MSC Fantasia Review
Rating by category
Additional details
I always like to book a cruise to warmer climates in January or February every year just to get away from the cold rainy weather at home. I suspect that the majority of passengers on this cruise had the same thought in mind. I would be a solo cruiser on the Fantasia because my wife was not interested in a climate change.
Embarkation: I drove my car to the Civitavecchia port and by prior arrangement parked it in a guarded lot about 200 meters from the cruise terminal and the ship. The price was €90 for the period I would be on the ship which I thought was quite reasonable, plus I had done the same thing on another Civitavecchia cruise in 2010. I wheeled my bags into the terminal and was immediately met by a MSC rep who took my bags and tagged them while directing me to the check-in desk. Check-in was almost instantaneous, my tickets were checked, credit card swiped, and with cruise card in hand I boarded the ship. I was met by an officer who welcomed me and turned me over to a cabin steward who led me to my cabin. About 20 minutes had elapsed from when I parked the car.
The Ship:
Cabin Review
: My cabin was number 12110 on Deck 12 named Incanto Deck. It was classed as a Category 10 superior balcony cabin and quite comfortable. It measured 23 square meters which included the bathroom and balcony, so about 18 meters of inside living space, fine for a couple and great for a solo passenger like me. It had a comfortable king-size bed with lovely new linens, a nice three-person couch with a small oval table, a desk with a hassock, huge mirrors, and a three door wardrobe, one section of which had shelves and drawers plus a safe. The desk had but two smallish drawers, one of which had the hair dryer, and a couple shelves for books and things with the TV on the top. Both European and American electrical outlets were at the desk and in the bathroom. I used my laptop on the desk. The cabin was in excellent condition and very clean. The only negative thing I found was the bedspread had a couple burn marks and should have been replaced.
The balcony was large enough and had two rattan chairs with a table/foot stool and was glass fronted.
The bathroom wasn't huge but was more than adequate and had the usual vacuum toilet. A small sink with shelves right and left and some storage underneath. The shower stall was large enough and had a non-attacking curtain. Bath gel and shampoo dispensers were on the wall. I was pleased with the bath linens throughout my cruise. Towels were white and fluffy, fairly new, and there were even face cloths.
My excellent cabin steward was a very friendly lady from Indonesia named Ita whose English and Italian were very, very good. She consistently provided me outstanding service. As an MSC Club member I always had a bowl of fresh fruit in the cabin which was replenished almost every day. Sometimes I found myself with three bowls on my table because I could only eat two or three pieces of fruit each day. Ita also ensured that I always had a fresh one-litre bottle of water in the cabin which with my MSC Club discount cost me €2 each. The cabin was quiet, no vibrations, and even when the sea was rough I noticed only minimal movement. I always book a mid-ship cabin with cabin decks above and below which usually ensures low noise levels and minimal ship movement. I was very satisfied with this cabin.