This was our fourth cruise, but our first time sailing with MSC. Having read a lot of reviews, some of which were quite negative, we decided to go with realistic expectations...so we wouldn't be disappointed or frustrated. We were excited about the itinerary, especially Ephesus, Istanbul and Dubrovnik so if our onboard experience was less than perfect, we were pretty sure we would still enjoy our week!

Embarkation was a bit slow, but we arrived quite early so we avoided the very long wait that some other passengers had.

The ship itself is stunning! The design is gorgeous--so many interesting places to explore and enjoy. The main atrium with the Swarovski staircase is glitzy and glamourous with lovely live music in the evenings. Every area of the ship was spotlessly clean. We had a balcony cabin which had attractive decor and the amount of space was comparable to other ships we've been on (Princess and Carnival Cruise lines). Read more