sailed out of Walvis.
It was a glorious feeling.
As I write about our cruise and the wonderful times we had, rescue teams are still searching the Concordia. I think back to our first afternoon when the Melody crew roused us from our deck chairs for an evacuation drill. Most of us complained, but after the Concordia tragedy, hopefully cruisers will not quibble over the drills.
l See www.mscstarlightcruises. co.za for Melody and Sinfonia trips.
l Cohen and her daughters were guests of MSC Starlight Cruises but paid their insurance, port and service charges. Rates for the Walvis Bay cruise start at R4 410 a person, and the fees are about R750 extra each. The next Walvis cruise departs on February 14 from Cape Town. On March 30 the MSC Sinfonia sails from Cape Town on an 18-night cruise to Genoa in Italy. Fares for that voyage start at R8 260 each.
l Anti-motion sickness pills – The seas off Africa can be rough, so it’s a good idea to take tablets a few hours before sailing and when needed – but do consult your doctor if you are taking other medication or are pregnant. Cyclizine is the antihistamine used in many preparations and prices range from R17 for 20 tablets of a generic preparation.
l Warm clothing – a sweat shirt and scarf for late afternoons when it can be cold on deck.
l Suitable shoes – no stilettos for the ladies – not easy to walk when the boat is lurching from side to side but wedges work well and you can still look stylish.
l Ziploc bag and torch – keep passports and money bagged and enclose a torch – just in case you need to grab your valuables and leave the ship in a hurry. - Weekend Argus