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	MSC Melody Cruise Ship Reviews
	MSC Melody Ship Information A medium sized vessel of Standard rating. Built in 1982. Carries a maximum of 1250 in 543 cabins, 386 of which have ocean views. No cabins have wheelchair access. Cabins are a reasonable size. There is one show lounge, and a casino on board

Holiday-Truth Readers Reports
Ron & Dee GILL from STAINES sailed on MSC Melody with Fast Track Holidays on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 8 2007
Ron & Dee GILL rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Ron & Dee GILL said: Essentially, this was the ‘cruise from hell’ to say the very least. Firstly the representation on board ship for English speaking people was virtually non existent, no English speaking tour guides, very little information / announcements in English and worst of all NO emergency drill for English speaking passengers, the first time in many previous cruises that this had not been carried out. We were actually twice asked to cancel excursions because of no English representation / English speaking guides!! How fortunate that my wife has an excellent understanding of Spanish. We clearly feel that this is absolutely appalling marketing, selling /advertising a totally Italian orientated holiday to British people, in fact I feel that this is a very arrogant / discourteous method of selling cruises. We have both experienced several previous cruises, needless to say with English / Northern European Cruise Lines without the hassles etc of this cruise!! As far as the food is concerned, again quoting MSC’s “Truly Italian” experience, and also the fact that Italian food is one of the best in the world, we were expecting truly gastronomic Italian Food, again a real let down!! Very little of the food served was at all representative of “Truly Italian” style food, most of it being pre-prepared and mostly cold, occasionally luke-warm. Probably one of the causes of the virus like symptoms that both I and my wife are still experiencing at the present time or it could have been the ridiculous disparity between the outside temperatures, often 35-40 degrees, and the inside temperatures of 16-18 degrees with no possible way of regulation by passenger control especially in our own private cabins! Moreover, everyday, published in the daily bulletin was a specific reference to passengers punctuality for meal times (our sitting was 2130) and unfortunately the Restaurant doors were never opened before 2145, quite often 2155, hence COLD FOOD!!! Interestingly, the above opinions regarding food etc were also shared with an Italian family from Naples that we became very friendly with. The disembarkation process was to put it mildly, a FIASCO!! To be asked to have all our luggage packed , labelled and outside our cabin at 0300hrs itself was bad enough, but to be asked to vacate our cabins by 0700 was absolutely ludicrous, bearing in mind our flight was at 1830!! And the ship wasn’t scheduled to sale until 1430.The Italian information assistants had no idea when we were to be transferred, it seemed quite simply that we had had our cruise, they had our money and as long as they escorted us off of their ship, that was all that they were concerned with. Why, if you knew the disembarkation details, were we booked on such a late flight when there was in fact 2 earlier flights, at 1230 & 1325 to LHR instead of making passengers, who had already spent 4 hrs or so uncomfortably waiting on board the ship, now having to wait 6 or so hours in packed, uncomfortable airport lounges, when we actually know that there were seats on both earlier flights, but BA / Iberia were very un co-operative or unhelpful in this matter? To conclude, we would NEVER spend another holiday on an Italian ship again and we will certainly NOT be recommending the same to any family / friends / colleagues. The whole experience seemed to be misguided / mis sold as far as English Holidaymakers are concerned and I will be placing most of this information on a review website for MSC and specifically The ‘Melody’ and I am also forwarding a copy to MSC Cruises. Finally, a word about Fast Track Holidays customer service. Very Very Poor, 45 – 50 minutes wait on the phone is absolutely appalling under any circumstances and this has been the problem both pre and post holiday!!! Also these comments herein were also echoed by several other English passengers booked with yourselves, who felt like us the whole experience was abominable.
Richard & Lyn from Cape Town sailed on MSC Melody with Starlight on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 4 2007
Richard & Lyn rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Richard & Lyn said: We joined the three week, repositioning cruise from it's Southern Africa cruise schedule back to it's base in Genoa. What's good about the Melody? * Mostly the people you travel with - if you're lucky & we were! * The cabins are a good size and we were fortunate to be able to open our square porthole (Premier deck). * It's a stable ship, despite it's height and age. * The wine and spirit prices were low. What's bad about the Melody? *It's an old, ugly, characterless, block of a ship, with no promenade deck. The public areas give one the impression of remoteness from the sea around. The opposite to the connection most "cruisers" seek. * The decor is drab and must be heaven for the lover of purple or grey, crushed velvet! * The entertainment was the worst we have experienced and the showroom bad unless you were right at the front. This was offset by management by the addition of large, blurry pictured plasma screens. * The food was very ordinary, but plentiful. In a nutshell, this ship is best enjoyed through the blur of an alcohol induced coma on a cruise lasting no longer than three days! Thankfully, this is made possible by the low alcohol prices.
Tracy Blair from Belfast sailed on MSC Melody with Topflight on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7 2006
Tracy Blair rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Tracy Blair said: We are a couple in our 30's and we were first time cruisers. The ports of call were Sicily, Tunis, Ibiza, Monte Carlo & Genoa. We booked a standard inside cabin and to our surprise when our tickets arrived we had been allocated a superior inside cabin on Premier Deck. When we arrived in Naples we were met at the airport by a Topflight Rep who accompanied us in the coach to the Port. We checked in our bags but couldn't board the ship until later that afternoon. We were given directions to go upstairs at a designated time to check in. We then had three hours to kill at the Port. There were a few snack bars but it was quite a long time to wait. You could have gone into Naples but the Rep didn't recommend it as she said it is a very busy place and you could get lost easily. At our allocated time we went upstairs in the MSC building where there was complementary juice and wine. We were given leaflets about the wine packages and the tours etc available. When our number was called, we went up to a row of desks where our passports were check and we were given our MSC "Credit Card" onto which all charges would be added and the bill paid at the end of the cruise. We were also given a booklet of what was happening on the ship that day and what time we were leaving etc. We then boarded the ship where we were allocated our table for dinner. We opted to sit with English speaking passengers and chose a table of six. We were then shown to our cabin by our Steward Eddie. Our suitbases arrived soon after. Our cabin on Premier Deck was larger than we had imagined. It was dark wood with red checked bed linen. We had a large wardrobe, mirror and TV. The bathroom had a shower, basin, toilet and mirror. We also had air conditioning. The events booklet for the next day was put under the door of your cabin every night and was invaluable. It had details of what time we would be arriving and leaving the next port, times and meeting points for tours, times of events that were happening on the ship, daily cocktails, type of dress required for dinner etc. We were also given a booklet with information about the next port of call for example the culture, food, places of interest etc. Breakfast could be taken in either the restaurant or buffet style. This was the same for lunch. We always chose buffet style breakfast. The choice was very good. Loads of fresh melon, pineapple and watermelon. Prunes, yoghurt, cereals, muesli, bacon, eggs, croissants etc. We tried the buffet style lunch but there was always a very big queue and quite a lot of pushing!! After two buffet lunches we went to the main restaurant where we were served lunch which was much more relaxing, also the food in the main restaurant was nicer. Afternoon tea was served at 4.00 - 5.00 pm and consisted of sandwiches and cakes etc. Dinner was always eaten in the restaurant at two different sittings. We chose the later of the two at 9.30 pm. The meal was four courses and the choice of dishes was excellent. Salads, soup, pasta, chicken, fish, pork, fresh fruit and cakes. On Gala Night there was a special menu where we had lobster and Baked Alaska. The midnight buffet was always themed i.e. pasta, crepes, pastry, pizza and Magnifique Buffet! On this particular night the presentation and amount of food was incredible. Cameras were required! The dress code in the restaurant was always stated on your info booklet. Casual, smart or formal. Many of the men on board wore suits on Gala Night but not many wore tuxedos. The men also wore open neck shirts and trousers. The dress code was quite relaxed. Just no swim suits etc. On Gala Night we went for pre-dinner cocktails in one of the lounges and met the captain. The onboard card was very important. It was used to purchase everything onboard the ship and also used as your ID card when we stopped at the Ports of Call. The tours are a little on the expensive side but sometimes a tour was required because the Port was quite a way from the centre of the town. We were informed that an amount of money would be automatically added to our bill to account for tips for the staff. This was "voluntary" so you could request that this be removed from your bill. After talking to our restaurant waiter, he informed us that the staff do not get this money so not to pay it. We had the amount removed from our bill and tipped at our own discretion. We were quite apprehensive before coming on the cruise as some reviews had described the ship as old and dated. This was not our opinion at all. We both thought the ship was extremely clean and nicely decortated. We had also read that it was very noisy but we only experienced this a few times when the ship was docking. The staff were extremely helpful and courteous. There was good entertainment around the pool during the day but the entertainment at night time was poor. As we chose the later seating for dinner, we always stayed and had a chat with the other guests at our table so the lack of good entertainment was not a real problem. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, met some great people and would not hesitate in recommending the Melody!
Phil Morris from Bristol sailed on MSC Melody with Rise/Daily Express £10 Cruise on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005
Phil Morris rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Phil Morris said: Having waited for almost iternity, it seemed, I was at Heathrow and met up with Vivien and Christine, walking to the check in desk, we spotted 4 other souls who had the look of disbeleaf, and on bveeing asked admitted to being Daily Express/Rise Travel weary souls. The journey to Gonoa was stright forward quick via plane (which was i hour late taking off), due to there being no ground staff on hand to check us onto the aircraft. Finaly on board ship at around 3.45 and being aloted cabins we met up for afternoon tea in the forward pool area. Being an 'Old Man' I crashed out in my very spacious cabin to be awoken at 21.45 by the phone and a lady asking why I had missed dinner. I reawoke at 03.30 and went up for air this became my routine each morning the 'night staff' sdoon got used to my wanderings and a pot of tea was always on hand from the kitchen. (downside of this was the U.H.T. milk). The staff are all from Bali, that work the night shift and are vastly underpaid. although an Italian ship it is registered in Panama, so aviods the Europian Pay Diretive. The food at dinner each night is plate served with vegitables being on the scarce side, although very well presented and the service being 1st class, the food is cook chilled, and at each port of call you can see the big metal containers coming on board. The food because of the cook chill and reheating was never hot. The entertainemnt was good but at times boring, how many times must a dancer repeat the steps and although the balding singer had a very good voice indeed ghow long can eeee, ohhhh, eeeee - ahhhhhh be repeated for audence particpation ? The puppets were very cleverly done and deserve more praise as does the magician. (his close up magic at the poolside tables was magic. The ship is a very old liner that has had stablisors fitted including the fitting of floatition chambers welded to the sides giving it a greater beam., which reaulting in greater sideways motion than a wollowing motion. (As an ex marine engineer I make the following judgement) The engine nose and vibration were a constent nuisence and I suspect the shock absorbers/engine mounts need replacing, under steam it was like sleeping on top of a washing machine The costs on board ship were a plain old fashion rip off, from photographs to bingo - although to be fair the duty free was quite cheap but quite limiteed in choice. Talking to pasengers of the 'Ocean Village' in Tunis we were being ripped off on the tours as they paid on averidge E40 for a day trip including lunch, bicycles could be hired for E3 deposit and in Tunis a beach party was organised for those wishing to just laze on the beach, at no charge On the 31st Oct the Melody sails for Brazil, I shall be pleased not to be on board. In conclusion I must state that for the £150 I paid it was tremendious value. Both my neighbours and old ship-mates are very enviouse indeed on my trip
vivien from devizes/wiltshire sailed on MSC Melody with rise travel/daily express on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005
vivien rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	vivien said: after such a long wait it was good to be on my way. met up with chris63 then phil(plus purple wig) a couple of hours later. flight and transfers went fairly smoothly cases delivered to cabin quite quickly. like phil I missed out on the first night's entertainment as after dinner I just crashed out till morning. ayesha the english speaking hostess was always very helpful. cabin and restaurant staff could'nt have been more helpful, they were lovely.excursions and photo's rather pricey, on the last morning I asked if they would be half price but got rather a dirty look. naples too much traffic for me but enjoyed the open top bus trips. malta loved malta would like to spend more time there tunis stayed on board and sunbathed, very hot, lovely ibiza just strolled around the town, not too impressed, lovely coffee though. st tropez invaded by porches when we were there. lots of artists selling their paintings on the quayside. all in all a great cruise made even better by the good company. (chris, phil, jean, and bill & joan) thank you all for being so much fun. would love to meet you all on another cruise
romero from somerset sailed on MSC Melody with rise on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005
romero rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	romero said: Our first cruise on the Melody. Holiday made very special by the following people:- Jean kept us on our toes. Chris was our director Vivien was just lovely. And of course Phil walked tall. Thank you all. Best Wishes Joan and Bill
Stephen from N. Ireland sailed on MSC Melody with Rise on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005
Stephen rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Stephen said: This was my first cruise but I found the ship very clean, with cleaning going on continuosly. The buffet food was good with lots of choice. The dinners were very well presented though I thought the portions rather small, just as well there were about 6 courses! The cabin was comfortable with plenty of storage space. I was at the front of the ship and though there was constant vibration it was not excessive. The staff could not have been more helpful or friendly. They were always willing to practice their English on you. Though not all the entertainment was to my liking there was always something going on and it was easy enough to avoid anything you wanted to. It was generally of a very good standard. The photos and trips were overpriced but it was easy enough to organise your own trip and information on this was readily available. I would be quite happy to sail on this ship again.
Vonmac from Cleveland sailed on MSC Melody with Rise/Daily Express on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005
Vonmac rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Vonmac said: This ship is of an older style not like the new big cruises. I found this nice. It was not so big that you got lost in it. The mixture of nationalities on this ship (Italian, Dutch, German, English, a Few Americans and Australians)give it a good international feel which I enjoyed. The entertainments team worked hard both day and night and I thought they created a feel good/party atmosphere. The entertainment was there if you wanted to join it but you never felt pressure to do so. The room service facitity for drinks was excellent. With free tea/coffee/juice delivered to your cabin on request 24 hours a day. I never waited more than five minutes for this service, however, I do believe in tipping staff for their quick, friendly and efficient service. I also found the food in both the restaurant and buffet very good. I enjoyed the itinery offered by this liner (Naples, Tunis,Malta, Ibiza and St. Tropez) and would book to go with MSC again.
Christina from London sailed on MSC Melody with Rise Travel on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 9 2005
Christina rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Christina said: I recently returned from a lovely cruise on this ship There were 8 of us on the table and they were all a great crowd of people. I had a fantastic time and would like to thank all of them for a great contribution. The ship was spotless most of the staff were very friendly polite and couldnt do enough for us all. They worked extremely hard but nothing was too much trouble. The waiters were very efficient friendly and fast. The chamber people did an excellent job and felt quite sorry for them having to clear up my mess as my cabin looked as if a bomb had hit it yet they carried on regardless. Some of the reception staff were nice but have to say one or two were a bit aloof and as I work as a receptionist myself it is important to have some sort of personality!! There was plenty of food and great choices with magnificent buffets and the captains cocktail party was fantastic. Some people on the ship were moaning but I cant see any reason to moan and for a three star ship it was great. The entertainment was very good and as everywhere cannot please everyone all of the time. I was very pleased with my cabin on the premier floor and was nicely laid out and spacious. Like all large places it was hard to find ones way round but that would be the same in any large establishment. I wondered if some sort of different coloured lines on the walls or floors would help like they do in hospitals? We visited some lovely places although some of the people felt Tunis could be left off the agenda and a bit more time perhaps in Malta or another place we went to. I had a wonderful time and would like to thank the other people on the table who helped make it so enjoyable-there was one lady who had been on several cruises in her life and knew the ropes and what a wonderful person she was. I love dancing and there were men from the entertainment team who went around and asked women to dance which is great as I hate sitting there with no one to dance with. Thanks to all for a great time. Christina Brooks astralla@tiscali.co.uk
Andrea Warner from Cambridge sailed on MSC Melody with Rise/Daily Express on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7 2005
Andrea Warner rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Andrea Warner said: Well, what can I say that hasn't already been said? I went on the cruise full of anticipation and some apprehension. After all the stress that had been involved in actually getting the cruise, I couldn't really believe it was happening, but it was! I flew from Gatwick to Milan with easy-jet and had an overnight stay in a hotel called the Mistral. It was basic but adequate. The next day I was transferred by coach to Genoa. This all went smoothly. The cruise began via a cruise terminal where all the embarcation procedures were handled quickly, politely and efficiently. This set the tone for the whole week as everything was handled in this way. The departure hall was attractively laid out and there was a complimentary welcome drink prior to boarding. I was greeted by maids wearing smart uniforms and white gloves which added to the favourable first impressions I got when I stepped aboard the Melody. I was shown to my cabin which was on Continental deck. The case was already there. The cabin was plenty big enough and very well appointed. Everything was spotless too. AS there are several detailed reviews regarding the ship and its facilities, I will be brief. I found the layout of the ship confusing at first, but quickly found my way around as there are deckplans everywhere. The pool areas were very noisy, too be expected I suppose as it is the summer holidays. However, you could always find a part of the ship that was less noisy and there were plenty of chairs and tables throughout the ship. The bar areas were pleasant and drinks were readily available and reasonably priced. The information given about excursions etc was very good. The English speaking rep Ayesha was brilliant. Polite, unassuming and always available to answer questions. She attended all events and functions and was really friendly and approachable. The main Galaxy restaurant was lovely. The service was quick, but not too quick and the food varied and well prepared and presented. Passengers were grouped according to nationality and the company was great. Thanks to Robbie, Esther, Sara, Jenny, Pat, Sarah and Manuel. We had a superb waiter who was the spitting image of Rowan Atkinson! Full of fun and very accommodating. Breakfast and lunch could also be taken on deck in the 2 self-service buffets. There was also afternoon tea and a midnight buffet. There was a choice of 2 sittings for dinner, one at 6.30, one at 9.30. The Gala dinners were very good. The first one included a cocktail/champagne pre-dinner get together with the captain. The second included champagne with the meal and a surprise 'baked-alaska' procession by the chefs! The service on board was second to none. The cabin staff were particularly good, keeping the cabins spotless. Nothing was too much trouble - tea and coofee was free of charge and brought to the cabin within minutes of ordering.Fresh fruit was provided daily and also ice. All the staff were friendly and polite although the reception staff were a little less so. I went on 2 excursions: to Pompei, which I recommend; and shopping in Tunis, which I don't. In my opinion, you would be better off doing your own thing in Tunis. There is ample information about all the excursions delivered to your cabin daily and Ayesha also gives a lot of information too. Maps are provided at each port of call. Facilities on board are very good. There is a casino/arcade, gym,table tennis, football tables. There is a 'library' consisting of 2 bookcases where you can borrow books. There is an animation team providing non-stop action for those that want it. They do try to persuade you to join in, but not too hard! There seemed to be something for everyone. There is a health/beauty salon - a word of warning here. They are quite pushy and try to get you to have various things done. I signed up for a manicure and pedicure and was initially very disappointed. It was all done very quickly and not very well. However, I complained to the management and they re-did both treatments to my satisfaction. Tipping is left to your discretion, which I thought was very good. You are given a comment form and enveloppe to give money to whomever you choose to. All in all the cruise was incredible. I had never heard of MSC before but was really impressed at the effort that was made to ensure that you have a good time. I will never forget the experience on board the Melody
Aslemma from Benfleet sailed on MSC Melody with DE/Rise Travel on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 7 2005
Aslemma rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Aslemma said: An absolutely fabulous cruise on a lovely ship with fantastic crew. Everyone from the Captain to the cleaners went out of their way to be helpful. Special mention must be made of Ayesha, the English hostess, who was an absolute star, full of useful information and friendly advice. She was also prepared to sit and chat with us and have a laugh. The cabins were more than adequate with plenty of storage space and good hangers with a bar, suitable for men's suits, though if ladies prefer the 'clip' type for their skirts it may be worth taking them with you. Cabins were cleaned constantly, with clean sheets provided daily. The chair in the cabin was extremely comfortable. I found the gentle throb of the engines extremely soothing, but if you think it may keep you awake it may be worth investing in some earplugs. Bathrooms were small but the shower was excellent, the lighting was good and it seemed every time you left your cabin your towels were changed. As others have said, fresh fruit and ice were in constant supply. The electric point in my cabin was placed under the TV and took the normal continental adaptor which was OK for my mobile phone. It is a little confusing to find your way round the ship but you soon discover what a lot of different areas there are so you are always able to find somewhere to your taste. Pools are rather small but I doubt anyone goes on a cruise for a serious swim. Towels are provided for the pool and jaccuzi so there is no need to take your own. It is a pity that some of cruisers (particularly the Italians) do not treat the crew even a quarter as well as the crew treat us. Without the cleaners, who work incredibly hard, cruising would be a much less pleasant experience, but some people just barge past them when they hold the door open and never think to thank them or even smile, let alone engage in conversation. I actually found the Indonesian and Hawaiian staff had a better grasp of English than the Italian ones and they enjoyed talking to us. I didn't take any actual excursions, preferring a DIY approach which seemed to work very well. Ayesha was always willing to offer advice and appreciated feedback as to what had worked well. At no time did she try to push the organised trips. I only saw a bit of the on-board shows which were often not really to my taste. It is obviously difficult to provide things which suit so many nationalities. Various things took place on deck during the day which were sometimes quite amusing. The food was excellent and plentiful and drinks in the bar were varied and inexpensive. Some of the late-night buffets were incredibly displayed but the queue of Italians fighting to pile their plates up high (even though they left most of it) was not such a pretty sight. It is often best to wait until the melee has stopped and then see if you actually want something. There were a couple of formal nights, the Captain's do and the Gala Night and it was nice to have the opportunity to dress up. Although it was not mandatory, all of our party put on a good show and it was a shame that some others didn't bother at all. No one was turned away for being improperly dressed however. Photos are taken constantly and put on display so that you can choose if you want to buy them but there is no pressure to do so. The photographer is actually very good. I freely admit that the company I was with added greatly to my enjoyment of the whole experience. Juliet, Tiffany, Naomi, Tony, Peter and Phil were absolutely great, as were others who got drawn into our web, such as Carina, Jenny, Doreen and Tom, Nina and her father Clive and the Dutch girls, Deni and her friend whose name I've forgotten. To summarize, the whole experience was absolutely wonderful and I'm so very pleased to have had the opportunity of cruising with MSC and the Melody. I would recommend the company and the ship to anybody.
allisu from Norfolk sailed on MSC Melody with Daily Express/Rise on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6 2005
allisu rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	allisu said: I missed a few bits out of previous review - Van has not been around to edit for a couple of weeks,, so have inserted missing paragraphs here as a separate review instead:- One improvement which would have been appreciated would have been a 'Singles Get-together' early on in the cruise. I understand most cruises do this and it would have been nice to recognize others in a similar situation. I did ask at Reception but was met with a blank stare! In hindsight, I think Ayesha, the English Rep, would have probably arranged this, if asked. Don't miss her informative talks - they are very useful and she could perhaps be approached after her initial introductory talk, giving everyone more time to get to know each other. I used the Fitness Centre a couple of times - just to see what a treadmill is like! However, it is unsupervised and there were generally children messing about in there so not conducive to serious use. I didn't play on the machines/Casino but someone I know went on the Melody last year, had one go and won £3000 jackpot! Could be you!! Lots of photos are taken and displayed en route to restaurants as well as next to casino - they are expensive, but some seemed to be reduced in price on the last day, so it may be worth waiting till then if you wish to purchase any. The shop on board sells only a very limited stock of essential toiletries. I needed batteries for my camera and was unable to buy any until I got to Tunis - very cheap in the Medina, but had a job to find the one shop that sold them! One of my best buys was saffron which was also extremely cheap and I wish I'd brought back more. I think that's everything now! Just one thing to be aware of, most shops in all the ports of call are reluctant to accept €50 notes, not because they don't have the change but because of possible forgeries.
Bangormaine from Edinburgh sailed on MSC Melody with Rise on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6 2005
Bangormaine rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Bangormaine said: I travelled with a friend but we both occupied separate cabins so this gave us plenty of space, however lets start at the beginning. A very early check in time of 4.30 am meant a late flight the day before departure and a stay in the Terminal. I thought we would be first in the queue but some hardy souls chose to stand in the non existent queue from 3.30 A.M. At 4.30 the queue to check in had 150 people in it but loads of check in staff meant we were checked in within 20 mins. So do not bother queuing, sit down in comfort and wait a bit. the flight was comfortable and with such a short duration, very little food or drink was needed. I am 6 foot 2 inches and there was sufficient legroom and width. Upon arrival in Malpensa airport we were greeted by representatives of MSC and whisked off to a coach for a 2 hour journey through mainly open fields on a first class motorway system to the port area of Genoa. Here we were directed to the ship check in and our pre labelled baggage was never seen until we were in our cabins. Before we boarded the ship we were asked our Dinner Sitting preferences and were able to get seated together. I do think that this was going to happen any way as they were probably going to sit all the singles together who spoke English with a waiter whose English was excellent.You are able to take advantage of a wine and tour pre booking arrangement if you like and later on in the trip you have a presentation about all the ports of call and recommendations on what to see and do and what not to do. Every day at about 9 P.M. you get a detailed agenda for the following day telling you what to wear at dinner and where to go to meet your fellow travellers for your excursions and at what time and where everything on board ship is happening. this becomes your onboard Bible for the next 24 hours, after which it is replaced by the next instalment. Breakfast is a choice of sit down and be served anything you want or queue up for a very short time and pick up anything you want. I did both and the food was the same. the quality was up to the standard expected on this quality of ship and I would compare the food and service to a 4 star hotel in the UK or a 3 or 4 star hotel elsewhere. I took lunch in the self service area every day so I could be a little picky and always served my own beverage, i.e. tea, as some of the staff charged you for bringing it and some did not. once again food was acceptable in general and very good on a few occasions every lunchtime. I experimented with most of the dishes on display and always found plenty of things I liked. Dinner was a sumptuous 7 or 8 course affair with service swifter than any restaurant I have ever visited. The speed of the service did not make me feel rushed and we lingered at the table finishing our drinks without any subtle pressure being brought to bear on us to depart. wine by the half carafe is the cheapest and was, after being ordered on the first night, waiting for me each night thereafter. A jug of water is free , a bottle is charged for. I drank the jugs and had no ill effects. Midnight buffets took place at 12.15 to allow people to take pictures of the food. This was often a very amusing pastime as you could sit with a drink and study the scores of people videoing the Strawberry Cream Cake. I just wish one of the cakes would have started to move. After saying all that I partook in 2 of the 7 buffets and they were delicious. Next up comes the entertainment !!!!! This has to come into a category of its own. After spending the last 30 years watching all that the Edinburgh Fringe Festival had to throw at me, good bad and hopeless, I found new levels of entertainment that sank below the worst and soared above the best and this was every act. My particular favourite was a juggler who couldn't juggle but who let us watch him practice all his tricks half a dozen times before he managed to complete the exercise, it's just a pity that all the audience didn't see it that way as there was an awful lot of embarrassed talk during his repeated failures. All in all the entertainment was worth going to as it is free and you can have a talk to new found friends between acts. Now to the ship. The Melody is a clean, well staffed hotel with rooms that, as a standard are better than most. the crew are helpful and you must seek out Ayesha the English hostess as she will give you all the help and info you will ever need. The cabin staff must have been in and out of my room all the time because every time I went back my towels had been changed and my mess tidied up. Never did anyone enter my room when I was in it. The staff put a do not disturb notice on your door while you are asleep and make no attempt to try your door until you change that sign to please make up room. There is adequate soap and shampoo, with plentiful supplies of hot, high pressure water. It follows then that you can have cold low pressure water too. Room service is free for tea and orange and very quick. the waiters are also very polite and show an interest in you as a person. I will leave it to your imagination why they are so attentive. Guidance was given on tipping and it was emphasised that 35 Euros is a guide per person for the trip not a minimum or maximum. The excursions are a matter of individual taste. Some went ashore themselves and some took the tours. You should research the places to visit yourself and make up your own mind but I did the Naples city tour and only found out later that I could have seen more on an open topped bus tour that was being offered by the local company as you stepped of the ship. Malta was on a siesta when the ship lands so it is a bit quiet. Carthage is interesting but it is not Athens. I did not regret going on the excursion. Ibitha is much quieter than I expected, which I was pleased about and San Tropez is laid back. I agree with Lesleys appraisal of the San Trop tour. All in all a great trip made better by the entertaining crowd we ended up with. even if I had paid the price paid by the majority of the cruisers I could not have grumbled. But a cabin on the Continental deck for £10 with single occupancy is a deal that I feel will never be repeated.
Lesley from Llangollen sailed on MSC Melody with Rise, via Country Club UK on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6 2005
Lesley rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Lesley said: My first cruise, so no idea what to expect. The pick up from Milan Linate, coach journey and check in at Genoa all went really smoothly. The first part after check in when you have to book your dinner table for the week, have the chance to purchase a drinks package and then book tours all seemed a bit strange and regimented (which worried the free spirit in me!) but turned out just fine and dandy. The wines were excellent, and the tour tickets were delivered to my cabin very quickly, so all I had to do was get to dinner each night, drink the wine and turn up on time for the three tours I booked - easy. The group I was with at dinner (hello to the Daily Expressers Jim, Martin, Ron, Kathie, Maggie, David and Frank!!) were very sociable and fun to be with so it made the fact that I was travelling on my own no problem at all; if we chose to be with each other at other times, fine, but we didn't feel the need to group up all the time; there were lots of other things to do and lots of other people to meet of many nationalities. The ship was clean, the cabin staff were excellent and kept my cabin a happy cabin. The cabin was an inside on Oceanic deck, and I expected TINY but didn't get it; there were two beds, loads of wardrobe space, plenty of drawer storage, and room to swing three cats. The shower was brilliant and was always hot - none of this cold shower stuff just because we were all getting ready at the same time. The food was great; I could get the salads and healthy foods that I prefer at every meal, and so much choice! It was better than many of the 4 and 5 star hotels I've stayed at. God Bless Luigi, the guy who looked after us at dinner; he usually got things right and was really pleasant to greet every evening. He even made sure my wine was ready and opened each night so that I could start on it right away! (how did he know what I'm like??) The staff were all very enthusiastic and helpful, although like other reviewers I found the receptionists a bit snooty and offhand (customer service training required). Most of the young staff only speak Italian with a 'hello' level of English, so the answers to some questions were very hit and miss in accuracy! But it IS an Italian ship, with mainly Italian passengers and crew, so expect Italian to be the first language on board. Ayesha, the English hostess is excellent, very friendly and very helpful at all times, so if you need explanations or guidance talk to her. The entertainment - it took me three nights to get the courage up to endure it as organised entertainment is not my thing, but I'm glad I went. It's a good way to round off the evening after dinner before hitting the bar or going to sleep, and only lasts for 40 minutes. The entertainment team worked hard and generally it was a laugh, especially the magnificent English puppets - Maggie and I could hardly control ourselves we laughed so much, while Frank was just completely bemused!! The puppets are a MUST SEE. If you go on Melody be prepared to lie down a lot in the sun, reading, whatever...take the opportunity to go ashore and see the places you dock in (in our case Naples - I went up Vesuvius, Malta - Valletta's shops were shut as we docked at siesta time, but still plenty to see, Tunis - I did the Carthage trip, and wish we'd had more time actually at the ruins, Ibiza - an absolute gem; I only had my young cousins' views before I went (clubs, bars, noise) WRONG!! The old town is gorgeous, but I'd recommend an early start up the hill to the cathedral and old town before the heat really kicks in. Last day was at St Tropez; I regret taking the organised Port Grimaud trip (I don't really want to look at rich people's holiday houses and boats, but I didn't realise that's what the 'canal' trip was) and wish I'd walked into the old part of town instead to explore and then to sit in the square and people-watch. The first part of the trip to Ramatouelle was lovely though, so it wasn't all bad. I'll have to go back to St Tropez as it's unfinished business (well that's my excuse). Overall I really enjoyed the week; I didn't have anything to compare it with so just took it as it was, a very relaxing, enjoyable trip with plenty of 'me time' , good people-watching potential and great holiday companions.
Derek from Worthing sailed on MSC Melody with Rise Travel on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6 2005
Derek rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Derek said: I will write a detailed review of my trip that ended a few days ago, and was most interested to read the one sbmited by AliSue's as she was one of my nightly dinner companions. However, in the meantime, I am attempting to contact another of my delightful dinner companions, Katie, who I understand also contributes to this site. I have spent a considerable amount of time attempting to send Katie some pix of her and the other ladies, but whether I submit them to the email address she gave me in in upper case, lower case, or a combination of both, it just does not go through. So, Katie, kindly email me your correct handle to delboypipes@aol.com and I'll gladly send the glam pix of you and our other dinner companions. Will write my report later.
Allisu from Norfolk sailed on MSC Melody with Rise Travel/MSC on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 6 2005
Allisu rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Allisu said: This was my first ever cruise so I had no idea what to expect. I was lucky to be upgraded to a mini suite on the Premier deck. This, in fact, was very similar to the cabins on Oceanic and Continental deck except I had a superior wooden finish to the furniture and more luxurious curtains and bed covers as well as a nicer floor covering in the bathroom. I also had an opening port hole (more of a window really as it wasn't round!) and I could sit on a ledge with a drink and watch the world go by! I saw some fantastic sunsets until the ship altered course. The ship ws extremely clean and towels were changed daily as well as the bed linen to start with. However, towards the end of the week, standards slipped slightly and I noticed I kept the same pillow case even though I had spilt some drink on it. Fluffy white dressing gowns are provided. The staff are continually cleaning the ship and dust and wipe every surface imaginable. Shower gel/shampoo is provided, together with soap, shower cap, and a sewing kit. There is a hair dryer. A bowl of fruit is provided and items replaced as you eat them. The ice bucket is filled in the morning and if it has melted by pm all you need to do is ring room service for some more. You can use the melted water as drinking water as this is not provided free in the room and I am not sure about the tap water in the cabins! The room service is excellent - free tea (including decaf), also coffee, mint tea etc. 24 hours a day. As I was on late sitting to start with for evening meal (9.30pm) I became a bit peckish and ordered items off Room Service Menu a couple of times. For about £2 you can have a small mediterranean salad with olives etc or cheese and dried fruit or a toasted sandwich etc. Everything I ordered from Room Service was excellent. The staff were extremely helpful and eager to please and remembered from day to day what you ordered at a particular time. They took an interest in you personally - for instance, I mostly ordered a mint tea at bedtime (sometimes 2am!) and as soon as I said my request they knew my room number. Also they carried your food for you and poured drinks etc. in the buffet and restaurant if they saw you were struggling a bit. I do think, however, that the Reception Staff could occasionally be a bit offhand. One improvement which would have been appreciated would have been a 'Singles Get-together' early on in the cruise. I understand most cruises do this and it would have been nice to recognize others in a similar situation. I did ask at Reception but was met with a blank stare! In hindsight, I think Ayesha, the English Rep, would have probably arranged this, if asked. Don't miss her informative talks - they are very useful and she could perhaps be approached after her initial introductory talk. I used the Fitness Centre a couple of times - just to see what a treadmill is like! However, the Centre is unsupervised and there were generally children messing about in there so not conducive to serious use. I didn't play on the machines/Casino but someone I know went on Melody last year, had one go and won £3000 jackpot! Someone has to be lucky!! The entertainment (what I saw) was indescribable. The English puppets (more suited to children!) were probably the best but the 'Miss Melody' competition (shades of Butlins!) was the most entertaining.....probably because of the cringing embarrassment felt by the audience, yet you laughed so much because it was just so! I did not go to all the shows so I can't give a rounded view. We arrived 2 hours early in most ports so as well as going to Pompeii in Naples we managed a quick look round. One of our party was advised by a friendly local to remove her gold necklace. It is not a good place to wander round ....... but DO buy and post any postcards there (you can buy stamps where you purchase cards) because they arrived in UK within 2 days!. Malta was ok but a lot of the shops were closed while we were there. My favourite places were Ibiza and St. Tropez. In Ibiza, try and find time to walk through the old town, up to the cathedral, as the view is spectacular. If you do this in the morning, you will pass a small market in a lovely square with lots of cafes and it's a very nice place to take a rest - and a drink and take in the local atmosphere. St.Tropez has some lovely shops and was the place I'd really like to go back to. Be careful if you take one of the 1 hour boat rides round the bay to look at celebrities houses etc. The tour we took was only in French and the only words we could make out were: Rollex, Philharmonic Orchestra, Lady Diana and something about the French Assembly! It is possible to change dinner sittings (early is 7 pm, late 9.30pm) if you see the Maitre d' but he does tend to group all English speaking nationalities together, hence you may find yourself with Americans or Australian. Also on the excursions, the Dutch tend to come on the English trips and sometimes we were just one or two English people - not that it mattered. There were mostly Italians on board and the entertainment, music etc. was aimed at them. Sometimes it seemed the ship was a bit like a ferry as people were getting on and off at every port. There were a lot of new people in particular who embarked at Malta. I would definitely sail on the Melody again. I had a great time. The food was excellent and even though I have to avoid wheat there was just so much I could eat there were no problems whatsoever. Vegetarians should have no problem. I loved the holiday! I would definitely love to go again.
Maureen Hunt from Warsash Southampton sailed on MSC Melody with Rise on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 5 2005
Maureen Hunt rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Maureen Hunt said: I went on the Daily Express £10 cruise and that is all I paid. The travel arrangements went well. I travelled BA from Heathrow and a rep met us at Linate and the transfer went smoothly. The same goes for the return. I was upgraded from inside Bahamas to inside Premier deck and had a small cabin with a small double bed - adequate for one. Usually, I travel cheapest inside single on the QE2 but this cabin was better. The cabin and the ship as a whole were very clean and the staff very pleasant. My grading for entertainment is based on one show so it is probably not a fair comment. I ate mostly in the restaurant as it was half term in Italy and the ship was full. I tried the self service once but gave up because of the noise and the queue. The table for the restaurant was booked before we even got on the ship and I sat with other British people. Our table were not really into the entertainment but we did like the pianist in the Blue Ribband bar. I only went on one excursion in Tunis. Naples and Valetta I had been to before. The one place that surprised me was Ibitha. We were ashore until 10pm and it was quiet - not at all what I expected. There was one anchor point - in San Tropez and, luckily, the weather weas calm. The staff were very polite and friendly. A young lad from Bali who was pouring the tea asked me where I came from in England. When I told him Southampton he said "Your football team went down!" Most of the time it did not feel as if you were moving but there were a couple of rough nights. It is a ship I would sail on again but, for one, it would be rather expensive for the cabin I was in. There was house wine at 6 euros a half litre for dinner which I thought was good value. Tea and coffee had to be paid for in the bars during the day but it was free if you had room service. You had to pay for food if you had room service. I had a very enjoyable week and now need a week to get over the late nights.
Meeeeyyyy from London sailed on MSC Melody with Rise on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 5 2005
Meeeeyyyy rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Meeeeyyyy said: I enjoyed most of my cruise, though not when things went wrong (as happened quite frequently). However, I should stress that most people I spoke to would cruise on the Melody again, though those were mainly first-time cruisers. Only one lady who had cruised on other ships would use the Melody again, the others wouldn't. Service in the restaurant wasn't up to scratch on the first sitting on some tables, and if you went to the main entertainment each evening (which I did), you weren't out of the restaurant in time to get the good seats - and you can't see much from the back. The ship itself had all the facilities most cruisers would need, and bearing in mind that it's rated at 2.5* it's good value for money if you get a discounted price. The fruit carvings, usually done daily, are excellent - there is a deeply artistic man who also does a demo later in the week. Well worth going to. The excursions were excellent. I did the Capri one, and opted for the chairlift to the top of the mountain - if you love beautiful scenery you'll adore this trip - well worth the extra 6 euros. I took lots of pics. The historical and cultural tour of Tunis was fascinating, and I was glad I decided on it. I also did the island tour of Ibiza - again, extremely beautiful and well worth stopping for pics. St Tropez was lovely too, the Port Grimaud and Ramatuelle excursion doesn't sound interesting, it's one that you have to go on to appreciate that it's more than worth while. Again, loads of pics. Overall, I'm glad I did this cruise, especially as it was with the Daily Express £10 offer and so I didn't pay much for it. There was lots of fun and good times among the negativity.
Pat624 from Middlesbrough sailed on MSC Melody with Rise/Daily Express on a singles holiday. There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 5 2005
Pat624 rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Pat624 said: This holiday was booked via a much discussed promotion in the Daily Express,it was my first time on a cruise so I had no idea what to expect, but heres how it all went. My flight was from Gatwick on Sunday 15th with Easyjet, the day before the cruise set sail. Check in at Gatwick with Easyjet was a bit of a nightmare as there was huge queues, but once my cases were checked in I met up with another HT member(Maggie), and we were soon boarding. Easyjet does not book seat numbers, you find your own seat on the plane, but we both managed to get extra legroom seats at the front of the plane which I would recommend. The flight took off on time and was very smooth. Once at Linate airport I phoned up the hotel I had booked to stay in and they picked me up at arrivals. I stayed overnight in the Country Hotel Borromeo which is close to the airport, reasonably priced and is a lovely hotel, which also offers free transfers to and from Linate airport. I would totally recommend this hotel for future Melody travellers needing an overnight stay. After a good nights sleep I was back at Linate airport to meet the MSC rep and be transfered to the Melody. The rep in red jacket with MSC board was there at 10oclock as promised and was expecting us. We were told that the transfer bus would not be leaving till 11 as there was another flight to wait for. By 11 I was on an air conditioned coach heading for Genoa. The drive was a a lovely one cutting through the mountains with some nice scenery. We arrived in Genoa at 1pm. Boarding the ship was quick and efficient, we were told just to leave the coach and cases would be in our rooms when we boarded. After a welcome glass of wine we boarded. In the boarding area there are MSC staff selling a wine package of 7 bottles of wine to be taken at Dinner (one each day) for 99euros. I did not buy this , but it is probably quite a good deal, especially if 2 people are sharing and saves you worrying about ordering wine each day. I was very impressed with check in procedures and by 1.30pm I was in my cabin , my case already there and was forming my first impressions of the ship. Having originally been booked in a cat5 inside cabin on Bahamas deck, I found myself upgraded to a cat9 outside cabin on Continental deck which was a pleasant suprise. My cabin was spacious with a double bed, 3 seat sofa and chair coffee table and lots of wardrobe and drawer space. It also had a bath and shower in a decent size bathroom. The furnishings were all clean and looked fairly new. I had no complaints at all about the cabin it was spotless and had all the usual hotel complimentry bits, bowl of fruit , bucket of ice , shampoo, soap , sewing kit etc. After freshening up I met with a fellow HT member(maggie) to have a look around the ship.We headed for the satelite cafe where the free wine was flowing as we set sail from Genoa, drink as much of it as you can as after this it will have to be paid for. After several glasses of wine I joined the sail away party by the Calypso pool where there was lots of dancing and partying with the ents crew.And so was the start of a great holiday...... We booked up a table for dinner, this is done in Club Universe after you have boarded. You are able to choose 1st or 2nd sitting and the nationality and size of your table. We chose 2nd sitting , but I would recommend others to choose 1st sitting as otherwise you will not start and finish eating till very late. FOOD... The quality of the food on board varied. Breakfast,Lunch and Dinner in the resteraunt were absolutely superb, as good as any 5 star hotel I have stayed in. My only one complaint was once I asked for my steak rare and it arrived well done, the second time I ordered it rare I got it rare though. The breakfast and lunch buffets in the satelite cafe were fine but nothing special just typical hotel buffets but were handy for nipping in for a quick feed without all the formalities of the resteraunt. The midnight buffet was ok for a snack late at night but nothing to write home about, being on the 2nd dinner sittting I didnt bother much as I was not hungary as dinner(7 courses) did not finish till about 1030pm. DRINK... I thought the drinks on board were fairly priced. 3e20 for a large beer, 3e for a glass of wine , 4e20 for spirit and mixer 2e10 for a soft drink. All are charged to your cabin and paid for at the end of the week so it is easy to get carried away. ENTERTAINMENTS.... There were shows on every night in the Club Universe, ranging from dancing, singing and UV puppet shows (worth seeing) to magic and contortionists. In the Junkanoo lounge there is an Italian duo singing every night(very popular with the italians, apparantly they are quite well known in Italy). As well as this there are 2 singer/piano players who alternate between the riviera terrace and the blue riband pub. The blue riband pub became the main meeting place for the Brits on board with a late bar and singing and piano , it was a good place to have a conversation with some background music. We ended up there most nights and were always the last to leave, sometimes under orders from the captain. There is also a disco, which was dead the first few nights of the cruise. One night we went in though and it was full of young Italian men who by the end of the night were all kissing and cuddling each other. The one night it was busy in the disco was Sat night for the 60s,70s 80s party. I didnt tkae part much in the daytime entertainment , as I was either in port or sunbathing during the day, there did seem to be plenty organised though if thats your thing. SHIP STAFF... The ship has an international crew and apart from Ayesha the English hostess you are unlikely to meet any whose English is that good. Having said that they all seemed eager to please and worked hard with a smile... APART from the 2 security guards who walk round the ship together looking as if world war 3 is about to break out... If any future cruisers can bring back a photo of them smiling I will buy them a beer. Ayesha is a fantastic girl, who always seemed to be around making sure everything was ok, she did ask me how many more HT passengers were coming and I told her about 6 a week for the next 16 weeks, I did have to feel sorry for her, what with CUNARDQUEEN and the rest of HTers the week before and us this week , the poor girl has to face another 4 months of us. SHIP CLEANLINESS.... I found the ship and my room kept very clean throughout the week. Staff were always sweeping polishing and cleaning tables. ITENARY... Just a quick rundown of what I thought Naples....absolute dump,full of mad Italian drivers Malta.....very nice, lots of old sandstonebuildings Tunis....to hungover to remember...v hot though Ibiza... absolutely lovely clean , nice shops St Tropez... THE BEST lots of very rich people , designer clothes shops. You can take a boat trip from the harbour for a 1 hour trip looking at all the houses of the rich and famous, only 8 euros, recommended. I cannot comment on any of the MSC excursions as I did not take them, but those I spoke to that did seemed to enjoy them. OVERALL.... A totally enjoyable holiday enhanced by all the nice people and characters I met aboard. I would not hesitate to use the Melody again, possibly on a Carribean cruise though. It is a good value for money FUN cruise. Pat
Buster (Paul) from Bristol sailed on MSC Melody with Rise Travel / De on a friends holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 5 2005
Buster (Paul) rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	Buster (Paul) said: First time cruiser on the DE £10 cruise deal. My first impressions of the ship were how clean and gleaming everything was. The Melody has just undergone a re-fit, so there were new carpets and furnishings throughout. Having seen ratings of 2.5 stars on some websites I was very pleasently suprised. Embarkation and debarkation were a breeze probably because of the small size of the boat. The cabin (R22) was larger than I thought it would be, with sofa (sofabed), easy chair, double bed, one bunk and plenty of space for clothes. The bathroom had also been refitted with shower, basin and toilet, plenty of clean towels (changed several times a day). We were upgraded from inside grade 5 to this outside grade 8. Fruit, shampoo, shower gel etc were supplied, Water was also provided but costs 2.10 euros. The ship itself is now some 30 years old and is small compared to many of the others we docked by, but there is quite a bit of deck space. The sunbed race takes place at about 9.30am, but as soon as you hit port there's plenty of space and it's much quieter. The two pools were not widely used as they seemed too cold (it was early May). Food aboard was excellent for the ship category and cost, even if I had paid the full price, there was nothing to complain about. Dress code was relaxed, Most people were smart, but even on Gala nights nothing seemed enforced. Food quality and choice were good with steak, chicken or pasta always available if you didn't fancy anything on the main menu. Wine was around 20 euros or a package was available for 99 euros for the week. However, the wine selection from the package seemed to be substituted for house wine unless you asked specifically. Gala night was excellent with Lobster etc. Lunch was buffet in the terrace or more formal in the main dinning room. This was the usual buffet fayre, but a good choice. Midnight buffets and breakfast were also good. The staff aboard were polite, efficient and friendly. My only minor complaint was that the cabin staff ignored the do not disturb a few too many times. Also, at one point were were disturbed in our sleep by the captin and five stewards coming into the room unannounced to inspect the bathroom floor for an unexplained reason. But that was a minor incident and the other staff more than made up for that. Our waiter service deserved special praise, Nello was charming, hysterical and very generous with the wine! Entertainment isn't a high point and is fairly simple, don't expect broadway. The DJ seemed to want to impress the younger people, the 60's/70's/80's night consisted of bizare Itailian europop. Overall, It was a very good experience, there was no hard selling what-so-ever on anything. Everything is relaxed and easygoing. Staff seemed eager to help. I'd have happily paid the internet prices. If you expectations are six storey shopping malls, Las Vegas entertainment and world class dining then it's not going to be your kind of thing. I'd read some really bad reviews before I travelled on Melody but my cruise exceeded all my expectations. It's quite old fashioned, but I believe in a very good way.
JULIE from STROUD sailed on MSC Melody with TRAVELSCOPE on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 9 2003
JULIE rated the MSC Melody as follows: Ship Cleanliness Crew Ship Food Onboard Entertainment	JULIE said: I see that there are a lot of detailed reviews about this ship. I sailed with my dad on a Med. cruise which took in Tunisia, France, Spain, Italy. All I have to add is that she is friendly, not too big as to be impersonal and our waiter ALWAYS, remembered that I like my red meat blue. Fantastic.