Beauty and entertainment highlight MSC Poesia

By Jackie Roseboom

The MSC Poesia is a very modern ship with all the creature comforts. Its Italian feel may be a little different than what most Americans are used to, but it doesn’t take away from a great cruising experience. Most of the 987 crew members can speak three or four languages and all of the ship announcements are made in no less than five languages. As you’ll see once onboard, the announcements are necessary to accommodate the many international guests. The Poesia has a capacity of 2,550 guest.

The two main dining rooms, Il Palladio and Le Fontane, offer traditional seating times. The early seating is generally around 6:45 p.m. with the late seating around 8:15 p.m. Cafeteria Villa Pompeiana is where you’ll go for the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets. In addition to the main dining rooms and the casual buffet, L’Obelisco is their specialty restaurant. The rear of Cafeteria Villa Pompeiana is transformed each evening into the specialty restaurant . (Try the filet mignon.)

If you’re in the mood for something different, the Kaito Sushi Bar offers a variety of sushi and sashimi for a nominal fee. The Wine Bar is also a great area to sit in and enjoy your favorite glass of vino. There are several other bar areas inside and out. You’ll be sure to find a favorite setting.

The decor on Poesia is very regal, yet comfortable. Marble floors and decorative columns are combined with elegant and comfortable patterned seating in the dining areas. The staterooms have a modern Italian look. Eighty percent of the rooms have balconies.

There’s plenty to do onboard. I Dinosauri has an indoor activities area and an outdoor playground for kids of all ages. The S32 Disco is used as an activities center by day. The 13,000-square-foot Aurea spa is lavishly decorated and offers a wide range of services. If you’re the type who likes to work out during your vacation, there’s a jogging track and small gym with a great view. The staff also provides yoga and aerobics classes.

Two pool areas, Coral Bay and Cayo Levantado, are separated by a common area. The pool deck features movies under the stars and live music, games and classes each day. Sport areas are also available. You can take part in miniature golf, shuffleboard or quoits on Deck 15, plus there’s a tennis/basketball court behind the smokestack on Deck 16.

The shows in the Teatro Carlo Felice theater are one of the onboard highlights. They vary from magical to whimsical to traditional, but all are worth seeing. The costumes and sets look like they’re straight from Broadway.

If luck is on your side, the Casino Royal on Poesia is full of tables and slot machines. There is also a Texas Hold’em card room. A cruise standard, Bingo is also available.

The MSC Poesia offers seven-day cruises to the Caribbean during the winter and part of spring. Then she’ll be headed to Northern Europe for the summer. This fall she’ll sail out of New York before returning to Florida for sailings to the Caribbean.

On the Web: msccruises.com

Ship Year Built: 2008 Passenger Capacity: 3,010 Passenger Decks: 13 Number of Crew: 987	Staterooms Total Staterooms: 1,275 Suites with balcony: 18 Suites, no balcony: 0 Ocean View with balcony: 809 Ocean View, no balcony: 173 Inside: 275
Entertainment Casino Disco/Nightclub Movies Card Room Game Arcade	Spa / Wellness / Fitness Fitness Center Full Service Spa Sauna/Steam Room Beauty Salon Outdoor Pool
Public Rooms Bars/Lounges Library Internet Center	Children / Teens Organized Age-Specific Activities Outdoor Children’s Play Area Children’s Pool Youth Staff
Dining Traditional Assigned Seating Formal Nights Specialty/Alternative Dining Venues Coffeehouse/Patisserie 24-Hr Venues	Other Facilities / Services Elevators Duty-Free Shops/Boutiques Dry Cleaning/Laundry Concierge Desk Infirmary/Medical Center Safe Deposit Boxes Business Center Services