A Cabin Worth Waiting For

Location: Marseille, France.

Summary: A tired day spent on board: poor sleep, a frustrating wait for a cabin change, good meals, new company, and finally an unexpected upgrade to a huge balcony cabin, ending the night with peace at last.

A quiet day on board the MSC Lirica

I spent today on board the MSC Lirica, resting and trying to catch up on sleep. After finally drifting off around 03:00, I was awake again by 05:00. I waited until 07:30 before heading to a waiter‑service restaurant for breakfast. I ordered waffles with fruit and syrup, but they were tiny, cold, and did nothing to improve my mood. The cooked breakfast, however, was excellent: bacon, sausage links, mushrooms, grilled tomato, hash browns, and beans, all washed down with two coffees and a plate of sliced fruit.

Feeling fed and slightly more human, though still exhausted, I went back to reception to ask again about moving cabins. My complaint was noted again, but I was told I’d have to wait until evening. I returned to my cabin and managed an hour’s sleep before being woken again by workers shifting laundry baskets. I showered and went to one of the bars for a tea. Having already visited Marseille on my last cruise, and with a tour booked for Barcelona tomorrow, I decided to rest my legs and stay on board. I spotted some people from Los Alcázares and joined them. The American tea was pleasant, if a bit cold, unlike the Long Island Iced Tea, which was full of ice and very tasty.

Lunch & a Finnish Shipbuilder

At noon, I left my friends and went for lunch. I was seated with a friendly man from Finland. I had sweetcorn soup followed by the smallest piece of fish I’ve ever seen, monkfish, apparently. If monkfish had feet, I must have been given its little toe. Dessert was a beautiful brioche cake filled with vanilla cream. My companion told me he lives in a Finnish town where many of the world’s largest cruise ships are built, including the Costa Toscana, which I sailed on last year.

After lunch, I returned to my cabin, hoping for a note about a room change. Nothing. I went to the Beverly Hills bar for a pint and to write up my trip. Strangely, there was no entertainment on board until the evening, and most bars were closed until 17:00. I hadn’t expected to be at a loss for something to do on a cruise ship.

Dinner with New Friends

On my way to dinner, I stopped at the service desk again to ask about the cabin move. I was told to return later. For dinner, I joined a group of English‑speaking solo travellers: Helen, the Scottish lady I’d met on the first morning; Jean, an elderly lady; Shaw, an Iranian man; and Brian, an Englishman now living in Alicante. I had frog legs to start, beef for my main course, and limoncello cake for dessert.

A Much‑Needed Upgrade

After dinner, I returned to the service desk. This time, they told me they had found a cabin and asked me to wait. Ten minutes later, I was taken to view it. The new cabin was on deck 10, two floors above my current room, and it was enormous, at least twice the size. It had a separate seating area, a large‑screen TV, and floor‑to‑ceiling sliding doors leading to a balcony. The bathroom was significantly larger, with a full‑size bath and a shower rather than a curtained cubicle.

I asked if it was the correct room, explaining that my original cabin was a small, inside room. The man confirmed it was. Back at reception, the lady told me there was no extra charge; it was simply a room change. I was very glad I’d stayed polite all day. She offered help with my luggage, but I said I could manage.

I packed my suitcase, moved to the new room, unpacked, and returned the old key. Only then did I notice I’d sliced my finger on something during the move and twisted my ankle in the rush. I had to get a plaster from the service desk because blood kept dripping onto the counter.

A Peaceful End to the Day

With the move complete, I went for a pint and chatted with Helen for a while. Later, I joined Kaz, Jayne, Darren, Rob, John, and Adam in the Lord Nelson bar. At 22:00, they headed to the casino, and I went to my new room. I pulled open the curtains, climbed into bed, and quickly fell asleep to the soothing sound of wind and waves against the ship’s side.