Review of MSC Musica cruising from Venice to Greece and Croatia
When deciding where to go for our Autumn holidays, two things struck us. As Directors of the company, my husband and I had been out to Venice to visit MSC Musica for her Christening Ceremony back in June 2006 and whilst onboard overnight, we knew we wanted to come back and sample the ship for a longer period. Secondly, cruising the Greek Islands had been high on our list of places to visit for a number of years. When the opportunity arose to sail onboard Musica around the Greek Islands in October of 2009, it seemed like the perfect holiday for us as a family. The children had seen pictures of our whirlwind tour of Venice and knew they definitely wanted to go there. Couple this with our son's love of history classes - think Romans and Greek Gods (the Egyptian Pyramids are going to have to wait until next time!) and our daughter's love of Kids Clubs and dressing up we knew that this would be the perfect holiday for us.
We flew out to Venice from East Midlands Airport the day before our cruise was due to depart. As we were only due to arrive late in the evening we decided to stay in the Mestre area of Venice - part way between the airport and the Cruise Ship Terminal. The Holiday Inn was perfect for our needs - clean, modern and comfortable.
Sunday - boarding in Venice
We took a taxi from the hotel to the cruise terminal in the morning. On arrival at the cruise ship terminal we handed our cases in immediately upon disembarking from the taxi. As experienced cruisers, we knew that they would be safely delivered to our cabin later in the day. We had completed the MSC Express Boarding procedure on MSC's website, which made our check in easy and swift. Half an hour after walking into the terminal, we were through security and boarding the ship!
We were immediately escorted to our balcony cabin on deck 12. The cabins were as we remembered, incredibly clean and tidy and well appointed. Due to our location on the ship, our balcony was unusually large - absolutely perfect for our family as we always enjoy having br
eakfast in the cabin served out on the balcony each morning - giving us our first glimpse of new ports of call.
Next stop for us, is always a whistle-stop tour of the ship. Given an option, the children opted to tour the ship from top to bottom. The exciting stuff like the pool and the kids club are top-side - Mum and Dad's interests,like the bars, restaurants, shops and casino are always on the lower decks!
The children were both very excited to discover the kids play area rocket and castle - with slides and climbing frames. Although, with Carnival Dream docked next to us, they were very quick to point out the huge water park-like slides on the top of that ship (reminding them that Norwegian Epic launches next year which is on their 'to-do' list). They investigated the pools, jacuzzi's and kids club. F
rom up here on deck 14 the views out over Venice are absolutely stunning.
After a full tour we went back to the cabin to prepare for the mandatory life boat drill. On embarking the ship, the children had been given specially sized life jackets and security bands which they could wear around their wrists for the duration of the cruise showing their Muster Station. Our Muster Station (H) was in the very comfortable Crystal Lounge. By the time that this had finished, our cases had arrived, so we upacked and prepared for evening dinner whilst we sailed out of port along the Guidecca Canal. I could never tire of the view as you sail out of Venice, right past St Mark's Square.
We had been assigned a table for 6 in Le Maxim's Restaurant as we were travelling with my parents-in-law. This is a beautiful dining room - the way it is designed allows you to feel like you are in a small, intimate restaurant, rather than dining with a thousand other passengers. After dinner we went to the Theatre where we watched an excellent show - a good all round mixture of singing, acting and cirque du soleil style acrobatics. After a very tiring day, we retired to our cabin, where the cabin steward had turned down the master bed and converted the sofa into a sofa-bed for the children. Just before turning out the lights, we filled in our Breakfast Card with our requirements for tomorrow morning's breakfast and hung it out on our door handle. Alternatively, we could have completed the Room Service order via the interactive TV.
Monday - Bari
I had read mixed reports of Bari, so we were undecided what to do in this port. However, having spent the morning onboard ship, we decided to have a wander around the port area. At the entrance to the port, the children were excited to see a couple of 'noddy' road trains. So, we decided to take a tour around the Old Town area. Much to our surprise, we were invited to get off the train at various intervals where a guide showed us around the area. After visiting the very ancient castle, we were taken to a couple of churches, where we were allowed to go inside and look around. Both were incredibly pretty, with the ceiling in the Church of St Nicholas being covered in amazing paintings. We were encouraged to go into the crypt, where supposedly the bones of St Nicholas lay, and touch the red column in the corner for good luck. We found this to be a lovely port of call, with narrow alleyways ending in old squares. Other areas of the town had lovely views out over the yacht club and the ocean beyond. Back onboard tonight is another casual night, so after another lovely meal we retired reasonably early, ready for our 7.00 am arrival in Corfu.
Tuesday - 
Corfu
Having breakfast in the cabin allows us to get ready for our ports more quickly than going to use the buffet or the formal dining rooms. This morning we had croissants, bread rolls and our daughter discovered she's rather partial to brioche! We also had a pot of tea and glasses of chilled orange juice. We took the ship shuttle service to the main square in Corfu Town, passing through some very narrow lanes on the way! Corfu Town was incredibly quaint. The smell of 
coffee and crepes was very inviting but the wares on sale in all of the shops kept us away from a coffee break. Along with the obligatory tourist shops selling T-Shirts and handbags, we were interested to see all of the wooden hand carved souvenirs, the natural sponges and ceramics. We were offered many free alcoholic samples - but at 9.30 am, we managed to decline! After some negotiation on future pocket money and a 'donation' from Nana, our daughter became the proud new owner of a glittery gold handbag and our son was eyeing up a chess set. After a very good look around the town, we headed back to the ship where we spent a significant part of the afternoon soaking in one of the four hot tub jacuzzis. Tonight was the first of two formal nights on this sailing and dinner tonight was preceded by the Captain's Cocktail Party and a pre-dinner show. We had opted for first dinner seating which is normally 6.30 pm, but tonight would be 7.00 pm due to the show. Second seating normally starts at 9.00 pm.
Wednesday - Santorini and Mykonos
Santorini is the only port on this cruise where we will tender into port instead of docking. The cruise ship anchors in the basin of the volcanic caldera. Passengers are able to board the tenders according to the number shown on your ticket which is delivered to your cabin the previous evening with MSC. We were ticket number 11. By the time we had eaten our breakfast and met up with the rest of our party, it was time to disembark. The tender takes you to the very pretty small harbourside which has a couple of bar-restaurants and an excursion office.
Now. There are only three ways to get up into the main town of Santorini. You can either take the cable car, ride on a donkey, or walk. There are 580 steps on the only path up into town, and please bear in mind, that this is the same path which is shared by all of the donkeys (and the resulting 'mess' which they make)! Faced with these options, we decided on the cable car. Each cable car seats 6 people so we filled one car with our party. It was only at this point that I realised that 50% of our party didn't like heights. Or cable cars. The other half of our party took great delight in pointing out our ship, way below us in the sea. We had been told by many previous clients that Santorini is the most beautiful of the Greek Islands, and now I know why. The views from the top of the island are absolutely stunning. The town itself is lovely and very typically Greek. Small cobbled streets, wall to wall shops, bars and restuarants with many glimpses down to the sea below. I thoroughly enjoyed our walk around and wasn't ready for the ride back down the cable car. Although, it again gave the most wonderful views. This afternoon was spent at sea, so we took the opportunity to sunbathe around the pool whilst the children splashed around in the pool. Our daughter spent some time in the children's club, it's amazing to see her sitting with children of all nationalities and getting along with them all. She convinces her brother to give it a go, and reluctantly he decides he will have a try. Whilst they are really in two different age groups of club, the staff onboard are happy to let them stay together, although when we pick them up they aren't playing together at all as our son is playing catch with a little boy from Italy! Apparently they communicated in sign language and a bit of Spanish - which was a common language for them both. Dinner tonight was open seating. I.e. we wouldn't use our regular table at a pre-assigned time, but rather we 
would eat in L'Oleandro, the other dining room and could eat at any time after 6.30 pm due to our arrival in port at 7.00 pm in Mykonos. Our meal was as delicious as usual, although we ate less courses so that we could get off and have a look at this port.
We used the ship's short shuttle ride to get to town. There was a small curved beach area, which was overlooked by a variety of restaurants and bars. Again, there was a cobbled street area with shops on both sides. Although it was dark by now, the streets were lit so brightly in some areas that it could have been day time! You could spend some serious money here - the jewellery shops included the likes of Van Cleef and Arples. We decided to have a drink in one of the bars overlooking the sea front, but the smell of the Crepes soon enticed us. An order for three crepes with sugar and lemon was quickly changed to two with sugar and lemon and one Crepe Suzette. Mmmmmm. Absolutely delicious!
Thursday - Port of Piraeus for Athens
We had decided that we would get a taxi to the Acropolis this morning, so on exiting the ship we were pleased to see many Yellow Taxis waiting for us. We had been warned that the Taxi drivers try to get as much as possible out of their fares. Whilst there is a massive sign clearly showing the fare which should be paid to the various attractions in Athens, some canny drivers tried to claim that this was per passenger, not per ride! We finally found a driver who agreed to take us to the Acropolis for the listed fare. I wasn't prepared however for his determined sales pitch on the short ride to Athens to take us on a full city tour. I was unfortunately sat in the front and was just as determined to say no, reciting a silent mantra in my head "just say no, just say no...."
What a fantastic tour of the city we had. Apparently those in the back weren't as determined to say no! And I'm very glad that they didn't. Whilst he was Greek, our driver had spent a number of years in Australia, so spoke excellent English with a Graustralian accent! First he took us past the Temple of Zeus with the Hadrian's Gate entrance then he took us up a high mount to give us outstanding views down over the city. From our vantage point we could see the Acropolis, the site of the first Modern Olympic Games and the Presidential Palace. It was amazing, that in the centre of this massively built up city, we could go up a hill and be amongst Olive trees and parks. From here we went to watch the changing of the guard at the Palace. The ceremonial guard change caused much amusement to the children, who are still copying the guards now that we are back home. Just at the bottom of the road is the Olympic Stadium which caught the children's imagination once again. From here, after a drive around the Plaka area of the city we went to the Acropolis. It was amazing to see in real life, it is so very well preserved for such an ancient monument.
Back on board, we again hit the sun loungers - it's very exhausting being a tourist! This evening the entertainment in the theatre is a magician. This causes some consternation for the children - they want to go to Children's Club AND watch the magic show. So, up to club for half an hour, back out to go to the theatre (which is at the total opposite end of the ship and 8 decks below the kid's club!) and then back to the club again where they are going for a Pizza Party! Feeling like naughty school children playing hooky - hubby and I had a quick whirl in the Casino. Roulette is my favourite!
Friday - Katakolon
Katakolon 
is the entry port for those wishing to visit Olympia - the site of the first, ancient Olympic games. We decided however that we were only going to stay locally around the port area today as we are all feeling very tired after visiting a port every day. Today, we are in port with Norwegian Jade. So far on this cruise we have seen many different ships - always interesting for us. We have been in port with Oceania's Nautica and Regatta, we have seen Ocean Village Two and we have passed Costa Serena on more than one occasion! We even saw Celebrity's new ship Celebrity Solstice in Santorini.
We strolled the very short distance into Katakolon. This is a very small village with really only two streets - one inland and one along the harbour front, but it really is a very pretty little port. The main street is a wide avenue with shops along both sides selling jewellery, T Shirts and trinkets. Our son finally gets his chess set here - although this one is made of bronze. There are even a couple of horse-drawn carriages here. At the end of the street there is a children's play area so the children took the opportunity to go on the swings etc for a while. This port somehow reminded me of a Caribbean port of call. We had a very nice cafe latte sitting on the harbour wall watching someone fishing before having a wander down to a small beach area before getting back onboard. Next stop, Dubrovnik. Tonight is our second formal night - I think that the children enjoy dressing up more than we do. Everybody makes such a fuss of them which I think that they secretly enjoy. After browsing the special offer tables outside the jewellers our daughter spots a ship photographer and dashes off to have her photo taken! This area is particularly lovely as you can see right down to deck 4 where there is a live musical group playing piano and violin. Another favourite of mine is L'Enoteca, the wine bar. It's lovely and peaceful in here with a pianist playing. We always choose to sit up against the bar. The chef in the bar explains to us that people can come in and have a pre (or post) dinner platter of either a selection of cheeses or hams - he gives my husband a sample of a particularly vicious smelling cheese to sample, I explain that I am definitely not a cheese connoiseur so he gives me a rather lovely prosccuito ham to sample. Much better. Next to L'Enoteca is the Sushi Bar, whilst we never had the chance to visit, it's definitely on my wish list if we sail on Musica again. Whilst the children and I are playing 'grown-ups' on the bar stools, the other half has a quick go at Roulette in the Casino where the children are not allowed to play. He wins sixty euros on the date of my birthday and comes back very happy.
Saturday - Dubrovnik
Again, we use the ship's shuttle bus to take us to the Old Town of Dubrovnik. I have long looked forward to visiting Dubrovnik and have pictured it as very Olde Worlde with it's red roofed buildings, but nothing prepared me for how stunning the Old Town really is. 
You enter the Town by passing beneath through the Castle Walls and can see the sign showing how much damage was caused in the war of the early '90's. Once into the city, the preservation and restoration is amazing to behold. The floor is made of polished cream stone and the buildings are simply enchanting. Narrow alleyways lead off the main streets and you are reminded by the washing lines hung up high amongst the buildings that people actually still live here. We universally agree - we are definitely coming back to Dubrovnik! This afternoon, the children are going to take part in the Children's Talent Show with the kid's club. So, whilst they are having their faces painted and practising their show, we take the opportunity to relax in one of the many beautiful lounges onboard the ship. We know that we will need to pack our cases this afternoon and we will need to leave them outside the cabin at around midnight tonight so that they can be taken off the cruise ship for us when we disembark tomorrow. The Talent Show is a success with children participating from many different countries. At the end of the show, which is held in the fantastic disco onboard, they show all of the proud parents a slide show of photographs taken throughout the cruise of all of the different activities which the children have taken part in, including parties, discos and marching through the ship in their costumes!
Sunday - Venice
No breakfast service in the cabin this morning, so we take the opportunity to have a meal served to us in the restaurant. The children opt for omelettes, whilst Dad has a full cooked breakfast and I have scrambled eggs on toast. Shortly after breakfast we are able to disembark the ship. We know already that the port has a left-luggage facility, so we move our cases from the pick up area round the corner to left luggage. From here we walk to the Water Taxi stop and purchase return tickets on the M line to St Mark's Square. We hop onboard the water taxi and enjoy the short ride round to the water stop. The childen are very excited to see the stalls selling Venetian Masks and puppets etc. We walk the very short distance round to St Mark's Square. Although this is my third cruise stop in Venice, I never fail to be amazed by how beautiful it is. It is still only around 9.30 am on a lovely mild Sunday morning, so the square is still fairly quiet. We spent the next three hours wandering round Venice, looking at the canals and the gondolas and having lots of photos on the Rialto Bridge and by the Grand Canal. We are amazed at the prices in the designer shops - there's even a full size Ferrari in one of them! The prices of a coffee in St Mark's Square are legendary, so I'm not surprised to see that a coffee there is eight euros. We find a little restaurant in one of the back streets where the coffee is a relatively cheap three euros and a Pizza is around nine and absolutly delicious. We go from here back to the M line water stop and take the water taxi back round to the cruise ship terminal where we collect our cases and get a taxi back to the airport.
We all agree that we've had a fantastic cruise - the ship was beautiful, the crew friendly and helpful and the entertainment good. The ports of call were all more interesting, quirky, quaint and beautiful than we had expected. The only question is - when can we go again?
If you are here at the bottom of the page - thank you for taking the time to read about our holiday. If you want further information about our trip, or one you want to plan for yourself, please feel free to call us on 01257 274400. Tracey Stuart - Director
Some additional pictures...