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| My trip began in Copenhagen. My hotel was near Tivoli Gardens, which wasn't at all what I expected but still lovely. |
I was very excited about the trip I planned. Here's the itinerary:
Fly to Copenhagen
Cruise from Copenhagen to Genoa, Italy. Ports included: Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Holland, England, Portugal, Gibralter, Spain and Italy
Three days in Genoa, Italy
Eight days in Budapest, Hungary
Two days in the Canary Islands
Cruise from Gran Canaria, Canary Islands to Colon, Panama
Two days in Panama City, Panama
Fly home
The flights were either free (thanks to a dear friend who works for United) or inexpensive. The cruises were "repositioning" and were a bargain. Especially the 14 day from the Canary Islands to Panama - less than $450 for an oceanview, single cabin.
I was so excited and the trip started off well. I sailed on the MSC Magnifica from Copenhagen. Nice stateroom and lovely dinner companions. Food was "meh" and service was ok. The ship seemed both crowded and noisy (there was muzak playing, 24-7 in all public areas). Luckily, I discovered the haven of the nightclub. Ironic place for solitude but in the morning, I had it to myself. Great views and privacy. If it hadn't been for the damn muzak, it would have been perfect.
As on most cruises, I got into a routine. Lots of reading, eating and walking on deck. Which was all great until that day at sea, cruising off the Iberian peninsula, off the coast of Portugal. I decided to take a walk outdoors before lunch. I'd walked about ten feet when I stepped in a wet spot on the deck. I went down and immediately knew it wasn't good.
I won't bore you with the next three days. Let's just say that if you're going to break a leg on a cruise ship DO NOT do it on an MSC ship. The doctor insisted it was a sprain. I insisted it was broken. I was sent to my cabin to fend for myself. It was painful, frustrating and the antithesis of a great vacation. Thank goodness for the wonderful dinner companion who helped me pack. Otherwise, my clothing would still be on board that damn ship.
Instead of the rest of the planned itinerary, my trip ended in Genoa, where I went from the ship to the emergency room. At my insistence, since the MSC doctor was still convinced it was a sprain and I was a whiner because I didn't want to walk on what I was convinced was a broken leg.
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| My inside cabin on the Magnifica was small but cozy. |
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| It was fall in Northern Europe and the weather was typically cool and rainy. This was my typical breakfast. Why isn't musli more popular in the United States? And why can't I have an ocean view every morning? I wasn't able to enjoy either the view or the food the last three days of the cruise, after I broke my leg. It seems that MSC doesn't believe you are worthy of breakfast if you are unable to get it yourself. Yes, they have room service, but not for breakfast if you are under a doctor's care, apparently. And, even though I had bought a "package" of bottled water, I had to pay for water in my cabin, since that wasn't included in the package. I DO NOT recommend MSC, in case I didn't make that clear. |
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| Guess where I took this photo. Venice? Nope. Amsterdam. |
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| When the ship docked in Genoa, my luggage and I headed to the local public hospital in a taxi. From the minute I arrived and they put me on this gurney, things began to improve. |
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| A couple of x-rays, temporary cast and meeting with the orthopedic surgeon later, and I was in a room with a view of a tree. The room was large, airy and clean and I shared it with a nice 85 year old lady with a broken hip. She spoke not a word of English and I don't speak Italian but she seemed happy to chat away to me in Italian. Her son and daughter-in-law took me under their wings and made sure I had everything I needed - including an afternoon cappucino each day. |
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