On the eve of World War I, my great-grandparents came from Portugal to Brazil on a ship. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear their stories of what life was like at that time, what it was like to cross the Atlantic Ocean and arrive in totally unknown lands. As a Historian today, I know there were moments of great hunger, precariousness, uncertainty, and prejudice.
Decades later, I found myself crossing the same ocean, but this time making my way back, from Rio de Janeiro to Europe. The differences, however, could not be more significant! In my case, there was no hunger, no war. But plenty of food and comfort.
It seems that my poor Portuguese family, three generations later, had conquered unimaginable privileges that I was enjoying. And throughout the seventeen days of travel, there wasn’t a day that I didn’t think about my great-grandparents.
But this post is not about my ancestors. It’s about what it’s like to travel from Rio de Janeiro to Europe with MSC Cruises.
Have you ever wanted to take this trip? Then read this post, get to know all the trip details, and start planning yours!
The Itinerary
Every year is like that. After the summer in the northern hemisphere, MSC Cruises cross the Atlantic Ocean towards the Brazilian coast to start the summer season here, roughly from November to March. In other words, every year is possible to travel on a Cruise from Europe (or the USA) to Brazil at the beginning of November. Or go from Brazil to Europe (or the USA) at the end of March.
The itinerary from Brazil to Europe followed by MSC Cruises may change each year slightly. But in general includes stops in the cities of Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Maceió, Salvador, Canary Islands, Funchal, and several Mediterranean cities that may include, but are not limited to, Lisbon (Portugal), Valencia (Spain), Marseille (France) and Genoa (Italy).
The original itinerary of my trip started in Rio de Janeiro, with stops in Maceió and Salvador. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean for seven days, we would dock in Santa Cruz de La Palma, Las Palmas, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands. We would then continue with stops in Funchal, Valencia, and Marseille until my disembarkation would be in Genoa, Italy.
However, the voyage itinerary was changed by MSC more than once, and we left Rio de Janeiro straight for Las Palmas and then Funchal and other European cities.
The Ship: MSC Seaside
MSC Cruises ships all follow the same standard of comfort, structure, and decoration. However, I had the privilege of traveling in one of the biggest and newest ships: MSC Seaside, inaugurated in 2017.
The ship has several themed restaurants and bars (I counted more than ten in my head!). The vessel has at least three swimming pools for adults and one for children, many jacuzzis, a water park with incredible water slides, a large theater for shows, a Venchi store with great coffees, chocolates, and ice creams, bowling, games, and simulators, a super gym and a super spa. The spaces are big and spacious. The photos speak for themselves!
The comfort
Although we bought the cheapest cabin (inside and without a window), MSC gave us an upgrade, and we stayed in an outside cabin with a balcony. It’s worth the investment! With the balcony, you don’t forget that you are, in fact, on a cruise ship, with the sea always around you. You can watch the sunrise or sunset every day and always smell the sea. It makes more sense for a complete experience!
The rooms are comfortable, with first-class linens, and everything is very clean, despite the carpet. The governance is very helpful and respectful and tidies the cabins with care daily.
The entertainment
MSC Cruises invests heavily in its attractions and productions. They offer Broadway-style shows with music, dance, and circus attractions. There are bars with music, dance classes, and even karaoke for other tastes and styles.
Wants to know? I like silence, and for me, there were too many activities! But there are also spaces for contemplation. That is, you can escape the party whenever you want.
Restaurants: food and drinks
There is a lot of food and options for all tastes! Including many fast-food options (pizzas and hamburgers) until two in the morning!
I’m the type that prefers to sit back and have only three meals a day. Following this scheme, in general, the food served was very fresh and well-executed. And the ship’s team made sure that everyone was delighted.
If you are used to eating well and in renowned restaurants, don’t expect anything marvelous. That’s not the intention. But expect good variety and good execution, especially when it comes to Italian dishes.
About the drinks, however, the same cannot be said. If you value a lot for quality, you will have to spend a lot of money. That’s because the drinks included in the most basic beverage packages are not so good. For breakfast, they served fruit juices from highly sugared boxes and a coffee far from conquering the quality of Italian coffees. Also of low quality were the wines included in the beverage package. The one that was not so bad ran out in the first few days. And the drinks served, perhaps to avoid widespread drunkenness on the ship, contained more so-called sugary juices than alcohol.
MSC Tours
MSC Cruises partners with local travel agencies. The advantage of hiring with them is that the tour participants are the first to leave the ship. Also, you avoid the risk of the vessel departing without you. Even when there is a delay, the crew waits for the group to return. However, expect to pay dearly for tours that are always done with large groups and are very busy.
As a Travel Planner, I chose to make my itinerary and enjoy the time in the cities in a very custom way! I visited historical sites and markets, enjoyed the incredible views from the Funchal cable car, and ate Paella Valenciana at a highly recommended restaurant!
The downside to doing everything yourself is that you must be very careful about the time of return to the ship.
Prices
All that stewardship can cost less than you might think!
MSC Cruises runs promotions throughout the year and cabin upgrades, all to ensure the ships do not travel empty. Thus, these long trips sometimes cost the equivalent of a plane trip: around R$ 4000.00 (in 2021), with insurance and port taxes included, accommodation, entertainment on the ship, and all meals included.
But you should pay close attention to the additional fees! MSC Cruises charges passengers a service fee per day and person. And you will be charged onboard the ship if your initial fare does not include that. Avoid surprises!
Advantages and Disadvantages of Crossing with MSC Cruises
If your idea of the perfect trip is to rest and stewardship, I can say that there is no better experience than this 17-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean!
Everything you need is there around you, and a friendly team is ready to assist you in whatever you need. Your only job will be deciding whether to go to the pool or the gym, what you’re going to eat, and whether you watch the evening show or not. Anyway, I think for lowly working mortals like me, this is as close as we can get today to the aristocratic life in the 19th century that we see in the movies.
However, if traveling for you is to know a new place in depth, with its history, people, and culture, traveling on a cruise may not be for you. The stops in each city are short, and there is not enough time to explore each destination.
Another disadvantage is that there are a lot of extra fees. So if you don’t plan your expenses correctly, you could end your trip seriously in debt! So pay attention to this fact and plan your budget. Services such as the Internet, laundry, manicure, and spa are charged separately and are pretty expensive. They also sell beverage packages separately. But depending on your habits, it is better not to buy them so that you can choose products with more quality.
Questions Everyone Asks:
Does the Internet Work?
Internet on MSC Cruises ships works via satellite. You may hire the service separately for 1, two, or more devices. In other words, it’s no use for one person in your cabin to buy a device package for the whole family. Only the device (cell phone, tablet, or laptop) registered for the first time will have access to the service.
I’ve been a Digital Nomad since 2017. So I needed internet access during my trip. I had deadlines to meet and assignments to deliver. My concern about the Internet was genuine. And luckily for me, yes, it works!
No, it’s not lightning-fast Internet. And it was quite awful in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean! So, if your work requires many gigabytes of download and upload, it probably won’t work. And this is why using a device as a router doesn’t work very well either. It is possible for quick WhatsApp messages, for example. Not possible for audio or video calls.
Does the ship rock a lot?
Yes, the ship rocks. Not much, but enough for you to understand the meaning of the word seasick. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, after several days without stepping on land, the feeling was often of a hangover, or even drunk! There was a slight headache and an irresistible sleep, like the one you get when you’re rocking yourself in a hammock or when you’re a child in your mother’s lap. It takes a little while to get used to it. You can face it as an adventure, but not enough to get sick or scared.
What do you think? Did this post increase your desire to take this trip, or did you come to an end and decide it’s not for you? If you have any further questions, you can contact us. We will be happy to help you!
Rio de Janeiro by Cariocas is a Travel Agency, which means we can also sell MSC Cruises. Request a quote for your trip now!
Haven’t you decided if crossing the Atlantic Ocean is really for you? There are also many options for MSC Cruises from 4 to 7 nights that can help you to know a little more about this style of travel around the Brazilian coast. Usually MSC Cruises stop in Cabo Frio, Búzios and Ilha Grande in the State of Rio de Janeiro, in addition to Ilhéus and Salvador in the Northeast, and Ilhabela, Santos, and Balneário Camboriú, further south. Please consult us for prices and dates!
