This Panamanian-registered, Italian-run cruise liner started life as the
Cunard Countess in 1977. She was refurbished in 1995 after being purchased by MSC Cruises. The ship spans 541 ft, measures 17,095 gross tons, and stacks up seven decks high. She carries an international mix of 812 passengers as well as a crew of 370. The
Rhapsody is now the oldest cruise ship in MSC's 10-ship fleet.
MSC Cruises is a subsidiary of the parent firm Mediterranean Shipping Company, based in Geneva, Switzerland, and operating one of the world's largest container ships fleets (numbering 320). The cruising side of the business began in the late 1980s when MSC bought out Star Lauro and then took on second-hand ships, including two fairly new ships from bankrupt Festival Cruises. After a slow start at the lower end of the cruise market, the line has continually expanded and updated its fleet that now numbers 10, with more on order.
As MSC Rhapsody sails almost exclusively from Genoa, she carries a largely Italian passenger list with some French and German travelers in the mix, but very few North Americans. Families are aboard during the school holidays.
No winter 2008-2009 program is yet listed, but in spring 2009 the ship operates from Genoa on 11-night cruises to the Eastern Mediterranean as far as Egypt, with some trips extending into the Black Sea. Other itineraries aim to the Western Mediterranean and beyond Gibraltar.
Relatively low-ceiling public rooms include five bars, three lounges, a cafe and two restaurants, one wait-served and the other buffet. Continental cuisine is served at two sittings in a very pink dining room, where officers dine with passengers amid narrow windows. Guests should make table reservations when booking. Self-service breakfast and luncheon are served alfresco, and traditional mid-morning bullion and late-day buffets vary the fare. Drink prices are low, with young Italian wines most popular with this unfussy crowd. Dress is casual except for the two or three gala evenings but then many do not dress up much even then.
The most popular gathering spot is the comfortable Top Sail Lounge, to which throw pillows and piano music lend a homey feel. Guests like the spacious 450-seat ballroom, and they can relax in the intimate Eight Bells Club. A cinema provides evening movies in many languages, and the small library doubles as a playroom, effectively defeating any quest for silence. Nightfall brings on a Vegas-style show, small-scale casino action, and disco dancing, where guests' preferences determine the beats per minute. The sporty Sun Deck has a short jogging track encircling a sheltered oval pool, two elevated whirlpools, a tiny pool for children, and abundant chaise longues. Active guests take to an all-purpose sports court, the aerobics classes, and the view from the small gym. Other offerings run to a conference center with secretarial back-up for meetings, a video arcade, beauty salon, massage, laundry and dry-cleaning services, safes and a medical center. Room service operates around the clock but the menu is very limited.
The 257 outside and 127 inside cabins are pleasant but the smallest are tiny, down to 87 sq ft. Most of the 20 so-called suites consist of one large space with a sitting area; two of them are actual deluxe suites. Thin walls leak noise from the neighbors. Amenities include a desk-vanity, phone, radio, reading lights and limited stowage. Cabin grades are determined by deck level rather than by size or amenities, except for categories 10 and 11, which excel with sitting areas, TVs, minibars, and larger baths with makeup mirrors. Nine have superior forward views.
Although catering to a mature clientele on the longer cruises, the staff welcomes children, with special programs in summer. Smoke-free public areas run along one side of the ship, and guests in wheelchairs appreciate four specially designed cabins.
This warm-hearted midsize, high-density vessel best serves the budgeting client willing to sacrifice luxury for a lively Italian-accented atmosphere spiced by a mostly European clientele.
