We decided to do this cruise to 'test' MSC as we had heard bad things, but also good things about the ships themselves. Really glad we did! I appreciate that 2 night cruises tend to be a bit different to longer ones, in terms of atmosphere, but the issues we encountered were a much wider problem that it just being a bit of a 'booze cruise'. In fact, half the problem was trying to get a drink in the first place! So let's start there . . .

Bar service was dreadful as they were very under staffed. You had to queue up to order drinks from one person at a till (at one end of the bar) and pay, then one of the bar men would make the drinks, in amongst doing the same for seated people who were having tray service. So once you'd paid, it could take as much as 20 mins or more before you got your drink, and not really in any kind of structured order. It seemed to be pot luck and who shouted loudest! However busy it was, we never saw more than two people behind a bar making drinks at any one time, even when the bar was heaving with people and there were about 6 tray waiters taking orders - the maths just didn't add up.

We saw people queuing round the deck to get to the bar, and also people shouting at the staff and banging their fists on the bar in frustration. It was a train wreck. Added to that, because of the system - it totally ruins the 'sitting up at the bar' experience that we usually like. Getting to know the staff in your favourite bar, and having them remember your order, is all part of the fun - but instead you have an empty bar (no idea why they even bother to have bar stools!) and just a huge depressing queue at one end getting in everyone's way. Read more