Johannesburg - There’s cruising and then there’s MSC Yacht Class.
Introduced on the company’s flagship Fantasia class (MSC Preziosa, MSC Divina, MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia) it’s an innovation that separates the discerning traveller from the ordinary passenger who enjoys the intrinsic benefits of cruising.
Having said that, there isn’t much that’s ordinary about the MSC Divina.
It’s the 10th largest cruise ship in the world, with a plethora of resort-type activities on board from a supertube for the kids to a disco, dance floors, speciality restaurants, buffets, swimming pools and even a spa.
Yacht Club, though, takes it all to a new level. Members are allocated two decks in the fore of the ship, above the bridge.
Access is controlled by key card and allows the member to access the Top Sail Lounge, a panoramic luxury lounge and bar directly above the bridge with the same 180 degree vista in front as enjoyed by the officers below.
Butlers, not waiters, attend to the Yacht Club members’ every need; from knowing what type of tea you’d like in the morning to cocktail in the afternoon.
They will also bring you a specially printed onboard edition of your favourite newspaper, in my case, The Star.
Breakfast, tea, high tea and snacks are served in the Top Sail Lounge, while the five-course lunches and dinners, completed with paired champagne and wines are served aft (at the back of the ship) in the bespoke Le Muse restaurant. It’s the kind of place where the waiters take it as a personal insult if you miss dinner to dine with the captain instead.
When it comes to basking in the sun, as you do when you are between naps, excursions or meals, Yacht Club members have their own exclusive pool area at the very top of the ship, with a cold sea water pool and two fresh water Jacuzzis, served by a poolside bar which mirrors the meals available in the top sail lounge.
It’s a rarefied experience designed to take the angst out of life on the ocean waves, starting with an expedited check-in at the beginning of the voyage to expedited disembarkation for the daily excursions and never having to sign for a single drink on board – within the club confines – as everything, even the bar fridge is complimentary. All cabins are sea facing, with most having balconies, the rest have panoramic floor to ceiling windows instead. Each has an interactive flat-screen TV with games console for the kids; the bathrooms have actual baths and showers, tiled in marble, while the walk-in cupboard has a safe. The cabin fridge is refilled with alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks daily.
The level of service on the rest of the ship isn’t to be sneezed at either. There are 1 300 crew on board for a maximum of just over 4 000 passengers and an increasing number of them are South Africans, brought aboard for Divina’s November 2 steaming to the Caribbean, where the ship will be on station for the next two years.
As Pretoria born and bred Mandy Leigh Castle, the guest relations manager, explains: “We’re hard working, open and friendly and we relate well to the Americans.”
The Divina is the quintessential cruise ship with almost non-stop entertainment morning to night from vegetable cutting demonstrations and cha-cha lessons on the deck to dancing and gambling down below into the early hours.
There are two shows a night in the Pantheon Theatre; musicians playing guitars, violins or pianos at restaurants and bars across the ship, except the sports bar with its massive flat-screen TVs beaming the latest soccer game.
As always, the biggest danger is food – the range, the amount and the round-the-clock availability; breakfasts from 6am, tea at 11, lunch from noon, high tea at 5, dinner from 6 and midnight snacks where you can make your own sandwiches.
Another trick of great cruise ships is the ability to swallow up vast numbers of people so you feel as if you have the run of the ship.
You’ve got to be clever about it because you’re sharing a 333m long ship with almost 4 000 other people, but it’s possible; like choosing when to eat, for example, especially at the buffet, and avoiding the riot control of the returning day trippers, by taking your food from the buffet and eating elsewhere – including your cabin – if necessary.
Each night, a bulletin will be slid under your door explaining the next day’s destination and how the ship will get there, expected temperatures on board, entertainment, the theme for the evening (there are two gala evenings on a seven-night cruise) and specials on sale from jewellery to perfume and pizza.
It’s an invaluable guide, but you need it. For the ordinary passenger there’s a reception area on Deck 4 the size of a large hotel, to answer all your queries. And that’s the key to the Divina – it’s a floating resort hotel, first and foremost.
Like the MSC ships operating from Durban and Cape Town during the summer season, the Divina is a cashless environment. Everything is charged to your cruise card which is also your cabin key card and your identification card to embark and disembark at each port of call.
You can buy anything on it from drinks to duty-free watches and even cocktail frocks for the gala evenings. Your credit card will be debited and your cellphone will ping as you cruise around the Med and spend.
All food on board is free, except for the food in the speciality restaurants – Cantina di Bacco, the pizzeria; and Galaxy, the Mediterranean- themed disco restaurant.
Drink is another matter. Coffee, tea and iced water are free from the buffet restaurants but cooldrinks, beer, wine and spirits have to be paid for.
The good news is that there are tipple packages that mean sizeable discounts (and peace of mind).
There is plenty for children to do on board from age appropriate discos to games rooms and even a four- deck-high slippy slide.
And there’s a well-equipped gym next door to the spa. Many passengers though, choose to power walk along the top public deck or even run past the acqua park and the sunbeds accompanied by stunning vistas of the Aegean and the Adriatic islands.
For those in the Yacht Club, living atop an 18-deck ship guarantees a climb of 12 decks on embarkation from excursions – a climb that will leave your thighs throbbing and your chest heaving – or you can just use your key card to commandeer the lift and express ride it to the top, overriding the decks in between. It’s just another of the hidden perks of the club.
Getting out of the lift, you’ll head past the private concierge and into the Top Sail Lounge where the butler will serve your favourite drinks, something light to nibble on and your best newspaper as the crew prepares to slip the moorings and Captain Francesco Veniero prepares to execute another incredible act of seamanship as he deftly orchestrates another flawless departure and sets course for the open sea.
It’s been a day in paradise, and the evening awaits.
If You Go...
Costs
Prices begin at e379 (R5 236) an adult for an inside cabin, all the way up to e1 629 an adult for a deluxe cabin in the Yacht Club.
An Allegro drinks package costs e69 an adult, for a limited amount of beer or wine at meals or you can go all out and spend e23 a day for an all in Allegrissimo.
See www.msccruises.co.za or call 010 040 3113 for more special offers on cruises in the Mediterranean, Caribbean or North Sea of South Africa.
Divina by numbers
23.75 knots – maximum speed
5 – the number of swimming pools
3 246m3 – amount of drinking water on board
4 010m3 – amount of fuel on board
333m – the length of the ship
2 – the number of five-bladed propellers driving the ship
1 751 – the number of passenger cabins
18 – the number of decks
4 345 – the maximum number of guests
1 300 – the number of crew
10 – the number of bars or lounges
5 – the number of restaurants
139 400 tons – the ship’s weight - Saturday Star