Cabin 9030

The 2023 world cruise aboard the MSC Poesia began on January 5th, 2023, in the port of Genoa. Unlike some other cruise lines, MSC doesn’t offer a transfer service from Kiel to the embarkation port, so we had to organize our own transportation. Since I had spent Christmas with my parents, we started the trip together from Kiel. Under bright sunshine and with a rather speedy driver, we headed to Hamburg Airport by minivan taxi.

We had six suitcases, four backpacks, and one camera bag with us. To make sure we could take all that luggage, we booked business class seats for our flight to Milan-Malpensa. This also gave us access to a separate check-in counter, which was far less crowded.

Before departure, we still had to take a COVID-19 PCR test, as it was required for boarding and couldn’t be older than 48 hours. The whole process was quick and easy, and we received the negative results later by email. So the first hurdle was cleared successfully.

Our business class tickets also granted us access to the Lufthansa Business Lounge, where we relaxed and had a snack before heading to the gate around 6:00 p.m. My mother fulfilled one of her small dreams on this flight: she ordered currywurst with fries high above the clouds. The flight went by quickly, and soon we landed in Milan. At the baggage carousel, we felt the next wave of relief – all our suitcases had made it to Italy. Just three weeks earlier, during my parents’ return trip from Pforzheim to Kiel, their luggage hadn’t arrived on time, and it became a stressful wait for essential items like my father’s spare glasses. Fortunately, everything arrived the day before we departed for this trip.

We took a bus from the airport to Milan’s central station, a ride of about 1.5 hours. We had booked a hotel nearby and were finally able to rest a little. The next morning, we took the metro to Milan Cathedral and went inside. Afterwards, we walked along the shopping street to La Scala and, amazingly, on January 3rd, we were already sitting outside, enjoying a drink in the winter sun. Later, we took the metro back to the hotel, grabbed our luggage, and returned to the central station for our train to Genoa.

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Finally, we scanned our cruise cards for the first time and stepped aboard what would be our home for the next four months. Since we boarded around midday, our cabins weren’t ready yet, so we started with a welcome cocktail in the Zebra Bar.

Afterwards, we explored the ship for a while before we could enter our cabins. By then, our suitcases were already waiting in front of the doors. My parents had chosen a balcony cabin, while I opted for an inside cabin. I was lucky enough to be assigned a barrier-free cabin, which was noticeably larger – perfect for storing all the luggage – and it even had a bigger bathroom. The title of this book comes from my cabin number: 9030, located on Deck 9.

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During our voyage to Funchal, we experienced our first sea days, and the ocean didn’t exactly show its calmest side. You can always tell when the weather turns rough. Suddenly, motion-sickness bags appear along the stair railings, and the restaurants become noticeably emptier. By the second sea day, I started wondering if traveling by ship had really been the right decision; after all, it was my first cruise ever. Fortunately, this turned out to be the only truly rough stretch of the entire journey. That day we arrived on the beautiful island of Madeira, docking in its capital, Funchal. As part of the world cruise, 15 excursions were already included, and this morning we gathered at 7:45 a.m. in the theater for excursion FUN18W, titled Cabo Girão & Ribeira Brava.

Our first stop was the small town of Ribeira Brava, about an hour’s bus ride away. This delightful little place on Madeira’s southwest coast is full of cafés and shops, and the Christmas decorations were still up. We had a bit of free time there, which we used to buy a postcard. My personal goal for this voyage was to collect one from every port. I also bought a small bottle of Poncha on the recommendation of my Portuguese colleague José. Poncha is a traditional Madeiran drink made from sugarcane spirit, honey, and local oranges and/or lemons. It was delicious, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to taste something truly local.

Next, we continued to Cabo Girão, Europe’s highest sea cliff and the second highest in the world, rising about 580 meters above the Atlantic Ocean. The view from the top is breathtaking, but not for those afraid of heights, since the viewing platform has a glass floor.

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