We followed the same routine as the previous night by eating in the buffet which again worked well for Nicole. I still had no success with the button to summon bar staff but did manage to flag one down so took the opportunity to ask if I was doing it correctly. I was told a light should come on as I’m pressing the button but in all my previous attempts there hasn’t been one. Surprisingly when the waiter had a go a light appeared so I came to the conclusion the staff must have their own power supply in order to make it look as if they work perfectly.
According to the booking confirmation, we weren’t due into Messina until 8:00 so were surprised to see we were already there when I came round at 6:30 so I took another look at the daily program and spotted it was down as 7:00. You have to hand it to MSC because they are consistent with their flexible allotted arrival times.
Palermo and Catania have been our previous ports of call in Sicily and we never got off at Catania and wished we hadn’t at Palermo.
So for today we had originally planned to go along the coast to Taormina but over the last couple of days made the decision to once again get off and walk locally
Our day started once again with coffee in the Seaview Lounge and then onto the buffet so Nicole could get what she needed. It was a nice leisurely morning before we got off just after 10:00.
Messina is what I classify as a pester port in as much as you are constantly being propositioned by people trying to sell tours, taxis, fridge magnets & tea towels. It does become very tiresome but the further you get away from the port the lesser they become in numbers. We didn’t stay off the ship too long, only opting to visit the Santuario della Madonna di Montalto and the Sacrario Di Christo Re which were in close proximity and both giving great views over Messina.
We hung around until midday to watch the clockwork figures on the Duomo Cathedral Tower which we came away wondering why we had actually bothered. It seemed to turn the peddlers into overdrive because of the gathering crowds.
By 12:30 we were back onboard and decided to go and find a pool and some R&R. Deck 7 and the Sunset Beach Pool was the ideal spot for us. It became very popular as the afternoon went on and the excursions returned.
I found the heat a little too much eventually so retired to the Sports Bar to do some blog writing.