It's the day of embarkation. The weather looked overcast but at least it was dry. After a leisurely breakfast we checked out just before 10am. Leaving our bags at the hotel, I persuaded Roisin to travel up the funicular/lift to Castel Albertini where you would be able to spy the MSC Splendida, which would become our home for the next 7 days.Having travelled this particular funicular/lift last time we were here I knew what to expect. I could see Roisin was ner...

Our tale begins not, as you would expect, from now but it begins in a small room deep in the bowls of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) 3 months ago, in November 2011 at about 3:52 in the afternoon.A letter was received from Meester and Meesus Oggson, as we were known on our last MSC cruise to the Arabian Gulf. We felt the service had slipped since our first experience with this Italian Cruise Company. In retrospect, I suppose it depends on what Italian cr...

Our first morning aboard ship. We decided to take breakfast in the restaurant, an alternative to the self-service buffet 'Le Bistrot' on deck 11. The reason for this decision was 2 fold. Firstly our cabin is on deck 7 and the restaurant is immediately below on deck 6!! Secondly, with having a waiter service breakfast, the portions are calorie controlled. Not because the food served is any healthier than the buffet but because you are given ‘normal&...

We managed to negotiate the Gare de Monaco with only the slightest of huffing and puffing and Roisin and I struggled with the luggage down 2 escalators and one glass lift. For the latter part of that journey, Chris accompanied the 2 suitcases down in the glass lift while Roisin played it safe with a few flights of stairs!!!We decided to take the earlier train to Genoa at 13:47. We had to change at Ventimeglia. The later train gave us only 15 minutes to make our c...