As a Diamond Club Card Holder and recently invited to the Launch Party for the MSC Orchestra on the 16th November 2019 and then Booked for the First 4 night cruise, commencing on the 17th November to say I was a Happy passenger would be nothing but further than the truth. We were so looking forward to this cruise, as we were going to celebrate our 55th Wedding Anniversary on Board this 4 day cruise. Initially I informed MSC that as I had already booked on the cruise immediately following the Launch Party, could they please link my Launch Party cabin to my Cruise cabin. (My cabin number was supplied to them) I received a email back to inform me that this was not at all possible. On the Saturday 16th November '19 I arrival at N shed my wife and were ushered into a marquee to wait boarding. Due to certain "circumstances" the Boarding time was delayed by almost an hour and a half. Diamond Card holders and other VIP Guest's were then herded into N Shed and joined a queue for Boarding. While waiting to board a chance chat to a MSC employer in the shed about the fact that when I asked to have my Launch cabin linked to my cruise cabin been denied, he promptly took our Cruise Booking letter plus those of at least 3 other passengers with the same problem and returned with our Cabin Cards all linked to our Cruise Cabins. Done in 5 minutes. The Launch Party went ahead with no major problems. In fact it was the highlight of our Holiday. However, the next morning the 20 or So Diamond Club Card holders, "Cruise Passengers" were informed that we had to disembark and re-board once we passed through Passport control. In the morning then 20 of us were formed up and were escorted off the the ship with a MSC Staff member. However once we were in the Terminal we were left to fend for ourselves. We had to join the queue for the "Fast Trackers" of the new Cruise passengers embarking, which took for ever to get through to Passport Control. Surely MSC could have arranged with Home Affairs before hand to process the 20+ cruise passengers on the Saturday and thus saved the hassle and inconvenience of seasoned Cruise travelers having to Disembark and back on again standing in long hot queue's?? Some I may add with chronic back problems. Once on Board our "Usual" well organised Gold Card / Diamond Card experience fell terribly short. There was No welcome back party for Gold Card/ Diamond card holders. No Chocolate Ship in Cabin. No Gowns in room, only slippers. No Dance Lessons, No free Sauna /Spar Invitation, No notification of a "Free" meal at the Specialty Restaurant. No Photo taken with the Captain. When I inquired at the Voyager Club Office and spoke to a Mary Ann as to why all the above had not been given as per previous cruises, she informed me that a lot of it was all explained in the letter sent out on the First day. I informed her that we did NOT receive such letter, but she promptly shifted the blame to Housekeeping department. While I was at the counter I was joined by no less than at least 5 other disgruntled passengers with similar "concerns". Mary Ann did however offer to give us each a MSC Backpack that evening. However when it didn't arrive at the given time, again she Blamed Housekeeping. For Dinner we were Booked for 2nd sitting with 5 other Diamond Card holders. Two of them I believe are pretty active on Social Media in South African circles under "Friends of MSC". All were very unhappy on how Diamond Card Holders were treated. Now are also questioning whether it is any incentive to cruise, in order for all passengers to up their status on the MSC Voyager Club Card incentive Rewards System. Of all the many times we've cruised this Dinner time experience in the L'ibiscus Restaurant must rate as the worst my wife and I have ever experienced on board any MSC Cruise liner. During the 4 nights we dinned there, we experienced the following: No Castle Larger Beer. (Hello, this is a South African Cruise season AND it is on the Wines List) The Liner docked Saturday so there was ample time to stock up on all the Required South African drinks and Food lines. Our waiter's English was poor and therefore service was lacking. At times we waited over 30 minutes just to get ice cubes. The delay between courses was far too long. On one occasion a fellow passenger at my table asked for the Indian/ Asian menu. Well it never arrived. ( NB! The Asian Menu was posted in a Glass cabinet at the entrance to the Dinning Room) Food presentation also fell short as we were not offered anything else when ordering Mutton Curry and Rice. That's all one got. No accompanying Sambal's or condiments were on offer. We were also highly disappointed that on "Italian Night" there was NO Usual singing and waving of serviettes as the Kitchen Staff raced through the Dinning Rooms as we all waived our Serviettes singing " Volare". As for our Cabin. Our room was only finished been cleaned at lunchtime on day 2. Plus the bed covers were not put on the bed until our last day. There were no tissues paper in the bathroom. Of the 2 dispensers in the shower, one was completely empty and the 2nd one wouldn't dispense. When I asked the gentleman to bring me his supervisor, he never complied. Besides the Tea/Coffee/Water stations positioned in the wrong areas, one could never find Hot water for tea or coffee, let alone find coffee sachets. One would have to wait until the gentleman taking care of these stations happened to pass by to get a coffee sachet from his pocket. As for the Duty Free shops, VERY few items were priced. When I asked the assistant as to why there were no prices? A very rude man replied that he was on his own and hadn't had time to put up the prices from Euro to Dollars. Every night I went back to check and by the last and 4th night there were STILL no prices up. I finalized my account the morning of departure and proceeded to breakfast. When I tried to disembark the Security Officer informed me that I had to report back to Reception as there was a problem with my account. When I joined the queue at reception I had to wait at least 25 minutes before I was served only to be told that it was a "misunderstanding" and I could continue to Disembark. In the meantime my wife who was in front of me was left standing at the bottom of the gangway on the dock waiting for me and not knowing what had gone wrong with me. So in closing. To say was this one of the worst cruises we've been on, I have to say, YES. Will I cruise again with MSC? Yes of course. But NEVER again on the first cruise. It was so sad, as this was not the way we wanted to remember our 55th Wedding Anniversary, but alas it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. May I also add, that as I am on Social Media I see a lot of of other passengers gripes and complaints and the replies they in turn receive back from MSC Customer-care and it seems their replies tend to be a lot of "Cut & Paste" replies. Hopefully my concerns are forwarded to the MSC South Africa Director as well as the team in Naples, and the reply sent to me is not the usual, "Cut & Paste one?? Read Less

I travelled with the Oppiwater Kunstefees. The embarkation and disembarkation was very slow but allwrite. The food was good but not excellent, the cabin was very good/excellent. The shore excursion was good and interesting but not excellent. The ship is very big and it takes quite some time to accustom yourself and not get lost. The informal dining room was to crowded, to few tables. The services was excellent. I would not go again and next time prefer a smaller ship or a river cruise. I did not travel with children. The kunstefees which I attended was excellent.. The swimming pools area was good and the deck chairs also good. The services allover was excellent and the staff very friendly and professional. The venues for the shows was excellent, although a lot of the shows started late. The embarkation and disembarkation was very slow but very efficient, I suppose its nessasary for the officials to be very complete. The information on the ship was also excellent with the day to day papers. Read Less

cruise was advertised in the sunday times as pay for double and 50% for the third person was a very good deal and any6 other offers of that type would surly see me on board again only problem expoerienced was the drink coupond that was delayed and only recieved it on Sunday evening the excursion was vey good as far as the activeties on the island was concerned as well as the food that was catered for and the shattel of passangers to the island was also very well ocastrated cleanleness was obseved on the ship and lots and lots of a variety of food was on offer and also thier was coffee and tea as well as hot chocalte available almost 24hrs the appreciation also for the hallal corner was also noted The entertainment was most appreciated as the people that staged the show were of proffasionalst and the people on board really enjoyed themselves with the on going none stop dancing from embarkment to disembarkment If there would be a special package again i will certainly be on board again thanking MSC CRUSES for a wonderfull experience on board and a very safe sailing to and from Read Less

I went with 16 family members. The food, entertainment, crew was fantastic. The cabin and service were excellent. The only thing, which was not the Captains fault, was that we never got to both islands due to the heavy sea swells. But we were entertained well for those two days. The children were well looked after, 6 year old and four year old.And for the older children the disco and fun times were good. We found that the swimming pools and Jacuzzis were very relaxing. The waiters were very friendly and always ready to serve you. The photos that were taken were very professional and the quality excellent. The boughey was very good with a wide variety of foods. You could never get hungry on the ship as there was always something to eat, no matter what time of day or night. And as for the entertainment there were excel;lent shows and game shows. I highly recommend this cruise. This has been my 4th cruise with MSC and will be planning another one next year. Read Less

It is safe to travel with MSC Cruise with family and I enjoyed being on a cruise employees are friendly and it is the best place to be with family and friends, Me and my family travelled with two of our friends and they really enjoyed being on a cruise though it was not the first time being on a cruise but a first to be in Portuguese Island before they travelled to Pomene. I have recruited my family and friends, cousins they are coming with us next year, I am spreading the word with my friends and family to come and enjoy and experience the fun in the cruise, I am recruiting people to come and enjoy the cruise, You know we work the whole year and we need some time to relax and thank your body for keeping you the whole year now you need a holiday, We are cruising with 5 families next year to Portuguese Island and the beauty of the ship I can't wait to see Orchestra next year, I have been to Sinfornia twice and Musica this year and next year Orchestra, I love the Island and exploring the beauty of the Island Read Less

We did the Sokkie cruise from 08 to 11 March 2019....which was supper...mostly white Afrikaans speaking passengers onboard which all like the Afrikaans Sokkie Music.. so the vibe on the ship was great.. Cruising these days are not cheap any more and we staying in Pretoria so to travel to Dbn and back is also costing a lot. Therefor to make it worthwhile we decided to do the back to back cruise. Embarkation and disembarkation went well. We are pensioners and cruising a lot. The MSC Musica is a beautiful ship but we prefer the outlay of the MSC Sinfonias pool area more. On the day of embarkation the eating arrangements was quite chaotic...you were standing in long ques to get to the food just to find that some of the dishes put out was already finished...and to got a seat to sit down with your plate of food was even worse.During the whole cruise we never had a decend cup of hot coffee from the coffee stations. Hot water was kept in a non electric urn to make your coffee from.. and only cold milk was available...terrible...and most of the times there was no coffee powder available...you have to beg someone to find you a coffee sachet or two...only ready made American coffee...also luke warm ...was most of the times available. The juice at breakfast times is also a problem...either to sweat...or most of the times to watery...The food was good...not a big variety...same food over and over during the cruise..we only had fried fish once during the whole week...fried or grilled fish is much nicer than the steamed fish over and over on the menu during dinner times in the restaurant...give us a choice from the menu.. fried,grilled or steamed fish...What happened to the prawns on this cruise...we only had one prawn one night on a plate with a piece of fish and a calamari steak that nobody ate because the calamari steak was to chewy..you cant prepare calamari steaks in advance...rather make fried calamari rings...much better option for a lot of people...there was calamari rings for a starter but the portion was very small...we never got garlic snails or sushi on the menu for a starter ..may be MSC should put it on their menu....the south africans love it!!!!The sushi in the Kaito Sushi Bar was quite expansive...unaffordable for us.... The entertainment was great...specially the entertainment by the Sokkie team...Chambels en friends..most enjoyable..The Duo Resonance band was also very good..outstanding..most enjoyable..nice music for dancing...the best in a long time...it would have been nice if only they could have played alone in one of the lounges at all times and the Definition Band in another lounge...it gives everybody a choice to enjoy what ever they want to. When the Duo Resonance band was playing the dance floor was permanently full....that say something!!!! Overall the service and the staff onboard was good. I really hope that MSC can try to make things better in the problem areas....as we already booked the South Bound cruise in October on the Orchestra coming to SA as well as 3 cabins for the New Years cruise in December to Mauritius with our married children and grandchildren for my mothers 80th Birthday....as I said ...to cruise these days is costing a lot of money...!!!!so at least give us nice food and great entertainment... Read Less

Why is the photos so expensive. When you dont buy it they throw all away?? Their are many people that look at the photos but dont buy. It is very nice pictures but really expensive. Think about cheaper prices as to throw everything away.. The food staff rooms and entertainment is very nice. On our 2 nd trip their was also more fish available. Deserts and so many of a variety of fruits were avaible. Cocktail of the day was also our favourite The staff is helpfull and friendly. We enjoy all the entertainment . We did not see the Sokkie singers too much to mingle with them as it would have been nice. On Portuguese Iland with all the changes and enough shades was awesome. We will definitely go on another cruise. Prices is resonible. Their is 1 more last thing. The hairdryer does not work as the laat time Read Less

We have chosen this cruise because we were previously on 2 voyages with the MSC Opera and Sinfonia and it was unforgettable voyages. The service and food in the Restaurant was very good and more than enough. Experience with the Musica was also good but we found that the food in the Restaurants was scaled down and our room service was not standard. Our cabin was neglected with the clean up when we got up. Another problem was that our cabin cleaner was not able to speak English and struggled to communicate with him. Entertainment was very good in the theatre as well as the singers who performed. The visit to the island was very enjoyable, as were the meals and entertainment. However, there was also the problem that we could not get chairs / seats at the pool as people occupied more chairs than they needed, sometimes it was also a problem to find a table with chairs in the restaurant to go for breakfast or lunch. The cruise has gone very well and will definitely going on more cruises in the future. We are planning to go on our 4th cruise next year. Read Less

My wife purchased the tickets. Whilst the weather was not our friend, there were enough activities on board to keep one entertained. The staff certainly had a lot of patience, especially the Bar staff as they were kept on their toes at all hours. We were assigned to a 9th floor balcony cabin. Spacious and neat and always keep clean. The food was plentiful with the food platters kept stocked for breakfast and lunch. The restaurant we had supper in was 5 star. I was however hoping for a good juicy steak on the menu but no luck. Whilst the interior of the ship appeared in good condition, the exterior needs some TLC such as rust removed and a paint job here and there, but overall still in good condition. If I had to change something it would be the ability to use South African Currency on board as the US Dollar is not a good friend of the Rand. Read Less

Was on a birthday cruise with my husband. Compared to the MSC Rhapsody, Sinphonia, Opera, the Musica was a bit of a disappointment. Although its a big ship, it did not compare favorably with the other smaller ships. It was not as friendly. Staff were a lot more impersonal; food selection was a lot to be desired. Too much of the same and not enough variety, including with the fruits. Menus seemed to repeat. Even the inside restaurants had "poor" menus that lacked immagination in the food department. Waiters here were very good, whereas the outside (top deck) were very loud with each other and took a long time to clear tables. When were had to share our table with others, we were not asked, but told. e did not mind sharing, it was just the attitude and tone of voice of the waiter. The only exclusive restaurant was the sushi, which we do not like. Surely there could have been a better selection!!!! Our cabin, although nice, still had sand on the carpet from the previous occupants, throughout our cruise. Our sheets seemed as if they were just straightened out every day. The toilet in our cabin always had a weird "toilet" smell. Luckily, we had very good weather, so.... no sea-sickness.... I was happy to receive a Birthday Card from MSC, although it came a day late, but thanks. Read Less

This was our second cruise with MSC, the first one being on the Sinfonia. The cruise on Musica was an extremely pleasant experience from the boarding process to all other services. Friendly crew, spacious lounges and dining areas. Abundance of food whenever you are hungry. The trip to the island, transfer from the ship to the zodiac and return was handled with all the care. The experience on the island itself was great...well catered to suit everyone...good seating areas....clean toilets...great fun on the beach...enjoyable entertainment. All round entertainment on board was also fantastic. Dinner menus gave suitable choices and what stands out for me was there was also Indian Delights on the menu and a variety to choose from. Passengers requiring Halaal food were also well catered for. We occupied a balcony cabin. It was well spaced and comfortable. The only problem i had was that the mini bar was locked and my request to have it unlocked was not attended to. To sum it up......the experience was just fantastic. Read Less

We celebrated our 40th anniversary recently and decided to spoil ourselves with our first ever cruise from Durban to Portuguese Island. We were impressed by the efficiency of the booking and check-in. We had a balcony cabin and very satisfied with the quality, neatness and appointments in the cabin. The dining in all restaurants were excellent and we were suitably impressed. The quality and variety were outstanding. Service was excellent in all respects: reception, dining, bars, pooldeck, household, etc. We bought the wine and drinks packages beforehand and that system worked perfectly without any hassles. We could not partake on the shore excursion to Portuguese Island as I had limited mobility due to a recent back-operation, but the stay on board at the pooldeck was perfect, i.e. not overcrowded. We found the pooldeck a bit noisy and overcrowded on the day at sea, but I suppose that is par for the course. The shows we attended were enjoyable and of a high standard. We will definitely do a cruise again, maybe in the Mediteranean or the Caribean. Read Less

I enjoyed the cruise. The only thing I wasn’t happy about was the food. It was mostly tasteless, it really needs a lot of improvement. Our cabin was great. Spacious and well-presented. It would be great if the bedding/sheets were changed daily. Our steward told us they only change them every 3rd day. The entertainment was great as well, enjoyed the comedy shows and performances in the evenings. Also enjoyed chilling by the pool deck, that was my favorite part! With regards to the drinks packages voucher, they should be linked to the passenger cruise card. We lost one of our vouchers on the ship and there was nothing that we could do to recover it. At least if it was linked to our cruise cards, we could just block it at reception and get issued new ones. But we couldn’t do that so we lost about R850. Embarkation process also needs improvement. We were in the queue for over 2hours waiting to board. I would definitely recommend the cruise! Read Less

After having cruised the first time in 2016 on the Sinfonia and accidently selecting a cruise where there were hundreds of matriculants who we thought were very out of control, we thought we would have to book another cruise where there would be a family environment, so we booked a 5 night cruise with the Musica. We thought that without all the unruly youngsters and being a another ship things would be better. However sad to say. things were not up to our expectations. It was refreshing to be on a cruise which had a more of a family environment as far as fellow passengers was concerned, but the crew on the Musica in comparison to the Sinfonia were very different. Firstly, the Sinfonia's entertainment crew were much better as from the minute we stepped on board they interacted with passengers and were always seen mingling and interacting with passengers. They targeted people and then interacted with those they had targeted in such a wonderful way that they became friends on first name basis and whenever we were seen by them they would greet us by name and with huge respect. The crew on the Musica seemed tired or angry when we first embarked on board in Durban and it was only the last two days that they sort of started to smile and greet and make one feel welcome. The crew on the Sinfonia were exceptional in comparison to the Musica. The senior officers were however the same on both ships and I cannot fault them at all. Then there were two very upsetting incidents experianced on board the Musica. The first was the poor service experianced by the bar service person on the Promanade deck who took almost an hour to bring our drinks, and after repeating my order to him three times only then did we recieve our order. The second disappointing occasion was experianced in our dinning resturant on the third night, after returning from our excurtion from Pomene. Our waiter seemed to be high on something as he was over talkative and leaning over the ladies in my family. He also kept on repeating himself to such an extent that he even forgot what he had served us and almost gave us the main coarse twice. He also made my daughter of 17 feel very uncomfortable as he seemed to make advances to her. He seemed so high that he coulnt even write the details on our coupons correctly and eventually just gave up trying and shoved them into his pocket. I was also very unhappy with the incorrect details printed on my reciepts recieved by two barmen on twooccasions when i noticed that there were drinks printed on my reciept that I never ordered, and when quering this they simply said "No, dont worry the total is Zero" I even made one barman reprint the reciept because even although I was not charged for these, the printouts refleced incorrect information and that is not professional, its fraudulent. The shows were very good, but again not as good as the Sinfonia. So all in all, despite having a great cruise and experiancing some good moments, it was not of the same standard as what we experianced two years ago on the Sinfonia, and was not as good as what we expected. I really feel that the cruise onboard the Musica was not on par with the high standards that a 5 star cruise according to the MSC brochures. The food although good lacked verity. The ice ran out often in the buffet dinner and the coffee was often cold. I even though that at three in the morning it would be hot, but could not even find a full pot of coffee at that time. Master of the ship Captain Pinto worked extremly hard and was often seen interacting with the passengers and crew and he seems to be a hands on kind of leader and I had great empathy for him as I saw him struggling with difficult situations regarding passengers and enviroments and I must applaud him for this, however it also gave me the impression that he was dealing with a incompetant staff and that is why he had to often take matters into his own hands. So SORRY MSC and I must apologise for this very negative review. It was not nice to write it. However, I hope that this review will not be seen as one submitted by a disgruntled and unhappy passenger, but seen as positive critisism in order to raise the standard and improve the things that were substandard in comarison to our last cruise. We did our best to enjoy our cruise and it was not "BAD" it was just a little under par for the coarse. I hope that this will be accepted in good faith as a honest reveiw and not one that is just trying to impress you. As far as planning another cruise....well we will just have to wait and see what response I get from MSC regarding this review. Thank you Read Less

Firstly we want to thank MSC for a fantastic cruse to the Portuguese Islands. The easy on-board to us is the best way to board. The hosting, the entertainment, the movement of passengers from the boat to the island and back was done in a orderly manner, the time on the island was made very pleasant, the staff on board of the boat was most helpful at all times, the entertainment director and his staff including the cast that performed was very good as they included the children as well. The food on the boat is the best quality you can find and the overhaul experience was fantastic, will see you soon. There is some staff members that stud out for us, as they treated us in a very high standard and respect and all ways friendly and they are ( Francesco Verdolia “Dining Services” from Italy we feel is a asset to MSC ) , ( Irjana Bacia “Bar Services” I am not sure of the spelling ), ( I Putu Bagus Ari Winanda “Asst Waiter” from Indonesia ), ( Pasquale Aversa “Headwaiter” Italy ). A few points to take note of: 1. If MSC can negotiate cheaper excursions for e.g.: just to go to Maputo was R263 per person ad for a family of 4 is +/- $80 and you have not even bought any thing yet. 2. If MSC can let the passengers use South African RANDS when in South African waters. 3. The Pomene island experience, as it gets very hot on the island and the sand gets very hot it burns your feet, passengers must be made aware of this in order to ware the correct footwear. Read Less

Trying to find the perfect gift is always daunting, luckily i decided to gift my husband a cruise with the Msc Musica, Upon Arrival at the harbour, There was a que to get into check in and to leave your luggage, each step was even more exciting as its just one step closer to boarding, When we reached check in and all was in order my two kids, husband and i literally ran to the boarding area, We stopped quickly at the refreshments area to grab a drink and off we were ( this was so though full after waiting in the ques, a thirst quench was just what we needed) The music and the friendly staff outside just set the mood, Finally we arrived inside the ship, our passports was taken and immediately we were sent upstairs to get a wrisk band for my 7 year old, so basically this as to be worn by the child throughout the cruise, as it makes it easy to locate which cabin the child is,incase they get lost. As we explored we bought our drinks package and went on the 13th deck for our buffet lunch, this was my favourite spot throughout the cruise haha hence the weight gain, everything was perfectly set up, different types of food, bread rolls, salads, dessert, tea coffee and water is always served. We sat at a table and indulged in our scrumptious lunch btw the buffet is open 20 hours, breakfast lunch and supper, And the pizzas is thee best tasting pizzas ever, Everything is always in order as soon as u done eating theres always someone to clear up ur table. Making it easier for the next person to come in, After eating we went to our cabin to change up and went on deck to do the drill, Finally we set sail, the experience of just leaving was absolutely amazing. Everyone was filled with excitement. We had abit of a confusion with our cabin and illena from reception was the absolutely best, so friendly and she even sent up a bottle of champagne and some yummy snacks for my husband on his birthday. Theres so much to do on the ship but we mainly hung out on the deck as the kids wanted to be in the pool, there is a kiddies and teens club aswell, my 7 year old loved it and still talks about his teachers, they provide activities the entire day for the kids and believe me its so safe. They even take the kids for dinner and it's so exciting for the kiddies, Again the level of quality and security is absolutely amazing these ladies and gents are so patient and caring with the kids, Everything is always in a order, at 8pm every night we were allocated a restaurant which we could dine in, the food is absolutely amazing and our waiter was so friendly and welcoming, the manager if this restaurant was extremely rude and to be honest he was the only bad experience throughout our cruise, The shopping is a must, my husband bought me the most beautiful jewellery and the 4.5 liter drinks is absolutely well worth it, Island day: Day of island was amazing such beautiful experience, u have to get a ticket on board which will tell u what boat number u are, u go to the 4th floor and a boat awaits u, nothing to be scared about again everything is always in order and safe, when we arrived at the island the blue waters and music and views was just breathtaking. There's alot of locals selling stuff so carry some cash, it was extremely hot so we went straight to the buffet, freshly caught grilled fish and the delicious water melons and mangoes was my favourite, A dj and also a live band makes u feel so blessed just to experience this.We spent the day in the water and then finally decided to leave early as we didn't want to wait long with the kids, The boats started loading up and we finally entered the ship again, As we entered there was a gentleman handing us an ice face clothe again very well thought of as coming out from the heat, this ice cloth was a bit of heaven for us, Back to sail and after refreshing up we went on board for some activities. What amazed me was everything was always in order, the staff are all very hard working, A few are abit rude but majority are so welcoming, oh please be careful when buying drinks on the deck, if u not using ur drinks package, we paid 45 dollars for two jack Daniels and two cans of coke, yet at the bar across is was 5 dollars. So always ask the price before you purchase. The theater the night before we left was absolutely amazing we got to see the captain break some moves, so friendly so creative and overall it was definitely the best experience ooooh i forgot to mention i felt sea sick for two nights so make sure u take something and they also provide some tabs at the reception area. Would i recommended this cruise? I will be off my head not too, A lifetime experience, My Kids are still talking about it and my husband says he doesn't no how to top this for my birthday hahahah. Overall I'll be back again Read Less

We discovered the MSC cruise through a friend ,she gave us a news letter from MSC and after reading we develop interest and started inquirering and we end up booking and paying deposit to a friendly staff. Embarkation date arrived and it was our first time to cruise,we were welcome by friendly staff,the ship was big. We were booked in 5 star balcony cabin a full house.We were dinning like kings and queens.Entertainment was gallo we were treated equally as humanbeings .Service was excellent and not forgetting the tasty food. We had a three course meal every day.I am busy recruiting my friends to join in april so that they can experience this wonderful cruise on their own. We have being travelling all over africa but this was the best. The port officials treated us with respect. We are pensioners we did not travel with kids We planning to go again on the 5th April2019. Read Less

My husband and I went on this trip that was special to us we were celebrating our golden wedding anniversary, This was our first Cruise with M.S.C and the calamity’s started at embarkation where we were left in a car park to take our cases and find where we had to go. Next the cabin although clean it was one of the smallest balcony cabins we have been in. The food I couldn’t give one good word for yes I know they have to cater for all tastes, even the pasta wasn’t cooked properly. The shows left a lot to be desired, as you can tell we didn’t enjoy. This is a ship that has been extended cut in the middle and a few more cabins added unfortunately they didn’t add any extra facilities to accommodate these extra cabins so you have to book to see a show, having never had to book a show on any other cruise we have been on we didn’t always remember. N Read Less

We wanted a LONG cruise and this was it❣️ The embarkation process went smooth. The fact that we could check in online, made it easy The ship is awesome and has everything you can think of Our cabin was very good and we had enough space not to feel cramped. All the food was excellent. The food from the dining experience was good - although the service was slow (but it was not the waiter’s fault). Some of the entertainment was excellent, especially Roelof and the lady concert pianist The artists from the Manhatten Lounge was terrible on the other hand. The service from some of the staff from customer care was not very friendly. Sometimes, some of the staff clearly ignored you while standing in the queue. The ports and shores were beautiful but the excursions were extremely expensive. I would LOVE to travel on a long cruise again Read Less

It was our first cruise; we thought it was luxurious and senior citizen/disabled friendly - we met old ladies who were over 80 years of age. It inspired us, as one has the idea that after 70 it would be difficult to travel on holidays, etc. but It gave us new hope for our future holidays...! Food was excellent and service outstanding. Thank you! Cabin was cleaned regularly and towels were replaced regularly. Shower curtain a bit irritating while you shower; suggestion: shower door in stead of curtain. Thanks. Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly; however we have one complain about our luggage which was taken by another MSC guest after disembarkation. Suggestion: The luggage should be supervised in a better way so that every person make sure that he is collecting his own luggage and not somebody else's. Another complain about Wi-fi; I bought pre-paid data of 2GB, but I was not able to use it, as I was unsure how to go about. I went to the Customer desk and they explained to me, but it still did not work. I have wasted my money, as I did not use even 1MB. Keep up the good work. We will recommend the cruise to anybody and would like to do another cruise in the near future! Read Less

i chose the cruise to spend quality time with my family.I cannot stop telling people about the good restaurants and entertainment. will do these trips over and over again. telling people daily about cruising with MSC.i am glad to have taken four of my family members and friends on this cruise. we enjoyed the island a lot especially the warm water stream.i enjoyed the live entertainement a lot. the casino was a big plus for me.not too shabby.those times i spend in the casino the younger ones danced the night away. the diferent pubs was of best quality. the midnight snacks made the younger generation very happy. never a dull moment.the staff was exceptional.we realised they must be tired but never heard complaints.for sure they work very hard but ajways smiling and friendly. the pools and jacuzi is also exceptional. the activities for kiddies is amazing. lots for them to do. wiill right a good review next time. will ask more people to join. one word awesome Read Less

After the death of my husband in October 2017 i just wanted to treat my family to a well deserved break----away from home and all its sad memories. A relative suggested an MSC cruise and i jumped at it as none of us would be expected to do anything else but have fun. I chose the 'CRUISE to NOWHERE' due to financial constraints as i had to pay for all 7 of us. However now i realize that this was too short a cruise to really get the best experience. Embarkation was a breeze- i expected loooong queues but this was not so. Disembarkation was also not so bad. My major gripe is that when i did the booking i requested a wheelchair for my elderly father-in-law but nearer to the date of the cruise i was advised that a wheelchair will be available for embarkation/disembarkation purposes only and not whilst we were on board. He is not disabled but due to age and illnesses he is only able to walk a few meters before getting exhausted. Therefore it was my intention to have a wheelchair for his ease of viewing the entire ship. Due to this we had to borrow a wheelchair from a relative which was in not so good a condition. Our overall experience was excellent, with a few minor dissatisfaction....such as the cabin/bathroom was too small. The entertainment during the day was excellent, invigorating and quite jovial---thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on the 11th deck. - Friday evening was good only mishap was that the other bars closed when the disco started.....not good at all as there are some of us who do not enjoy frolicking with youngsters..... i would have preferred being able to enjoy the companionship of more mature passengers listening to and dancing to 'our' type of music. - Saturday evening was not so good- bars closed for +/-2hrs my youngsters getting a bit bored waiting for the disco that only started +/-11pm. I feel that the kids/teens entertainment should not have taken place here- perhaps one of the other bars could have been utilised for this.... Another point of dissatisfaction was the duration of the cruise----from Friday +/-2pm to Sunday +/- 7am. i am sure there are reasons for these times but eish! we could have done with disembarking after 2pm But like i said in the very beginning------ALL-IN-ALL IT WAS AN EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE and i would definitely love to go on a longer cruise as soon as i can afford another one ;-) Read Less

It was very affordable and we heard so much about the cruise. The entertainment team that teaches you how to dance and play fun games was the highlight for me. The trip to the Island was so exciting and this is something that I would remember for the rest of my life. I never experienced a vacation quite like this. We are definately doing this again. The staff on the ship was very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious and there were a variety to choose from. The ship was keptwonderfully clean and there were no shortage of anything. We did this trip cos it wasmy sisters 60th birthday and her 40th anniversary married to her husband. This was her wish to celebrate it on the cruise, and did we enjoy it wow!! She has multiple myaloma and has a problem standing for long periods of time. The team helped us get through the longques and we could get her to embark and disembark without standing too long. Thank MSC for helping us make an everlasting memory with her. Read Less

This was my 5th time traveling on the msc A bit disappointing this time on the entertainment and Indian meal options at the the evening restaurants. Recommend more activities at pomene such as the banana rides, etc and more shaded spots on the beach itself so that the older family members can enjoy the views and watch the chiledren play in the water The entertainment shows in the evening should be more family orinatated such as magic shows and acrobats, etc. there should also be more activities during the day such as demos and classes - the designs made with fruit was very nice. The evening entertainment activities after the theatre show should be more family focused so everyone can participate. The Indian meal options should also include more veg options. The evening meals were good, however more focus should be on employing Indian chefs to improve on the taste and quality of the meals. The starters and deserts were excellent Suggest including popcorn for the thetrae shows as a free bee- it just creates more excitement Overall good experience but def more attention on the evening shows is required. Read Less

It's our 30 year anniversary and we wanted to spend quality time together away from the hustle and bustle of towns, mountains and coast lines. We needed to park the car and just relax and not worry about anything. I am a busy body so the cruise for me needed some getting used too but it was all well worth it in the long run. The ship was explored fully withing the first 3 hours of boarding and you get pretty well familiarized with the layout during the duration of the cruise. The food is delicious and plentiful. We joined the restaurants the first 2 nights but then went for the buffet on the last evening. We spent most of our time on the deck by the pool area. Our next trip will probably have to include my two sons and their wives as this is very enjoyable and we would like to do this as an extended family trip. Thanks to MSC for the wonderful experience. Read Less