A great and comprehensive review of the ship. I like how you video, nice and slowly with great shots. Many youtubers pan far too quickly, one can get seasick watching them. 😅 I love your channel and am now a devoted fan. However, my research of the ship on google indicated 2500 passengers which is why we chose it?
Glad you enjoyed it! It is interesting, we did see the 2,500 capacity on Google as well, which we could not really believe after being on board... so we actually took our stat direct from the MSC website which says 1,039 crew members and 3,223 passengers. You can check it out here: www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/ships/msc-poesia - not sure why Google would be so different!
It's actually very simple, some sites report occupancy based on lower berths (two people per cabin) while others report the maximum number of people the ship can actually accommodate when using all additional berths (think pullman beds, sofabeds etc). So the numbers can vary by hundreds of people. Looking at max capacity for the ships you showed the numbers would be: NCL Gem 2.873, Brilliance OTS 2 543, Island Princess 2.657, MSC Poesia 3.223. Your point still stands but the difference is much smaller
This a very timely video as I'm booked on this ship in early May for a 10-day Baltic cruise to/from Stockholm. The fact that there are 9 port calls and only one sea day means that I'll be off the ship a good number of hours during the port days. I don't usually like fixed dining times on cruises and rarely use the MDR, so I expect I'll eat a lot at the buffet and sushi bar for dinner. This will be my first cruise with a balcony as I usually book an inside cabin. But I got the cruise as a casino promotion.
@@lindanormsmedrano7834 Food isn't bad, it's just not gourmet level. I ate in the MDR only once, and in the buffet thereafter. Two meals in the only specialty restaurant. which is sushi.
What a great video! Gave a very nice overview of all the spaces on board without getting too long. I'm also impressed with how well kept it looks on camera despite the age of the ship. In addition to the balcony tiles and shower courtain which are a dead giveaway of an older ship, did you find any signs of neglect?
Thank you for the nice comment! To be honest, those were really the only giveaways that it was an older ship, other than some faded paint on the exterior of the hull. In the common areas it was actually quite nice and gave off a classic, yet refurbished cruise ship vibe.
That's great to hear! MSC doesn't advertise their drydocks and refurbishments so I was a little worried they might not be doing much to keep their ships in working order. Glad to be proven wrong
The cabins themselves are exactly the same, but the difference really comes in what is included in your fare. For the Bella, it is very basic. You have to pay to make booking changes, you cannot choose your cabin, etc. For Fantastica you get a few more features, plus you can choose your cabin and can change your booking for free one time. Check out this article that Cruise Mummy put together that will show the differences! www.cruisemummy.co.uk/msc-bella-vs-fantastica-vs-aurea/
MSC Poesia has serious plumbing issues. My balcony cabin smelled like sewer. Many other areas on the ship smelled like public restroom. Mine wasn’t the only cabin with this problem. The crew apologized but the fact remained that it was an awful experience.
It was fairly crowded on our cruise, but we always try to film on port days and between debarkation/embarkation at other ports so we don't get many people in the video, since some do not like it. Plus then you can see the venues better! But on a night it got very crowded in some of the lounges! On certain port days, like Stockholm, almost EVERYBODY got off the ship. it was like a ghost town!
@@lindanormsmedrano7834 Yes, the cruise lines do offer several shore excursions! You can also of course book your own excursions through third parties like Viator and Tripadvisor as well (just make sure you get back to the ship on time!) 😊
![25 Things Cruisers MUST Know Before Your First MSC Cruise [MSC Cruise Tips 2024]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/k0NLxi5ZzMI/mqdefault.jpg)
![25 Things Cruisers MUST Know Before Your First MSC Cruise [MSC Cruise Tips 2024]](/img/tr.png)
Great video, thank you for sharing
A great and comprehensive review of the ship. I like how you video, nice and slowly with great shots. Many youtubers pan far too quickly, one can get seasick watching them. 😅 I love your channel and am now a devoted fan. However, my research of the ship on google indicated 2500 passengers which is why we chose it?
Glad you enjoyed it! It is interesting, we did see the 2,500 capacity on Google as well, which we could not really believe after being on board... so we actually took our stat direct from the MSC website which says 1,039 crew members and 3,223 passengers. You can check it out here: www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/ships/msc-poesia - not sure why Google would be so different!
There are 1200 total cabins, but the passenger count depends on the number of extra people/kids sharing.
It's actually very simple, some sites report occupancy based on lower berths (two people per cabin) while others report the maximum number of people the ship can actually accommodate when using all additional berths (think pullman beds, sofabeds etc). So the numbers can vary by hundreds of people. Looking at max capacity for the ships you showed the numbers would be: NCL Gem 2.873, Brilliance OTS 2 543, Island Princess 2.657, MSC Poesia 3.223. Your point still stands but the difference is much smaller
This a very timely video as I'm booked on this ship in early May for a 10-day Baltic cruise to/from Stockholm. The fact that there are 9 port calls and only one sea day means that I'll be off the ship a good number of hours during the port days. I don't usually like fixed dining times on cruises and rarely use the MDR, so I expect I'll eat a lot at the buffet and sushi bar for dinner. This will be my first cruise with a balcony as I usually book an inside cabin. But I got the cruise as a casino promotion.
Can you let us know how did your trip go? I heard its food is bad. Ty in advance
@@lindanormsmedrano7834 Food isn't bad, it's just not gourmet level. I ate in the MDR only once, and in the buffet thereafter. Two meals in the only specialty restaurant. which is sushi.
Nice overview! 😃👍
The rusty spots were not necessary as the MSC Poesia was in a shipyard for maintenance just a few months ago.
What a great video! Gave a very nice overview of all the spaces on board without getting too long. I'm also impressed with how well kept it looks on camera despite the age of the ship. In addition to the balcony tiles and shower courtain which are a dead giveaway of an older ship, did you find any signs of neglect?
Thank you for the nice comment! To be honest, those were really the only giveaways that it was an older ship, other than some faded paint on the exterior of the hull. In the common areas it was actually quite nice and gave off a classic, yet refurbished cruise ship vibe.
That's great to hear! MSC doesn't advertise their drydocks and refurbishments so I was a little worried they might not be doing much to keep their ships in working order. Glad to be proven wrong
Thanks for your video. Just a few questions, did you notice whether they had any games for rent in the card room?
Knife and fork for a cheese pizza?
can you tell me please what are the difference between Bella cabin and Fantasia cabin?
The cabins themselves are exactly the same, but the difference really comes in what is included in your fare. For the Bella, it is very basic. You have to pay to make booking changes, you cannot choose your cabin, etc. For Fantastica you get a few more features, plus you can choose your cabin and can change your booking for free one time. Check out this article that Cruise Mummy put together that will show the differences! www.cruisemummy.co.uk/msc-bella-vs-fantastica-vs-aurea/
MSC Poesia has serious plumbing issues. My balcony cabin smelled like sewer. Many other areas on the ship smelled like public restroom. Mine wasn’t the only cabin with this problem. The crew apologized but the fact remained that it was an awful experience.
Yuck! That is too bad... we are sorry you had that experience! Hopefully there is some sort of compensation made by the cruise line...
The rusty spots at the balcony floor are a big no no
Where are all the people?
It was fairly crowded on our cruise, but we always try to film on port days and between debarkation/embarkation at other ports so we don't get many people in the video, since some do not like it. Plus then you can see the venues better! But on a night it got very crowded in some of the lounges! On certain port days, like Stockholm, almost EVERYBODY got off the ship. it was like a ghost town!
@@theseasonedexpatsdo they offer land tours??
@@lindanormsmedrano7834 Yes, the cruise lines do offer several shore excursions! You can also of course book your own excursions through third parties like Viator and Tripadvisor as well (just make sure you get back to the ship on time!) 😊
Just a constructive comment... "Pigalle" is pronounced "pee-gal'", as in the famous quarter in Paris. :)
Just a constructive comment: Most of the civilized world ignores the French.