Introduction

Full Transcript

Intro

Hello and welcome aboard the TSJ CruisePod - your journey beyond the waves.

I’m Thomas Sebastian Jensen, and this is the official podcast of the TSJ CruiseBlog.

Whether you’re listening from home, on the road, or maybe even from a balcony cabin somewhere at sea - I’m really glad you’re here.

In this episode, we’re setting sail on a brand-new adventure: the World Cruise 2025 aboard the MSC Magnifica.

We’ll take a look at how this journey began, get to know the ship, and travel from Germany to Genoa - where it all starts.

Part 1 - How it all started

Not long after returning from my first world cruise in 2023… the idea came up: What if we did it again?

My parents started looking into the 2025 world cruise… and the itinerary immediately caught my attention.

Australia. New Zealand. South America. Easter Island. Tahiti.

So many destinations I had never been to before.

And honestly… I didn’t need much convincing.

The only real question was whether I could make it work again - another four months away.

Luckily, everything fell into place. I got the green light… and the booking was done.

But as with many travel plans… things didn’t stay exactly the same.

In the summer of 2024, MSC adjusted the itinerary. Instead of sailing through the Suez Canal, the route changed to go around Africa.

And for us… that was actually a bonus.

Because it meant adding completely new destinations like Cape Town and Dakar.

Places we hadn’t explored before.

And that’s exactly what makes this journey so exciting.

Part 2 - The Ship: MSC Magnifica

Before we start exploring all these destinations… let’s talk about the ship itself.

Because for four months… this wasn’t just transportation.

It was home.

The MSC Magnifica is part of the Musica Class, alongside ships like the MSC Poesia - which I had already sailed on before.

So from the very beginning… there was a sense of familiarity.

The ship was launched in 2010 and christened by Sophia Loren - a bit of cruise history right there.

She’s about 294 meters long, with 16 decks… and offers everything you’d expect for a journey of this scale.

Multiple restaurants… a large buffet… bars, lounges, a theater, a casino… And one feature I really appreciated: A covered pool area.

Which means you can swim even when the weather isn’t perfect.

On a world cruise, that’s actually a big advantage.

With around 2,200 guests on board, things could get busy at times - especially in the buffet.

Finding a table sometimes required a bit of patience.

But overall, everything was very well organized.

Food was available almost all day… drinks were included during meals… and if you wanted more, there were beverage packages.

There were also plenty of options to stay active - including a tennis court that could also be used for football or basketball.

And because of the long distances between ports the ship was often sailing at full speed - around 21 knots.

Always moving. Always heading somewhere new.

Part 3 - Getting to Genoa

But before we could step on board… we had to get there first.

And this time, we had to organize everything ourselves.

We started our journey in Kiel, together with my parents.

But unlike our previous world cruise… we came prepared.

We arranged for most of our luggage to be sent directly to the ship.

Which made traveling so much easier.

From Kiel, we took a shuttle bus to Hamburg Airport. Everything went smoothly - no delays, no bad weather.

Since we still had quite a bit of hand luggage, we decided to fly Business Class to Milan.

Which also gave us access to the lounge - a nice, relaxed start to the journey.

But then… things got a little unusual.

The plane we boarded was painted in black and yellow - the team aircraft of Borussia Dortmund.

And before takeoff, the cabin lights kept going off… and on again.

Not exactly reassuring.

The captain later explained there were issues with the power supply… and the aircraft had to be powered externally.

A slightly strange situation… but in the end, everything worked out, and we arrived safely in Milan.

From there, we took a bus to Milan Central Station… checked into a hotel… and got some rest.

The next morning, we had a bit of time to explore the city.

We took a sightseeing bus… saw the famous cathedral… and passed by La Scala.

And then it was time to continue to Genoa.

The train ride itself was easy… but arriving with luggage turned into a bit of a workout.

The escalator wasn’t working in our direction… so we had to carry everything up the stairs.

Not ideal… but manageable.

We stayed in a small apartment in Genoa… explored the harbor… and even had a completely unexpected reunion with a crew member from our previous world cruise.

Moments like that really make a trip feel special.

And slowly… you could feel it:

The excitement building.

Because the journey was about to begin.

Part 4 - Embarkation Day

And then… embarkation day finally arrived.

We dropped off our luggage at the port… went through the terminal… and completed all the necessary checks.

Passports, documents, photos - everything was ready.

This time, instead of receiving a cruise card right away, we were given a QR code.

A small change… but an interesting one.

And then…

After the final security check…

There she was.

The MSC Magnifica.

Seeing the ship for the first time… that’s always a special moment.

Stepping on board felt instantly familiar.

We went straight to our cabins… dropped off our hand luggage… and then, of course…

Headed to the buffet.

And that’s where something really special happened.

We met crew members from the 2023 world cruise again - and they actually remembered us.

After two years.

That was something I didn’t expect.

The Journey Begins

Later that day, we unpacked… settled into our cabins… and attended the safety drill.

And in the evening…

We sat down for dinner at our assigned table.

Table 643.

A place that would become very meaningful over the next four months.

And while we were enjoying our first dinner…

The ship slowly left the port of Genoa.

Setting course for Marseille.

And just like that…

The world cruise had begun.

Outro

And this is just the beginning.

In the next episode, we’ll explore our first three destinations of this incredible journey.

So make sure to join me again… as we continue traveling around the world - one port at a time.

Until then: thanks for listening, fair winds, and I’ll see you beyond the waves.