A pause in the virtual trip

Blogging a virtual trip I'd planned over the winter months, it starts with an "18-day" cruise aboard the MSC Meraviglia. As I wouldn't be able to actually be a physical passenger due to the pandemic, and I wanted to include photos with my narrative, I searched and pulled pictures from the Internet which could augment my text. These came from the Facebook posting for both the group which would be on the cruise, and for the group which sailed aboard the #Meraviglia. CruiseCritic.com, a website for people who sail these cruise ships was also a valuable source. Of course, Google has a multitude of pictures, and I was sent links by former passenger Gordon who had uploaded photos from his autumn cruise aboard.

As I wrote, I would look at the pictures I'd selected and use them to help with the virtual trip narrative. Now that I am at the point where I'm ready to leave the ship to begin the land portion, I looked at that folder and realized that many of these photos, while not relevant to the tale, would be useful to understanding this huge ship. Hence this posting, which will be mainly pictures.

When I looked for a picture of an ocean view cabin, I had been looking for one with a round porthole. It wasn't until someways on I found the one above. And below is a picture of the cabin bathroom:

My blog postings include a lot of descriptions of options for alcohol. It probably makes me sound like a lush. While my normal daily consumption is one, and rarely two, glasses of wine, or the occasional pint of craft beer, I find that on board in the past, I would drink more frequently, so I "poured it on." There are several levels of prepaid options for beverages, and I assumed I'd buy the highest level, as I wanted to experience top shelf living for the crossing. So here's pictures of various bar menus available on board.

I left out the champagne bar:

While travelling around the public spaces of the ship, I've mentioned the atrium and its crystal staircase, the (smoky) casino, and the promenade. [You can click on any picture and it should expand.]

While there are pictures online of a few daily programs, it never seemed apparent that there were activities (like talks, concert recitals, cooking or dancing classes) to occupy time, particularly while at sea. The main entertainment provided for no additional charge were the nightly shows in the Broadway Theater. The Carousel Lounge was also available when it wasn't used for the Cirque de Soleil show, which required purchasing a ticket. Here are some shots from the shows and the theaters:

My posts include trips to the gym and using the deck walk track which were on Deck 16:

The ship provides a separate space for younger people (children) with their own gym and play spaces, some of which involve an upcharge. I didn't capture any of those pictures, however, there are multiple pools and a pair of bowling alleys for socializing.

What's left is pretty much food related. I'll break this into sections, as I don't see a way for viewers to see the labels on the pictures to help identify what is what.

First, Butcher's Cut, a specialty restaurant on Deck 7 that features steaks:

The Brass Anchor, across from the TV Studio Bar, offers more than drinks. Lunch can be had here and it is located on Deck 7 as well:

The main buffet, with two sections, is located in the aft of Deck 15:

Chocolate is very important to health (and life) for many folks, me included. The ship features a chocolatier, Chef Jean-Philippe, who had two shops, one to market chocolate confections, the other offering crepes and ice cream:

The Panorama Dining Room is one of several places for sit down dining for lunch or dinner, ordering off a menu and having waiter and bar service. I'm including pictures of courses with this batch of pictures.

Then there's dessert, which can be had in the dining rooms, the specialty restaurants, the buffet, from room service and from the shops along the promenade.

Last, but certainly not least, if I can trust the reviews passengers have left for their cruises is the station where fresh mozzarella is made (and sold) daily, as well as being used for meals:

As the Yacht Club space is exclusive, and I wouldn't have had access, I haven't included pictures or other information.