MSC Orchestra Review
Rating by category
Additional details
I read horrible reviews prior to my trip, but I still signed on because the ports were enticing and the price was right.
To begin, getting any sort of help online prior to travel was impossible. No one responded to emails or chat requests. Luckily some members of our group were able to take the time to call the MSC help desk. I prefer to do everything online and MSC is not set up to handle that type of business.
The transfer from Milan was excellent. Great staff, no issues there!
Cabin Review
Interior Stateroom
The cabin. There was a peanut left on our floor, from the previous guests, that didn't get cleaned up for days. A shampoo packet was left behind from the previous guest as well. However, when we asked for washcloths and extra hangers, we did receive them... I'm not sure why washcloths weren't included from the start. In addition, other cruise lines have provided basic amenities such as lotion and conditioner, which MSC did not.
On our first night, we learned that if you put your keycard in the holder next to the door, a little light will go on letting the room steward know that you’re in your room. This didn’t work for our room. Our steward walked in on us. We quickly found the “do not disturb” placard that was tucked deep in a nightstand drawer.
Port Reviews
Genoa
Genoa is a bit dirty. Too many areas of urine smell. However, once you get near the aquarium, it's touristy and nice to explore for a short time.
Barcelona
Don't be fooled by the ship's bus. I think they were charging 8.90 Euro for a bus to the Columbus monument. Right behind the ships bus, was the blue bus, where we paid 4 Euro per person!
Lisbon
We walked into town right from the pier, to the Rossio train station (not to be confused with the Rossio metro station, which was underground) and took the train to Sintra. It was 5 Euros per person round trip.
We had a bit of time upon our return to walk through Lisbon and it was nice. We felt safe and comfortable.
Vigo
We walked straight up to the fort in Vigo and then wound around through the streets and parks. We found an indoor market, but only a few vendors were still open. The port time of 1-6 put us there during siesta, which was a bit disappointing. The other market we'd read about was completely closed. Plenty of restaurants with outdoor, smoky, seating. The port area is commercialized with a mall right on the pier. Go beyond that for a bit more culture.
Cherbourg
Again, the ship will try to bill you for a shuttle to town. It was less than 20 minutes walking! We rented a car from France Cars, as they allow after hours drop off, and drove to Mont St. Michel. Our port time was 7-4, but there were problems with the gangway so we didn't disembark until 8... of all days to be late! Mont St. Michel took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes of driving. We didn't have enough time to see the abbey, but we were able to shuttle up to the island and walk along the narrow cobblestone streets. We made it back with an hour to spare. Ships will try to sell you the excursion and maybe they had 30 minutes more time than us. Your call.
Copenhagen
We loved Copenhagen! There is a public bus down the street from the pier. Walk time less than 10 minutes. Don't try to walk to town, it's 3 miles in an industrial area. The bus is not supposed to take Euros and they don't take credit cards, but the driver was doing his best to accommodate the Euros. There is an ATM right at the information center on the corner, just before you get to the bus stop.
There are also bikes across the street from the Info Center. We wish we'd ridden into town. 30 DKK per hour seems very reasonable and we could have covered a lot of ground, but with a lot of stops to figure out the maps.
We enjoyed the Torvehallerne Market and the Botanical Gardens. Nyhavn is not to be missed!
Rostock (Warnemunde)
This is where our cruise ended. We rented a car from Europcar and they had a pop up shop parking lot directly across from the ship. Very easy to get to, but you must reserve in advance, as they bring all the cars that are reserved for the day, from a different location. However, if needed, which we did, they got us in contact with Hertz for the rest of our family to get an extra car. We drove to Schwerin Castle and then on to Berlin.