Last month my wife Carol and I sailed aboard the MSC Orchestra to the ports of Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Cayo Levantado, a lovely beach island located in beautiful Samana Bay in the Dominican Republic. Our primary reason for doing so, other than the need for a relaxing week at sea, was to see how the product that MSC Cruises is currently offering compares to that of the more well-known cruise lines which have been sailing in the Caribbean for many years.

In order to gather as much information as possible I took notes throughout the cruise, we collected all daily programs and other related literature, and with two trained pairs of eyes observing as much as possible, we attempted to see and experience as much as we could. We spoke to many of our fellow passengers to get their positive and negative opinions of their cruising experience. In addition, we had numerous extremely beneficial conversations with members of the onboard staff to gain even more insight into what the cruise line has been trying to accomplish, what problems have been encountered, and how it has been going about its tasks until this time.

Our general conclusion, after a week at sea which overall was truly quite an enjoyable experience, is that MSC definitely has the potential to be an excellent cruise line. We determined that while a number of aspects of the cruise were truly exceptional there is much improvement needed in certain critical areas in order to reach the overall level of their competitors. After spending a week onboard, experiencing virtually every aspect of an MSC cruise, and returning home armed with a great deal of in-depth knowledge, we would certainly sail with them again and you will probably have a fine time as well if you choose to do so. Read more