Ship: MSC’s flagship, the MSC World America - 216,000 gross tons - 6700+ pax capacity
Captain: Sebastiano Chrisam (Italy) — Hotel Director: Jamie Petts (UK) — Cruise Director: Everson Beville (USA)
Ports: Miami, FL, USA - Isla Roatan, Honduras - Costa Maya, Mexico - Cozumel, Mexico - Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, Bahamas.
I’m cruising as a solo, and I have good friends (Snoozemates) on this sailing. This is my 4th cruise on the MSC World America, having sailed three times last year. Also, my 33rd MSC cruise, and my 232nd cruise overall.
Day 1 - Saturday, March 14th - Miami, Florida - Embarkation Day
I met my regular driver at about 5:00 a.m. for the trip to TPA and the flight to Miami. It was busy, but timing was good for my 7:00 a.m. flight. After arriving, I checked into the MSC Cruise shuttle area and discovered that they no longer have a 9:45 a.m. shuttle, and I’d be on the 10:45 a.m. shuttle, so I had some time to wait. For the first time ever, I went to a Starbucks, as it was convenient. I had a very nice breakfast sandwich and a custom Mango Lemonade. It was very good. Once our bus arrived, we loaded, and the ride to the new MSC terminal was shorter than expected. All facial recognition is now at both check-in and boarding. Our timing was good, as the early arrivals were basically on, so I was able to proceed directly to the ship. I was in my cabin by 11:45 a.m. Amazing. I dropped my bag and backpack, and with my cabin keycard, went straight to muster station C. Here, I had my first surprise, as the attendant said: “I know you, I read your Blog”. It was Itallo, who works in the Futures Department, that I met on the MSC Seashore last April. I then did a walkabout, ending up at Paxos Greek Restaurant, where they let me order a Seaday Lunch special ($20) and the Ouzo/Cherry cocktail I enjoy. So much easier than going to the packed embarkation buffet. Eventually, all my friends ended up there as well. Made it easy for me, and the food was good. A couple of us went down to the Sports Bar, a popular spot on Saturdays, where I ordered a beer. Later, a bartender recognized me and prepared two Elderflower martinis for me. He knew my favorite cocktail on this ship. It made me feel special. Thank you, MSC. Cabins were ready for guests at 2:00 p.m., so I returned to my cabin on deck 5 to watch my OU Sooners Softball team's 3:00 game. My cabin is a Studio Cabin for solo guests and is very nice and larger than solo cabins on other cruise lines. It has a nice, large porthole that I used to watch the various huge cruise ships sail past as they left Miami this afternoon. After 5:00 p.m. I went to the Masters of the Sea pub to meet the group for cocktails before dinner. They didn’t have Elderflower (No Mirella), so I had a Pilsner Urquell, one of my favorite beers. At 6:00 p.m., we moved over to Hola’s Tacos and our birthday celebration for Don, one of the original Snoozemates (photo). I ordered my favorites, and the guys pretty much ordered the exact same… so it was great: Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Queso Fundido, four different Street Tacos, and Flan for dessert. The Mango-ritas were also very good, as was the service. After dinner, I retired to the cabin, as it had been a very long day for me, and I enjoyed the nighttime view of a cruise ship sailing alongside us. A great embarkation day and seeing good friends today.
Day 2 - Sunday, March 15th - Day at Sea
I slept very well and all through the night. We set our clocks back one hour, so I was updating this blog at about 7:30 a.m. ship time…it’s usually in the middle of the night. I had an easy morning, then at about 10:30 a.m., went to the Hexigon MDR for the Seaday Brunch. This menu is perfect since I have an early assigned dining time of 5:00 p.m. this week. I can just eat twice. I had a hearty breakfast: Bloody Mary, small Filet Steak, two Fried Eggs, Potato wedges, French Toast, Bacon, and Hot Milk. It was all very good. I then did a walkabout, seeing some old crew friends and meeting new ones. At about noon, I went up to the empty Gin Project Bar on deck 8 to stream my Oklahoma Sooners Softball Game at a nice booth table with a view of the sea. The WiFi was great there, as was the game. It’s been a beautiful day, and guests are having a great time, as usual, with a very large number of European and South American guests who love sailing on the MSC. I went to the Masters of the Sea at 4:00 p.m. for cocktails, and most of the group showed up. They did have a bottle of St. Germaine so that we could enjoy elderflower martinis. Dinner was at 5:00 p.m. at the LaFoglia Restaurant. Not keen about the location, but it was the best MDR menu of the cruise on this Gala Night. I ordered: Two Shrimp Cocktails, the Filet Mignon & the Lobster entrees, and dessert. It was very good. They didn’t charge me for a second entree; sometimes they do, but usually not. Afterward, I did a walkabout around the ship, which was very busy tonight with a lot of activities. I scored some Coca-Cola for the cabin and retired early. I enjoyed my cabin and the rolling seas this evening. A great day on the MSC World America.
Day 3 - Monday, March 16th - Roatan Island, Honduras
Day 4 - Tuesday, March 17th - Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico
Day 5 - Wednesday, March 18th - San Miguel, Cozumel, Mexico
Smooth seas overnight, and I slept well. I was up early, so I went to the MDR just after they opened at about 7:30 a.m., and was soon joined by Mike. I had my Hot Milk and Danish straightaway, then Eggs Benedict with Bacon, Potatoes, and a fruit bowl. We began docking at Puerto Langosta during breakfast, so it’s easy to access the town today. I debarked and began walking into town just before 10:00 a.m., slow and steady, to
Woody’s Bar and Grill. Within 20 minutes, all the Snoozers were there. All enjoyed their delicious Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, & Chips. The weather was overcast and breezy, so it was ideal. We enjoyed the food, drinks, and live music for a few hours, then we all began our return to the ship by taxi or on foot. I went by the Church for a short while, then found my friend Nelly’s new place, although I didn’t get to see her. I took my time returning to the ship and arrived back before 3:00 p.m. Short visit, no haircut or pedicure today. I rested until I went down to the Dolce Vita Bar on deck 6 for cocktails. Tonight is one of my favorite menu nights on MSC. I call it
Appetizer Night as I ordered five: Escargots, Seafood Newburg, Beetroot Salad, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, & Shrimp Cocktail. All fantastic! My entree was the Beef Tenderloin with Vegetables and Horseradish as requested. A great meal. I returned to the cabin to watch/stream the Oklahoma softball game vs. the University of Memphis. I missed the first inning, but watched the rest, a 15-0 run-rule victory for the Sooners. Tashia asked about ice, and I enjoyed some Diet Coke before retiring. It was another great day on the MSC World America.
Day 6 - Thursday, March 19th - Day at Sea
Mixed seas overnight, really rolling early, and I slept very well and had the latest wake-up after 9:00 a.m. Setting the clocks forward an hour attributed to that. I went to the buffet for the first time for a light breakfast, then hung out in the aft viewing area and drank a Coca-Cola. I was relaxing in the cabin and noticed how close we were sailing to Cuba. MSC has always sailed closer than other cruise lines, but today I could easily see the beaches, buildings, and lighthouses. At 1:30 p.m. I met friends at
Butcher's Cut Steakhouse, and we had a nice 4-top out on the promenade deck. I ordered the exact same items as I did on Tuesday. The steak was very good, and the onion rings were much better. I had cabin time the rest of the afternoon. At 7:00 p.m. I met the group in
Masters of the Sea for late cocktails (late for us older geezers). They began the
White Party on deck 6 at about 8:00ish. I love how the crew participates. Being on Deck 7, I had a nice view of it all. I did go to Paxo’s to make a reservation for tomorrow night. When returning, I had a different view of the White party from deck 8. By this time, they had the entire deck 6 area covered with dancers. The majority of guests were dressed in white, too. I watched for a while, then retired to the cabin to update this blog and relax. It was a rewarding and fun sea day on the MSC World America.
Day 7- Friday, March 20th - Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, the Bahamas
Rolling seas overnight, and I slept well. The thrusters woke me at about 7:30 a.m. when we were preparing to dock, so I decided to go to the MDR for breakfast. I ordered the Eggs Benedict, Bacon, Hash Browns, and a Fruit Plate. It was good. I had cabin time until meeting the gang at the aft pool area on deck 18. It’s a windy day, but the sun feels good, and the water looks beautiful. I had my first Pizza of the cruise just after noon, it’s always been great… still is. I had a wee nap in the cabin this afternoon. At 4:00 p.m., the group met at the All-Star Sportsbar for drinks. We had a good time, and fortunately for me, they were skipping dinner at 5:00 p.m., so we had time for a nice farewell party. I had a reservation at Paxos Greek Restaurant at 6:30 p.m., just across the way, and Mike joined me for dinner. As it was breezy, we chose to eat inside, and Adrian was a good waiter, but Vernelle, our previous waiter, made sure we were taken care of this evening. Dinner was wonderful. I ordered: the Watermelon and aged Feta Cheese Salad, the Moussaka, the Lamb Chop entree, and Karydopita for dessert. All was amazingly good. I also had the special Ainse & Cherry cocktail. We did have some musical entertainment, but no Greek Dancers. After dinner, I retired to the cabin to update this blog. My plan is to sleep first and pack early in the morning. It was a great day on board the MSC World America.
Day 8 - Saturday, March 21st - Debarkation
I had trouble sleeping, so I just got up super early to shower and pack. I was at the meet location for airport shuttles early, too, before 7:15 a.m. We were through debark and TSA Customs quickly, then on the airport shuttle bus by 7:45 a.m. It left just after 8:00 a.m. as scheduled. I used my experience to be the first in the AA outside baggage area, then entered the terminal and the not-so-bad TSA security lines. I was actually in the secure terminal just after 9:15 a.m. Amazing, but my flight was delayed by an hour, so I won't board until 2:00ish this afternoon. There is an earlier flight in a different terminal, and I don't want to go through security again. I had a nice breakfast and updated this blog. Unfortunately, my flight had further delays and three gate changes, making it an ordeal. We didn’t get away until about 5:00 p.m., arriving at TPA in an hour, but TPA had Spring Break congestion, so delays getting the plane to the gate and then awaiting baggage. I had never seen so many people at the airport. My regular driver got me home at 7:15 p.m. Long day, I could have driven it in half the time. No more Miami for me.
