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On her inaugural visit to New York, I had the pleasure of
visiting MSC Cruises' MSC Orchestra. Immediately upon boarding the ship, I
felt this was going to be a different experience.
Although the MSC Orchestra is a large ship, measuring
89,000 ton and 964 feet in length, MSC Cruises was successful in creating
a sophisticated, cozy experience. Since MSC cruises is privately owned by
the Aponte family, each ship within the fleet has been decorated by Ms.
Aponte. Choosing the fabrics, color schemes and decor for each public
space, Ms. Aponte has done a beautiful job in creating a soothing,
comfortable environment. Mrs.
Aponte personally approves the
interior designs and
decorating schemes for the ships. The actual designs are done by De Jorio
Design International, an award-winning design team in Milan, Italy. PUBLIC ROOMS
The MSC Orchestra's public rooms are well appointed and
the flow of the ship is very straight forward with many rooms encompassing
the full width of the ship.
The ship's 3 deck atrium is very sophisticated, with its
glass accents, marble floor and brass railings. Although not as large as the atriums found on
other ships, this is not a drawback. On other ships, oversized atriums are
wasted space. Along the back wall of the atrium is a large, 3 deck, high
glass panel, illuminated from behind, which resemble fish scales. Located
at the bottom of the atrium is a stage and glass piano. While aboard the ship, music
was played in this area which made it very welcoming.
Various public rooms open up on to the atrium on various
levels. The reception desk, jewelry store, boutiques, internet cafe, bars,
shore excursion office and cigar bar all surround the atrium.
The ship's main show lounge is the 3 tiered Convent
Garden Theatre. With it's brightly colored rust rug, dark seats and neon
trim, it is one of the most smartly decorated show rooms aboard any ship. MSC Cruises has done a wonderful job in making this large
showroom, seem intimate. She definitely does not possess the stadium like
feel found aboard other ships. All seats provide unobstructed views of the
stage and the seating is such, that you do not feel that you are very far
from the action on stage.
Another large showroom, is the Savannah Bar. This single
level showroom's walls are decorated bright blue, with hand painted murals
of African landscapes and wildlife overlaid on top. The chairs are
upholstered in a soothing leopard spotted fabric. The cocktail tables are
brass frames with glass tops. The room has a large bar, bandstand and
dance floor.
Other lounges include the Amber Bar and Shaker Lounge
both medium in size and idea for dancing to live music or a pre-dinner
drink.
The MSC Orchestra has a large disco called the R32
Disco. This sparsely decorated room has silver box like chairs, steel framed
bar and tables, rust panels on the walls and yellow lighting accents. The
room has large windows on all 3 sides and provides excellent views of the
seascape. Although the room appears stark during the day and devoid of
color, at night, with flashing colored lights, strobe lights and rhythmic
sounds, the room comes alive.
There is a large casino with all of the games of chance,
including roulette, slot machines, black jack tables and more. The bar in
the casino is ideal for a break from gaming.
The ship has a modest size library and card room where
guests find a quiet place to take in a good book or play a game of cards
with fellow passengers.
High above the bridge of the ship, is located the
Gymnasium and Spa. The Gymnasium is large and offers all of the standard
electronic exercise equipment, including stair machines, treadmills and
free weights. The Spa offers the full array of treatments including
Balinese message and roman therapeutic water.
Other public spaces onboard the MSC Orchestra include a
Champaign and Wine Bar, more shops and boutiques, numerous bars, art
gallery and photo store.
OUTDOOR SPACE
Located between the funnel and the mast is the expansive pool area.
Here you will find two large pools and 4 hot tubs. There is another area,
one deck higher, which offers additional deck space.
The ship has a large promenade area, but the deck does not rap around
the bow and stern area of the ship. This is an excellent area
for escaping the crowd, enjoying the sea or curling up with a good book.
Located on a higher deck, there is mini-golf, shuffleboard, deck
quoits, a children's outdoor play area and jogging track.
FOOD / DINING
The MSC
Orchestra has 2 large, single level, dining rooms, I found the dining
rooms to be very nice. I especially liked the ambiance, color schemes
and the layout of the room. The layout of the room creates alcoves for
each tables and provide diners with the feeling that they are in a
small, intimate restaurant.
The L'biscus Resturante is decorated in golds and browns. Perhaps
one of the nicest restaurants I have seen on a ship today. The Villa
Borghese is decorated in Mediterranean tones - browns, reds and beige.
Both dining rooms are simple but elegant.
In addition to the two main restaurants, the MSC Orchestra offers
the ala-cart Shanghi Chinese Restaurant. Next is the 4 Season Restaurant which is also
ala-cart. At both establishments diners can eat an additional cost.
There is the La Piazzetta Cafeteria which offers
buffet style dining for lunch and breakfast. This area offers multiple
stations offering soups, salads and many entrees.
I found the food onboard to be very good, There was many choices to
please all tastes and food was delivered hot and was nicely presented. The service
was very attentive and the wait staff strived to please all diners.
CABINS / ACCOMMODATIONS
The MSC Orchestra has many types of accommodations. Nine-hundred and
fifty of the ship's cabins are outside and/or balcony cabins and there
are 275 inside cabins.
The cabins found onboard the MSC Orchestra are your standard modern
cruise ship accommodations. Most cabins have a small desk, 2 lower
berths/Queen. Some cabins may have fold out beds from walls for
3rd and 4th persons. The cabins have ample storage space, mini-fridge
and closed circuit TV. The bathrooms tend to be compact, with sink,
storage, toilet and shower.
The inside staterooms are adequate for two passengers traveling
alone, but are tight if attempting to have a 3rd and 4th person
sharing a single cabin. I found the outside/balcony cabins to me more
suitable for 3/4 person in a single cabin.
Balcony cabins have verandah's that can fit a small table and
two chairs.
The MSC Orchestra has 18 balcony suites which are 269 Sq feet
(compared to 180-234 Sq Ft standard outside/balcony cabins). Inside
cabins measure 151 Sq feet,
ENTERTAINMENT
MSC Cruises prides itself on its entertainment. Shows include
Italian singers, American singers, magicians, acrobatic dancers,
traditional dancers, liver music and Las Vegas style review shows and comedians.
Because of the the size of the ship, there are usually shows and music
being performed in multiple rooms simultaneously, making it easier for
passengers to find entertainment pleasing to them.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
MSC Cruises offers an extensive children's program.
The children program offers activities for kids 17 and
under. Kids are grouped by age and activities are age appropriate.
Children three to eight years old are invited to participate in the
Mini Club. The Juniors Club
is for children between nine and twelve years of age and the
Teenagers Club is for all
teens.
Please note that activities vary according to the number and the
ages of the children on board.
Kids (17 and
under) sail free on all
MSC Cruises. MSC Cruises is the only line that has this policy
fleetwide on all itineraries and sailing dates, including holidays. |
CONCLUSION
I was very impressed with the MSC Orchestra. I found the
ship to be extremely clean and found the color scheme and decor very
inviting. I was very surprised how truly Italian the onboard experience
is. There is a large number of Italian national among the crew, providing
an authentic Italian experience. The passenger mix comprises of
approximately 40% Americans and 60% Europeans.
The food was very good and presented very nicely. The buffet offered a
wide selection and was very appealing.
The ship offers a wide range of entertainment some with a European
flair. I especially enjoyed the Italian Opera singers.
Cabin were clean and provide ample storage space for the length of the cruise.
Two drawbacks,
Other than these two items, I found the ship to be very pleasant and
would consider sailing on her myself.
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