MSC World Europa Mediterranean: First Cruise After The Fall

 

Earlier this year, we took our first cruise after John's fall. MSC's World Europa offers 7-day cruises that circle the Mediterranean Sea. In Europe, on many MSC ships, it is possible to embark / debark at any port on the itinerary. One of the ports for World Europa is Messina, which is just a two-hour train ride away. No flights! That made a perfect choice to adapt to current travel challenges. 

Our itinerary.

On board and ready to set sail from Messina.

Knowing that John wouldn't be able to navigate most of the ports, I chose to reserve a cabin in the Spa category. This allowed us to have a balcony, priority access to the spa, priority embarkation, as well as Any Time Dining. By chance, we also ended up with a handicapped-accessible room. Since John would be on the ship more than off, this gave him the opportunity to have different activities while I explored some of the ports.

The Spa level also includes a welcome bottle of Prosecco. Cheers!

Since we've been to Barcelona several times before, and because Rome is not really Rome, but a port city quite far from Rome, we decided to stay on board and enjoy the ship's amenities for those ports. I explored Valletta, Malta and Marseille, France (new ports for me) on my own, and we went into port together in Genova, Italy.

The Ship and Sea Days

World Europa is a huge ship. It can carry around 6,700 passengers and about 2,100 crew! It is the first Liquified Natural Gas-fueled ship in MSC's fleet. It contains the largest dry slide at sea - 11 stories! No, we did not try it. Can you spot John waving from our balcony?

MSC's origins, and largest business, is as a shipping company. In fact, since 2022, they have been the world's largest shipping company. Perhaps you have seen their container ships on your own travels?

A tiny portion of the massive wine corridor that extended along the dining rooms. Glitzy! Speaking of glitz, one aspect of the ship I found disappointing was that the Swarovski Crystal staircase (found on almost all of MSC's ships) was in the Yacht Club (restricted) area, so I wasn't able to see it. The Crystal staircase should be for all!

Chocolate sculptures at the chocolate store on board.

Being March, it was a bit cold to fully enjoy our balcony, but we managed to get some good use out of it. Because of its location, it had a very strange shape; look how long it is! 

MSC World Europa in port in Valletta, Malta. The decks on the ship are named after European capitals, with artwork reflecting that capital. Here's John's favourite building in Londra - The Gherkin.

Unlike the other mega-ship we have been on (Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas) where it was virtually impossible to find a spot to see the ocean (really!), World Europa has an expansive area off of the back to enjoy the wake and the view. 

In addition to the spa facilities (no pictures), John really enjoyed this giant hot tub with a view. There was also a covered swimming pool, so we were able to swim several times, despite the colder weather.

Photo-worthy food. I generally don't find cruise ship desserts worth the calories, but this one was delicious, and so beautifully presented!

One of my favourite dishes was this beet hummus. Yum! And an intricate paper flower from our waiter. Even though we had Anytime Dining, we almost always were seated in the same section.

John enjoying a beer from the onboard microbrewery, where the beers are made with desalinated sea water.

Later, we tried the specialty gin bar upstairs from the brewery. Here you can construct a fancy G&T from a variety of choices. John's is Engine (an Italian organic gin), Fever Tree tonic, and fresh lemon, lime, rosemary, and basil. Mine is Whitney Neill Blood Orange gin, Fentiman's tonic, and fresh and freeze-dried berries. This was a fun and delicious experience!

Another specialty "bar" we tried was the Tea House. The teas were sourced from all around the world. I chose a white tea that is from a female-owned business, and John had a traditional English tea. Behind the tea house is a "secret" spot with a display on the history of tea. This was very interesting. Another win, recommend!

We're not huge fans of cruise ship shows, but we decided to go see one featuring disco music in the ship's smaller aft theatre. The pre-show was fun. Acrobats we're dangling, filling glasses of prosecco!

Debarkation morning we awoke to a view of our own Aeolian Islands, seen from the other side than our normal view. What a perfect way to be welcomed home!

Valletta, Malta

I had read that Valletta is a pretty sail in / away. It was true! My main goal in visiting here was to see the famous Caravaggio, The Beheading of St. John the Baptist. I could have made my way to the church where it is housed on my own, but it was a bit complicated and also my first visit, so I opted for a ship excursion that included this, a walking tour of Valletta's old town, and a visit to the city of Mdina, Malta's ancient capital. First, some scenes from my walking tour ...

City walls. The City of Valletta is a UNESCO site. That's right, the entire city! It's recognized for both architectural and historical reasons.

An architectural feature of Valletta is the prevalence of colored shutters and balconies. They make a nice contrast to the light-colored buildings.

There were a lot of cannons. The ruins here are from the 1860s opera house that was mostly destroyed by a German air raid.

I enjoyed taking in all of these lovelies, but my favorite spot was St. John's Co-Cathedral ...

ABC! (Another beautiful church, although one of my group members said that stands for Another Bloody Cathedral, LOL.) Once we got through security, I split off from the tour group, because I wanted to be sure I had enough time to see the Caravaggio. As you can see, it was popular, so it took some time to enjoy all of the angles. 

This painting, 1608, is so significant that it has its own wing, which itself is beautiful. There are many reasons for its importance, including that this is the only Caravaggio work that contains his signature. As well, it is considered a prime example of his use of the chiaroscuro technique. After examining and contemplating, I checked out other parts of the cathedral ...

I stopped to watch a craftsman doing some restoration work.

That's a lot of ABC! Onward to Mdina ...

Mdina city walls. Our walk here was more leisurely, so I had some opportunity to take more detailed photos ...

Mdina was a charming city to meander around in. There are only a couple hundred residents, mainly descendants of aristocrats. It's a very exclusive address.

We also visited ABC, Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Paul ...

Marseille, France

 

I took the shuttle from the industrial port, where we were located, to the old city port, with the intention of walking around in that area. After some exploration, I decided I needed a different plan.

It was cold! Also, I was in desperate need of a delicious, authentic coffee. MSC, unfortunately, no longer has tasty free coffee. You have to pay, or else it's typical cruise ship sludge. Time for the indoors - ABC and museum for me!

Marseille Cathedral is a grand structure. The original church, of which a portion remains, was built in the 12th century, with the current church having been constructed in the 19th century. It is a national monument of France. 

The interior was a visual feast, but not in an overwhelming way.

My favourite area was the Mary Chapel. I took time here to meditate and light a candle before heading to the nearby Regards de Provence Museum.

This museum promotes and preserves regional art. There was an exhibit on The Edifying Life of Cezanne. Very colorful!

This painting from the museum's collection captures the city and rural aspects of the region. I think the artist was Pierre Ambrogiani.

This one was called Mademoiselle X, and I think it was after a similar Picasso painting. It was my favourite among the paintings. I don't know why, I just liked it.

Most fun was a special exhibit on the photography of Bernard Plossu from the 1970s on the California Hippies. You might see some familiar faces or places!

Genova, Italy

This was our first time in the famous port city of Genova. A HOHO bus to get an overview of the sights seemed a good idea. Next time we return, I'd like to visit the aquarium. 

Unfortunately, HOHO buses often don't lend themselves to making good photographs. Hopefully, I've been able to capture enough to give a sense of the architecture and general vibe of Genova.

And, of course, when in Genova, one must try their famous pesto. Here it's served with gnocchi. It was tasty, but I prefer the less creamy style of pesto more common here in Sicily. Also, that salad (tuna, potatoes, beans, tomatoes) was buona buona!

In all, it was a successful cruise. We had a nice time, and it was very easy to manage. I imagine we will be on World Europa again in the future, as it is a piece of cake to get to the port and back. No flights, no extra hotel nights - heavenly! And, bonus, after completing this cruise, I have now reached Diamond Level with MSC. So, on my future cruises with them, I get some extra goodies. Yay!