Amanda PhillipsA Day On Board the MSC Orchestra
Today was a day on board, we were all at sea today! Literally – as MSC Orchestra was navigating her way through the Persian Gulf, reaching the Strait of Hormuz in late afternoon. This is where a 5th of all the oil in the world transits, and it’s close to Iran too.
With lots of time to spend on board, the entertainment team has ramped up activity and all the crew are on hand to make sure that every guest is kept occupied and happy.
For us, being happy has meant a late-ish breakfast at the buffet. With every guest on board, it was very, very busy, but we all got fed and watered. Then we stretched out on a nice, quiet area on deck to soak up some rays.
Day on board means we could have chosen from a host of other options throughout the day, from beer parties at the pool to martini
masterclasses, gaming lessons at the casino, spa treatments, Superchef competitions, kids’ shows…you can be as lazy or as active as you like.
For the first time, we decided to give a more formal lunch a try, which meant going to our allocated restaurant, the Villa Borghese. The food on MSC Cruises is very good and we were pleased to be able to choose from a pretty comprehensive list of dishes.
The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly on our balcony as we sipped on cocktails to the sound of the ship sailing through the waves. Bliss!
Evening brought Gala Dinner night. That meant on with the glad rags! Formal attire was suggested, which in our case was a dress and a kilt, but we saw people in everything from jeans to dinner jackets. Needless to say, we met another couple of guys in kilts and had a chat with them. A South American lady asked if we were Welsh and commented on how elegant the kilt was. Of course, we put the record straight on her first statement and agreed with her second!
Another day passed on MSC Orchestra – another day of restful relaxation, laughs and another late night. Helpful tip – if you choose second sitting at dinner, don’t expect to get to bed before 1am. It’s a tough life on the ocean wave…