A great advantage of cruising is that you get to visit so many diverse and interesting places in a single trip (or to give it it's technical name, 'voyage’!!). As you are rarely in any one port for more than a day you only really get to see a snapshot of the place. A taster. The benefit being that if you visit a s*** hole you know in a few hours you’ll be standing on the aft deck watching land fade away over the horizon thinking to yourself: &...

For sister-in-law Carla's birthday, the family decided to celebrate over several days. Not the 'just go out and get pissed’ kind of celebration but ‘let’s do stuff first then think about going out to get pissed’ kind!!On the Friday, Roisin, Carla, Kate (their mum) and Auntie Eve spent the day at Kilhey Court spa resort. The brochure states that Kilhey Court is set amidst stunning countryside. Now that is their first fatal error! Th...

After the show it was back to the cabin to pack. A knock came at our cabin door. It was Rahman, the cabin steward. He had come to 'check' then ‘lock’ the mini bar’. The prices from the mini bar are exactly the same as any of the lounges on board, including the service charge!! So how does that work then? I have to pay MSC 15% for walking over to the fridge, opening it and taking a beer? I suppose the 20% discount of MSC Club members goes...

The only piece of drama (and there is always one to report!!) that happened during our 'sea day' was in the evening. After returning to our cabin at around 5pm, an envelope was waiting for us on our bed. It is traditional that on the evening of the last gala dinner, club members get invited to the Captain’s cocktail. There was 1 envelope. There was 1 invite inside. It was addressed to Roisin Ann Hodgson!!‘Its only a cocktail party!’ I ke...