Category: 2012 – MSC Musica, Italy, Greece & Croatia, 22 – 29 Jul

The view from the ship doesn’t really prepare you for what’s in store. When we reached the small harbour the queue for cable car stretched for miles so we made the decision to walk. There are hundreds of donkeys also being trekked up and down but we were not entirely happy with the way they were being treated hence the decision to walk. It took us about 30 minutes to reach the top and the view from the top is really worth the effort. 2 of us walked back down and 1 took the cable car.
Really, 5 hours is not enough time here as I would loved to have felt comfortable enough to have some food in one of the restaurants overlooking the edge. A very busy port today with 5 ships in with us and it felt it too! One to tick off the list but next time I think that it mean I stay on the ship.

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Tendering for Santorini is free and tickets are given with a number at the entrance to the theatre. One you are given your ticket which is numbered you are asked to wait in the theatre itself until your number is called. Just me and the boys going ashore this morning.

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Today we will be a 2 ports, the first being Santorini where tendering will be in operation until 12.30. We then leave at 1.00 arriving at Mykonos at 7.30 and leaving there at midnight.
This morning we have been joined by an old friend, the Costa Atlantica here in Santorini. As there is no port then both ships will be tendering their passengers back and forth.

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Back to the ship after a really hot day, one little comparison between Celebrity and MSC, there would have been iced towels waiting with cold drinks on Celebrity but with MSC just a lone crew member directing you on.

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I have done exactly as intended and am sat having a nice cold beer along the waters edge in front of the ship. Bliss!
It is really hot here today there are not people browsing the shops. The people doing the tour to Olympia will be well cooked by the time they return!

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We have just arrived at Katakolon and there waiting for us again is the Costa Favolosa.

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One of the criticisms we have of the ship is that all the outside areas seem grubby. Even our balcony seems fall into this bracket. We are constantly noticing litter all over the place and there just do not seem to be the same amount of staff as we have experienced on other lines. Whether this has anything to do with staffing levels I don’t know. We are very used to seeing bar staff circulating the decks during the day ready to take your order but to date this has been a noticeable difference that there are not as many.
It was our first visit to the dining room last night and we had asked for a table of 4 only to find that we had been put on a table for 8. Luckily our table mates are a lovely family from Kent who have children the same age. We found them very good company. Our waiters in the dining room seem to be doing about 8 tables per team and they must be exhausted at the end of the night with all those additional courses the Italians like have.
One thing we never picked up on and I will check when I get home is the timing of second sitting. I am sure it said 8.45 but strangely enough we have found that it is an hour later than that and at 9.45.
One last thing, I am amazed at the information printed on your sea pass, along with name, muster station, dining table, sitting and table is your “cabin number”! I just hope we don’t loose it and it falls into the wrong hands.

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We have awoke to clear blue skies this morning with the predicted minimum temperature of 31F and maximum of 35F. The clocks were put forward 1 hour as well last night so we are now 2 hours ahead of the UK. Next stop is Katakolon where the boys have said they will be happy to just browse round the shops in town. I think one of those little bars along the waters edge is where I will be heading!
We went for breakfast an hour earlier this morning and thankfully it wasn’t as busy as yesterday. I think much of it was down to the passengers getting off.

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I have just noticed there is still a signal as we head further south while hugging the coast of Italy. So there is one last photo opportunity of the sinking sun and the wake of the ship. I hope the photos look OK as its hard to tell from the screen of my Blackberry as to the quality.

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After eventually getting off, we walked round to the town. The weather here is very hot and sticky and it made heavy going. I had read somewhere that the fort was worth a visit so we headed there to start with. The entrance fee was €5 and free for the under 18’s. Apart from some really interesting carved sculptures there was little there of great interest. I had anticipated being able to walk the ramparts but these were all closed off. After we strolled through the old towns little streets stopping for some lovely Gelato along the way.

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