I should be quaking in my boots and thankful it wasn’t me, to say nothing of vowing never to go to sea again. But last week’s drama about the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia hasn’t changed my mind one tiny bit about how wonderful this form of travelling is.
However, having recently been on my first cruise – on the MSC Sinfonia to Bazaruto Island in Mozambique – I do have some comments about safety on board. And those comments are directed at the passengers, and not the crew.
I found the crew of the Sinfonia to be most professional in carrying out the emergency drills: they were thorough and concerned that everyone understood exactly what had to be done. But it was the “veteran” passengers – those who had been cruising more than once – who really irritated me because of their casual, couldn’t-care-less attitude.
Safety demonstrations are there for your benefit, people, so pay attention. And, for what it’s worth, I believe that in an emergency, the MSC personnel would have been absolutely reliable.
Having seen the Costa Concordia keeled over off the Italian coast hasn’t put me off cruising in the slightest and I can see why some people become almost addicted to this form of holidaying.
They say cruising is the fastest growing holiday style in South Africa, and it’s easy to see why, once you’ve experienced it.
Our journey began in Durban harbour with a long queue to clear customs and book in. That’s not the fault of the cruise line, and most of the people in the queue seemed cheerful enough.
Eventually unpacked in our luxury cabin on the 10th floor (deck, I suppose it’s called), the air-conditioning was running smoothly, there was a huge bed with plenty of room to romp on, a two-seater couch and a single chair placed around a small round coffee table facing a TV screen on top of a cabinet, which contained a discreetly hidden mini-bar.
The wooden panelling on the walls gave me a warm, cosy feeling, and a soft carpet, subdued lighting and a few pictures completed the feeling of being at ease. All very tastefully done in matching colours, a walk-in cupboard for your clothing and an extra shelf cupboard so as not to have you cramming those shirts into a confined space.
The bathroom had a rather small tub – well it seemed that way to a chubby chap like me – with a curtain shower. Overall, I did not feel cramped, because the available space had been put to good use through clever design.
After a stroll taking in the shops, casino, dining areas and theatre, it was time for lunch. Those of us not used to sharing our table with others need to get used to the reality that cruising is about sharing… and meeting new people.
You can eat as much as you like and there are so many choices as to where you want to eat. The weather was not kind to us and the rain was falling, which ruled out eating near the pool deck or on the open upper decks. There was a buzz about the ship and you could feel the excitement of the passengers everywhere you went. Yes, the people queued for most things, but everything runs so smoothly it does not hassle you to wait your turn.
The Sinfonia clips along at a fair rate of knots and it wasn’t long before the harbour was out of sight and we were now fully at sea, and BOOM! It hit me.
The sea was fairly choppy and we were pitching and rolling and I started feeling sick. The tips I was given – “watch the horizon, fix your eyes on something” – didn’t seem to help, so off to the reception desk I went, got some tabs and went back to the cabin to lie down.
By dinner, I was still not quite there yet. I said I wouldn’t eat but would sit through dinner with Jackie just to keep her company. I think I lasted all of five minutes; maybe it was the smell of the food or the first plate that passed by my nose, but I was up and running like a racehorse to find the nearest toilet, and just made it. I gave Jackie my apologies and headed back to the cabin to die.
I did manage to sleep through to the next morning and woke feeling a little better. Being a big guy (fat) and having nothing in my stomach I was hungry and the dining room stewards had sent some food back with Jackie which they knew would be easy for me to digest. But its didn’t get better so I nipped off to the ship’s doctors. They’ve seen it all before ... a quick jab in the butt and back to lie down till it takes effect. Half an hour later the world was back to normal and I was up and running again. A colleague said I must be unusually sensitive – and that’s the first time anyone’s said that about me – but I think he was talking about seasickness...
I stayed off the booze and stuck to tea and cool drinks. But the ship’s crew never gave up and it was full-on entertainment regardless of what was happening outside. The entertainment, both day and night, was of the very best, from learning to do the ship’s dance to the live shows in the theatre.
The day we anchored off the island was the best of all, the sun was shining… no clouds, just a perfect day. The “rubber-ducks” were running to and fro taking almost everyone off the ship to the white beaches and the transparent warm waters. It’s not really the ship’s duty to warn you to put on suntan lotion but, from the colour of the lobster people returning later that afternoon, maybe they should put up a big warning sign.
Unfortunately, the return trip was just as choppy, but again the crew did the job of keeping us busy and filling the day and night with fun and entertainment. Some of the things I noticed were the amount of elderly people on board with walking sticks or walkers, plus the women with the colourful saris playing cards or hanging around the casino, plus parents with young babies in their prams, groups of three and four middle-aged lady friends just having a week of good clean fun in the sun away from work, family and worries – and then the ones having a holiday romance… a real mix of people and nations and everyone talking to and smiling at you, truly a friendly group of travellers.
I have only one complaint and that is the smoking room. I think it should have a door cutting it off from the open passageway, as that foul smell tends to wander out into the stairwell and corridors. Not being a smoker, I tend to pick up the smell very quickly. On the pool deck there are clearly marked areas for smokers and non-smoking passengers but, of course, some don’t seem to notice them. A thank you to the woman who kept telling those around us that it was a non-smoking area, which seemed to upset them for some unknown reason.
There is a show which explains the everyday running of the ship – fuel, food, staff etc – and this also informs you about the history of the MSC group. We saw pictures of the Sinfonia’s much bigger sister ship and we were informed that, although she could easily sail our waters, the customs and immigration people here could not handle the passenger volume.
Would I go again? In a second, but this time I would love to try one of these big cruises overseas because for value for money it’s a holiday that will give you long-lasting memories for a lifetime. - Saturday Star