If you’ve wondered what it’s like on an MSC Indian Ocean cruise, here is a first-hand experience. Now Media editor, Eugene Goddard, went on a short cruise at the start of the season as a guest of MSC, and now he’s a convert to cruising – he had a whale of time.
On Friday afternoon as the MSC Musica’s horns holler across Durban and the sun slides down from its high summer arc towards the west, we make a languid line in the deep blue open water through the port’s channel.
Upon embarkation, the mood among the passengers is already high spirited.
A heady mix of music ushers us through the Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal to the quay, where those of us lucky enough to go on a deep-sea luxury cruise joined the lines snaking to the vessel’s hull.
Before long, everyone is settled in one of Musica’s 1 275 cabins, pleasantly surprised by the spacious comfort on offer.
The view from my balcony provides a perfect vista over the Bluff and Anstey’s Beach, and for a moment it all felt a little unreal and somewhat imperfect.
The missing piece, of course, was a sundowner from the minibar.
I hesitated for a bit (dollar prices aren’t kind on South African pockets), but a certain derring-do feeling of letting loose, of pleasure-now-pain-later, kicked in, and soon I was back on the balcony, ice-cold Heineken in hand.
There wasn’t much time, though, for quiet reflection as the jubilant din from Deck 13, aptly named Vivace (Italian for lively), summoned the hordes from below decks to the splendour of Musica’s pool and party area.
As the coastline thins to a sliver of land and the sun’s golden touch settles on the horizon, Graham Coldrey and his team hit the decks, spinning out tune after tune, amping up the vibe.
While the pools fill with kids, teens and adults head to the entertainment area, spontaneously line-dancing to tracks like Mafikizolo’s Ndihamba Hawe and Mandoza’s Nkalakatha – it’s a sundown dance second to none.
Elsewhere, folks are perfectly content to settle in one of the many Jacuzzis on Deck 13, while others flock to the deck’s two bars, Laguna and Blue Marlin.
Coldrey, Musica’s Cruise and Activities Manager, is a dab hand at putting the ‘jive in a jol’.
While I was waiting for a cocktail at Laguna, he stops for a quick chat.
He’s been working for MSC for about 12 years and is grateful for his happy station in life.
“I never thought I would end up in a job like this and I’m not tiring either. I love what I do, and I love to see people having fun – lots of it! Most of all, I love coming back to South Africa and its people. We’re one of a kind!”
A native of Kempton Park, Coldrey has sailed the proverbial seven seas – up and down North America’s east coast, crossing the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, and down the West Coast of Africa when cruise season comes to South Africa.
“You need to read the crowd and adapt according to the people on board. Not all people are the same but most of all, you need to keep the tempo going,” he says.
Back on stage, behind the mic, he continues to whip up the hoopla while the joyous revellers feed off his energy and enthusiasm.
One of the passengers, Kim Ogle from Alberton, takes a break and says it’s her second cruise to Mozambique’s Portuguese Island.
“I absolutely loved it the first time and this time decided to bring my brother. Having fun doesn’t get any better than this.”
Cindy Lourens from Pretoria doesn’t spend as much time on the dance floor as she has her mother, Andrea Jansen van Niewenhuizen, to support while moving through the crowd of people.
More than 1 900 passengers are on this season-opening cruise up the east coast of South Africa, but the ship can cater for up to 2 550 people.
Now 83, Mrs van Niewenhuizen says it’s her maiden voyage, a dream come true.
Like many of the passengers, they’re bonded by a kind of T-shirt camaraderie, in their case, pink. Others added personalised designs with fun slogans.
Well clear of any land, the Musica gently turns north towards our destination on the eastern tip of Maputo Bay.
At 92 409 tonnes, the almost kilometre-long cruise liner glides smoothly across the sea.
Apparently, a few passengers started wobbling around because of the motion of the ocean, but maybe not from sea sickness.
Later on, when darkness fell and cloud cover blocked out a crescent moon, I head to Deck 14 with Raphala ‘Raps’ Mogase, PR director of The Riverbed, the Marketing and Communications Agency that has made this trip possible.
With a top speed of 23 knots (more than 42 kph), the Musica is an engineering marvel to behold. Surrounded by the immensity of so much open water, Raps remarks how humbling it is to think that here we are on such a big boat but bobbing, almost like a toy, on the mighty Indian Ocean.
After the first day of a three-day voyage it’s a nice feeling to take oneself to bed.
Back in my cabin, I open the patio door to listen to the sea while a welcome breeze plays with the drapes. Along with the gentle swaying of the Musica, almost imperceptible, I drift off, like a baby in its cradle. Pure bliss.
