Cruises to Mozambique from Durban

2013-08-30 Rating 5/5 : In February 2012, my family and I (12 people) embarked on a cruise on the Sinfonia. The heat and the humidity was challenging and our sun tan lotion was packed. After checking in we lounged in the reception waiting to embark. When the time came we entered the Sinfonia where the cool air welcomed us. We went to our cabins to freshen up and went on deck to watch the ship leave the harbor. We made our last telephone calls and updated our statuses before we lost communication with the outside world. Then we were off with the sound of horns. The next 4 days was total bliss. What can I say about the food. It was to die for. There was no thinking about the calories and kilograms, we left it behind in Durban. We had dinner with the Captain, all dressed up. The next morning we did some sightseeing and shopping in Maputo. The market was abuzz with people and the heat did not help. It was a relief to get back on the ship as it was so cool inside. The only disappointing thing was that we could not go to Inhambane due to the weather and spent the night drifting on the sea. The last night on the ship was the best. The chefs outdid themselves with the display of all kinds of food. WOW it was awesome. We danced until the sun came up. Then it was back to reality. It was truly an experience in a million, one I will never forget. I rekindled my passion and love for travel and cannot wait for my next cruise on the Opera. The service of all the staff was great and they were all so helpful. Thank you MSC Cruises Antonia

2013-08-02 Rating 5/5 : We went on the MSC Sinfonia to Portuguese Island & Barra Lodge & the trip was the best. I am going back in December on a cruise to Madagascar.  On the scale of 1 - 5, I give it a 5!  I am actually giving it a 10 hence I am going back in December! It was an experience of a life timeHope Maranyana

2013-06-11 Rating 5/5 : We went on the MSC Sinfonia and it was amazing. We did the cruise from Durban, Maputo, Barra Lodge and a day out at sea. It was a 4 night cruise and it was awesome.

I'm the type of person who enjoys good food as that maketh the holiday. Well didn't I have the surprise of my life. There was good food, good entertainment, sun, laughter, shows, you name it the ship had it. We went as a small group of six but are planning a much bigger trip in April 2014 and want to do the cruise from Durban to Cape Town as quite a few of the people coming haven't seen it yet. I have never experienced such value for money. The ship crew were absolutely amazing and entertaining. We were also lucky enough to see them off the ship at Gateway and even though they didn't have to they were still cool and took photos with us. There is nothing better than a cruise and its absolutely amazing when you go with friends and family and enjoy all there is to see. Roll on 2014. Can't wait to get on the Sinfonia again. Based on the splendour (sorry cant think of another word), the size of the ship, the crew, the FOOD, the entertainment.........I definitely rate it a 5. There was not a single bad experience on the ship. Even the bad was a good. My mother who is allergic to prawns didn't see the sign and ate some seafood salad. The doctor was absolutely amazing so amazing I told my mum that I wouldn't mind him being my dad. He was attentive, efficient and even had after care as he checked up on my mum the next day to make sure she was ok. Nemchem Bulawayo

Durban to Inhambane Cruise

2013-04-08. Rating 5/5 :It appeared to be what we would call a "Blue Monday"… On a dark cold Monday morning, the 8th April 2013, we embarked on a journey never to be forgotten. We had rushed to Cape Town International airport with anticipation and excitement. We had our baggage bubble wrapped, and zipped through Wimpy for breakfast on-the-go.

Mango flight to Durban

We boarded the Mango flight with absolute ease, until we had realised that this flight was going to be delayed. About a half an hour of anxious waiting for take-off, the pilot announced that they had counted 3 bags too many for the flight. We were told to climb off the plane and identify our baggage. Upon this tedious exercise we were informed that a passenger on the flight had entered the wrong plane. He was supposed to be on a British Airways flight. After this spectacle, and many distressed passengers later we took off into the Cape Town skies to soar into the horizon of the Durban landscapes.

Landing at King Shaka International Airport was both exhilarating and interesting. We received our baggage only to find that one of the suitcases had been badly damaged. At the Mango Baggage Assistance unit we were told that the claim could only be sorted out once we got back to Cape Town. Full of fury and disappointment we decided to continue our journey with an 18kg suitcase which had to be carried as the wheels were not functional and the casing had been cracked.

Getting to Durban harbour

From King Shaka International Airport we were transported by the MSC coaches to the Durban harbour. The drive to the harbour only increased the excitement, for this meant we were closer to the cruise; however we were not aware of the magical awakening which awaited us.

As we entered the port, the excitement exploded as we viewed the magnificent blue and white beauty stood parading her hierarchical structure…the MSC Sinfonia!

Once we followed all formalities, we embarked onto the majestically awed palace which would be our home for the next 4 days. With swift movements we sorted out our belongings and began exploring this amazing palace. Hearts beating faster and senses heightened we explored each level, each crevice and admired the inner exquisiteness of the MSC Sinfonia.

Leaving the harbour was a feeling never to be forgotten, for it was the feeling of this magnificent palace sweeping into the ocean with ease and grace and not forgetting the applauding of all on board whilst the horn of the ship roared into the silence of the sky.

As we set sail to the shore of Mozambique, we were kept entertained with humour, music and beauty which surrounded us. The excitement was unrelenting… As dawn appeared on the 9th April 2013, the shores of Maputo, Mozambique appeared in the horizon. People gathered on the highest decks to view the beauty which surrounded us, and we as the usual tourists, gathered amongst all to click away on our cameras, with the hope to capture all the beauty our eyes had beheld.

The Maputo city tour was interesting and informative. We had a friendly tour guide and a delightful tour group. We viewed many landmarks and learnt about the history of the city. We had the pleasure to shop at a curio market; this was both interesting and exhilarating.

I had learnt that I could "actually" bargain and with my newly acquired bargaining skills bought some curios as gifts for the family back home. Lunch at the harbour only meant a spread of prawns, consumed while overlooking the waves of the Mozambique waters crashing against the rocks.

Each evening on-board the MSC Sinfonia, our palace home…we were entertained in a theatre of dreams – watching shows with dances, opera, magical shows and lots of laughter. We even learnt the dances of the countries of the world in a hilarious and comical way. I had finally "let-go" and felt a relaxation which I would not have felt usually. Being totally obsessed with my cellphone, I was forced to let go due to no network coverage. This was both shocking as well as calming as I was able to have fun in a safe, secure and soothing environment. This was a comforting epiphany.

Wednesday, the 10th April 2013, entailed a day filled with exploration and adventure. Anchored in Inhambane Bay, we ventured out covered with the orange glare of a life jacket into a motor boat with only the deep blue ocean surrounding us. The speed of the motor boat allowed us to view the ship as a lesser significance as we convened a "wet-landing" on the warm shores of Inhambane Bay. The sun scorched and the tropical heat of these shores welcomed us as we entered onto the warm sand beds. We had booked 2 excursions, namely a snorkelling with seahorses experience as well as quad biking, only to find disappointment knocking at our door. We were told that the snorkelling with seahorses was overbooked and therefore we were taken off the list as we had another pre-booked excursion. Disappointment overwhelming, a feeling of helplessness and bit of wanting to complain to someone remained for a short while before deciding to explore the beauty of our surroundings together. This trip was OUR trip and nothing would get us down…besides we still had the quad biking on the list of "to-do".

Soon our exploration had commenced and the overwhelming bliss of appreciating nature had taken over. We walked many kilometres, from Barra Lodge to Flamingo Bay. (In fact we still debate how many kilometres we had walked that day). We inspected crabs, starfish, octopus and sea snail which we videoed in the Flamingo Bay lagoon. As nature lovers and people who appreciate the beauty of the ocean and its inhabitants, we were in absolute euphoria. With increased jubilation, we decided to swim in the cool blue waters of the shores of Inhambane Bay. Lunch followed with a quite interesting concept…Prawn in a Mug! Delicious lemon buttered prawns and calamari with a spread of rice filled us for the day as we still had much to do…and off we went to the quad bikes.

Riaaz experienced his first quad bike experience, gracing the dunes of the Bay. We raced passed the villages up to a forestation to view the entire bay. My heart was racing, faster than a cheetah; however this experience was adventurous with the aim of enjoyment. Totally worth the wait! We definitely explored all the beauty of Inhambane Bay – a beautiful, island-like city. Exhausted but fulfilled from the activities of the day, we continued back to the ship for more on-board activities.

Day 4, the 11th April 2013 – the MSC Sinfonia set sail back towards Durban in rough seas. The graceful ocean had turned into dark blue resentful seas. Resentful, as we felt this jubilee coming to an end as the trip would soon be yet a memory. I had a bit of motion sickness but it soon was overcome once I explored the decks to view the beauty of the swells crashing against the ship. This was not going to let us down as we continued with our ventures of magic shows, musicals and a roar of laughter from a talentless show where the crew performs and ensure the humour has been embedded.

12th April 2013, our final morning consisted of an early awakening before sunrise. We sat drinking coffee on the 12th deck of our palace for the last time, to view the MSC Sinfonia dock in the Durban harbour. A sadness overcame us as we accepted that this remarkable trip was coming to an end, but never to be forgotten. We had met exceptional people, made lasting friendships and learnt things about ourselves which will remain for an eternity.

Ushaka Marine World

However – this is not the end, we still had planned a day at Ushaka Marine World as vacationers; concluding a holiday in true South African style. The day began at the Wet n' Wild theme park experiencing the thrill of heightened slides and tubes as water splashed around us. However this was not the epitome of the day. We had booked a snorkel adventure in the snorkelling lagoon and the I&J Ocean Walker Experience… The snorkel lagoon held many surprises for us…for was we snorkelled we found that the tank was 3 metres deep. I was not at all experienced and ready for this so I snorkelled at the reef where I could feel safe as Riaaz ventured out into the deep viewing the beauty of colourful fish and coral with the exhilarating experience of a shark just a length away from his hand. Excitement oozing and a health "high" created eagerness for our next adventure. As we completed indemnity forms for the I&J Ocean Walker experience we were informed that decompression would be a factor as we were flying in the next 5 hours. Once again disappointment overcame us. The supervisor of the experience however exceed our expectations by allowing us to experience the
Shark Cage diving experience at a reduced rate. We were beyond words as we dived into a cage which was situated in a tank filled with vicious predators of the sea. We also had the great opportunity to view the magnificent and graceful dolphins at the dolphin show. These extraordinary mammals left us in awe of their intelligence and beauty.

Our first holiday was truly one of many which will never be forgotten. The main lesson which we had learnt was that we never allowed any obstacles to come our way. Even though disappointments were felt, we triumphed through other experiences which were not anticipated. The lesson is that even though many things might go wrong we realised that there is a reason for all things that happen and in the end we had a choice to either be the victim or the victor…and as the reader of our journey, as you experienced this through our eyes and words, in the end it is up to you to decide which one we chose…

From Nisha and Riaaz –
"No beauty can capture what the eyes can see…but the memories will live on forever in our hearts…"

Back to Top