Firstly, let me start of by saying that a MSc cruise is something that everyone or every family should go on at least once in their life. As a first time cruiser I did not know what to expect. Let me just say "I had a Mind-blowing experience". Departure time was 15:00pm on Friday March 29th. We arrived at the N-Shed passenger terminal at approximately 8:00am to a small queue of people. On the side of the queue were 2 shops selling coffee, tea, cooldrinks, pizza, burgers, boerewors, rolls, chips, sweets, chocolates, etc. The crew opened the boarding process at 10:00am. Once the line started moving we were greeted by MSc baggage handlers that took our luggage & other MSc staff that told us what documents to have on hand. From here we want to the MSc checkin desk, and thereafter to the Immigration/Home affairs officials who checked & stamped our passports. Quick & effecient. Thereafter MSc photographers took photos of all guests. Passports were taken once on board so they could be presented to the Mozambiqcan Immigration officials. The first thing we did was go the the activities desk to get an armband for my son so he could be identified if he got lost. Thereafter we were directed to the buffet area to have lunch. After we were done with lunch we were free to explore the ship in all its glory. And my word this ship is "Glorious" and of gigantic proportions. The attention to detail is second to none, well designed in every aspect. Opulence, Luxuriousness, Magnificence & Grandeur is the only words I can use to describe the beauty of this work of Art! There is a whole floor of duty free shops selling everything from Liquor, clothing, toys, jewellery, watches & Msc memorabilia. We then proceeded to the top deck whilst we waited for our cabins to be prepared where there were 4 jacuzzis, a kids pool & 2 adult pools. The top floor boasted 4 bars situated on each side of the deck as well as the centre. There is also a whole day buffet inside the top deck. Pool loungers & tables on either side of the ship for guests to relax and take in the ocean breeze. And intercom announcement stated that all cabins were ready for occupation at approximately 13:15pm. Once we had found our cabin low & behold our luggage was outside our cabin doors. The room & the view is stunning for its size. Neat & fresh. Everything smelt clean, considering that people had just departed the very same morning prior to our occupation. It can't be an easy task maintaining a ship of that size that thoroughly with such efficiency. Every day you receive an itinerary that tells you stuff about the island, the ship, shows, entertainment & where its happening as well as specials available at the duty fee shops. Cruise cards which is your personal ship everything card was left on the beds. You use this card to do everything - buy stuff, excursions, bar purchases, etc. The cruise card also states which dining area you go to for supper as well as your table & seat number. You use the same table every evening & you have the same waiter. Prior to supper there was a compulsory drill where all passengers & crew were asked to go to the cabin and fetch our life jackets from the cabin & the proceed to the 7th floor which is deck 7. Just so you know the lifeboats are on deck 7 and no; the ship wasn't about to sink. It was a drill to show all passengers what to do in case of an emergency. Staff were well prepared and on point. We opted for the 18:00pm sitting with a different menu every evening. 3 course meal consisting of a starter, main & desert. Meals were well prepared by master chefs from around the world. Kids also have the option of choosing from their own menu or the main menu. Some always available option are also on the menu. Service is top notch, as waiters are constantly checking on you. You can purchase drinks or cooldrinks at the restaurant. The waiters simply charge it to your cruise card or use your vouchers. Whilst dining were we greeted by waiters selling bottles of alcohol like Jameson & Klipdrift which if purchased came with 3 cans of cooldrink. Being a brandy connoisseur I opted for a bottle of Klipdrift for $37,99 which at the current rate used by MSc for the cruise was R15,14 which worked out to R575. Which is not bad considering I was told that drinks are very expensive on board. And people saying that you must buy vouchers because it works out cheaper. Let me explain - MSc has a drinks voucher for R858 which gives you 18 drinks of your choice like cocktails, whiskey and coke, etc. For me, I drink brandy which made more sense to buy a bottle, actually I ended up buying 2 bottles which when compared to buying a drinks voucher was a waste of time for me. For other cocktail and Pina colada lovers the drinks voucher would have made sense because it works out to about R50 a drink. Which is what you would pay in a nightclub or bar. And the price I paid for the bottle is what you would pay for a bottle of liquor at a restaurant or nightclub. Saturday morning breakfast was the usual variety of bacon, toasts, salads, eggs, juices, fresh fruits & the list goes on & on! One thing food & the variety of it is never short. There's too much. The 13th floor were the top deck is has a buffet area that is operational almost the whole day until midnight. You can have burgers, pasta, hot dogs, pizza, carvery, etc. In fact I cant even remember all the food to mention because there was too many options. After breakfast we went down to visit the Portuguese Island. Once you receive your number you relax in the lounge or explore the shops whilst waiting for your number to be called. Once called you follow a queue to get onto the speedboat after being scanned off. Once on the island there were various market stalls selling everything from alcohol to gifts. The island is uninhabited and only has MSc lounges and buffet areas as well as bars. Food was already ready once we arrived with everything from burgers, chicken wings, cold meats, calamari, fresh fruit, etc. The water was so clear you could actually see the fish. The water was warm and calm. The way back was also efficient. You are scanned back in & given an ice cold hand towel, a relief after being in the blistering sun. You are not allowed to bring any wooden items on board due to contamination. The on board entertainment is great, MSc really has great staff from around the world and there is always something happening somewhere. We attended a theatre show as well as a comedy act. The night prior to disembarkation you are given labels to attach to your luggage. You also receive a disembarkation form that tells you based on the colour of your luggage label which lounge to wait in & what time to depart. The whole process for disembarkation is efficient. All I can say is that from the time I boarded the ship to the time I left "Everything works like Clockwork". Hats of to MSc, from the call centre staff to the crew both on board & off. You guys rock, every interaction with any of you was a pleasant experience. Staff were well dressed and extremely well mannered. Read Less

My Parents had been on the Symphonia 7years ago, my sister and her husband went on the symphonia 3 years ago. Both parties told fantastic stories to us including the great facilities for children and how the children loved the play areas. My wife and I thus took our daughter this year( and to our misfortune we got the musica and not the symphonia).The musica isnt really equipped to handle small children to the level we were expecting after hearing all the stories. There kids club staff were at times very unhelpful and unwilling with scanning children in or out of the club. The club was closed more times than it was open during the day and we had to go there every 2hours to collect our child. And then wait almost 3hour to drop her of again. Many children did not go back after the first shift and rather ended up looking after themselfs while there parents partied . All that said, the food was fantastic, the staff service was exquisite, the entertainment worldclass but lacking variety became very repetitive. Could not get of on either island and thus can not give any feedback on the islands. Although because of the bad weather my head was still rocking a day after disembarkment Read Less

We had a great time, the theater entertainment was excellent. Eric Brauman & Tyrone were so professional & entertaining. The teams were excellent as well, kept us entertained & occupied. Loved our entire time on board. The food was above average. Budi & Justice, our waiters at L'oleandro, were excellent, attentive & always welcoming. Teatro de Salo was excellent! It was international entertainment at its best! The Mad Hatter for Wonderland & Riverdance, wow! The dancers, the guy on the wheel, the contortionist, Morgana the magician, the 2 muscle brothers & the 3 acrobatic brothers (i don't remember their names!) were out of this world! Jorjio was an excellent meringue teacher, so sexy! Jorge was so good at selling sangria, & he learnt the Afrikaans very well! Room service was excellent! Our cabin was well maintained at all times. We weren't able to go offshore though, due to inclement weather. 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

As it has always been away for me and my late wife to relax and this would jave been our first cruise with our children Just a pity of the rotten egg smell On the pool deck suspect it was exhaust fumes other wise the staff and food was off grate standard and i would cruise again but not on the musica soly on the issue with the smell on the top deck and that it made me sick . The transfer and embarkation for children was speedy and good well done msc The shows were grate and the staff looking after the children were awesome they need a grate round of applause .They make it for single parents like me the cruise a bit easier and more relaxing i will do it again with them . Just a pity we could not go to pomene or Portuguese island but im glad to see that the captain has our safety on his mind .to close it off im looking forward to be cruising on the orchestra and hope the experience will be grate . Read Less

We choose MSC Musica cruise because our cousin told us how nice to cruise and we thought let give it a try. This was our very first cruise. The whole experince was so out of this wolrd welcomed by friendly staff or crew. Every was communicated to us embark disembark was so smooth and well organised the MSC friendly was helping us. Guess what we enjoyed ourselves and even our son always asked dad when are we going again, we just laugh. Very impressive, we would do it over and again. Thank you guys for everything so well organized eg cleanliness from the cabin to the bathrooms and toilet, food, entertainment etc. It is safe to travel with MSC cruises Musica and our safetly come first hence were not transfered to the Islands due to weather we were disapointed but after we enjoyed the ship entertainment, music and games we palyed so fun an exciting. Read Less

Great experience - sad that we could not go to the islands but loved it so much we booked our next cruise on the Grandiosa in December. Staff is excellent - room was always in immaculate condition. Deck was a bit crowded seeing that we could not get off on the islands however still loved it. I do feel better planning in buffet area as we queued Very long and then had no table to sit and eat. Really looking forward to our next cruise and hope that we will have the same service! It one staff member I walked passed or saw did nothing - they all worked and did their best to make our experience the best! Loved the entertainment and would highly recommend MSC to anyone so they can experience the same! Oh by the way never knew those ships are so big! It is massive! And so well looked after. Read Less

We have been on a cruise with MSC and wanted to experience it again with our kids. Even though i felt a bit seasick now and again, i would definitely go again. Ship is beautiful and the staff was excellent, lots to do and to experience . Cabin was spacious and beautiful. Unfortunately we couldn't go ashore as the weather didn't permit it, but i value our safety more then missing out on a excursion. Though we missed out on the excursions, the staff kept us busy with shows and entertainment. Food was lovely, i ate way too much, but that is part of the holiday. Our kids loved the experience and there was lots to do for the kids aswell. Pool deck is beautiful and we loved to swim or just lounge and watch the entertainment. We explored Durban after we disembarked from our holiday cruise and we should say that Durban is a city that i would go and visit again. Read Less

The Ship is clean at all times. Balcony cabin was a good choice for us as you could open for fresh air. Dining was good, but a lack of choice on the menu. Entertainment was good but I think for some of the activities the wrong venue was chosen as you cannot stand for 2 hours through a adult games night. We travelled with children they were not happy so were we, the entertainment for kids are not in sync with adult entertainment, When we couldn't get off the ship due to rough sees their were new entertainment arranged but not kids appropriate, as the movies were not kiddies friendly movies. this was a big issue as what to do with the kids now? if the kids join the kids club later they have to sit on the side and watch what the others do, they dont get pulled into the activities till the end. The baby sitting is nice but very short periods. I will do another cruise but never with kids again as at the end of the day you don't really cater for kids or families and this was during school holidays. Read Less

So this was my very first cruise. We were booked in a balcony cabin. The whole experience was out of this world, from being welcome by the oh-so-friendly crew member at the entrance, to walking up gold trimmed staircases, to walking past very elegant dim-lit lounges with elegant seats, to the buffet at Deck 13 where food is served from the morning until midnight. Here you have dining options, you can either opt to eat at the classy restaurant where you are treated to a 3 course meal by the very friendly, professional waiters, or visit Deck 13 for a buffet style treat. They kept us well entertained throughout the duration of the cruise, we had karaoke evening, themed party, teambuildings, bingo, quizz, etc. You get to party all night long if the night club is your scene. Their choice of songs caters for different tastes, and the songs are current which i found very interesting. Not forgetting one of my personal highlights, the trip to Portuguese Island. Where you get to lounge in white seats while enjoying freshly made fish and other grills or snacking on some fruits while sipping on cocktails. I got a bit jealous when I saw some people who had brought their children with, there's loads of entertainment for kids. I'll sure bring my own kids on my next cruise. It was 5 star treatment all weekend, i would recommend it to anyone. I absolutely loved it. Thanks you MSC. Shout out to my waiters, Partana and Faizal at the L Oleandro restaurant. 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

Getting to the harbour in Durban was a slight delay because of traffic, so get there early in the morning.Embarkation was smooth, just make sure you read all instructions carefully for a smooth process I chose this cruise mainly as it was during the school holidays and it also offered a great first time destination for us to explore as a family. The food on board and entertainment was satisfactory. As a family, we always had something to do. Something for the kids and adults alike. The only thing I would do differently, is choose an outside cabin as the inside cabin was too cramped for a family of four. The room was cleaned daily and was left in a good condition. You also need to read ALL instructions given to you for embarkation, disembarkation and for your excursions, otherwise you will be lost and delayed. Overall a great experience and will definitely do it again with family and friends. I was sad when the cruise came to an end and wished it could be extended for a few more days. Thanks MSC! Read Less

My sister advised us to go on this cruise from Durban to Mozambique. This was our first cruise and I did not know what to expect. What a beautiful ship the MSC Musica was with awesome restaurants and brilliant food, drink and entertainment. The swimming pools were great and it was so weird swimming on a boat, this was a first for me. The cafeteria on the 13th Floor was incredible and it was open 24/7. The food was great and one day we were spoilt with Octopus stew! My boys loved the pizza. Good selection of teas to make. The We went to Portuguese Island and the trouble that MSC staff had gone to, to set everything up was incredible! Our boys thoroughly enjoyed the Mini Club and the ship. We chose the easy onboarding option, and it was worth the money. Everything ran so smoothly and there were no queues. Well worth going on if you get a chance, be it for two or for a family. Read Less

A cruise has been on our bucketlist for 17 years now. And finally we got to experience it. The Musica delivered beyond our expectations. Amazing food, incredible shows and great staff. Even the cabin was bigger than we expected. Being 4 people in the cabin we did not feel propped in at all. The bunker beds still leave enough space for mom and dad to a comfortable rest without feeling Closterfobic. Eric and his team kept us intertained. We missed the comedy show due to exhaustion...lol. would have loved to seen it on another time slot the following day. The shows are good. The storyline could use a few twigs. We had incredible food at the restaurant. We loved the themed evenings. The cafeteria's food was great too. Only negative was having second seating at the restaurant. My youngest kept falling asleep at the dinner table. We did asks to move but no tables were available. Maybe think about people with younger kids when doing the seating chart. After a day of fun 20h30 is very late for dinner. We just took her to an early dinner at the cafeteria before the shows. This has been an wonderful holiday. Read Less

I chose this cruise because my mother did one 45 years ago and since it was my 40th birthday last year we decided to go this year. We also had other family members booked on the same cruise.Was great experience with my mother since we also stayed in the same hotel she did 45 years ago - before embarking - the Elengeni in Durban. The level of excellence extremely high - from the moment we booked and made arrangements the correspondence were quick and professional. We made use of the booking of hotels and transfers. Best decision ever since it were so smooth and no hassles. Our holiday started of on the right foot. We had excellent service in both hotels we stayed in that were booked for us on behalf of MSC Groundservices and we will use the same services again. Our embarkation process ran smoothly and we were on the ship before we even knew - our luggage were ready when we went to our room. The service we had at every lounge were 10 out 10 and during our nightly dinners at our restaurant our waiter Nicolacia from Madagascar were perfect He was very friendly and efficient and knowledgeable about our menus. Loved the evening entertainment and the different lounges with different music acts and the daily bingo and games. Very talented artists on the ship. World class! I loved the fact that every where there were hand sanitation stations to clean your hands. Our cabin with the balcony were amazing and we sat outside watching the waves and even some dolphins one morning. Daily had excellent cleaning of cabin and staff were friendly and helpful when we contacted them for anything.The staff on the ship very professional and assisted to sort out a query with our bill and there were no need to stress. Will go again in future and will start saving immediately for next memorable holiday. Read Less

Everything is excellent, the staff is so professional, the team is so organised, they always ensure that they maintain their goal i.e. making sure that everyone is entertained to the best of their ability. Professionalism is their key word. The food everyone is catered for e.g. those who prefer healthy diet they are catered for and those who like junk food are also catered for. We all know that cleanliness is next to God so the place is always clean the cabins, dining halls and even the entertainment areas, for an example their swimming pools. Communication is very key, they always update you about the activities of the day, there are programmes to remind you about everything happening on the boat. what I enjoyed most it was the dinner time, the service was excellent, you and your family are allocated a waiter to service you. The food on the is out of this world. I will definitely recommend to my friends to go on vacation on MSC boat cruise. Read Less

This was my first cruise ever and I honestly had no idea what to expect! Well I can say that the entire experience was fantastic, from the quickness of boarding to the food to the staff! Absolutely everything was superb. I had the nicest housekeeping man looking after our cabin, which I shared with my gran. He was friendly and informative and I am so glad to have had someone as nice as him around! I got lost multiple times on board and found a map of the entire ship as I was leaving but honestly it was actually kind of fun getting lost because I got to discover different areas of the ship that I might not have gone to ordinarily. The food was something else, if I had the stomach space I would have gone back for second and third helpings! I highly recommend trying everything because you can and because it's too good to not try! I only got to see one show and on my last night but wow, what a show it was!!! The dancing and aerobatic performances were incredible! They had us laughing, amazed and in the end we were absolutely in awe! I would highly recommend seeing a show every night! During the excursion we took a little boat off to the second island for seafood and this did not disappoint! We stuffed our faces with prawns and other seafood and then washed it down with R n' R's before heading back to the first island to float in the beautifully flat swimming pool like ocean and shopping and then back on the boat. I am sad to be home but so glad to have experienced as much as I could in the 3 days I was aboard! I would highly recommend this trip to anyone! Read Less

This was a 1st time experience for my family and I, the service was amazing from the itinerary every morning to the meals and entertainment. Our cabin 9115 was basically a hotel room with a balcony always cleaned, must have been done twice a day. The ship itself was amazing so much to do yet so little time. Really enjoyed the Portuguese island especially the way it was done, the protocols used for the passengers to disembark & embark was brilliant well organised. I actually entered the Michael Jackson quiz and ended up dancing with the lady that was the coordinator for the show, crowd was going crazy, that was one of my highlights. On the 17th of March was my wife's birthday and what an experience we had on the Musica when we were dining the waiter even sang Happy Birthday as well for my wife, but I must add that our dinning at table 512 (2nd seating at 20h30) the waiter(Santanna) was extraordinary 5 star rating for him. The overall experience on the MSC Musica for me is definitely a 12 out of 10.. Well done guy's I hope to see you soon.. Addio, Paalam, 再见, Au revoir, adiós, totsiens, tofa & Goodbye.. Read Less

We had heard so much about Cruising being the right way to have a family holiday and we chose the MSC because our travel agent recommended it for our first experience. We decided to celebrate my Dad's 70th Birthday on the MSC as a gift to him as a family holiday. Durban as a departure city is known to us, and it was lovely to see the harbour on the beautiful morning we departed. We did have a little bit of a hiccup at departure - my niece Amy didn't have an abridged birth certificate (she had an application for it, it was not ready at time of travel) and so she could not board with us. She was left in the safe custody of family who reside in Durban, but this delayed our boarding did put a damper on our first afternoon aboard. The welcome and the staff on boarding the ship were excellent and very friendly...we were however not in the right frame of mind (after having to leave my niece onshore) to meet a sales person with drink package vouchers as soon as we boarded and I am afraid to say that he was greeted with our dismal no to any suggestions...no his fault I am afraid. We found our cabins, clean and well appointed. Everyday after the cabins were maintained and kept in clean order...The cleaning staff were always very pleasant, helpful and very accommodating. We really enjoyed the experience of sitting down for formal meals and also having the choice of self service - this broke the monotony of having just one choice. The food was really good, fresh and appealing, and the variety was impressive. The desserts and cakes at breakfast, lunch and supper were superb. The one thing that we struggled with was boiling water for tea (the water was hot, but not hot enough to steep a tea bag) and getting hot milk at the tea areas, but if asked the Staff they were really helpful to arrange this. One suggestion if I may, there were water dispensers on deck 13 only in the Restaurant...it would be great if there were water dispenses on each deck...until one is familiar with the drinks packages and how they work, one is sort of stuck for a basic need for hydration. We were all thrilled at how much there was to do aboard the ship, the programmes presented each day catered for young and old. We loved the variety shows and quizzes and the demonstrations to educate ones self with activities like food carving and flower arranging, the games and the music entertainment in the various different lounges. The staff onboard were ever ready to assist and point you in the right direction and never minded to help. The evening Shows were really world class and we enjoyed it immensely, we went to all :). I was super thrilled that the Shows were suitable for young and old. We travelled with my 7 year old twin and we discovered the Children's facility on the second afternoon of our cruise. The children's programme was excellent and we loved that there was such good security around their safety. I loved the fact that ship had a Library onboard and the children and I visited to take full advantage of facility. They loved the Adventure of being on board and the Children's Club most, pirate treasure hunts, food activities, taking part in shows, birthday parties, dress up and like activities, it was all wonderful. One comment if I may though,children between 3 to 5, 6-8 and 9 to 12 should be in separate groupings for entertainment, their interests and level of capacity is different...my children were grouped with Children from ages 3 years to 11 years, they sometimes got lost with what was expected of them, follow the babies or follow the older ones and on one occasion a bigger boy called my son a stupid, my son was able to respond with, that's interesting, that is not what my Mum calls me :) my name is Tait. Both my children were not happy with the children's pool, it was too shallow, suitable for toddlers and the big pools were too busy with Adults and bigger kids but this they overcame with all the other activities they engaged in. The service we received from all staff onboard was excellent, we had problems with our cabin door when we boarded and Diego helped get it sorted and after that sent us a complimentary sweet plate for the inconvenience, this really stood out as appreciation for us as guests and every time after that when we saw Diego he would call us by name and enquire on our wellbeing, we felt really special and looked after, right up until we settled our bills on departure. The excursion to the Portuguese Island was such a surprise highlight, the way in which the MSC provide for this experience is exceptional...I have never been on an island holiday, but this short experience left a lasting standard of impression of how this should be...definitely the cherry on the top of this cruise holiday. Most organized and pleasant experience in any transfer that I have experience from one space to another - and to be able to do this for so many people and make sure all are comfortable and taken care of is most impressive. We want to go again :) !!! we have already spoken to our travel agent and are making enquiries for next year to go to Mauritius, unfortunately your Family Cabins are already booked :( so must consider this for the following year. Thank you MSC and all who make such a wonderful experience possible - you certainly gave this Family memories to last a life time :) Read Less

We have travelled with MSC before. But this time we had our two kids with us. 3yr 3month old & 5 yr old. Both embarkation & disembarkation was smooth especially with two little kids. The ship is majestic and caters for all age groups. Our cabin was on the 12th floor, always neat n clean. We dined at belle epoque. Fabulous food n our waiter Mohammad al Saif was very professional & attentive to our requests. The theater shows were extraordinary n suitable for kids. Doremi team was absolutely G8 with the kids. Our itenary included Portuguese n pomene islands but due to bad weather we stayed at Portuguese island only , a bit disappointing cos we paid for pomene as well but couldn't go. The entire crew was polite and helpful. Only disappointment was that there are no family toilets in the public areas. Taking little kids to adult bathrooms are difficult. MSC can improve on that. Nevertheless excellent trip. Will definately travel again with our kids. 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

Crew members were not very clued up with information. Shore Excursions was very limited. More information should be made available on a channel on the TV Entertainment and Activities was very good Cabin very small. Was OK as we were only 2 adults, but if 2 children were included then the cabin would be very, very small. Beach towels were not replaced. Water leaking from the toilet which left the floor full of water. Not happy at all with our cabin, as it was suppose to be oceanview (Category 02 - ocean view) which was not. Feel that we were mislead. Not value for your money Dining - Buffet was not all awesome. Same food for lunch and dinner. On many days there were not enough fruit, tea, sugar, milk, and the coffee was very tasteless. Dining - Belle Epogue Restaurant, was stunning, food was tasteful. One disappointment was the prawns which was not at all cleaned, de-veined, and the smell was awful. A VERY SPECIAL COMPLIMENTS TO OUR WAITER SUDIANTARA FROM INDONESIA. He is really an asset to your company. Most friendly, helpful person with a great personality!!! Read Less

The first time with Sinfonia was excellent. Everything were more than expected. A dream come true. That is why my husband desided to surprise me with early birthday gift... A cruise on Musica.. We were so disappointed with Musica. Paying for balcony view but could not use it because both sides and all over no smoking area people were smoking. We had to close balcony all the time due to smoke. On deck there were on both sides people smoking . We complained about the rooms and balcony that our neighbors smoke, and no one did anything. Most food dishes had curry therefore we ate hotdogs or humburgers most of the time . We did ask about food they reply there is Indians on board but 95 % were South Africans. And coffee terrible. No decent coffee. Had to ask for nescafe. Waiters hide it because guests steal the coffee. The entertainment team on deck were good but not so interactive with guests. The entertainment shows inside were very good. The overall neatness is very good. But for children sitting between people smoking and not catering for all guests made me give a poor rating. We paid for experience of a lifetime not running from here to there just to search for spot to breathe fresh air or to look for something to help with heartburn.... Read Less

I will not suggest to my worst enemy to go on the MSC MUSICA AGAIN the cruise was over booked since we got on the ship we did not have anyplace to sit , never mind the package that i took they said there will be a welcoming letter from the Captain - just a note from management i wanted to take all my grand children next year but i will rather stay at home some of the people on the cruise stayed in there cabin due to the overcrowding if you wanted to get a drink at the bar it took you half to and hour, i can be glad that idid not take any children, the super sokkie we paid was a waste of money we could notsee any of the artist and i had to sit on a lamp pole, we could not even see the activities on the cruise we had to stand 95% of our time the only time we could sit was at dinner or lunch This cruise was for my husband birthday and he hated every minute of it the photos costed a lot of many sure all the photos they destroy could have been givenat a special price on the last day of the cruice 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