Let me start by saying I am proud of myself. Yes, I was nervous and yes, I was scared but I did it.
I might have appeared strong and confident in people’s eyes but the thought of being on a cruise on the 65600-ton MSC Opera, with more than 2 000 other people and surrounded by kilometres and kilometres of water, made my stomach sick.
As a born and bred township dude, I had two scary moments in the past trying to be friendly with water … and I almost drowned – so I have a fear of water since and what makes things even worse is that I cannot swim.
So you would understand why I am proud of myself and found this experience a major achievement.
And I admit, watching the movie Titanic a few days before joining the cruise wasn’t wise.
But my fear did not last long once I was on board and this was because of the compulsory emergency drill we had to undergo before the ship left the port.
Once the almost 2 000 passengers were issued with their identity cards and were on board, the emergency drill horn went off seven times… a sign for everyone to rush for their lifejackets and make their way straight to the designated rescue muster area, something clearly marked on their identity cards.
Because I fly regularly I have stopped watching the safety drill demonstrated by flight attendants because I’ve seen it so many times. I think it’s not necessary to watch – but on the ship I paid full attention and listened.
The professionalism and manner in which this was explained boosted my confidence and it helped knowing that I was in safe hands should anything happen.
MSC has been operating in the Indian Ocean for 25 years and is the largest privately owned cruise company in the world, with 12 cruise liners of which four – MSC Opera, the newly extended MSC Sinfonia (coming next year), MSC Armonia (under construction) and MSC Lirica – will sail the Indian Ocean along the Mozambican coast from South Africa between now and 2016.
But for the next five months, it is the MSC Opera that will take almost 100 000 people on over 46 cruises along the Mozambican coast.
My friends and I started a travel society a few years ago with the aim of travelling and exploring our country and the world, so after my positive feedback, Portuguese Island is surely our next destination.
And one of the reasons I’ve never entertained the thought of cruising is that I’ve always thought it was unaffordable and reserved only for those with deeper pockets.
But the opposite is true, with specials ranging from R3200 per person to the Portuguese Island for three nights and four days, and for those with kids, well, this is the cheapest holiday a family can enjoy because kids go on board for no charge.
But the most amazing thing – something which can end up costing a lot of money in other holiday destinations – is that food and entertainment are all free on board.
When colleague John Grant told me about his experience on the MSC cruise, I didn’t believe him.
He told me he used to pick up a slice of pizza from the pizza bar on his way to the restaurant before his main meal and do the same after his meal.
At the time, I thought to myself: is he mad? How can he eat so much food?
Now that I’ve been there, I understand… and I found myself doing it as well. It’s a ship of abundance, of milk and honey.
I felt sorry for my wife – who has been on a strict diet and doing some exercising – because the temptation was too great to ignore.
We were comforted when we found out there was a 24-hour fully equipped gym on board where she could burn off all the calories.
But the reality once on board is that the gym is the last place one thinks of visiting because there is always something to do, like queuing again by the pizza bar and by the end of the four days the damage was done.
Normally “free” or cheap things are not of the best quality – but MSC offers five-star treatment and serves good quality food.
It was the quality of the waiters and the top-notch service that impressed me most, though.
Our table of four had two waiters designated to us and they worked as a team to ensure we never ran short of anything.
The one night we ordered a bottle of red wine and didn’t finish it so we left it on the table but to our surprise, when we arrived the following day, our waiter had kept the remainder of our wine safe and brought it to our table.
The previous night we had asked for a bowl of ice and lemon and when we arrived at our table the second night we found a bowl full of ice and lemon. Now this is true class.
Besides the special outfits my wife and I wore, we were made to feel special and important. It was so impressive we wanted to tip our waiters but, sadly, I couldn’t because everything is electronic and linked to our credit card.
The days spent on the cruise surely dismantled the myth that cruising is for old toppies. Yes, there are a few old people wandering around, but the ship caters for everyone.
Besides activities on the ship, there are zodiac boats that transport people from the ship to the private Portuguese Island, that has a lengthy lease to MSC from the Mozambican government; the beachcomber walk, dolphin watching, sea kayaking, fun family rides, visiting nearby islands or just lazing around the beach and enjoying the warm waters of the Indian Ocean with a free lunch as well.
And every day after dinner there is a line-up of bumper entertain-ment – high-quality live shows at the theatre, cha cha lessons on one of the dance floors, a casino and, of course, the after party by the pool deck with lots of open bars.
It has been said by many, including our beloved Nelson Mandela, that sport unites the country but I have discovered another form of unifying activity – an MSC cruise.
I witnessed young and old, black, white, coloured or Indian, treating each other with respect and, for the days we were on the ship, we were unified.
If you see a black or an Indian person dancing to songs such as Kaptein by Kurt Darren then you must know music has no colour.
And, like during the 2010 Fifa World Cup, the atmosphere was yet again another reminder of how we can live together in unity and harmony as South Africans.
Being on an MSC Opera cruise made me realise how fear stops people from living and enjoying life. It is this experience that reminded me that it is, indeed, the things we never did that we will regret most.
Paballo Thekiso, Saturday Star