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Mediterranean Shipping Cruises

SS Melody

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Reviewed by: Pam Massey
# previous cruises: 10 to 20
Date of Trip: July 27, 2003
Itinerary: Mediterranean

MSC Melody entered service on 17 April 1982 as m/v Atlantic, the 2nd new ship for Home Lines. Built at C.N.I.M. in France, for $100m, her interiors were designed by the famous Greek Katzourakis. In 1988 when Holland America Line acquired Home Lines, she was sold to Premier Cruise Lines. After undergoing a complete renovation she emerged in 1989 as the "Big Red Boat" Starship Atlantic.

m/v Melody took her Maiden Voyage under the MSC Flag on 1 May 1997, to Genoa from Durban, where she had undergone further renovations, after having been purchased for $70m. At 35,143 grt, 18 knots, 204.7m long, 30.15m wide, 47.76m from the water to top of the mast and with a draft of 7.8m, she is considered 'small' amongst today's cruise ships.

She is brightly decorated and attractive internally, retaining the original decor to many of her cabins. Externally she can appear quite ungainly from certain angles, with a short bow & 'ferry-like' forward superstructure, but has a nice rounded stern with large Poop Deck. A sturdy, very stable ship.

MSC Melody carries 1,076 passengers [double], maximum occupancy of 1,600 and 535 multinational crew members. The Officers, Hotel Department Team & Entertainment Staff were all Italian. The Hotel Director was Anna D'Ambrosio, the Cruise Director Ketty Tacerbi with a remarkable command of many languages, and the English/International Hostess was Nicky Wright, available at the Hospitality Desk for any queries.

The cruise was chosen due to the interesting itinerary from Venice, calling at Dubrovnik, [Bari], Corfu, Kusadasi, Rhodes & Katakolon [Olympia], and it fell during the first week of the UK summer holidays. We flew to Milan, Malpensa, on a very early morning flight from London, so spent the previous night at the London Heathrow Marriot Hotel.

From Milan we caught another flight to Venice, arriving on time at 2pm, with glorious views of the city and the awaiting cruise ships. The MSC Rep was there to meet us, the final group of the day. By the time we had waited for everyone to collect their bags and driven the 15 minutes or so to the cruise terminal, it was nearly 3.30pm - we are sailing at 4pm! The terminal was deserted; just the check-in clerks awaiting the last coach load.

Sat at the rear of the coach we had the dubious acclaim to being the last passengers to check-in. Jumped on the bus awaiting outside the door and proceeded to Melody along the quay, picking up other hurrying passengers along the way. It was only about 500 yards, with Melody being berthed behind Golden Princess & it would probably have been quicker to walk. No sooner were we up the gangway, than it was lifted, and we were pulling away before we reached the cabin.

As we made our way through the Grand Canal, past St. Mark's Square, to the exit, the Cruise Director pointed out and described all the sights. It was a beautiful sailaway on a lovely sunny afternoon. We passed by many of the other cruise ships in port.

In command, with a great sense of humour, as indicated by the framed 'Why is a Ship a She?' on the Bridge, was Captain Michele De Gregorio. He conducted the Bridge Tours himself. These can be requested at reception, and at a later date you will receive an 'invitation' to visit, for a time when the ship is at sea. All same language speaking guests are grouped together.

MSC Melody has 532 cabins, of which 151 are inside. There are no balcony cabins. The ship was sailing full, but there was plenty of room for everyone. The lounges were usually empty during the day, with most activities taking place outdoors or on the Riviera Terrace underneath the sliding Magrodome. Around the pools there was always plenty of space and free loungers, which had shades to pull down over your head, enabling one to be able to read a book without the glare of the sun. The weather was hot and sunny most days, so both pools were well used.

There are two main pools on MSC Melody, both on Pool Deck & filled with heated sea water. A paddling pool forms part of the Children's Recreation Centre. The Riviera Pool [1.3m to 2.4m deep, 4.2 - 7.8ft] is under the Magrodome; fully tiled around, surrounded by the white plastic tables [clothed at meal times] & chairs of the Cafeteria's eating area known as Riviera Terrace. The Goombay Bar is fwd, with a small stage area to starboard, where the Animation Team conduct various activities, including Bingo.

The Calypso Pool, aft on the "Great Teak Poop", is again 1.3m to 2.4m deep, and has 2 Hot Tubs fwd. The pools are closed at 5pm, which seems a bit early, but with many other activities no-one seemed to want to use them after this time.

Open deck area for wandering about is limited. There is no wrap around Prom, or even a Promenade Deck. One can however walk all the way around on the blue Astroturfed Jogging Track, Sun Deck, but this is narrow with barely room for two people to pass in places and only extends from behind the funnel to forward of the Magrodome roof.

There is a small forward viewing area on Pool Deck in front of the Sunrise Terrace, where again the deck is covered in blue Astroturf, & extends a short way down each side under the Bridge. Access is limited as one can only either descend from fwd on Sun Deck, where it can be very windy, or through the doors on both sides of the Satellite Cafe, which are often locked. If you make it here, it's quiet:)

Above the Bridge, around the mast, is another good sized sunning area with all around views. But windy when underway and access gated. Aft on Lounge Deck is a smaller shaded deck area, which extends along the length of the Junkanoo Club both sides, with Shuffleboard to starboard. MSC Melody does not have an Atrium, nor Cybercafe. The Reception Area [Hotel Desk], Cruise & Tour Desk and Purser's Office are all on Premier Deck along from the Main Foyer. Both areas are in the same deep blues, with lots of chrome & lighting everywhere.

The staff were pleasant and helpful, speaking English quite well. There are only 4 slow lifts in 2 banks; but not a problem as there is never far to go on this ship. Leave the lifts to those that require them.

There are specific areas designated for smokers and non-smokers. Smoking is permitted only on the starboard side of most lounges and bars. Smoking is not permitted in the Galaxy Restaurant, Sunrise Terrace, the Cinema, or the elevators. Strongly discouraged in any corridors or stairway areas, and cigars & pipes may only be used on the open decks. People abided by the 'rules'.

The majority of the public rooms are all on Lounge Deck, along with the shops, casino & photo gallery.

The Shooting Star Photo Gallery is a nice sized room, not in a walk through area, so causes no obstruction. The photographs are not too expensive & the photographers not overly pushy. Embarkation photos are taken, along with various photos about ship & in the dining venues, but not at every port of call. Formal photo sessions with 'backdrop' are available on the Gala & Formal nights.

The shops are small and were only open whilst at sea There's a Jewellery Shop, Cosmetic Shop, Boutique, Liquor Shop. Italian. The sales were not pushed, and there are no walkway stalls of sales. One day there was a stall of "50% Off Today Only" MSC Logo wear out by the Calypso Pool.

The Library consists of 2 locked cabinets facing each other, in one corner of the Prom on Pool Deck. Open for a couple of hours each day & has books in various languages. On an itinerary not so port intensive, bring your own books. It did seem to be well used however.

The Starlight Disco is a popular venue, with dancing & competitions going on well into the early hours. Also a popular meeting place for the Teens and their organised activities during the day and early evening. Decorated in bright deep blue, turquoise & pinks. Small dance floor.

The Casino is small with only a few tables, but many slot machines. The room extends across the width of Melody and has 2 walkways through it to Club Universe, the Show Lounge. One corner is given over to a Children's Arcade with various video machines etc at e1 a time, by means of tokens. Club Universe is the Show Lounge. All on one level in various pastel shades. A lovely room, but it can be awkward to see what's going on on the stage unless you are in the first few rows. Chairs are at awkward angles and the support struts obscure some views. Tables are slotted amongst the chairs and drinks are served in here. Surprisingly smoking was permitted to starboard, but I don't think anyone did; at least not near where we sat on that side.

For an International audience shows tend to be a variety of acts which everyone can enjoy. These included, Magic, Mime, Plate Spinning, Flamenco Dancing, Ali & Camel Baba, Singing, Dancing & Circus Acts. Some were good, others [Ali] were not to my liking. I didn't go every night. DGM-Fascination Ballet were the dance troupe and not bad. All introductions & thanks at the end of the shows were in numerous languages which can get tiresome after a while. Likewise all announcements made were in many languages, but they were few and far between. The room was largely empty during the daytime. The Junkanoo Club & Bar in red, pinks & mauves, aft on Lounge Deck, was a very popular evening venue. A large dance floor, bands, candles on the tables set the scene for lively parties in the early hours. During the day quizzes were held in here.

The Blue Riband Pub on the Port Promenade, Pool Deck, was unused during the day, but during the evening there was Easy Listening live music & 'Romantic' songs. A lovely room, for a peaceful drink & chat. Framed photos of past Blue Riband Winners line each side of the entrance. The Port & Starboard Promenade areas were used for playing board & card games. People did bring their trays in here from the Satellite cafe too. The Calypso Bar, which serves the Calypso Pool area, is on the starboard side.

We were assigned 1st sitting, 7pm, in the Galaxy Restaurant, Restaurant Deck, midship. A large airy, but noisy at times, room decorated in oranges, peaches, pinks & blues. This is the only restaurant, with 2nd sitting at 9.15pm. Doors close 15 minutes after each sitting starts.

There is no other alternative dining in the evening; only the Midnight Buffet held at 00.15 in the Riviera Terrace/Satellite Cafe, along various themes such as Country, Gourmet, Italian Pastry, Pizza & Ice Cream and the Gran Buffet Magnifique on Gala Night. Breakfast & Lunch are open seating. Our waiter was Guiseppe & Wine Stewardess, Elena. Both were excellent.

The food was very good; Italian with lots of seafood dishes. Some non-Europeans may find that sometimes the choice of dishes available is not to their liking, but Broiled Salmon, Grilled Turkey Paillard & Grilled Beef Steak all served with Fries are available every night. Ask for the steak to be cooked a shade rarer than you normally do. There is a choice of 3 Appetisers, 2 Soups, 2 Rice or Pasta Dishes, 4 or 5 Main Courses [inc. a Vegetarian Choice], Cheeseboard, Fresh Fruit & 2 Desserts. Dessert is a choice of 'cake' or ice cream. No big deal is made of gooey chocolate puddings etc and one will be asked for one's selection of dessert when choosing the main course. There was a good selection of reasonably priced wine.

"Gala Night" is the more formal of the 2 formal nights on a 7 night cruise. Italians always dress very well, Tuxes aplenty, whatever the weather or itinerary. The other 5 nights were classed as "Casual", with one designated "Tropical". It is not permitted to enter the restaurant wearing shorts or tank-top T-shirts. One can have lunch around the Pool in swimwear.

We never have much of a lunch, especially wiith such a port intensive itinerary and only one full day at sea. The Satellite Cafe has serving stations both port & starboard, serving a variety of hot & cold dishes with plenty of seafood & salads. For the children there are the Burgers, Hot-Dogs, Fries or Pizza and a separate serving area for the 'cakes' which are somewhat different to those that Americans & Brits alike are used to, but tasty all the same and do try them! There was no ice cream bar in the afternoons, though one could purchase a lolly, choc ice, cone in the Calypso Bar. There are Croissants served in the Calypso Pool Bar between 8 & 11am and Afternoon Tea & 'Cookies' between 4 & 5pm in the Riviera Terrace [self-service].

Breakfast is "Open Seating" in the Galaxy Restaurant and begins at 7am. We ate in the Satellite Cafe mainly, and the girls had Room Service one morning, which when it eventually arrived was missing half the order.

The breakfast choices in the buffet are the usual cereals, fruit, rolls, toast, cakes. cheeses and cold meats. There is also a wide variety of hot food; bacon [European style], boiled eggs, hash browns, sausages, cooked tomatoes, and many Italian items.

One drawback of the Satellite Cafe is that it can become very humid underneath the Magrodome, even when it's open & Melody is sailing. The only air-conditioned eating area is forward of the cafe in the Sunrise Terrace. This room is delightful, and a complete waste being used as such. It's Melody's only forward 'observation lounge' and should be a bar. A small room, attractively decorated, used only for eating from the cafe & during afternoon tea there is a Duo playing classical music. The solid bulkhead railing obstructs the lower half of the view through the windows, but sit up straight or stand and you can see over.

Coffee & tea are free & available most of the time from the Satellite Cafe, Room Service, and in the main restaurants. Speciality coffee is served and charged for in the various Bars. Juices are free at breakfast, but chargeable at any other time and also sodas, cokes etc are chargeable. Room Service is 24hr, BUT only free for Breakfast and the choice for that is limited to rolls, croissants, bread, jams, juice, coffee/tea/choc etc, no cereal. Beverages [tea,coffee] throughout the day are free too. At all other times room service is limited to club sandwiches and salads, all e2.50 each.

We had 2 cabins on Bahamas Deck. A 3 berth standard outside, B40, for Dave, Myself & Howard, and an inside, B38, across the hall for Beverley & friend Katie. These were spacious & comfortable with plenty of storage space. However the decor is a little bright & old fashioned; probably the original colour scheme. The bathroom in the outside cabin was very generous, even a small tub, just a shower in the inside cabin.

The double bed could be divided from the rest of the room by a curtain. The 3/4th berth was a sofa bed. A selection of toiletries are provided and replenished as required, including sewing kit, shower hats & shoe shine. Water temperature remains constant and a decent pressure. No hairdryer is supplied, but one can be borrowed from the cabin steward if you don't have your own.

The TV had various channels, view from the bridge, & showed documentaries on the ports of call, including historical facts & what to do and see, and how to get around. The electrical outlets are 110v [European 2pin round or US flat pin]. The cabin stewards have adaptors if required. Having a multi point extension lead is handy for a laptop & battery charger.

A bowl of fresh fruit was in the cabin [but no chocolate on the pillow at night], replenished daily by the cabin stewardess, Eugenie, who was excellent and spoke good English.

MSC Melody does not have a self-service launderette, but the standard laundry is reasonably priced. Different accommodation decks follow similarly brightly coloured decor in greens & reds.

Quizzes of all types are held daily. Music of every type & style, Italian & International, can be found all over MSC Melody during the afternoon and evening. In every Lounge & Bar, on deck & around the Pools you will find something being played or sung. There are various competitions, tournaments, crafts, demonstrations, keep-fit sessions and many more activities going on all the time. There is Shufleboard, Deck Quoits, Table Football & Ping Pong to be played on deck [Deck Stewards provide the equipment, no deposit required]. No mini golf or netted area for ball games. No Art Auctions are held.

The Children's Mini-Club, "Pluto's Play House", aft on Premier Deck was in a lovely room, brightly decorated. Open during different times of each day depending on the hours in port. Children could be booked in whilst parents went ashore on excursions, and there was a baby sitting service. Children under 3 are only allowed to stay if accompanied by a parent. Howard [7] enjoyed going, even though not many of the other children spoke English. There is a netted deck area with paddling pool. At the end of the week the children put on a performance, "Captain Giramondo's Show" in Club Universe. The Teens had many activities & discos during the evenings, not so many during the daytime, mainly meeting in the Starlight Disco.

The Seasport Fitness & Health Centre was small but well used with a variety of programmes. The Beauty Parlour & Hairdressers was always busy, various packages of 'treatments' were available and there is a small Massage & Sauna room.

We were provided with a wealth of information about each Port of Call [Venice, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Kusadasi, Rhodes & Katakolon], historical outlines, a list of sights to see, monuments to discover, places to visit, shopping ideas, "gastronomical delights" to try and other useful detail where appropriate. A3 sized detailed maps were also available. There was a selection of Shore Excursions for each Port of Call, quite reasonably priced, but we only chose to go on one, to Olympia, as we prefer doing 'our own thing'. Full details were provided in a 5 language booklet along with the embarkation documents. Excursions could not be booked until on board.

Each day the Daily Programme had a section entitled "News From The Navigator", which was very informative, outlining the route we would be taking and the various Islands, Straits & Canals we would be passing/sailing through. Advising in which direction, & approximately when, we would be able to see them.

Dubrovnik is the capital of South Dalmazia & reputedly one of the most beautiful places in the world, probably founded by the Greek Kadmos. In C7, the invading Slavs began to capture Epidauro, forcing the Greek & Roman inhabitants to flee to a new place they called La-usa, where they built a town on a rocky island now known as Dubrovnik.

Gru., is the area of Dubrovnik where the cruise ships berth, and its Marina. An exceedingly pretty town with orange/red roofed buildings [The walled 'Old Town' is 10-15mins away by taxi.] With only a few hours in port & never having visited before, we walked the delightful streets of Gru.. It is a 15 - 20 minute pleasant walk along the quay, past a few souvenir stalls, into town. The locals were very friendly.

Corfu [Kerkyra] is the 2nd largest of the Ionian Islands and is where the legendary Ulysses was shipwrecked on his way back to Ithaca after the Trojan War

It is a fair walk along the quay to the port entrance, but a free shuttle bus was provided, dropping you off at a "Duty Free" shop, which was more expensive than the shops in town for some items, but not others.

We walked up the hill to the town and just 'explored' all the streets, shops & alleyways. It is easy to get about & the bus station is not far from the port entrance. Visit the Old & New Fortresses.

Kusadasi is one of Turkey's main holiday resorts, situated on the west coast and close to the historical sites of Ephesus, Didyma & others. Forget Cozumel, this is a shoppers' Paradise with endless streets of covered souks/bazaars/kasbahs selling all one can imagine. Just ensure you know your fakes from the originals.

"Kusadasi" means Bird Island; the name coming from the island [now called Pigeon Island] which was a popular resting place for birds during their annual migration.

The port entrance is not far; there are bicycle rickshaws that carry 2 people for hire. A short walk to the souks where we spent all afternoon, bartering for football shirts amongst other items! We had an ice cream and made our way slowly back to the port exploring the winding streets. A great place with friendly locals; don't part with your money until you've haggled yourself out, the next place may be cheaper still.

The largest of the Dodecanese, Rhodes [the Sun God, Helios, own island] is a delightful town divided into the Old and New by 4km of defensive walls, 12m thick in places, with 10 gates, built by the Knights of St John in Mediaeval Times.

We walked around the bay to Mandraki Harbour with the Mediaeval stone windmills & Fortress of St Nicholas [1460s]. Then found a beach, where the children went swimming & snorkelling for a few hours. We walked back through the Old Town, within the outer wall with its bastions, towers & battlements. Tiny narrow bustling streets full of shops, cafes, restaurants and piazzas, you can easily lose your way.

Katakolon is a small friendly town with many restaurants, bars & jewellery shops. One can see it all in an hour. There are a number of beaches a short taxi ride away, but it's mainly a port of call for those wishing to visit the Sanctuary of Olympia, 40 minutes away. Olympia, where dwellings date back to 1900-1600 B.C., was a sacred site before the ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot race 600 feet long.

We took the organised tour to Olympia, along with most of the ship's passengers, divided into coachloads of same language speakers. Our guide was most knowledgeable. She outlined the general history of Olympia and then went through various buildings in detail. We had a good hour at the end to wander about the rest of the site alone. A very interesting day, and well worth a visit. Olympia is not however akin to Pompeii. Many buildings are 'rubble', with huge excavated rocks just lying on the ground and one needs a guide to explain what some of the various parts belong to. Much has been written about Venice. A beautiful city one can spend a week in and not see everything.

What can one do in slightly more than half a day?

We deposited our luggage in the cruise terminal and took the free shuttle to Piazzale Roma, from where we embarked on a HOT walk to the Rialto Bridge. Here we purchased a day ticket for the Vaporetti [Water Buses].

We travelled through the canals stopping at various places before viewing the Bridge of Sighs & spending a while in St Mark's Square & having lunch. Sadly we finally had to make our way back to the cruise terminal to collect our luggage for the transfer to the airport. During the cruise we covered 2269 Nautical Miles. Passengers join and leave the cruise at many ports en route. Either just cruising for a few days, or doing the 7 night itinerary from a different port of embarkation.

The call at Bari was purely to enable some passengers to embark & disembark; everyone else remained aboard.

Alcohol taken aboard from ports of call is not 'confiscated'. All items carried aboard are subject to security searches, x-ray, & a walk through metal detector. Two security personnel constantly roam the ship together, in contact by radio with each other and their base. Rather obvious as whatever the weather, they always wore a suit with tie.

Italians do not tip as much as in other countries. There is no additional service charge added to drinks. One leaves a tip with your waiter & room steward in an envelope on the final evening, in the established traditional way. The tips are shared with the assistants. Tips for the Pool Buffet Staff may be left with the Satellite Cafe Supervisor.

We sailed back into Venice under the red glow of sunrise. A beautiful city. Disembarkation was by way of colour coding depending on one's forward transport arrangements. We had a late afternoon flight back from Venice, via Milan, and were able to leave our luggage in the cruise terminal for a charge of e2.50 per item. We were off the ship by 10am and set out for a day exploring Venice on foot and Vaporetto.

MSC Melody is cashless onboard with everything charged to your cabin using the MSC Melody Card issued on embarkation. This is also used for security purposes when going ashore and returning in ports. Your picture shows up on the operator's screen. No other ID is required. The Passenger mix was very International. Italian in the majority, but many British, German, French & Spanish passengers with a sprinkling of Austrian, other Europeans, Australian, New Zealanders, Canadian & American citizens. There was also a fair sized group from Japan aboard, who disembarked in Rhodes for a week on the beach, before resuming their cruise back to Venice. The language barrier was evident at times.

We had a wonderful cruise. MSC Melody is a 'fun' ship, very family orientated and affords a great value for money vacation. We'd return anyday.