MSC Grandiosa - Ship Visit
On Tuesday 12th November we were invited onboard MSC Grandiosa for an overnight to experience the ship and what is onboard and we absolutely loved it!
The ship itself is beautiful, from the Swarovski Crystal staircases to the changing pictures on the LED roof on the main street - this ship has it all.
After a short transfer of about 20 minutes from Southampton airport to the ship, check in was very straightforward. We were allocated a boarding number on arrival. When our number was called, we made our way to the check in desk where our pictures were taken in order to receive our cruise cards. A very short and efficient experience.
Now the excitement begins! Embarking the ship you arrive to see the amazing main atrium of this ship. The staircases and grand piano definitely caught our eye before you soon realise the LED roof which has picture settings which change throughout the day. We made our way to our balcony cabin which was absolutely beautiful. The decor is fantastic and the bathroom stood out for being so modern and spacious compared to other cruise ship cabins. Fortunately the house-keeping staff were equally as impressive and due to a severe lack of knowing how to pack I had my shirt ironed and returned to me in a couple of hours for just over 3 Euro!
We then set off for lunch at the buffet. MSC is an Italian owned company and that definitely shines through in the fantastic food choices. Lots of pasta, pizza and salad dishes but you can also see where the company has now moved to catering for the a more international market with a rotisserie counter with meats, chicken potatoes and veg. Something to please everyone. One stand out aspect of the buffet restaurant is the button on the table that you press to have someone come and take your drinks order, a great innovation.
From, over 50 pictures we took that you can see below you can imagine there was so much on Grandiosa that we were excited to see and share with you. This ship has so much onboard for families like the onboard water-park, lego rooms, sports areas and the amazing MSC F1 Simulator. But there is also so much for those without kids. Cirque Du Soleil is onboard in a state of the art custom built theatre area. The show is an additional cost but definitely worth it, you can buy either a show and cocktail ticket or show and dinner ticket.
For our evening meal we decided to treat ourselves and visit a speciality restaurant. Butcher's Cut is the steakhouse onboard and after hearing so many good reports we tried to book but unfortunately it was fully booked. A tip if you are going onboard! . The staff tried as best as they could to accommodate but with nothing they could do they advised us to try L'Atelier Bistrot, the french restaurant onboard. All I can say is waow. It was fantastic. The service, the wine and the food were some of the best I have had on or off any cruise ship. The french onion soup was superb! The rib-eye for main course and the lemon torte were equally as memorable, definitely worth a visit for a special occasion or just for a nice treat.
Overall we absolutely loved MSC Grandiosa, a fantastic innovation for the cruise industry which is fantastic value for what you get.
If you would like any more information about our ship visit or about MSC Grandiosa or MSC in general please give us a call on 02838 394489. All of our staff have cruised MSC!
