Read Less

Read Less

firstly, the cruise to nowhere was nice and relaxing but the time on board was to short, the trip says 3 days and 2 nights but we didn't spend 3 days, on Monday we had to leave the ship at 8. the 11 deck food not so good, the place smells bad. the crockery was also dirty. the cabins are ok the food on the 5 deck was lovely. the dinner portions are very small the soups was lovely the beef burgers should be reviewed, taste bad. the queues for lunch on the first day is a put off the pizza was good the juice from the machine must be changed the ice cream was lovely the public toilets was dirty the crew on board are very friendly and helpful I travelled with a 5 year old, and she enjoyed it over all the experience was good, I will go again Read Less

This was a first cruise and a trial cruise for us and if three days on board MSC Sinfonia is any indication what cruising is really about, we'll never do it again! We can heartily recommend the suite cabins with balconies which are quite spacious and comfortable.If you're a light sleeper, be careful of your cabin choice. We were in cabin 1040 which was underneath the entertainment deck and at 2.30am on Sunday morning, the 'entertainment' was still in full swing. The cabin had plenty of two-pin plug sockets so bring your adapters if you're from overseas. The TV selection was good - all the movie channels and news. Premium sports are broadcast in the bar only. Full bath with shower in the bathroom but no amenities apart from a shower cap and two ugly wall dispensers with body wash and shampoo. The staff we dealt with in the cabin and the restaurant were terrific. That's the good news. The embarkation was a three hour-plus ordeal with hundreds of us corralled and shuffling through a sweaty barn on the docks in 30C degrees. We are two healthy adults but it was a terrible experience for elderly people and for parents with young children. Boarding was supposed to start at 10am and we got there at 10.15am. People who got there earlier said they boarded with relative ease. We got on deck at 1.25pm and then were called for the emergency drill on deck and ended up standing around for another 30 minutes. It's not a good way to start any holiday. MSC point the blame at immigration officials for the delay in embarkation but they really need to sort something out because it's a ridiculous situation. The food on board was dreadful. We're used to buffet restaurants in large hotels but I've never seen anything so badly run as the main terrace restaurant on MSC Sinfonia. First of all it's far too small to cater for the thousands on board. As a result mealtimes are a virtual scrum. The variety of food and the standard of food were absolutely dismal. It didn't matter what time of day you tried to eat there - the hot food was always cold and the cold selection was minimal. The salad bar was a dismal joke - limp lettuce, tomato and sweetcorn with salami and 'ham' slivers which appeared to have a white face printed on it. The fruit selection consisted of three different types of melon and a fruit salad consisting of the same three different types of melon with a little pineapple mixed in. The pizza bar and fast food station - burgers and frankfurters - located just outside the buffet served food that was hot at least. The Galleone Restaurant offered a more civilised environment for breakfast and lunch but the food wasn't much better. Dinner seating is allocated and almost all the tables are for four, six or eight passengers so couples will almost always be sharing. Dining times are also strictly allocated - 6pm or 8.30pm. The menu selection is good but the food in our allocated restaurant - think it's called Il Covo - was always served lukewarm to cold. Room service food continues with the same standards - there's a limited menu of mostly stale sandwiches available and pizza is available after 8pm. Everything on board is priced in American dollars which makes it expensive for South Africans. We felt that wine prices were reasonable - ranging from around $12 to $18 per bottle but 15% service charge is added to everything. We bought an internet package before boarding but we were charged for another package on board and it couldn't be refunded before we disembarked because who ever was in charge 'wasn't answering his phone'. Portuguese Island was the only excursion offered on our mini-cruise. It's an uninhabited island. My husband opted for a snorkling trip but there was no visibility in the water so it was pretty uneventful. It's a day at the beach with a barbecue where once again they managed to serve unedibly cold food. Overall we'd give it a big thumbs down. Even the brilliant sunshine and the Indian Ocean and the cabin weren't enough to overcome all the negatives. There's far more enjoyable ways to spend your money! Read Less

If you enjoy bad service, filth and bad food then this trip is for you. My wife, 3 yr old and myself went on the cruise to nowhere ex Durban on 29 Jan 2016. We booked a suite which was the only good part of the trip as it was large and luxurious with a balcony. However everything else was terrible. The worst was the hygiene. Cups were always stained with "stuff" encrusted at the bottom, on the lip and sides. There was vomit on carpets that were never cleaned the whole 2 days at sea. Linen and towels were terribly stained. Then the food -really awful and bland. It is all you can eat but the food is so terrible that you don't wanna. Also the buffet kept running out of food and you had to wait about an hour before the next batch was prepared. No complimentary juices at lunch or dinner, only at breakfast The fine dining was a bit better but nothing grand as you would expect. And don't bother complaining - it would be a miracle to see any senior personnel at the stations and the others you complain to just shrug their shoulders and do nothing. Read Less