The MSC Orchestra Cruise is a luxury cruise ship that was built in 2007. It is a destination cruise full of entertainment that accommodates more than 3000 people of all ages on board. Luckily, I was one of those guests.

My first ever trip with the MSC Orchestra was one that came with a 5-day experience at sea, where we spent the first two full days heading to Pomene Island in Mozambique from Durban in South Africa, one day on the island and one full day heading back to Durban.

There is something admirable about a cruise that welcomes you onboard in a unique manner, unlike that of the usual everyday hotel.

The whole trip was planned perfectly and each day had a new experience. When we arrived onboard on the first day, we were given a brief introduction of the MSC Orchestra, including an assembly point for a quick tutorial of “What to do in an emergency”, which makes the ship a safe zone. Once all of the important tasks were done, I roamed around the 13th floor which included multiple bars, a pool area with a few jacuzzi’s, relaxing areas, and a few pathways where one could take long walks or jogs, as well as a huge balcony on which I decided to take in the beautiful tranquillity that surrounded me. Endless entertainment is the norm on the MSC Orchestra and she makes sure that she keeps all her guests well entertained, active and participating. From the arcade games all the way to the disco, and from the photoshoot booths, to luncheons with the head staff of the MSC Orchestra.

There is nothing in this world that could compare to being woken up by tranquil sounds of the waves and serene views of the ocean from your cabin balcony. As I woke up, I caught the smell of the salty water all the way from my white linen sheets and there is absolutely nothing like it. No one does it like the MSC, and this was only my second day onboard. To start the day, I had breakfast in bed that was delivered to my room at the time I felt suitable for me, and as soon as my first meal of the day was checked off my to-do list, I got up and ready for sushi tasting which was at the Shanghai Restaurant on the 7th floor. When we got to the tasting, we were welcomed with a glass of champagne and endless smiles from the waiters, who then escorted us to our table. Sushi at sea is a great way to do lunch on the MSC Cruise. After lunch, I decided to lie by the pool, where music started playing and in a matter of seconds, almost half of the guests seated by the pool area joined together for a traditional old-school African dance routine, which was eventually blessed with a beautiful orange-red sunset. To end the day, dinner was served at the Ibiscus restaurant where we had a 3-course dinner and endless glasses of wine to quench our thirst.

The day had finally arrived. This was the day we had been anticipating, the day we set foot on the beautiful island of Pomene in Mozambique. This island is one of the islands that the MSC has built schools on to better the future of the less fortunate on the island.

We were welcomed by the people of Pomene, who were stationed along the passage full of pop-up stores that basically sum up the culture of the island, from their colourful clothing all the way to their coconut water which was cut off at the top just enough to fit a straw in to quench our thirst on a hot day. The MSC staff was right there with us on the island, making sure we had an open bar and food galore, to our satisfaction. I wasted no time in changing into swimwear and making my way to the beach. I was joined by a few people from the cruise and we had an amazing time talking about life in the middle of the ocean. We could probably have spent all day here, it felt just too good to leave, but eventually, we headed back to the cruise which was docked quite a bit of a distance from the island hence we had to make our way back on the cruise using the MSC Hornbill baby boats referred to as “barracudas” which gave us a whole different kind of roller coaster experience through the water. When we were back on board, I wasted no time in freshening up and made my way to the all you can eat section for dinner which had types of food that one can ever want or need. From the vegetarian section, all the way to the Hallal section. What more could you possibly ask for?! To end the night, we made our way to the club where we danced the night away.

The last full day on the boat had to be my favourite. I woke up to a beautiful sunny day, I decided to indulge in the fabulous view from my balcony and arranged to have my final breakfast on board here with a book in hand, listening to the soft breeze that was controlled by the waves of the ocean. Lunchtime came about all too soon and we spent it with the head staff members of the MSC Orchestra, who gave us a detailed overview of what the MSC is all about.

After lunch, the staff of the cruise went all out in performing a re-do of top fie iconic movies that every guest guessed correctly – one of which was the Titanic! Once the performance was over, I made my way to the MSC Aurea Spa where I had thermal access as well as other offered treatments. To end the evening, I spent my last dinner at the Ibiscus Restaurant where we received VIP treatment and the very last traditional Italian entertainment by the staff where the Italian flags were waved in the air with the staff chanting a goodbye song for the guests. There was simply no other way we could have ended the trip.

The MSC Orchestra was a home away from home for a week, and I enjoyed every single minute of it.

Written by Keketso Mthethwa for Luxuria Lifestyle South Africa