I have recently returned from a wonderful trip from Paris to Barcelona on the MSC Fantasia!
Our hotel in Paris was the Paris Marriott Ambassador Opera Hotel which provided great views of the Eiffel Tower in the executive lounge. The hotel is close to the Opera, walking distance to Moulin Rouge, Galeries Lafayette, and the start of hop on hop off tour.
The Jules Verne Restaurant-on second floor of Eiffel Tower serves lunch and dinner. You can make reservations online only starting about 90 days prior. The food was amazing and well worth the price. Make sure you get there early since you do have to go through a security check to get on to the grounds. A private elevator takes you up to the restaurant and only six people at a time fit in the elevator.
In Barcelona, we stayed at the Cotton House Hotel, Autograph Collection by Marriott. I highly recommend this hotel: great location, service was five star, and there is a small pool and sunning deck on the top floor. You can see La Sagrada Familia from the rooftop. Definitely book a bed and breakfast rate here. We were in the Madras room that gave us a balcony with a courtyard view.
Our MSC Fantasia cruise was a 12-day Western Mediterranean itinerary in a Yacht Club Suite. This was my first experience with MSC and I was pleasantly surprised. However, we were in the Yacht Club section of the ship which has only 69 suites and TONS of amenities; private check-in area, private elevator, butler service, reserved seats on all shore excursion vehicles, private dining room (with any time dining) for Yacht Club members, etc. MSC is an Italian company and still caters to the European market. Although we met other US Citizens, we were definitely the minority. I loved the diversity. The buffet restaurant was average at best. Service was spotty and you need to get your own coffee and water. There are several bars and lounges to sit in relax, listen to music, etc. Needless to say, we kept to the Yacht Club most of the time. Top notch service, never crowded and had everything we needed. If you are considering the MSC Fantasia the Yacht Club is the only way to sail!
