MSC Metamorphosis
My cynicism about the MSC brand transformed into enthusiasm. How things had changed from the previous cruise on the Lirica. Like the Lirica, the Poesia is a beautiful ship befitting a vessel with such a beautiful name. And speaking of the name, it is an Italian word meaning poetry. As a student of Italian in college, I cringed when I heard the pronunciation of the ship’s name both on the bus to the port and while waiting in the hotel lobby for my room and listening to shuttle bus announcements. One would think that if they offered services to the ship that they would know the proper pronunciation of the ship, but alas, that was not the case. I may have missed my shuttle had I listened for the ship’s name. Poesia pronounced similar to Portia. Please listen to this for the correct pronunciation of the ship; Italian after all is considered one of the most beautiful languages and might be the closest to poesia that one can get.
Just like the Lirica, the Poesia is indeed a beautiful ship. Signora Aponte, the owner’s wife, plays a major role in selection of fabrics, furniture and design details. Spots like the Zebra lounge, which has the potential of being a gaudy and splashy are tastefully executed so as not to create an offensive atmosphere. In fact, the decor throughout the ship is pleasing in its understated elegance.
Teatro Carlo Felice
Prejudiced by my penchant for the color purple, one of my favorite venues as far as decor is the Teatro Carlo Felice, the large theatre where a variety of uncommon performances occur. In fact, the majority of the shows last for just 35 minutes, however, they are packed with excitement and the unexpected. MSC presentations remain unliked those of other ships. The shorter, but intense shows hold the audience captive. Personally I enjoy the abbreviated performance length.
Pre-dinner opera duet
It isn’t only the entertainment in the main theatre that impresses, but also the acts around the ship in the smaller venues. The tenor and soprano singing in the atrium drew regular SRO crowds enthralled by this genre of vocal performance. That’s something you don’t find on many other ships. What I didn’t ever see on this ship was a comedian and since the passengers speak many different languages it seems like a wise decision since much humor is based on double entendres or colloquialisms that might be lost in translation. And speaking of the variety of passengers, I will address that in the next installment.
Sail Away