On-board Costa Magica
May 5 – May 10, 2009


The Mediterranean has always been a source of wonder to us. Last May, we could not resist joining a cruise that will sail from Savona (Italy) to Ajaccio (Corsica), Tunis; La Valletta (Malta), and Naples (Italy)…with 17-deck cruise ship Costa Magica, a 102,587 Ton ship built in 2004 with 1027 crew members (mostly Filipinos) and passenger capacity of 2672.

We persuaded a friend of the old days Pat Adolfo and her husband Dick Koorn to take the cruise with us. After checking their schedule, Dick booked a cabin with a view of the sea. For Pat and me it a journey through time, from 47 years back when we were still young and starting our work in the foreign service.

From Schiphol we flew to Milan airport where a bus was waiting to take Costa cruise passengers to Savona port. At the port soon as our number was called we walked to the gangplank where the ship’s Filipino crew in neat uniform, smiling warmly welcomed every boarding passenger. They were somehow assuring us we will enjoy our cruise.

When we entered our cabin our luggages were already there. We rushed to the ship’s open deck to have a look at the city of Savona as the ship sails. And, as we expected, in the ship’s buffet restaurants our merienda was waiting: coffee/ tea, sandwiches, pastries and other snacks on long zigzag buffet tables.


On our first day at the restaurants and open deck the crew members working greeted us in English. When we answered in Tagalog the response was, “ay Filipino kayong paseheros,” (oh… you are Filipino passengers).

The next day after sailing during the night the ship anchored in Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica. Ajaccio we learnt was the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. From the ship, together with Dick and Pat, we walked to the city center where the Palm Square, Town Hall and the marketplace selling fresh fruits and vegetables and Corsican souvenirs are located. A bit farther is the Bonaparte home which was converted into a museum.

We took a brisk stroll in Cason where Napoleon’s bronze status stands, then through the garden, and to the cave where Napoleon used to play when he was a boy. We walked along the main boulevard lined with restaurants’ proudly displaying on their billboards Corsican menu. From a vantage point we had a view of the city center, the houses along the narrow street which easily attract tourists’ attention because they look very picturesque. We crossed the boulevard and walked to the narrow streets. We lost track of the time because we were so engrossed taking photos of the beautiful houses we had to run back to the ship which will sail in half an hour.

We were panting when we reached the ship. After depositing our handbags in our cabin, we went to the open deck to sit and relax, our legs tired from long hours of walking, and of course for our merienda. The array of cakes, sandwiches and pastries on the tables were so tempting but it will be dinner time in three hours. During this cruise we cautioned ourselves on the consequence of overeating. Our concern is the level of our cholesterol may shoot up that 40 mgs. of Lipitor daily may not be enough.


When on a cruise Eddie gets up early while most passengers are still sleeping so he could talk to the Filipino crew cleaning the open deck and other areas of the ship and preparing the food to be served in the restaurants. Like the seven or so cruises we have joined before mostly manned by Filipinos, they are happy to have a kababayan on board their ship who talks and shows concern for them. Eddie would ask them to gather together so he can take a group photo.




After a day on the ship Eddie teased them, “Inglis ng Inglis kayo sa amin alam naman ninyong Pilipino kami” (you keep on talking to us in English, you know we are Filipinos). A crew member narrated an incident how one of them was reprimanded and given a warning for greeting a passenger she recognized as Filipina in Tagalog. The Pinay passenger was furious that a crew talked to her in front of her children in Tagalog and reported the incident to the ship’s head of personnel. After the incident, the head gave instructions to the Filipino crew to use only English or Italian in greeting all passengers. It is only when a passenger talks to them in Tagalog that they can speak the language.

We got special attention from the Filipino crew. With the exception of those who are assigned in the kitchen and engine room, the Filipino crew knew us especially Eddie and it was obvious he was a favoured passenger. Everywhere we went: restaurants, coffee bars, cocktail lounges, reception desk, gym, open deck, swimming pools, the chance of not meeting or seeing any of the 1027 Filipino crew serving 3,670 passengers was nil.

We got used to hearing, “kumusta po kayo, okey ba kayo” (how are you, are you ok, sir/madam); “ hinahanap po ninyo si sir, nandoon siya sa café bar,’ (are you looking for sir, he is at the café/bar); “yong kaibinga ninyo nandoon sa Casino, sa lagi niyang inuupuan” (your friend is in the Casino in her usual seat).

Life on board Costa Magica is one filled with fun, entertainment and …for those who love to eat…..restaurant-hopping. There is always a place onboard (5 restaurants) where one can take a hefty breakfast/merienda/lunch/merienda/dinner/midnight snack… either a buffet or served on a candle-lit table.

While at sea, the ship’s ‘ animation team’ organizes parlor (pooldeck) games for the guests and in the evening guests can either go dancing, enjoy a stage entertainment or visit the casino.

When docked, guests have the option of joining onshore-group tour (which is very expensive) or go on a city tour on their own. We opted to tour some of the cities we visited on our own.


The following day the port of call was Tunis, and to be able to see the most of the place we joined a (package) shore excursion. Our history teacher in high school I remember, tried hard to impress to her class why Carthage is considered one of the wonders of the ancient world….it is a living past, according to her. But, like most teenagers, then and now, I never paid much attention to her until our tour guide led us to the archeological site of Carthage now listed as among UNESCO’s World Heritage.

This time, I listened as she told us that Carthage was a Phoenician trading post until it suffered destruction when it was invaded by the Romans in 146 B.C. Reduced to a Roman colony in 44 B.C. it regained its position as a cultural and trading center only to be destroyed by the Barbarians and became a dead city. But the ruins left were the testimony of a once mighty Mediterranean port.

Next we were taken to the whitewashed houses with blue doors and shutters in the village of Sidi Bou Said which reminded us of the houses in Santorini. Before returning to Tunis we visited the Bardo Museum, the oldest museum in Africa where artifacts and artistic treasures and collection of preserved Roman mosaic can be found. Statues of deities and mythological figures are also housed in the museum.

The ship’s next port was La Valletta in Malta.

Valletta, Malta’s capital and a World Heritage site, is nothing short of an open-air museum. It is a living experience of Baroque architecture, a monument donated by the Knights of St John nearly five centuries ago. Throughout the years, Valletta has welcomed emperors, heads of state, artists and poets and is now the permanent seat of the Maltese government(Cityofvalleta.org)


The distance from the ship to the Immigration building was about 50 meters so we decided to walk to the port’s gate. Taxi drivers were offering private tour of the city for half the price asked by a group excursion in the ship. The driver first drove to the upper Barracca Gardens and here we had a good view of the city and the harbours. Next was St. John’s cathedral which was founded by the Knights of the Templar of Malta.

It was a long drive to Mdina, the ancient capital of Malta, also known as the Silent City.

Mdina in Malta is one of Europe's finest examples of an ancient walled city, and unusual in its mix of medieval and baroque architecture. The city had a building "renewal" after the devastating earthquake of 1693 when most of the buildings were razed to the ground. The Cathedral too was almost destroyed with only part of the apse remaining upright.

But there is no sign of destruction now. The narrow streets are lined with beautiful buildings - mostly residential but a few restaurants and souvenir shops cater for the new economy.(Travelsnapz-tripod.com)

We were in time to witness the street parade in this medieval city where elegant palaces and churches in baroque style stand. Palazzo or the Norman House dates back to 1233. This walled city of the Romans and Arabs is rich not only in history but in legends, too. When we entered the Basilica the visitor’s guide led us down to the sleeping quarter of Saint Paul when he stayed for three months in Malta. The guide however admitted he has no evidence to prove his statement.

When the ship anchored in Naples we could not decide whether to see city again or stay on board. In the open deck the palace in the city is just a stone’s throw from where we were and this changed our minds.

We were informed that the city center of Naples was undergoing road constructions when ruins were accidentally discovered. All work must stop to give way to excavations. We crossed the main road and via a temporary bridge in Plaza Municipio reached the 13^th century Maschio Angioino named after Charles I of Anjou who ordered it built. To identify the castle from other castles, it is called Castel Nuovo. After spending some time looking at the frescoes we went up to the next floor to have a look at the surroundings below. We went down to the chapel then took a rest in the palace’s patio and watched a bridal entourage on its way to the ceremonial hall before making a round of the city- center.

Every cruise we took was relaxing and entertaining – it is the most practical way of spending a vacation, no driving hassle, no worry looking for hotel and restaurant. One will not get bored as there are day and night entertainments and other amenities. Those who want to see cultural and historical places, there is opportunity the moment the ship docks while those who seek solitude, most liners especially Italian have chapels where daily mass is said and a library with enough reading materials.

Use of the ship’s internet is not advisable, most of the time there is no satellite connection and if ever there is, the cost is beyond one’s pocket…our pocket!!

Till next MNTravelogue….EuroRoadTour 2009…through 5 countries in 10 day.

 

 

 

 

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