It was a nice boat ride but a shoddy cruise.

We had read all the reviews on MSC Splendida and decided to try them anyway because we loved the itinerary and the price; the timing worked for us and we didn't need to gain any weight from too much good food. "Maybe it will be like a bus tour to a lot of terrific places" we speculated. As a result we were not unduly disappointed.

Embarkation was the oddest in our 10 cruises. Quick, but they made you walk all over the place, up stairs and down, (though a staffer took our heaviest carry on up the last flight) to get on the boat. My heart was warmed when one of their staffers told a fellow who was pushing past us in line to wait his turn. After even a couple of days in Italy, this was lovely to hear. During the boat drill, we asked a photographer NOT to take our picture and he just laughed and did it anyway. Read more