Balcony

Suite

Inside

Outside

MSC Cruises

Barcelona

Genoa

Rome (Civitavecchia)

Marseille

Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)

Naples

Cannes

Santos (Sao Paulo)

Taormina (Messina)

Malta (Valletta)

Malaga

Rio de Janeiro

Europe - All

Mediterranean

Europe - Western Mediterranean

Spain

France

Italy

South America

Canary Islands

Transatlantic

Brazil

Europe - British Isles & Western

Caribbean - All

Caribbean - Eastern

Caribbean - Southern

Europe River

Portugal

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Douro River

Excellent

Very Good

Average

Poor

Terrible

MSC Fantasia

MSC Meraviglia

MSC Splendida

MSC Seaview

MSC Bellissima

MSC Grandiosa

MSC Orchestra

MSC Preziosa

MSC World Europa

MSC Poesia

MSC Divina

MSC Sinfonia

MSC Magnifica

MSC Opera

MSC Seaside

MSC Virtuosa

MSC Seashore

MSC Seascape

MSC Euribia

Smoking!

Ketchikan

This was our second  cruise with msc. Once again I cannot fault them. Everything was amazing from the food to the price of the cruise. The staff are so friendly and so helpful. A very special praise to Noman from the bar service. He just went above and beyond for us. We ate in the sliver dolphin our waiters Mark and Gerldine were lovely. Full of knowledge from wine to the food.

The food was delicious and such a great choice. The buffet also was fabulous again there is a great selection. The shows in the evening where excellent. And the live music in Havena  club evey night was a great way to end the evening. We had a balcony cabin it was spotless clean which was the rest of the ship. Getting on and off the ship was flawless even security where friendly and helpful. We will not cruise with anyone else.

Excellent 

I chose this cruise because of the relatively low single supplement, its date of sailing and, in particular, the interesting cities it was visiting.  I was disappointed with the way MSC cancelled the two excursions I had booked to see two of the cities.

There is plenty to praise about the ship.  I particularly appreciated the space in the public areas despite the large number of guests on board; and the service with a smile in the two dining rooms.  There were many children on board and it was a pleasure to see them playing in the themed pools. Most activities organised on board were fitness related. 

However:

My cabin on first embarking was dirty, presumably it had not been used for a long time. It was dusty and need a good vacuuming.  My complaint was remedied within a few hours and I was kindly compensated for the inconvenience it had caused me.

Far more disappointing was the cancellation of both the excursions I had pre-booked a few weeks prior to sailing.  Cancellation was made only a day or two beforehand, ie when I was already on board. In particular, the excursion advertised to end at the airport on my last morning was cancelled with two day's notice.  That left me to find my own way to the airport - not easily organised from the ship. The excursion desk had no knowledge of any of the ports we visited outside of the blurb in the excursion brochure and was unable to help with any simple queries.  Although MSC advertised as stopping in Marseilles the ship docked some distance from the city and then charged for the shuttle bus into town.  The moral of this story is DON'T TRUST MSC's excursion programme and if you do book one in advance then ensure you have a back-up alternative at the ready.  That is my strongest criticism.

The free coffee available in the buffet brought back memories of good old British Rail.  The Brits reading this will understand!

Excursions let down.

Family with 2 kids (10+12), Fantastica cabin category.

The ship had only 50% utilization, but the buffet-restaurants were absolut full! 

Too many people, bad service, food was below average.

Dinner was nice, food was ok, on the service-managment they could also work more!

We expected much more than this for the price…

Embarkation was well done organized: from arriving to arriving the ship around 45 minutes.

Due to assigned embarkation times, just 15 minutes standing in line for paper pre-check.

After hand in suitcases, just 5 minutes until the obligatory covid-test in small groups (8-10 people).

While waiting for the test result, the check-in was completed with the personal photos for the cruise card, pre-covid-test check, ID card control, etc.

Again 5 minutes later we was directed to the ship in our small group - that's it!

Beside the MSC Seaview, the Voyager of the Seas was also embarked and a really huge line was waiting!

Other type of organisation?

Excursion were ok, the excursion-package booked in advance had a very fair price, 3 excursion for 130,-€, children cheaper.

Huge ship, filled about 50%, breakfast & lunch below average, dinner ok

Already at home after 2 years of cancellations and changes of ships and itineraries, finally I was able to cruise the western Mediterranean again, this time on the MSC Seaview, and finally enjoy a few days in Barcelona. It was not the ship initially planned, but I had a very good impression of the Seaview, better than I expected. It is a big ship, but full of nooks and crannies, so everyone can find what they are looking for. Families with children will find the water park with heated water (with 3 giant slides), the children's clubs, the main pool on deck 16. For those looking for more tranquility, like me, the indoor heated pool on deck 18 or the spectacular aft pool on deck 7, or any solarium area on the upper decks. There are two buffet restaurants, one on deck 16, next to the main pool, and the other on deck 8 with plenty of tables in the area that runs along the sides of the ship (the waterfront boardwalk is definitely one of the best places). Another charming place is the atrium space that is four decks high, surrounded by bars, and with views to the outside on the sides and with lots of natural light, where there is live music every night (the white night is back again). In the theater there are shows every day at various times, mostly a variety of musicals and X-Factor type skills performances (all acceptable, although I'm sure the jury would give them a no). There is no lack of a good gym and a thermal SPA area. Covid measures were still in place (such as masks in indoor areas, except for bars and restaurants, chairs in bar areas that must be left free), and reservations are required for theater shows (which had reduced seating).

If you have the budget for a balcony cabin in the Aurea experience, I suggest you consider upgrading to an inside cabin in the Yacht Club for almost the same price. You will gain many perks (premium beverage package throughout the ship, unlimited WiFi, access to the thermal SPA area, minibar, Nespresso coffee machine, ....), and although you will lose the private balcony you will gain access to the bow area of the ship (terrace over the bridge, deck 19 with pool and 2 jacuzzis), and of course the Top Sail Lounge and the YC Restaurant.

Without hesitation I would repeat in this ship, or in her sister Seaside (in the new Seashore or Seaescape is lost the use of the waterfront broadwalk for the buffet, which is moved to a single one on deck 16, and aft of deck 8 is now for the specialty restaurants).

I hope you find the info useful and if you have any questions about the scales or other topics let me know.

MSC Seaview, nice surprise

Initially cruise seemed to be a very good deal, 21nights from Barcelona but as soon as we landed at Barcelona the chaos commenced, MSC staff greeted us but there were no buses to transport us to the port, waited over a hour with no explanation offered. On arrival on MSC SEAVIEW we somehow managed to get our cruise pass without taking a mandatory  covid test, once we pointed this out we were hurriedly taken for this test. We were left to board and find our own cabin without any assistance from crew which was totally different from the guests who boarded in the Caribbean, it was noted that these guests were photographed by the specialist photographers, given a ships tour and shown to there cabins. Ship is very beautiful but therefore several problems which included featured attractions not operable, zip wire never worked, bowling alley defective, only 1 Lane open when staff could be bothered, sports bar entertainment TV football could not be shown many many times, message on TV screen read, subscription required, on complaining several times were informed that the signal was poor, we paid £180 each for Internet for 21 nights which was once again very poor and not worth the money paid. Reception staff were not interested in any problem and pretended that they could not understand or fob you off with any excuse. Food in all standard restaurants and buffet were poor quality. Entertainment was terrible, not worth listening or watching. Lots of problems with the itinerary due to covid which was not MSC fault but the result was instead of the proposed 7 nights out of 21at sea we had 11 nights at sea. There was a noticeable atmosphere on board when guests boarded from the Caribbean with bunting being hung along the length of the ship and facilities being opened.Good points were the beauty of the ship, the staff within the bars and restaurants, most of them were amazing and very helpful but some of them obviously needed more training or trained. I have cruised several times to my immense enjoyment but this was my partners first cruise and it has put her off cruising and does not want to go on another cruise due to her experience on MSC Seaview.

Horrendous Cruise 

Well after 73 cruises I can finally say never again on MSC.

My pros were : Embarkation in Barcelona and disembarkation in Barcelona

Our wait staff in main dining room (I use the term dining room loosely) 

Our cabin steward was good.

Ship was beautiful.

Our cabin was ok too, although closet placement was a poor design.

Cons: Generally unfriendly staff on board (language problem?)

Lifts (Elevators) slow and very crowded.

Daily embark and debarkation, kind of like a  local bus.

We booked early dining but were assigned late dining, got it changed and was put into a , for lack of better words a SUB dining room. More like a warehouse, no décor at all.

Daily activities were abysmal probably due to daily ports.

NOW the food, I had read in previous reviews that the food was not good to just plain bad. I found them to be true, again after 73 cruises I feel somewhat qualified to judge the food. Also this is the only cruise my wife and I lost weight on.

Main dining was usually cold or luke warm at its best. The buffet was only slightly better, but there you had to survive the rudeness of most of the southern European passengers.

We have traveled in Europe for years and have never been faced with the rudeness we saw on this ship.

As a travel advisor I will not recommend this line to my American or Canadian clients as I know the disappointment they will have.

Not my kinda cruise

My husband and I had a good time on the cruise. We went to 4 theater shows, all very good. The performers were all quite professional. We also went dancing, learnt a bit of waltz and rumba, it was fun. The only problem was the dance classes did not follow the printed schedule, so we had to wait for over 30 minutes for one of the classes. We ate at the main dining room, food was ok. Staff were all pleasant and helpful. Our room was roomy and clean. Nice view from the balcony.

We had 2 excursions from the cruise. On the first excursion, we were put on the Spanish/French bus by mistake - if you join excursions from the cruise, make sure you check the sign on the front of the bus which tells you what languages they will use. For the second excursion, it was difficult to hear the tour guide - a bus load of people following one guide. The guide did have a microphone with an amplifier, but it would be much better if we each have a headset.

An enjoyable time

Ship!  10/10

Stunning, huge, completed 2018, identical to MSC Seaside

LED lights, mirrors, chrome, glass walkways, crystal staircases, ultra glamorous, a real assault on the senses!

Cabin, 9/10!

Balcony, deck 10, nice modern neutral decor, comfy bed, large comfy sofa that doubes up into bunkbed if required.

Fridge with minibar, Large mirrors, nice paintings/art.

Double glazing, multiple lamps

Tiny shower, also likely to bump your head when on the toilet, as the sink is very close!

Handy button to press when you want your room cleaned/do not disturb (as opposed to the sign you hang on the outside of the door)

No obstructions on balcony, one of the very few ships anywhere that offers unobstructed views, as the lifeboats are hidden under deck 8 walkways

Food 9/10

2 buffets, large one on deck 8, with outdoor seating, smaller on one deck 16, also with stunning views

Always a choice for everyone, although breakfast is slightly repetitive, but does the job, usually only warm as opposed to hot

Coffee from dispenser is warm, so better off pressing the handy button on the tables, and someone will be over to serve you something 'better' from the menu (Chargeable, or covered in drinks packages)

Main Dining Room (MDR) was ok, decor and service excellent, extensive wine list

Specialty dining was superb, we *Myself and 'her') bought all 3 , butchers cut, Ocean Cay, and Asian Fusion, for £75 pp, for all 3, as opposed to £49pp for one restaurant only

The fillet mignon steak was to die for!

Special thanks to Roman, and a Zimbabwean gent whose name i wish i could remember, for making Butchers Cut a true 5* fine ding experience!

Superb views from deck 16 too, all 3 of these specialty restaurants were on 16!

Drinks, 9/10

We bought premium drinks package, from travel agent beforehand, aprrox £252 pp for 7 days, and believe me, we got good value from this. Not just booze, but bottled water and specialty coffees included (Seaside lounge was best for these!)

If you like a drink, don't bother with 'easy package', upgrade to premium, easy only covers drinks up to 6 euro per glass, and doesn't cover bottled water, which is only 3 euros per litre, go figure!)

Easy package will get you VERY basic drinks, like heineken beer, rum and coke, 1 or 2 white, rose or red wine!

Staff will try and sell you drinks and dining packages the moment you set foot on the ship, so far easier to say you already have them, as opposed to trying to convince them you don't need them!

Packages are cheaper to buy online before you cruise, as on board they will add 15% 'gratuity'

The speciality coffees in the seaside lounge, the 'melon killer' in the sports bar, and literally any drink in the seaview bar, were all to die for!

TECH 8/10

Download the 'MSC for me' app, for your phone, its very useful, and you can stay in contact/message your friends /family, whilst on board, for no charge, even when out at sea

You can buy MSC wristbands for 5 euro, that act as your MSC card, but we didn't bother, the SeaCards were fine.  Use them to pay/swipe, and open your cabin door

Don't bother with Wifi, because paying 100 euro so that MSC can give you a password to a slow Wifi service, really isn't on!

Useful 'clean/do not disturb' button inside cabin, a light will show on the outside, so the cabin steward knows what to do!

Multiple interactive ship touchscreens, similar to the MSC for me app, to plan your day/week, and to register debit/credit cards, if you intend to buy stuff/excursions!

EXCURSIONS    N/A

For us, the ship itself was the destination, the ports of  call were all bonuses

MSC will rip you off, as you may expect, if you book excursions through them.

If you want to visit any of the ports, better off booking independently , and do your research!

If you are late back, the ship is not obliged to wait for you, if you haven't booked through MSC!

The port of Cannes was a 'tender boat' port, the ship anchors a mile out to sea, and uses its own smaller boats to take people to shore. Fabulous opportunity to take unhindered shots of the ship, from water level!

We had no real interest in anyone giving us the accepted version of history of places like rome, the vatican etc.  More for the views from the ship, than anything else!

ENTERTAINMENT

Multiple pools, waterslides, including an indoor one (jungle pool) with retractable roof

Lego play area, plenty for kids to do, but i would avoid school holidays like the plague!

Went to 2 theatre shows, suprisingly good!

A Tina Turner tribute, and another with a heavy 'Greatest showman' influence, which was excellent!

If you can live with lots of italians, smoking, wearing tracksuits, not queueing, not washing their hands, etc, then you will love the itinerary. 

La Spezia, Genoa, Civitavecchia, a very italian intensive itinerary.  Though the sailaway from Barcelona was epic, and the views of Palma, Majorca, and La Spezia, were truly memorable!

Always book through a Travel agent (TA), if you pay around £800pp for balcony cabin, with flights, transfers, and hold luggage included, you will have done well!

Would go again for the ship alone, but maybe earlier in the year, when its slightly warmer

MSC tend to shut the outdoor areas and rear panoramic lifts, with only the slightest bit of wind, which was annoying

There was a delay getting off in the tenderboats in Cannes, MSC said this was 'done to bad weather', which was a pathetic lie, the weather was perfect. Shame on you MSC, we could all see the weather was fine, cut out the bullshit!  Organise things better!

Stunning ship, west Med itinerary, balcony

The ship is beautiful but foods, both in restaurant and buffet, are terrible. Food in restaurant is far from enough and I had to eat again in buffet. Food quality, both in restaurant and buffet are far from tasty. We were originally arranged sitting in Silver Dolphin restaurant same table with strangers while many tables are still not occupied. 

Excursions are professional organized. We were charged twice for a shore excursion and had to deal with the excursion staff in last minute before disembarkation. One of itinerary destinations cancelled due to poor weather but we didn't get any compensation. All passengers attended the shore excursion in Florence got badly wet due to pouring rain and I got cold second day.

Cabin service is bad. Bed sheets and towels in our cabin never got changed for 7 nights. We couldn't have a good sleep for all nights because vibrating from beds and noise from balcony door.

Terrible Food, Poor Organization of Excursions, Etc

The ship is a wonderful modern ship with fantastic features, but the staff let it down with their priorities being maintaining the areas where they work forgetting the customers. The food quality is not what I expect from a ship of this size and quality/cost of cruise. The speciality restaurants are extremely expensive. We have been cruising for over 16 years with various cruise lines (some budget ones) and this was the worst we have experienced. The ship is extremely noisy everywhere in the entertainment bars and on deck during the day. If you have an issue and go to Guest Services your concerns will not be addressed or an apology give, or it was not in my or my sons cases. The shows on an evening lasts only 35 minutes and no drinks are served. Beware of the compulsory tips! they are extortionate! but you can ask for them not to be added, I think that because the tips are added the staff don’t really care if they give good service, sorry MSC but we will not be cruising with MSC again.

Beautiful Ship Let Down By Service

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