I have been on 3 international cruises with MSC Poesia, Fantadia and Meriviglia. Wanted to take my.mom who has never cruised before. I do not know if they cater for South Africans..... and why it should differ, but the food was really not nice. Cannot compare it to any of the international cruises we were on. Even at dining room evenings. Service in lounges most of the times non existent. we had to get our drinks at bar counter. I do not complain easily,but I will never go on a local cruise again. I felt neglected. I never experienced this on other cruises and really I am not a picky person. I always say there is so much food. eat what you like. Choices a lot less than international cruises. And different. Why? Italian ship. Should be same standard on all MSC ships wherever it sails. Just very dissapointed. Rather save up and get a nice special on international cruise!!!! Just want to mention...it was not only me that felt like this. A lot of other passengers who have been on the international.cruises said the same. Public toilets without toilet paper a couple of times also. Read Less

We were 14 ladies onboard music 13 of the girls it was their first-time and none of them got sick. Ever since i started cruising always choose feb once because the weather is awesome. Never been unable to dock and get off to the island The entertainment lineup was amazing as well as lots of food at cafeteria for casual dining and the more formal dining at restaurants. Loved every minute the live performances at the bar was so refreshing felt like im at the concert. The self service kiosk were one can link their cruise card with credit card is wonderful feature which reduce any qs. Portuguese island keeps on improving evrytime time and the place is more chilled with lots of shade and relaxing places. The barbecue food was amazing. The warm water beach a bonus. Only dissapontment is only going to the island once instead of twice like previous cruises. Pomene should also included for weekends cruises not only be part of midweek. Have already booked another cruise and will be back with the girls same time in 2020 on msc orchestra cannot wait. Read Less

to have a relaxed feel with my husband for our honeymoon. we wanted to experience something different from the ordinary and it served that.the whole cruise from day one was amazing. the music and all the entertainment staff was so entertaining and very fun and we were able to communicate .the bars entertainment was also very amazing and the food was to so delicious especially at the island .the fish was so fresh and tasty. I wish to come back with just my lady friends and have a blast at the club all night through and swim all the time. the weather was also very perfect to get off the musica in to the small boats .the dance moves and games are also amazing and we loved every game and beverages .the only thing is the photos are very expensive we wish we could have taken some but we couldidnt. Read Less

Taking this cruise was the best decision I have taken. It was a time to make memories and have fun with family. Embarkatment and disembarkment was done in a well and orderly manner with pictures of our every experience been captured. The entertainment provided through out the day, with amazing performances by the entertainment team and guest on board. The staff on board were simply amazing, helpful, friendly and made sure every single person was happy with they stay. From the unlimited amount of food available to facilities that were clean and well maintained, you definitely would not go wrong being apart of this amazing cruise line. Even the little ones were occupied the entire day with activities. We definitely will be looking forward to the next cruise very soon. Keep up the amazing work MSC. Honestly wouldn’t change a thing about the cruise for everything was on point. Thank you! Read Less

The MSC Musica is a beautiful ship. Stunning decor and very spacious. My husband and I together with friends had a relaxing, fun filled holiday. There was always something to do with the variety of entertainment on board. The entertainment crew were fantastic. We attended all of the theater shows and throughly enjoyed ourselves. Drinks and food were plenty. My only negative would be that the food could do with a little more flavour, more suited to our South African palate. Especially the food served at the seated dinners. Beautifully presented but lacking in seasoning. We stayed in a balcony cabin and this was superb. It didn't feel crowded and the view from the balcony was breathtaking. Portuguese Island was a bit too hot for us as it was a scorching day so we didnt spend too much time there. The place is beautifully set up and well maintained. All in all, we had a fantastic time. Thank you MSC. Read Less

Having travelled several times by air, we decided to try out by sea. I have always been fascinated by the ocean so this was an ideal opportunity to enjoy it more and even closer. The ship was amazing, it catered for the alcoholics! As a Muslim person, there really isn’t much than can be done on board. The swimming area seemed as if it was for the alcoholics and there kids. The theatre was one entertainment activity that we truly enjoyed. It would have been nice if more shows were offered throughout the day. The buffet dining confused very much so. There was signage saying that “MSC has gone out of its way to source halaal meats” however in the buffet area on the 13th floor there was a halaal section. Why? If apparently all of the lamb, poultry and beef on board was halaal. This is according to the many maitre de’s that we had spoken to. Then the halaal section was soooo limited in comparison to the rest of the buffet. Lunch buffet didn’t even offer the halaal section so what were we supposed to eat? Of course doubt enters the mind as a section was cordoned off for halaal. If the sign had made it clear that all the beef, lamb and poultry was halaal then I would have also enjoyed the burgers, hot dogs etc that the non halaal sections were offering. The dinner set up made things feel a lot more special however the same issue as above, the question of the meat being truly halaal. I appreciate that halaal meat was sourced however there is soo much going on that it would have been nice if it was made clear that ALL the poultry, beef and lamb was halaal. I think I would have enjoyed my meals even more. Nonetheless the meals I chose to eat were good and the seafood was exceptionally fresh and cooked very well. Well done to the chefs! To Kishawn Wilkonson, you deserve a good incentive and you have the most wonderful personality and a smile that can make anyone smile. You are extremely friendly and you really went out of your way to render fantastic service! I will never forgot you my friend from St Vincent somewhere near the West Indies. Your are a true gem to that ship and I wish the rest of your colleagues would learn a thing or too from you. To Maria the lady that did the housekeeping for our floor and room. You are truly amazing, your energy is so powerful especially to do what you do. I never got to chat to you but you are a very hard worker and I hope are rewarded for that! The people that work on ships are very hardworking overall and they have to have such a strong threshold for irate people and pressure. I take my hat off to them for all that they do and wish them all the best and hope that one day each one of them will be the captain of their own ship in life. By the way, it would have been very nice and also added a personal touch if Captain Pinto came to down on the last night at dinner to say hello to everyone. Just a thought... Read Less

Cruise was enjoyable. Cabin was good and neat. Not filled up with soap and toiletpaper everyday Had to ask for it. Compared to previous cruises the general service was not up to standard as on the Sinfonia and Opera. The layout for Sinfonia and Opera is much better than the Musica. Smoking areas should be restricted unpleasant for non smokers The dining areas was over crowded and we had to search for a table everytime, sometimes we walked with a plate of food three times through the restaurant to find a table. Family of 5 coul not even get a table together at all meals. Attention should be given to allocate passangers to different venues and times for all meals to prevent overcrowding and lack of tables to sit at. The Vouyager club counter was never open despite hours displayed when it will be open. Went there every day found nobody at the counter. Nobody could give me information for future cruises for 2019/2020. This was my fourth cruise with MSC not as good as the previous three cruises 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

Thank you MSC for giving South Africa such an amazing experience right on our doorstep. A Five star cruise experience, fine dining (the waiters were superb, especially Fawsi and Bombom (that's what they call him :-)) at its best and food served all day, we were definitely spoilt for choice, all day entertainment and activities with amazing shows daily, exceptional service from all staff... definitely a dream holiday which is very reasonably priced. We had a beautiful balcony cabin, which Dimitri kept in tip top shape every day....twice a day... Just one down side, embarkation (at the terminal) was hectic. There was no one to direct you on where you need to go and what queue you should follow and with 2000 people boarding and everyone wanting to get on the ship, it gets a bit crazy..... Overall it was an awesome experience, loved every moment.... I will definitely be going back.... Read Less

This was an anniversary gift for my parents, However they mentioned that their toilet was not even working well. They complained but didn't help. Food was average. Nothing special. You need to make sure that the Halaal and vegetarian is not next to the Non-Halaal foods. Also the utensils should not be shared as well when serving. Make sure you have different serving utensils for halaal and non- halaal. A suggestion would be that you seperate the halaal and vegetarian from the non-halaal. It will me much easier and more comforting for us guests. The overall service was great. very friendly and warm welcome. Great vibe on the cruise and entertainment was good. The activities were also good. They enjoyed the island and had a relaxing time and they definitely enjoyed the swim as well. Overall view, They enjoyed the cruise but minor details can make a very big difference. Read Less