Finally arrived home late last nite after a scary experience with MSC. first time and last time with that company. Ship is filthy. embarking is very unorganized and filled with long lines and no drinks or snacks. No one meets you and handles your bags either. our itinerary was changed 4 times....never got to Israel- the reason we took this cruise- they subbed it for Istanbul instead....never got to Venice and docked 2 hours away from Venice and got everyone to the airport late and did not care. Ship is filthy- no had sanitizers were filled- all empty. not required either. yuk!!! buffet floor was gross and so were the tables and chairs on the entire ship. The staff are rude, and just don't care. The shows are like middle school shows- we went to one ad that was enough. No onboard activities on sea days. Food is terrible and plates and silverware is dirty. Food choices were minimal and meats were disgusting. Cabins were not cleaned and bedding was old and shower had lots of mold and water problems. do not take mac...there are many ships out there and this was the worst. i am done with that company. Read Less

Thought we were getting a special deal but couldn't be further from the truth Within minutes of embarking had been told we needed to upgrade even although we had already paid to upgrade. Basically we were stolen from by MSC . The safety drill was very poor and was ignored by many. The staff who were in charge seemed very lax and poorly trained Food was dire, miserable and tasteless and was clear what we were eating at night was left over from during the day. Dont bother going to reception to complain as we were told it wasnt their problem and to contact head office. A few nice staff but nothing compared to other cruise ships . Didn't use their excursions as had already been ripped off so done our own thing . If it was half the price tomorrow I still would not book with MSC again, very poor Read Less

Food in the main dinning room was good some nights and bad others, lobster was available one night for an addition $24 and was very small. And salads are not offered as one of the courses. Drink packages are very expensive, you need at least 19 drinks to break even. Buffet for breakfast was limited, no omelets. Nightly shows were only 1/2 hour long and limited to mostly the same acrobatics and singing. No live musicians , and the limitation of translating up to 5 or 6 languages probably has something to do with why their show were so limited (no Magicians, or comics or broadway style productions) Their were live musicians in some of the nightclubs. The ship doc’d late so some people missed their flight, we had arranged priority departure and found that since we did not book our flights through MSC that we had to wait until those folks got off, and we also found out that we couldn’t walk off with our luggage at Venice. The only reason we did not miss our flight was because we hire private vans for our group. If you need to cancel an excursion be prepared for an argument and escalation to the manager. The positive is that the dinning and room staff were good. And their pricing is attractive but we quickly found that you get what you pay for Read Less

Picked this cruise from Bari as we wanted to come back to Bari and spend time in the Puglia area.. Cruise was great although more time could have been spent in ports . Restaurant waiters and service was great and food too. Our housekeeper Mundir was very helpful and always there if Needed. Room was always cleaned to perfection. Entertainment staff were the best I have come across on a cruise . All very talented and hospitality with guests were great and so was the music played as well.. Stefano Guzzardi and Yennier Moreno who are part of the entertainment staff have made this cruise very memorable for me.. not only they are kind, funny and great entertainers , they are both great dancers which I love to do and both made time several times for me.. I would love to join them on a cruise one day .. Luigi Incarnato is also a great entertainer and always gets the crowds going.. Read Less

This was my second msc cruise along with my wife and two boys (14,11) and it did not disappoint. Yes most people on the ship are european which i dont mind cause i am fluent in italian and spanish, yes many people smoke, yes people cut the lines but for an american if you can get passed this you will find that most people will go out of their way to help you or provide service to you! Probably your best tool in your belt if your an american is tipping. In europe its not customary but i always tip and always find that a small tip can yield unbelievable results. Any way the cruise the ports were fantastic, the ship was clean and easy to navigate, no days at sea so no need to worry about the kids and a water park as your not on the ship much. The food is definitely above average for the price point and the pizza Never disappoints. The crew was spectacular a special thanks to the assistant maitre’d giuseppe esposito who fulfilled our every request in the dining room. Also i had the pleasure to interact with the hotel director giuseppe russo, i have to admit the most gracious host i ever met on any cruise, he sat with us talked with us and was genuinely excited to see americans on the ship. He made us feel like a million dollars and sent us a special surprise with his compliments. Everything about the cruise was great and we will definitely be cruising with msc again! Don’t hesitate to give them a try you will not be disappointed! Read Less

This summer we decided, for our vacation, to book a cruise that sailed from Venice, Italy to the Greek islands and back. Leg 1 of our cruise brought us to Kotor in Montenegro. While there we took a guided bus excursion allowing us to see and visit the 5th century town of Budva still surrounded by the original city walls. Right away when walking in you get taken back in time. The ancient city is made up of narrow streets and many churches. Budva is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast. After we visited Budva we returned back towards the port and the old city of Kotor. There we had a short guided tour within the fortified walls of the old city. Breathtaking and worth the visit. The second leg of the cruise brought us to Mykonos. Our first time here and expectations were high. We booked 2 excursions. The first one was an island tour. Like most of the islands in the cyclades group of islands, most of the landscape of Mykonos is dry. Our bus and tour guide took us around the island giving us a chance to capture beguiling views of Mykonos town and the old port, before a scenic route brought us through the picturesque villages of Agios Ioannis and Kalafatis, eventually ending up at Ornos beach. Here we were able to relax and swim for a couple of hours before heading back to the ship. In the evening we returned onto the island. A windmill-dotted landscape, friendly locals and a particularly lively night-time clubbing scene have all gone to make Mykonos the popular holiday destination it is today. For this tour will see you leave the ship, hopon a local, public seabus for a short trip to theold port to enjoy an evening of Greek hospitalityand a light dinner in a restaurant. In addition todelicious local specialities and wine, you willalso get to enjoy a folkloric show while at therestaurant. You can even join in yourself andshake a leg or, if you prefer, simply clap in timewith the music. The tour also includes a guidedwalk around the narrow lanes of Mykonos town, full of whitewashed houses and enclosed gardens. The third leg of our cruise brought us to Santorini. A short tender boat ride from the ship brought us to Athinios port where we will boarded a bus to Oia, a typical Greek village characterized by narrow streets with traditional white churches with blue dome. A picture-postcard vision of the Mediterranean! This village offers a breathtaking viewover the Gulf of Santorini. Following our visit to Oia our bus brought us to Perivolos Beach, a picturesque stretch of black pebbles giving onto the beautiful blue of the Aegean Sea. We stayed about an hour and a half to enjoy beach life. Before embarking back on the bus we had a typical Greek meal at the Kouzina restaurant located along the sea front. The service was great and the food was very tasty. Once back at the port, a boat ride took us back to ou ship. The fourth leg of our cruise took us to Corfu. In the days of ancient Greece, Corfu marked the final stage of the legendary trip made by the mythological Greek god, Odysseus, on hisjourney home to Ithaca. This tour give us a chance to enjoy Corfus lush landscape as we travelled around the island. The excursion included a visit to Achilleions Palace, a beautiful white mansion and the former residence of Queen Elizabeth of Austria who was also known as Sissi. The richly decorated palace is set in pretty gardens overlooking the sea and is dedicated to another hero from Greek mythology, Achilles. Before returning to the port we will also had a chanceto pay Corfu town a brief visit and spend a little free time strolling around. While in Corfu we also visited the Church of Saint Spyridon, a Greek Orthodox church. It was built in the 1580s and houses the relics of Saint Spyridon. Its bell tower is the highest in the Ionian Islands and it is the most famous church in Corfu. The fifth and last leg of our cruise took us to Bari. Here we decided to to discover Bari on our own. We took a little road train tour around Bari’s historical quarter witch gave us a chance to view the local marvellous medieval architecture. We passed by the magnificent Baris old Norman castle for anexternal viewing after visiting the Basilica of St. Nicholas. This church was built in honour of Bari’s patron saint and founded towards the end of the 11th century A.D. The Basilica is an important religious pilgrimage site. Before returning to the ship we had a chance to roam through the little medieval streets where we had a chance to have a refreshment and to buy some souvenirs. With that, we headed back to our ship for the last night of our cruise. We had a great time and would recommend this adventure to anyone. It was great waking up in a different place every day. The MSC crew and staff was amazing. We would like to say a special thanks to Rowena D’Esposito, our guest relation manager, and to Mundir, our cabin attendant. Every one on the ship was great but these two really went out of their way to make sure that we had a great cruise. The buffets and restaurants leave you wanting for nothing. Our cabin was cleaned twice a day, every day. Truly spoiled. There is always something going on all the time. There are numerous lounges with live music and drinks to satisfy all tastes and there is even a great disco for the young and the young at heart. If you like to try your hand at chance, there is also a casino onboard. Every night you can enjoy live shows at the ships theatre. We had a great time and we would sail again with MSC. Read Less

My husband and I decided to book a very spontaneous trip on MSC Magnifica four days before the ship was to set sail through Expedia. We were coming from Boston, USA and took a non-stop flight to Rome, then a smaller flight to Bari, Italy where we embarked. We read some of the negative reviews (mostly about smoking on the ship and staff being rude) but decided to risk the trip anyway. We are so happy we did!! We found most of the criticisms of MSC and the crew to be completely inaccurate. From the moment we boarded, the staff, crew and bartenders were fantastic and very responsive to any of our needs. We did not have to wait very long for drinks, everyone was friendly to us and the ship was gorgeous. The cabin was ready when we arrived with our bags already in the room. The cabin was nicely furnished, very clean, comfortable bed and a beautiful room with a balcony. The dining in the main dining room at night wasn't my favorite. The food was good but nothing blew me away with flavor. If you are what we call in the states "a foodie", this is probably not the cruise for you. The buffet for breakfast and lunch was good, however. Very nice salad bar, hamburgers, french fries, pasta, homemade pizzas, rice, Thai dishes and lots of other choices. We went on the cruise for the Ports of calls and a spontaneous adventure. The dining portion and food were a low priority for us. The Activities on the crew were fun, we danced, had drinks at the cool bars, sat in the sun, and attended many of the Broadway-style shows. They were cute shows with skilled dancers and singers and a nice way to end the night. The thing we loved the most was the amazing ports of call. Every Greek island and/or city (Venice, Montenegro, Bari) was outstanding. Too much to write but a trip of a lifetime. Everything and more that we had hoped for. I highly recommend this cruise. The only small difficulties were lots of Europeans do smoke, but only outside. Not many people spoke English so we were a little isolated (but my husband found that to be a positive lol), the initial Embarkment was a 2.5 hour wait to get on board, and lines were a bit confusing in the buffet area for breakfast and lunch. I recommend going to the buffet right when it opens to avoid the frenzy. The only people I found to complain were the Americans who didn't have a lot of travel experience. Their expectations were too high for some of the places they visited off the ship. We understood that traveling to these ancient cities there would be lines and confusion since they are not equipped for the influx of thousands of tourists descending on their infrastructure at one time. Some of the ports of calls would have 5 cruise ships show up at one time letting 4,000 people off per ship. One last thing, I do believe you need to be average to good shape to walk around these ports of call. I am in good shape (45 year old female) and found it to be moderate to above moderate exercise to get around with lots of cobblestone walkways and uneven terrain. I was grateful my 80 year old parents decided not to attend the cruise with us as I don't think they would have had the energy to walk around. Overall I would rate this an excellent trip and would do it again with my family in a heartbeat. Read Less

We often go on different cruise companies, and we have a large experience of service on cruise ships, but we were 1st time on the Opera MSC ship And unfortunately our vacation was very poor :( As soon as we entered the ship, we were surprised about the small the size of the cabin, although we had a cabin with a balcony, there were not even napkins in the cabin. On the diversity in the restaurant and the buffet, it is better not to remember. The food was from low-quality products and there was no varied choice. Its was no season fruits , except for melons and apples, there was nothing, only apricots were given on the last day Excursions were also not on the high level Where it was possible to stay a little longer, time was abbreviated and one day they just stole from us. We planned this trip mainly because of the city of Mykonos, so this port was canceled altogether and went to another completely un interesting city Chaina The captain's squad referred to bad weather with a storm warning,  although we looked on the Internet, the weather was good everywhere. It was also very economical with parking and time in another port because Chaina was cheaper port than Mykonos The people understand that they not stupid, that on our ship there was an accident on June 2 in the city of Venice and compensation was paid to the people. But we were suffered in the capital, they were saving money on us We decided that we would never again use the services of the company. MSC P.S It was not possible to go out on the balcony and open it, because smoke stood all the time people was smoking on their balconys The administration of the ship did not announced  to prohibit smoking on the balconies, without at all caring for the fire safety of the people and the ship itself. And the night disco started at 9.30 and ended 1.30 -2.00 From loud speakers it was not possible to fall asleep   Read Less

This is our fifth cruise and our first with MSC. We got an excellent price offering about 10 months ago, so decided to give them a try. We certainly got our money’s worth. The ship was well maintained, tastefully decorated (not garish at all), and the crew were pleasant, professional, and polite. Entertainment was surprisingly good, but did get tired before the end of the 8 days, as they have one group of entertainers who were excellent but story lines were wearing thin by the end of the voyage. The entertainment director had a heavy Italian accent and spoke very little English, but to be fair the English were a small minority on board, and everyone from the cabin steward (who was fantastic), the dining room staff (equally so), and the customer service folks were fully fluent. The sailing was very smooth throughout. My pet beef on all cruise ships is the buffet, a crowded mass of humanity trying to shove as much food down their throats as time and stomach size permit. It was no exception here. But staff did close off venues throughout the day to restock and clean the facilities. I was particularly impressed that no one was permitted to touch the food, but had to use tongs to retrieve their particular delight from the table. As a tea drinker, it was my biggest challenge getting a cup, when the buffet room was closed the hamburger and pizza shops were open and had coffee, in one case tea, but no milk or cream to add to the beverage. My work around was to go to the bar around the corner as they always had milk, but a bit of a pain for something so simple. Also many of the hand sanitation stations spread around the ship were inoperable, so I ended up carrying my own to compensate when the machine did not function. I also like that attendants were at each entrance at the buffet and dining room. They were not at all intrusive but people did use the machines more often than I have seen before. Debarkation could get a little frustrating particularly when using tenders. The ship sub contracts out its tenders. The pilots did not speak English and the information on where the tenders actually were and how often they ran was obscure to say the least, but we managed amid some minor frustrations. I will state that at cruise end, (we departed in Bari) there was little guidance once on the dock as to go to marry up with our luggage as there were two lines one for us and another for the folks just getting off to explore Bari. Lastly our cabin. We were assigned cabin 9004, on the 9th deck and at the very front of the ship. We loved it. Tastefully laid out although smallish, our front view was unobstructed and excellent. There was an access door to the outside right beside our cabin and while the ship was not moving, one could go out and take in some fresh air and perhaps some outdoor photography without window glare. Too bad it got discovered about day 3 as at times we would look from our bed through the window only to see fellow passengers and some crew members enjoying the solitude, problem solved by drawing our curtains. All in all a very respectable ship and voyage, and yes I would certainly sail with MSC again. While not top tier, they are certainly a quality service provider. Read Less

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Our first cruise. Cabin was comfortable, albeit shower a bit small. Will definitely book a balcony cabin in future, just to have that outside private space for a coffee in the mornings and to relax with a book watching the world sail by. Mainly used the buffet for meals, as this suited us more due to itinerary and having a teenage son. only ate lunch and evening meal once in the main dining rooms. The meals in both the buffet and main dining room offered plenty of choice, were freshly prepared and were all really edible. Staff were friendly and helpful, although occasionally appeared rushed, especially around the pool bar - this is the only area were we felt the customer service was a little lacking. Saw 2 shows and both were entertaining. Casino was worth the occasional flutter although sadly no wins. Two further cruises booked, one with MSC and the other with Cunard. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary. (Venice, Greece, Dubrovnik) We have qa previously cruised on MSC Splendida and MSC Preziosa and were very impressed with both of them. The Lirica, however, was very disappointing. The ship itself was beautiful, clean and bright. The food was, at best, lukewarm, but often cold. The only things that were always hot was the coffee and the soup! The buffet was the usual hectic, fast food, cafeteria with limited choice and limited seating. Drinks service in the buffet was almost non existent. It involved ringing a bell on your table and waiting for someone to come and take your order, which often meant a long wait and even finishing your meal without a drink. They ran out of butter before the end of the cruise. Service in the bars and lounges was also very poor, with sometimes a 20 minute wait for drinks to arrive. It felt as if there was a lack of staff, and the staff that were there seemed a bit clueless, as if it was their first cruise. A few of them didn’t even speak or understand English. The daily entertainment was very “Butlins” and loud and annoying. We did enjoy the evening shows in the theatre, but found it very distracting that people were just walking in at any time during the show. Surely the doors should be closed once the show starts and no one else allowed in. All in all, we did enjoy the cruise, but mainly because of the itinerary and the weather. However, we are now not sure whether we would use MSC again. If we did, it would be on one of the larger ships, where the service was much better. Read Less

Fantastic Mediterranean cruise with the MSC Lirica. Amazing experience. I have seen so many beautiful places in Italy, Greece and Croatia. And that in just 1 week. Beautiful Greek islands. The varied coast of Croatia with Dubrovnik as a highlight. And of course Venice with all its water. Temperature averaged above 30C. Very delicious. The water temperature of the Mediterranean in late August is also excellent. For swimming ideal. To visit Venice with a ship is very special. It is also very nice to enter the center of Venice. Everyone in the center uses a boat. You do not see cars, buses and trains. Everything goes through the water in the center. Public transport is via a bus boat. Very cool. The MSC Lirica is a beautiful ship. A recently renovated boat that looks like new. There were 2.000 passengers on the ship, the maximum. There are ships with 4.500 passengers, but 2.000 I also find a lot. The service is good and very friendly. There is so much to eat and drink. Not normal. On board the ship you will find people from all over the world. Staff and passengers come from everywhere. That's pretty funny. A cruise ship is a small world in itself. Nice to experience. Highlight on board: the Lord Nelson Pub, with his modest singer and super guitarist Nenad Konstatin from the Czech Republic, and the sweet Mary from India, who is always ready to serve you. Finally, I want to thank my new Mexican friends for the Mexican Cuba Libres. My favorite drink from now on. Thanks everyone.. Read Less

I choosed this cruise to discover the greek islands !! Because, last year we visited "Fjords" MSC Música. It was our honey moon, and it was Perfect !!! this time, we decided to visit the coast, and enjoy summer days with our lillte baby 8 mouths. Everything was niced, each port, unless Saranda !!! Not nice at all !!!! poor people who wanted to touch our bags, our children, awful beaches, not kind people and nobody speaks english at all. I dont recomend Saranda, if I have to repeat, if saranda is in the stops, I wont do it. Into the Poesia: Dinners were fantastic The cabin perfect with the little baby the crew very nice and 10 !! to Antonino !!!!!! And B Travel Brand. I will repeat it !!! very nice everybody with my baby !!! Next time, we are thinking to visit Baltic Capitals, so if you have any discount !!! Read Less

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I'm Alessandro, and i'm from Italy, i'm embark on MSC Magnifica the 27th March 2016, the embarkation was really speed in 30 minutes we are on the ship, the cabin was located at deck 11 and was with balcony. The turn of dining was for the first thing at 6.30 p.m. (we have forever the dining turn at 9.00/9.30 p.m) the service at the table was really cool, we does the dinner in 1h and 30 minutes or 2 hours respectively at second turn that finish forever at 11.00/00.00 p.m, In my week the activities at pool or in the ship was few, the people was at excursion and the game or activity was removed from daily. The service was very cool (unfortunately for the luggage that don't find for 5 hour next the departure but fortunately the luggage are reappeared). The port of our cruise was Katakolon, Mykonos, Pireaus (Athens), Dubrovnik and Venice then return at Bari. At Katakolon we have remained on the ship because we have already visited this city in other cruise, at Mykonos we have tooked a tender from old port of Mykonos to city center (the cost was of 6.90€), at Athens we have took a company of tour in Athens knowed already in Mykonos called "PireausExpressBus" and we have visited the Acropolis, Old Olimpic Stadium, Square Syntagma with the change of the guards and the way of shoppig called "Plaka", at Dubrvonik we have going to old city (Ragusa) and we have walked around at the city and at Venice we have visited Place S. Marco and the Basil of S. Marco and then we have going around to the city for shopping. We have travel with me that i have 15 years old, my parents and my cousin. Read Less

Embarked in Bari... (Only regret) From the moment you arrive on board it feels like you are on in a high priced hotel. We booked a Balcony Cabin... Gorgeous and well appointed. Buffet breakfast was as expected at ANY smorgasbord. Meals in the designated restaurants were plentiful and good variety. The wait staff (In Particular Raddi) were excellent and anticipated drink orders as we sat down for dinner. Two of the shore tours we booked 6 months in advance were cancelled due to lack of participation but the alternatives chosen were really well organised. The ports stopped at were fantastic... although it would have been nice to spend more time at each. I highly recommend the Allegrissimo drinks package as it was great value for money... I also had my hair dyed , cut and styled, nails and makeup done for the gala night at Aurea Spa and their prices were quite reasonable. In fact i believe they were cheaper than having them done here in Australia. The hair stuff only took about 2 hours as well.. We ran into many other Aussies on our cruise and there were other English speakers as well. Seriously if you get an opportunity to cruise with MSC Divina, do it Read Less