We are a middle aged couple and this was our first ever cruise. I am 41(Spence) and Angela is 50.Our trip on MSC Sinfionia was for my Partner Angela's 50th birthday. We flew from London Gatwick which is ten minutes from home by BA which was very good. We arrived in Pisa and were meet by a rep and on to the coach. We arrived at the Port of Livorno and went through booking in as we had done this on line we went through very quickly we also sorted out our drinks packages and Ice cream package as well. We were whisked onto the ship and our free upgrade was great. We were due to have a inside cabin but we were given a outside cabin right at the front. If you go on the ship web came that is the view we had from our cabin. So each night and morning we had one of the best view on the ship.The first night we had a few problems as we were down to have a table for two but were on a table of eight but the head waiter soon sorted it we went to the different restaurant but reverted back to the Cobo for the rest of the holiday on a table for two with a excellent waiter from Bareli.On the Sunday mooring we were awoken by the anchor going down as it was right under our room for our stop in Monte Carlo. We had breakfast which was a fantastic show of food. Including cereals fruit and allsorts of cooked items I loved the scrambled eggs. We had decided not to do a tour and just got the motor launch into Monte Carlo. We walked around the town as it was the week before the Grand Prix things were starting to take of. We had a nice coffee break in the main square looked a lots of posh boats and cars and got the lunch back to the ship to spend the rest of the day sunbathing and swimming.In the evening it was meet the captain and get dressed up.Next we were of the Valencia. We had booked to go to the Oceanic museum but this trip was cancelled and we transferred to the trips to the underground caves where you go for a boat ride down the river in the caves. This was quiet a experience as the guide in the boat did not speak English and seamed very worried about the boat. We did get to see a bat in the cave though.In the evening we attended the show.Then it was onto Ibiza which we arrived at midnight. You could catch the bus into the town ( Euros )then but we waited till the morning and enjoyed a nice walk around visited some shop and had coffee on the front. The after noon was spent at see so more sunbathing and swimming.Next it was off to Tunis again we had booked a trip to go shopping and visited a historic site, but this was cancelled as there was not enough English doing the tour. We rebooked on the shopping only trip. We arrived and there was camels on the quay side before we had even gone through customs and  Roman soldiers. This was the only time we needed our passports on the cruise.We had a excellent guide Alex who took us all-around the city, we visited a perfume shop, carpet shop and a market where you had to haggle for everything something I did not seam very good at. We then visited a small traditional village in blue and white for some more shopping.We were a bit late getting back and as it was a special night it was a hurry to get all dressed up for the special meal.next it was on to Catania again we had a trip booked but again no English so we had to go on the Spanish coach top Etna. As neither of us can speak Spanish it was quiet hard. This did not spoil the views as we climbed up Etna in the coach. The good thing was the guide spoke English so when we arrived we just asked here the questions and went and wondered around at the top of the Volcano, had coffee and visited some of the shops.Our last full day saw us arrive at Naples with some stunning views of the bay. We were booked on the tour to Pompeii. We had a excellent English guide and we stopped at the shell factory on the way and we then had a three hour tour of Pompeii which was excellent and the guide took us to all the important bits and the places we all wanted to see.The final day was back to Livorno. We had to put our bags out at 2am in the morning, we went for breakfast and were of the ship at about 9.30am where we were transferred to the coach and taken to Pisa airport to await our BA flight back to the UK.  

The Food during the cruise was out of this world eating from breakfast, lunch with all the different salads, meats and hot dishes, to afternoon tea with coffee and cakes to the seven course evening meals.I kept saying I was going to the midnight buffet but never made it!

The Shows during the week were excellent we had a famous singer from Italy , knife throwing, a magician, dancers acrobats flamenco dancers to name but a few. Read more