MSC Fantasia Review

Had a great time!

Review for the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on MSC Fantasia
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franinmuc
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

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Sail Date: May 2013
Traveled with children

Decided to write something altho there have been countless reviews on MSC Fantasia already. I think a lot of times, people make comments without reflecting what they are saying. Some people are just unreasonable. When making comments here, one has to remember that there are close to 4000 people on the ship. It is impossible to satisfy 4000 people with different tastes, cultural backgrounds, expectations and upbringing. Also the crew work 9 months, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Every week a new load of passengers come on board and then they start all over again. Try doing that yourself. We (myself, husband and daughter) had a really great time on MSC Fantasia. Of course, we did not find everything perfect but I have only praise for MSC! Everyone was friendly to us, probably because we could speak 4 of the languages they used on board so there was no communication problem. English is widely spoken although most staff could say a few important words in other languages. Being an Italian-owned ship, Italian is widely used. During all announcements and shows, text was repeated in 6 languages!The room was made twice (!) a day. Towels were changed (I thought that was not very environmentally-friendly but enjoyed the fresh towels). Our attendant was constantly there waiting patiently for the guests to leave their rooms so that he could clean them.Check-in, check-out, tours and all events involving the whole ship were very well managed. To get 4000 people to do what you want is an organizational feat. We never had to wait long. Buses were always waiting whenever we docked.Yes, I did not find the stuff sold in the shops on board attractive. I would have preferred some down-to-earth stuff instead of branded items. I also found the spa services quite expensive in comparison to what I am used to. Well, I saved some money.Food was very good. Yes, once or twice it was not piping hot but hey, these guys are cooking for 4000 people. The food tasted better than some hotel banquets I've attended. In the buffet restaurant, sadly the passengers behaved like animals and it was always full. There were staff always clearing away plates and cleaning the table and behind the food counters, they were constantly replenishing food and cleaning. I would be stressed if I had to work there and I don't blame the staff for sometimes giving up. Elsewhere in other restaurants, it was much nicer and we had good service.Prices of drinks was reasonable. Not more than what we pay in Germany.Shore excursions were expensive so we explored on our own. It is possible to do everything on your own. We did and saved tons of money. Of course, if you have mobility problems, I would highly recommend doing the tours. Also, you do get a wealth of info from the tour guides but we weren't interested in that.Entertainment was good. The quality was not fantastic for my tastes but it was good. There is something for everybody including little kids.All in all, we really had a great time even though we did not partake in all the activities. I personally felt the ship was too large. You are held captive for 7 days with all kinds of people, some ill-behaved. What can you do? If this is not your cup of tea, go for a smaller ship next time. MSC Fantasia is a party-ship and they do live up to it.

Cabin Review

Cabin 10

I was a little disappointed with this cabin because the balcony did not have a see-through wall. It was covered and I did not know this when booking the cabin. Therefore, we could not lie on our bed and look out to sea. :(

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