After a resounding night's sleep we both woke refreshed and headed down for breakfast to feast on a hearty helping of scrambled egg (or it could just be omelette gone wrong!!) and bacon!! It was possible to have breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Grand Canal for a premium of €10!! One or two people had ventured out only to be turned back by the Maitre’D.

We were in no hurry to head for the ship. Check in would start about 12 noon but we had decided to do a bit more exploring of the 'real’ Venice before heading for the ship about 2pm.

There are many cities that are referred to as ‘the Venice of the North’, for example St. Petersburg and Amsterdam. There are even cities that host the nickname ‘Venice of the East’; Hanoi in Vietnam springs to mind. However, this is Venice, Italia….Ground Zero, so to speak!!!

Our morning stroll started by crossing the Ponte Degli Scalzi, only a stone’s throw from the Hotel. This took us across to the Santa Croce area of Venice. We weaved our way through the small streets and piazzali, passing a fruit and Veg market then the fish market. We arrived at the Carampane di Rialto and a bridge with an odd name: ‘Ponte delle Tette’, quite literally ‘the Bridge of t***’!!! This small bridge takes its name from the use of the bridge by prostitutes, who were encouraged to stand topless there to entice and convert any of the suspected ‘gay’ community who just may have happened to wander in to that part of town!

The Carampane di Rialto was one of the red-light districts of Venice in the fifteenth century. By official decree sex workers there would open their legs wide or display their breasts from nearby balconies to attract business. The local Government supported this heterosexual sex in order to help stem the tide of a growing wave of homosexuality, which was then considered to be a social problem at the time.

Having hung around (probably longer than Roisin would have wanted me to!) I was convinced this bridge was no longer used for the purpose after which it was named!!

All the times we have visited Venice we have never travelled in a Gondola. This was about to end. No, we weren’t intending to pay between €80-100 for a private serenade up the Grand Canal. We took the budget option. Our trip cost €2 each!! This was the Traghetto. (Gondola Ferry) The trip literally transports you across the 50m wide Grand Canal. It is customary to stand whilst being transported. The ferry takes up to 20 persons and is steered by two Gondolieri. The journey (although I’m not sure if it qualifies to be called a ‘journey’!!) takes less than 3 minutes. Regardless of the amount of standing room, we were surprised that the gondola was incredibly steady during its crossing despite it traversing the wake of the Vaporetti (water buses)

From there it was a leisurely walk back to our hotel where we picked up our luggage and set off to join the ship via the monorail from Piazzala Roma, known as the People Mover.

The MSC Orchestra carries a maximum of 3,013 passengers. I think all of them must have decided to check in at the same time!! In the arrivals hall we were greeted by the usual array of deals and information such as the drinks package and various discounts to the on board spa if you sign up now. Don’t worry, from experience those discounts will be the same regardless of when you ‘sign up’!!! Despite the seemingly crowded hall, the event was well organised and it wasn’t too long before we were checked in and, after one final scan of our passport and x-ray of our hand luggage, we were heading for the gangway and what will be our home for the next 14 nights.

The MSC Orchestra is 92,000 tons. By today’s standard this is a small to medium size vessel. Some of the Royal Caribbean ship are 180,000+ and as I’ve said many times before I understand the science but don’t understand the logic as to how these monoliths remain afloat!! There are 1275 cabins aboard of which 827 are balconies. Although traditionally ships don’t have a 13th deck due to the seafaring fraternity being a superstitious lot, ironically the number 13 is starting to appear in other areas as the MSC Orchestra has a total of 13 elevators that serve the 13 passenger decks. I better keep those facts to myself otherwise they’ll be switching off a few of the lifts and blocking off a deck or two!!

Since Roisin and I started cruising we have tried most positions possible!! That sounded weird!!! Let me rephrase that. Since Roisin and I started cruising we have been in a variety of cabin types & locations - forward facing cabin, an inside cabin, an outside - we shall now reside for the first time in an aft facing balcony cabin. That’s similar to a forward facing balcony but instead of looking out and seeing where we’re going, we now look out and see where we’ve been!!!

We had to wait a little longer before gaining access to the cabin as everyone was told that they would not be ready until 3:30pm. This is a first. Usually, once boarded you head straight for the cabin to await the arrival of your luggage. This was not a problem, however, as it gave us a chance to have some lunch (along with the other 3,013 passengers!!!) The cafeteria is always manic on the embarkation day as everyone is heading for lunch at about the same time when on subsequent days, there is a steady stream of people. The restaurants are also available for lunch on all days except day 1 thus reducing the crowd surge even more.

CWhen we finally arrived in cabin 10247, similar to our hotel room the previous night, it was compact. I think an estate agent would call it ‘intimate yet comfortable’!!

As on all cruise ships, there is a legal requirement for passengers to partake in a muster drill when, on hearing the alarm, pick up your life vest and head for your designated muster station where a member of the crew takes you through the drill (similar to an airline before take-off.) All notices and TV infomercials remind you to carry your life vest to the muster station. 95% of passengers still feel they are doing the right thing by wearing their life jacket whilst heading down to the muster station. You can tell first timers as they are the ones who think that blowing the whistle attached to the life vest is hilarious as if they are the first people ever to think of doing it not even taking in to account the number of people who may have had their lips around that same whistle previously. I doubt these are sanitised after every voyage! And people wonder why they get sick during a cruise blaming it on everything except their own stupidity!! Blimey, that turned in to a bit of a rant when all I meant to write was that we had muster at 4pm!!!

Getting acquainted (!) with our cabin, we were disturbed by rather boisterous neighbours who insisted on talking in a loud manner as a means of communication. The language I recognised as German so we either had the Dusseldorf school for the hard of hearing in the next cabin or, as I suspected, a couple of young German’s who were excited at the prospect that the next few days had in store. One of the ladies we learned was called Heidi. I hope she introduces herself to me even if it is only so I can say ‘Heidi, Hi!!!’

Our 14 night cruise is actually made up of 2 back to back voyages. A short 3 night ‘taster cruise’ to Croatia and Montenegro then back to Venice before venturing on an 11 night trip around the Black Sea. Not knowing the procedure for checking in for the 2nd part of our cruise we made enquiries at the front desk. On examining Roisin’s cruise card the dates of the voyage specified 19.09.2014 – 03.10.2014 so the 2nd cruise had already been taken in to account. A cruise card is your cabin key and as the ship promotes a cash free environment, also acts as your currency whilst on board. It has information printed on the front of the card such as muster station, dining room, number of dining table and whether 1st or 2nd sitting. On looking down at my card the dates specified were 19.09.2014 (that’s good!) to 22.09.2014. (that’s not so good!!) I have only been checked in for the 3 night cruise. The staff member made a phone call and disappeared for a few minutes. On reappearing he advised me that he will need to sort it out with immigration tomorrow and they’ll let me know. Let me know what??? What is there to know? I’ve booked and paid for both cruises. What else is there to know? I suppose it’s just a matter of sitting tight and waiting for them to get back to me.

I have already mentioned about the 1st and 2nd dinner sittings. The 1st sitting is at 6:30 whilst the 2nd sitting is not until 9pm. This is to accommodate for the Italians and Spanish on board who traditionally don’t eat evening meal until later. Although we specified a 1st sitting on our booking form (and having it confirmed) we have been allocated 2nd dinner sitting!! This is not a problem but we’ll need to exercise a strict control otherwise we’ll find ourselves snacking all day which is nice but not good!!

For this evening we ate in the buffet as neither of us had the energy to get ready for dinner. The excitement must have already worn off Heidi and her chums as we did not hear a peep from them all night.

Tomorrow we dock in Split, Croatia where I hear the weather is not looking too good. Ever the optimist it is only weather. Weather can change…unlike our dinner sitting!!!