You may call them cruises, I call them floating hotels on a discount! In November, I went on a Mediterranean cruise to 4 different countries and 6 different cities! The cruise itself was under $800 (not including wi-fi and excursions; I didn’t get a drink package) and the roundtrip flight was around $1k. I had an absolute BLAST!

And yes, yes- I know it’s cheap. Does that mean it was trashy? Absolutely not. I would do it again and I don’t have any complaints about the cruise at all.

Why was it so inexpensive?

I went on MSC, a European cruise line. It was different that what I’m used to (Royal Caribbean) which is located 1 hour (drive) from where I live. I will have a post out later this week on the major differences, but briefly:

• MSC has passengers of all different languages, while typical American ones (like RC) usually have one major language (English)
• Food on MSC is European-focused- pizza, pastas, etc., whereas American cruise lines focus more on the fried foods, hot dogs, etc.
• MSC has a 15-beverage max for drink packages, whereas RC does not. Everyone in the cabin must also get the same drink package.
• Your steward does not typically formally introduce him/herself, but is always available if you have questions, on RC, I did have my steward introduce himself and ask whether I wanted him to clean in the morning/evening. My RC steward also gave me 3 towel animals during my 5 day vacation. I didn’t get any on MSC.
• There are less entertainment options on MSC. Still a fair amount to do, but just less. On RC, there is never a time where there isn’t at least 2-3 things happening.
• Passengers will embark and disembark every day, as opposed to RC where everyone comes and leaves on the same day.

Going back to the question- why is it so cheap!? MSC is part of a global shipping company so cruise fares can be lower to build market shares. There are not pressures for quarterly profits and lower costs to build new, larger ships. The low base will lure many people in, with additional extras or options to increase revenue, which many do choose, such as the Yacht Club. Ships are high capacity, allowing for more passengers at a time.

The app is less “tech savvy” than their competitors, and the ship itself has more of a “relaxed chill” vibe as opposed to a party one, which some may find more boring or (like me) more relaxing!

Day 1:

So let’s get started! I technically arrived in Marseille the day before, but since this blog is about the cruise, specifically- let’s skip over that. If you’d like to know what I did in Marseille in the morning, where I stayed and the best tourist spots to be (including two free gardens, 4 religious landmarks, a coastal road and the cutest place for shopping and eateries) click here.

I arrived at the port after being denied multiple Ubers (lol) by a really nice lady named Isabelle. It seemed like she had been to the Marseille port a few times and really knew her way around! I practiced my French with her, but she did know a little English as well. I finally arrived around 1:30pm or so and found security to be really easy. I did get lost a few times, but the people there were kind enough to show me the right way. LOL!

I got my card, logged into the wifi and completed the muster drill. My suitcase came only a few hours later, while I was upstairs in the buffet. I got dressed up for my first dinner at La Reggia and sat down. There was a line but it went fairly fast and soon after I sat down, another lady sat down across from me; sometimes they will pair solo passengers together.

Her name was Svetlana and she was from Prague. We had a great time talking and getting to know each other and the different cultures we came from. This was Svetlana’s last day on the cruise and she explained that it was her first time, but very enjoyable and wants to do it again soon! Svetlana worked in finance and I wish I had more time to get to know her!

The rest of the night was spent with me exploring the ship, watching entertainment and heading back to my cabin to rest, as I had done 24,000 steps in Marseille and was TIRED! (As an understatement).

Day 2:

In the morning, I had a quick breakfast in the buffet and headed down to the Aft Lounge for my first excursion! On the plane ride over, I met with a couple from Pennsylvania and was surprised to be approached by them today! I thought it was funny we were on the same excursion, that must’ve not been more than 25 people. (But later would find out that I better get used to it!)

I also met a lady from Germany and a family from Singapore while we explored the magic of Genoa (Genova to the locals). This was such a splendid introduction to Italy, the architecture was truly out of this world and I found it to be truly mesmerizing. You can find out more about Genoa and what I did here.

I returned in the afternoon to relax, take a dance class, watch some entertainment and eventually grab dinner.

Day 3:

My friend from the UK had told me that Naples had the BEST pizza, so you better bet I was excited to try some! But priorities!!! Priorities was going to Pompeii on a guided excursion, which you can find out all about here. Pompeii was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, and I wasn’t expecting the ruins to be quite as functional or inventive as they were! We went into people’s houses, saw pottery, beds, raised rocks to compensate for the poor water drainage systems, amphitheaters and more! I was impressed not only by the city, but by the knowledge our tour guide had as well. I 100% recommend. If you’re in the area, how could you NOT go to Pompeii? You weirdos… jk!!

And oh! The couple from PA, yes- they were on the same bus as I was! Chris was the woman’s name I believe and the man’s name- I can’t remember (unfortunately) but both were truly sweethearts! I came back to watch a live performance which was fun to watch, but a little peculiar! It was called “Nature” and involved dancing, singing and elaborate animal costumes. I thought it was neat, and due to the many languages spoken on the ship, MSC sometimes has a difficult time accommodating everyone, but I thought it was great! I was honestly too tired to get all dressed up and go back to the dining room, so I opted for the buffet on the 14th floor. Where I don’t have to socialize, dress up, look presentable and can come in with my sweatpants, hoodie and a messy bun! HA. We’re not judging my diet- it’s a cruise, peeps! Obviously calories and balanced meals aren’t applicable during cruising… OBVIOUSLY!

Day 4:

I was shocked to know that over half my cruise was over? Like whattt??? I had scheduled another excursion today; Delving into Palermo and Monreale’s Historic Venues, which you can find more detail on and the full blog post about it here. We started out on the bus tour and I did not see Chris and her partner (or so I thought…).

We first visited the mountain view of the city and then a short walk up to the Monreale Cathedral, a Cathedral built with 2.2 tons of gold, sandwiched between the building structures, much like gold leaf.

Later, we had gone to the Palermo Cathedral and had some free time with the various fooderies around. It was here where I bumped into Chris and her husband! Ha! They were kind enough to get me a soda, which I so appreciated!

Next we went to my favorite- the Church of Jesus of Casa Professa, a Jesuit church before having some free time in the marketplace.

Finally, we walked over to the “Fountain of Shame” or Fontana Pretoria and the historical Quattro Canti. I as an American, I will forever be impressed by the architecture and splendor of the monuments in Europe.

I once again, was pretty exhausted and spent most of the night in my cabin.

Day 5:

This was my first country in Africa on this cruise and I was excited for it! We traveled around Tunis, Sidi Bou Saïd and Cartharage. The bulk of this excursion was on the history and shopping. You can learn more about Tunisia, whether it a safe country to travel to and how to navigate the shopkeepers to avoid getting scammed here.

We started out in Tunis and learned about the history behind the colored doors.

Soon, we went to go shopping, where we watched a lady hand-make a rug which was not how I thought rugs to be made and too cool! Upstairs, was the rooftops with gorgeous mosaics and quite the sight of the city.

Next, we had quickly popped into Château de la Medina and visited a small museum in the area before heading over to Carthage.

We got to spend time for about an hour or so in Carthage, exploring the area, viewing the water, getting donuts and more shopping. And for me!? I got to have a hawk sit on my shoulder. I keep getting asked if it hurt and it did not! The hawk’s claws must have been trimmed or something because it felt comfortable.

Tunisia, unsurprisingly- was hot! Yes, even in November. After returning to the ship, I did find the energy to get dinner without heading over to the buffet. I got all dressed up and headed to the main dining room and was paired with a lady from China. Everyone thought we were together, but we were not haha! It was a little awkward as she didn’t speak English and my Chinese is unfortunately constrained to “hello” and “rice” whelp!

Oh- Chris and her husband were with me during the excursion in case you were wondering!

Day 6:

As much as I adored the excursions and liked everything I got to do and see, I won’t lie and tell you that I wasn’t relieved to have a day where I wasn’t walking 4-5 miles! I booked a dinner at the Sea Pavilion, which similar to the Asian Restaurant on Royal Caribbean, is located on the top floor, overseeing the pool. It can be a little tricky to find, but once you can- it’s easy to locate. I was served by a waitress from Peru as I people watched 🙂 I found the food to be delicious, tasty and 10/10. They were made from fresh ingredients, warm and prompt.

I spent the rest of my day exploring different live music performances, hanging around the lounges and had a milkshake near the casino as I got some computer work done.

Tomorrow was my last day, which I was sad for… it’s funny, people kept asking me if I missed the US and while I was raised for most of my life there, I never really “identified” with it, so to speak and so did I miss it? Did I miss the “ice chips” that apparently is a common thing people miss about America? No. Haha! I was so sad to end my cruise, actually.

I went to the dining room today and spoke to my waiter, from Bali who had given me his sister’s number who is a massage therapist in Bali (How cool is that, huh!?)

Day 7:

My last day was spent in Spain. You can find out about my experience here. Spain was incredible and I wish I had more time to explore here. Our guide spoke English and French so when I had bought a keychain at the local gift store in Spanish, she was surprised and joked around with me a little, surprised that I hadn’t told her until then! Whoops! This tour kind of melded together, but we toured the city first, learning more about Christopher Columbus, which us Americans have mixed feelings about. Love the history, origins, not a huge fan of the man. And umm.. yeah, Chris and her husband were here! I also met another couple from Ohio, and the wife had gone to the same school I went to which I thought was crazy- what a small world, huh!?

Later, we had gone shopping and found the food court… I had Barcelonian churros with melted chocolate… yummy! 10/10 recommend!

What colors!

Later, I had my very last dinner (RIP) before waking up the next morning to leave…

And thus… this concluded my cruise! I adored this vacation and was so glad that I had taken it. It wasn’t my first cruise, but it was my first cruise to MSC and I am so glad I took it. There’s just something about visiting so many countries with limited time and not having to pack and unpack EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Can’t wait to book my next one!

Cheers Friends & Travelers!

~ Backroad Butterflies ~

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