It’s almost that time again, disembarkation day! Today we have enjoyed Le Havre and are in port until 9pm, but tomorrow shall see us once again back in Southampton where one must leave MSC Opera behind.

I have to say this cruise has been fantastic! I didn’t anticipate for one second before I left that I would have quite as much fun as I have had. There is such a great atmosphere onboard, everyone’s enthusiasm to just chill out, relax and have a good time really is infectious and I would recommend this ship to anyone and everyone. A lot of people are often put off by the nationality mix and yes occasionally there is a language barrier, but it hasn’t stopped anyone enjoying themselves and I have personally grown to love the mix of people.

We did have quite an eventful morning yesterday. I was lying in bed, it was roughly 5am and still dark outside, it was one of those moments where you are asleep but you are starting to stir. I woke up to the noise of a helicopter, told myself that’s what it was and shut my eyes again. A second later when I realised where I was I said to myself we are in the middle of the Bay of Biscay why is there a helicopter? I quickly put my coat on, grabbed my camera and made my way to Deck 11 where maybe 15 feet or so hovering above the deck was a military helicopter. The noise was incredible and the down draft from the helicopter managed to smash a lot of the glass windows on the deck, the deck was literally glistening. Sadly a passenger had taken ill and he needed medical attention rather quickly so they had to take him off the ship. The helicopter left then returned 25 minutes or so later. It was amazing to watch, the skill needed to hover above us whilst being so close and keep up with our speed. The pilot deserved a medal he really did! I hope the gentleman that needed treatment is OK.

As I mentioned a day or so ago I have struggled a few times with the food onboard, not because it has been bad but because I am an incredibly picky eater. I don’t like a lot of seafood and I tend to not eat a lot of red meat either so it has been a challenge sometimes. I did however enjoy a lovely meal in the main restaurant two nights ago. The shrimp starter with lemon sauce was so good, I wish I had asked for more and the scallop risotto with zucchini was delicious! Possibly the nicest meal I have had since I boarded. One thing I do love about the food on this ship is that everything is so fresh! The salad is so crispy and full of flavour and the vegetables are plenty, there really is so much choice. I actually had some Brussel Sprouts yesterday and could have quite happily eaten a plate full, they were cooked perfectly. I really like my vegetables so that was a big thing for me as was the plate full of asparagus and sweetcorn I devoured an hour or so ago. As much as I have enjoyed the selection of food on offer and tried new things here and there I still think the overall buffet choice on MSC Magnifica was a lot better, you have not seen a buffet my friend until you have boarded that ship! I still dream about it now! 😉

The ice cream on here is good too, I rarely eat ice cream at home but it’s included in my Allegrissimo package so I thought I’d give it a try, that was 8 days ago and I’ve not stopped! My favourites are Pistachio, Coconut and Hazelnut. The ice cream sundaes are pretty impressive too and not incredibly expensive given the size of some of them, you can have more or less any type of sundae you could imagine but the banana split seems to have been the most popular.

I have so much more to tell you about MSC Opera when I return home. The Allegrissimo package, and what’s included. I have a photo blog planned too so you can step aboard from the comfort of your chair, I really do have a brain full of things I want to share with you so watch this space!

Until I am back on dry land and we meet again, ciao MSC Opera and grazie!

Author: Danielle