This was our 4th cruise, and our 3rd in the Mediterranean; we are two mid-30's Americans who live in Switzerland. It was also our first (and last) on MSC Cruise Lines. If everything was executed perfectly, the cruise only had the potential to be mediocre – but time-after-time the staff either made mistakes or were simply rude in a way that really ruined the experience.
The issues started even before we boarded. I tried to purchase an add-on to my cruise by contacting my travel agent, who suggested I contact MSC directly. MSC's US based call center said that they could not take a payment from me, and when I asked to talk to a manager, I was told, "my manager won't want to talk to you about this, it's the rule." Then she suggested that I was trying to get her fired. Not a good start.
Embarkation:
The cabin was actually a pleasant surprise; it was very spacious with a lot of storage (we were in an outside cabin on deck 5.) The bed was comfortable, and the bathroom was clean enough for an older ship. The cabin steward stayed out of our way, and always did will cleaning the room. Our big problem in cabin 5073 was that every morning at 6:00-6:15 and again at 8:00-8:15 a lot of banging occurred directly under our room. We noticed upon returning to the ship one day that there were large carts under our room, and that this was probably the problem. We were awoken every morning!
Loved it. Had an incredible tour with a company called Sea Saffron - absolutely worth the cost!
Decent port. Did a free walking tour that was a bit slow due to so many people
Great experience on a private tour of the city!
Surprisingly nice. Great Segway Tour with 21 Jump Tours. Cost was 40 Euros for 2 hours, and we went nearly 3! Lots of fun, and a great way to see the sights.