MSC Poesia Cruises
Fast Facts
Cruise line:MSC Cruises
Vessel: MSC Poesia
Star rating: Not rated yet
Tonnage: 86,500
Max passenger capacity: 3013 in 1,275 cabins, 809 of which have a private balcony
Total crew: 987
Entered service: April 2008
Passenger decks: 13
Facilities: fitness centre and spa; five restaurants, wine bar, cigar bar, two outdoor swimming pools, casino/slot machines, childrens club and pool, library, mini-golf, sports court, nightclub, cinema, theatre, internet room, disabled facilities (17 wheelchair-accessible cabins out of 1275), medical facility.
MSC Poesia
Oozing European style and charm MSC Poesia is going to be a sure-fire hit with lovers of the Med.
Owned by Italians, built in France and launched in Britain this April, the new MSC Poesia is a genuinely European ship, designed to appeal to an international audience without compromising its distinctive character.
If there were any one outstanding feature of MSC Poesia and her two sisters, MSC Musica and MSC Orchestra, it would be their gorgeous interiors, the epitome of Italian taste and style. All three ships are elegant and contemporary, but all three are different. On Poesia there are marbles in shades from pale pink to sea green and black onyx. Shimmering aquamarine tiles line the two swimming pools, exquisite mosaics adorn the spa and deck furniture and fittings are in warm teak.
Poesia means 'poetry' so each deck is named after an Italian poet. The first impression on boarding on Deck Five (named after Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarca), is of light and space. A stunning atrium forms the centrepiece of the vessel, three decks high. The floors are in pale marble and water cascades over a ceiling-high backdrop resembling the scales of a mermaid's tail. A grand piano rests on a glass platform at the base of the waterfall, setting off Le Rendezvous Bar, a good spot for a cappuccino in the morning and a pre-dinner cocktail at night if you're dining in Le Fontane, one of the ship's two main dining rooms. This grand salon is decorated in a Renaissance style, in contrast to its counterpart, Il Palladio, one deck above, the decor of which was inspired by the architecture of Italy's Veneto region.
These restaurants can cater for all 2550 passengers in two sittings, exploring the finest of Italian regional cuisine, using ingredients sourced in Italy, from salamis and cheeses to olive oils, wine, pasta and tomatoes. There's a pasta course every night and you should also leave room for dessert - the pastry chefs are renowned. This is not a weight-loss cruise!
Deck 6, Boccaccio, is the location of several small, intimate watering holes and the dramatic Zebra Bar, with black and white geometric patterns echoed on the carpet, the lamps and the sofas. Just forward of this bar is the entrance to the Teatro Carlo Felice, one of the most beautiful cruise ship theatres I've seen, with rich purple decor, silver Art Deco motifs and uninterrupted sightlines to a spectacularly high-tech stage for 1250 guests. Everything from Broadway-style shows to classical concerts will take place in here.
The theatre spans two decks in height, sharing Deck 7, Manzoni, with the ship's casino (which has a flashy private gaming room) and another entertainment venue, the sumptuous Le Moulin Rouge bar. A whole wall of this bar is glass, so it's a wonderful place to sit on days at sea and simply gaze out at the ocean. By night, it's hopping with live acts and dancing.
For a quieter retreat, the stylish Grappolo d'Oro wine bar is just forward of Le Moulin Rouge, where the bartenders will educate guests on the finer points of rare Italian wines. Cigar lovers will be able to sink into a soft leather chair in The Hitchcock Lounge, one of the few areas in which smoking is allowed.
There's also a fantastic little sushi bar, Kaito, on this deck, with a show kitchen and Japanese chefs preparing fresh sushi, with a small charge for each item.
MSC Poesia has generous deck space on Deck 13, named after the 18th century Venetian poet Ugo Foscolo, with two pools and two bars, the Piraa and the Mojito. It's only a few steps from here for lunch in the Villa Pompeiana Cafeteria, specialising in freshly baked pizza, grills, a huge array of antipasti, salads and pasta dishes, and very popular with families. The venue becomes a pizzeria at night, but there's a cover charge.
At the aft of the ship on this deck is the a la carte restaurant, Obelisco, with romantic candlelight dining and uninterrupted views of the ocean; dinner in here costs 18 Euro.
Forward on Foscolo Deck is the Balinese-themed Aurea Spa, with picture windows overlooking the sea. All the usual treatments are on offer, with a few contemporary additions - only suntan-mad Italians would include a 'sun shower' tanning facility on a ship that already sails in the Mediterranean, where there is no shortage of rays!
MSC is, however, embracing the trend to put ships year-round in the Mediterranean, which once would have been seen as a risky move. For the coming European summer, MSC Poesia is sailing out of Venice, operating seven-night cruises to Istanbul and back. In November, it moves to a different home port, Genoa, and operates a mixture of voyages further south to Egypt and Tunisia, or the Canary Islands. The weather's cooler then, but the popular tourist areas are empty, making it a great time to travel.
Written by Sue Bryant - Issue 32 Winter 08