Cruise offers a floating escape

A trip packed with gourmet dining, beachside adventures and spa moments on the MSC Musica

- Lyse Comins

The MSC Musica's horn reverberated across the Port of Durban, declaring its departure as it gained speed, whooshing through the harbour mouth on a sticky, late summer afternoon.

The farewell cheers of the enthusiastic cruise passengers above us almost drowned out the clink of our champagne glasses as we celebrated the view from our deck 12 cabin balcony, and our freedom on the Indian Ocean for the next few days.

With a little help from a tug and marine pilot, who was swiftly air-lifted into the helicopter thwapping above, the ship broke away and powered effortlessly into the horizon.

Our destination: the pristine sands of Portuguese Island some 6798 nautical miles away in Mozambican territory. Three nights and two full days of blissful escape.

On deck 13, the 2550-passenger capacity cruise ship's pools were already bursting at the seams with rotund bodies. Drinks flowed in anticipation of the late Friday afternoon sail-away party, signalling the first night of our journey.

Weather: idyllic. Sunshine, blue skies. A gentle, cool breeze.

Leaving the sunseekers to satisfy our gnawing appetite after the champagne, my cruise companion, a local Durban blogger, and I took a walk to the Il Giardino Buffet Restaurant and Gli Archi cafeteria, to find lunch.

It was around 4pm. We had not eaten earlier as we were boarding the vessel. This was done VIP style, through the MSC Privé Lounge and the MSC Yacht Club, a breeze.

We then settled into our cabins, polishing off a bottle of complimentary French champagne.

Cruising, after all, is about sun, sea, sipping and supping in equal measure. By day, and night, passengers streamed the entertainment decks with exotic cocktails electric blue, shocking pink and icy buckets of beer to party the wee hours away, while some migrated to indoor bars for a more refined feast and entertainment.