This ship has the worst crew and the worst food. Stay away from MSC. I would recommend any cruise line over MSC. BCL, Celebrity, Royal Carribean, Princess, Carnival, Oceania, etc. Food is salty, listers quality possible. If you like bad pizza breakfast lunch and dinner along with hot dogs this cruise is for you! If you want the typical shrimp, lobster, escargot and smoked Salmon his cruise is not for you. Dining room service is rushed with absolutely no flexibility. If it’s not on the menu you will not get it. Everything is processed with salt solutions. Salads are soggy. Fish of the poorest quality along with 2 to 3 ml thick salted steak. Buffets are the same everyday! Tilapia, pizza hot dogs, terrible desserts. If food is important then don’t come on MSC! It’s rare to find a helpful person. Bar service is good but it’s hard to no get sick eating the food. It’s sad that MSCi so cheap when they have invested so much into the ship.entertainment was good but no bug name outside entertainment! No enrichment classes. Read Less

Having sailed with various other cruiselines we liked the itinerary (never been to Rio) free drinks package, cabin upgrade and had seen recent reviews. Embarking in Barcelona.............a long process. Difficult to know what was happening. We all had our numbers for processing. Needed to keep asking what was happening. Not a lot!!! Eventually spotted movement. Need to pay attention as no repeated info over tanoy system. (When ship came in cold drinks trolley came into cruise terminal).You could also buy snacks and beer etc from cafe. ON BOARD SHIP ....................well impressed. Yes new ship, lovely and clean, looks big from outside but didn't feel any bigger than some we have sailed on. Probably deeper with all cabins but easy to navigate your way around. Lots of grays, silver, mirrors (bit disconcerting at first), swarovski stair case (crystals and lights) in Atrium, easy to see stage from three decks, 3 large screens with varying scenes, bars etc on different levels. A busy spot between theatre and eating. CABIN.......... greens and greys, good size, compact storage, with balcony (small but fine), shower OK size, beds comfy, air conditioning easy to use. Hand wash at sink, in shower dispensers of shampoo and shower gel. hairdrier in drawer, under "desk" in cabin. We always bring our own soaps, shampoo and conditioner. No kettle for us.... but accessible most of time from buffet on Deck 8. If drinks package ask for bottled water from bars. DINING.................. headed for MARKETPLACE (buffet on deck 8 /always very noisy) on boarding ship. Long boarding delays, must have caused problems for caterers. Pizza and chps tepid, place mobbed, lucky to find seat. This would be our breakfast, lunch, or mid aft or late snack, post theartre place to munch. If weather good can sit out on deck. Usual salad, fruit,bar, Pizza/pasta, Grilled food, Asian food etc Lots of choices. SILVER DOLPHIN for dinner was allocated to us. Not compelled to dress up but smart!! You can mix n match your menu ie have starter with a main. Always option of steamed fish, veg poatoes/chips you can have instead/with your main. Otherwise might be teeny porttions/strange mains ie hummous and other dip with pitta bread. Waiting staff efficient and helpful. SPECIALITY DINING French/Asian/Steak........we didn't pay extra and dine there. Used GOLDEN SANDS once as friends booked this retaurant but little difference to ours. OCEAN POINT other buffet/just as busy as Marketplace. Maybe not as noisy. Maybe not enough staff :sometimes lack of mugs, food always needing topped up. HAND CLEANING NO PROMPTING IN BUFFET/DINING ROOM .........automatic wash, soap, driers and hand gels available (sometimes empty!!) ENTERTAINMENT.............for kids looks great Forest adventure Park etc For adults Amusement arcade bit Cinema 4D/F! simulator/Bowling. Zipline pay extra. Behind Haven Lounge, towards back of ship, pool table, board games and library. Limited but good books in library but noisy spot to sit. Quiz really good fun but happens near end of cruise. Probably busy entertainment folk. If sunny more activities line dancing music on deck. Can grab an ice cream (on drinks package) or pay for ice lolly delic. WOULD have been good if we had known there were times when we should wear WHITE, MASKS and even FLORAL. Member of entertainment sidled up to us and said you are expected to participate in Beach party, mean't to be in Hawaian gear. We wandered off for a drink. Well all the Brazilian folk new what they were doing!! ODEON THEATRE ..........book from your cabin or on screens around ship/by lifts or queue up just before show then rush in and check for spare seats. Shows overall really good. Lots of usual singing, dancing, lovely costumes, acrobatics, (amazing), magic. Good mix. BRAZILIAN SINGER on stage in Atrium.....................she had an amazing voice/her group played for long spells every night. Guests singing along. She had a good rapport with audience. Another singer Rudy lovely husky voice and smile. Another young man who played guitar did a mix, nice voice but might be better to do songs that people can engage with. Current .and 60's, 70's etc to get them singing. SERVICE is really good overall but probably not enough staff, to cope with everyone/everything. Delays when embarking, delays when disembarking. PORTS AND EXCURSIONS Better doing your homework and seeing what u must visit. We just did our own thing, walked into town most times had shuttle once and one excursion "RIO and shopping" saw main sights. Communication at these times seems to be, "you find out what is going on" not really using mic to communicate. Maybe too many people to stick in the Theatre and put into different groups and advise them over mic what is happening and when to move. Especially as they are already in groups of English or Portuguese or Italian etc speaking groups. Read Less

i chose this cruise based on it being a short break around the Med and because I wanted to try MSCs new ship. The embarking process was a bit long but relatively well organised and didnt take too long. as they were directing everyone into the buffet at lunch as you can imagine it was rammed and it took a hile to find a table. The cabin was spotlessly clean but we didnt get the beds separated into 2 individuals until after I had called a few times to guest services ( I was travelling with a friends ). Being an avid traveller of Norwegian and Royal Caribbean I expected to meet the cabin steward on the first day but it took a few days ( of a 4 day cruise ) to figure out who our steward was. We ordered choc covered strawberries which were mushy and not very appetizing. If it is out of season dont offer them. I guess that was my fault though. The ship itself felt like the layout was confusing but every area was spotless and very impressive. The shows in the theatre could have been better and more entertainment could have been offered as I felt like we were only being offered half of what could have been. The food was ok but I was left with an upset stomach after the second night in the MDR so stuck to the buffet. You have to try and avoid peak times at the buffet as otherwise finding a seat is quite some feat. I have had better food on other cruises but it was ok in general. Not impressed that they charge you for everything. Even 7 euros for a film to watch as otherwise you are stuck with news channels and there was a huge queue at Guest services on the last day as they automatically charged 34.99 euros per person to your bill for the welcome photo whether you want it or not so be warned. Disembarkation was an absolute shambles. No organisation whatsoever and there were at least 200 people queuing up in the staff areas of the ship waiting to disembark and people pushing in and arguing etc. Having said all this I would travel with MSC again but be better prepared for what to expect though after my experience on Seaview I think there is a lot to say for smaller ships Read Less

We chose this cruise of the Western/Central Mediterranean because it was convenient to my son’s school schedule, but we were excited about the Itinerary: Napoli, Messina, Malta, Barcelona, and Marseille. In the end, we were disappointed. We had an Aires suite on deck 11 and the room was very nice. Spacious, modern, proper, BUT WE NEVER SAW A CABIN STEWARD. No one asked about ice in the room or extra towels. We were disappointed here. We were supposed to have a wellness consultant but could not even get a tour of the thermal area of the spa. We were very disappointed with the spa. Meal service started out strong as we had any time service in the Golden Sand Restaurant. Dinner on night 1 was great but the quality did not hold up over the week. Service, however, was good. The shows were terrible. The casino was Smokey. The music was average at best. Read Less

We chose this 7 day cruise for the itinerary. We had not been to Europe, so we wanted to experience several places and this cruise was ideal for all the places we got to see in a short period of time. It is great to not to have to worry about food, hotels and services and to be able to sleep while transitioning from one port to another. Its an excellent way to see a lot on your first trip. This cruise ship had it down for organized embarkation and disembarkment! They do an excellent job. I felt like the food was mediocre in comparison with other ships I have been on...but definitely not bad. I had no problem eating and finding American cuisine on this international boat. The boat is HUGE! It can house up to 5,000 guests. I never seemed overwhelmed by this, but several times the elevators were backlogged, especially after shows or dinner. The shows were kind of random...I did not understand the themes and it just seemed like singing with crazy costumes and acrobatics thrown in. I ended up only going to a few and enjoyed spending time in the atrium with the musicians and fun activities. The Sports bar was fun, as was the casino bar. I would have rated the service excellent when we were 80% through our trip, but the last two days we did encounter a few rude staff members (Shine bar and room service) which turned into a disappointing ending. The ports were amazing, I thought. My least favorite were Marseille and Genoa. The highlights of our trip were: Taxi Mister Cab Driver (Naples and Amalfi Coast)- Ciro was a delight, and he set up a guide for us in Pompeii who was beyond excellent! We then went to downtown Naples for the best pizza and went shopping on the Christmas street and bought homemade Nativity scenes and ornaments. FUN day! Our day at port in Messina was also a highlight, as we hired a driver to take us to Taormina for a cooking class at Porta Messina Ristorante...They were amazing and this was such a fun experience. I would definitely recommend this activity. We chose cannoli making but they have other wonderful classes. Giovanni was our chef and he was knowledgeable and kind. We then followed up by shopping around Taormina, taking in the beautiful views and shops, then headed to the Gambino Winery for a wine tasting (well worth it). It was about a 45 minute drive, with beautiful country views and delicious wine paired with a lunch for 29 Euros. Then we headed back to the ship. We started in Barcelona, getting there pre-cruise one day before and stayed at a Hostal- Som Nit Born because they had a room with four twin beds (a hard find in Barcelona), The room was plain and clean and just fine. We walked around and found a great outdoor cafe and they kept our bags before boarding the ship the next day- We caught a bus (stop very close to the hotel) to La Rambla Street and enjoyed shopping and lunch. The ladies at Som Nit Born spoke great English and called us a cab to take us to the ship when we returned. Check each destination and the prices of the cruise and decide where to Board...I might would consider Messina or Naples next time, as we liked those places the best and could go early and spend more time those places. I did enjoy the last day at sea before disembarking in Barcelona, though, as it was a relaxing day after an amazing trip! I am thinking of taking my husband and my children on this cruise (young adults) as it is an experience of a lifetime. I was with friends on this trip. It is a good buy for the money and for the most part a great experience! Read Less

I need to preference the review by saying this is for the Yacht Club. I can't speak to other cabins or dinning. Firstly, Yacht Club is the only way I'd do this ship. The service is insanely good. We existed the cab in Barcelona and before I could determine where I needed to be, someone from MSC spotted my yacht club tag and escorted us immediately to a private area with drinks and food ready. Within 30 minutes we were on the ship in the private Yacht Club lounge and had our wristbands and in the Cabin. Our bags were shortly behind. The Yacht Club has a private lounge with breakfast, afternoon snack, and music nightly. The private restaurant is overlooking that, and the private pool area has breakfast and lunch too with a pool and hot tubs. In this area, you're never asked for you room number or asked swipe a card for a drink, simply ask and it comes. The food is excellent in all the areas and the whole time I didn't have a single thing that I did not like. For lunch I opted for the pool area and had anything from fish to steak. The breakfast was cooked to order along with hot and cold selections. The attention is on details here. You must remember that the company picks the brightest employees to work on this part of the ship. The Yacht Club has a dedicated elevator, so you rarely wait to get to other parts of the ship. The Butler service is fantastic, and they bring you anything day or night. Feel like another drink, but already in PJs, not a problem, just pick up the phone and it appears. You have special robes, towels, private concierge, etc. You truly have a private part of the ship. For your excursions, your butler meets you in the lounge and walks you directly off the ship. When we returned to the ship after the excursion, our butler was waiting at the bottom of the gangway to bring us back to the room. so are the other parts of the ship crowded? Sometimes, yes, I mean the ship is huge so sometimes certain parts may seem crowded. My kids sometimes enjoyed the buffet while at kid’s club and never had a bad thing to say, the main buffet always looked good and clean. The water parks and slides are fun and zip-line is included with Yacht Club as is the gelato. You can get a drink anywhere, just show them your band and they scan it. We did try the thermals, again included with Yacht club, but they were often crowded, and yes sometimes wet towels were left around. I wish they were a bit larger, but I bet it depend on the sailing because they are expensive to access with Yacht Club, I think $50 per day. The ship speaks many languages, so yes, many non-Americans. Look, you’re on a Mediterranean cruise and you mustn’t expect everyone to be American and yes you might find some other cultures rude, but perhaps it’s you and not them. If you want the USA experience stick carnival cruise or Disney. I enjoy being around people of other cultures. We also loved the shows. Read Less

We have sailed on the Seaside two previous times and had very good experiences. This time, things certainly changed ! Dining room dinners were substandard for sure, although our dining room staff were very nice and did a good job, doesn't make up for the food. Terrible selections and poor quality of entrees, the specialty restaurants were nothing short of perfect. We should not have to pay to get a good meal, even their pizza was terrible !at the buffet which we always enjoy. We got better pizza in Ocho Rios ! The bar staff was over burdened and apparently getting an olive for a Martini is a stretch ! They do a great meet and great and have done we enjoyed them on Seaside before. The rooms are small but we knew that from previous cruises on Seaside. Would I be going again on the Seaside, right now I need a rest from MSC !! Read Less

The MSC Seaview was a nice ship. But the 'niceness" ends there. This was hands down the worst cruise we've ever been on. We sailed on the newest ship, Seaview departing from Barcelona to Marseilles, France then Genoa, Italy, Naples, Italy, Messina, Sicily, then Valletta, Malta from 11/2/18 through 11/9/18. They charge for EVERYTHING. The service was awful! The staff was rude!!! The food was horrible. The only food that was barely edible was the food in the restaurants that COST extra. The food in the main dining buffet was almost inedible. The staff (ALL of them) acted like they were doing us a favor by even responding to a request. They rolled their eyes, smacked and curled their lips when asked a question. I've been on Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises several times. I'm not new to cruising. This was astonishingly horrific. Then they had the audacity to charge us $10/person/day gratuity. We demanded that they take that off of our bill (they did). Don't waste your money on this cruise line. If you're expecting American-style service and support, you'll be sorely disappointed. Read Less

This was our third and most likely last cruise on MSC. We have always booked a Yacht Club cabin for the better service, better dining and the exclusieve and tranquil pool area. Food We did enjoy the room service for breakfast, wich was always delivered on time and with everything we ordered. Coffee and hot chocolate was just ok. We always ordered freshly squeezed orange juice and we always got it. There are not egg dishes mentioned on the breakfast order card, but if you write what you want on the card, it will be delivered. We got fried eggs, scrambled eggs and even eggs benedict. For lunch we choose the grill on deck 19 if the weather was good. Not so good unfortunately. Meat or fish were grilled to ordered but always lacked taste. On rainy days we went to the small buffet restaurant on deck 16. The atmosphere is warm and almost cosy, but it is usualy loud and crowded. The food is rather good actualy. On one occasion we ordered pizza from room service. Pizza’s are delivered in a Classic pizza box, wich we found amazing. They tasted ok, but the iItalian restaurant in our small home town has way much better pizza’s. Dining was exclusivly in the Yacht Club restaurant. Here, the food is very good, tasty and well prepared, but the portions are small. Bars The Yacht Club has one bar or lounge with live music. The service here is swift and excellent. The service in the other bars is good but slow. It can take more than 20 minutes before you have your drink. Entertainment Short shows (35 minutes) in a nice theater with a sometimes strange mixture of singing, dancing and acrobatics. The singers were good, but the sound system is awfull. We saw most shows. Wellness A good choice of sauna’s, thalasso pool, steam rooms and a snow room. However it is too small for the +5000 guests on board. We never saw a free place in one of the relaxation rooms. The thalasso was also always crowded. Cabin Our Yacht Club deluxe suite was spacious, with a good bed, large television, and a sitting area with just enough space to eat breakfast in the morning or watch television at night. Mini bar with water, beer, soft drinks, alcohol and snacks, was refilled twice daily. The bathroom had an ok size with a large shower with glass door. Excursions Three of our four pre-booked excursions were cancelled. Two because of bad weather and one because the minimum number of participants was not reached. We were only told once that the excursion was cancelled. The other two times we asked the night before when we would receive our vouchers and were only than told that the excursions was cancelled. Poot communication and customer service! Why this is our last MSC cruise? Although our experience in the Yacht Club is mostly positive, we will not sail with MSC again. These are the main reasons: - the ships are too large, hence too crowded, too loud and too many queues. - there is advertisement everywhere: on large banners in the atrium, the pool areas, the restaurants and the bars, on the large lcd screens every few meters, on the small screens in the elevators, on papers delivered in your cabin, etc... - staff are walking around asking you if you are interested in a speciality restaurant, a drink package - photographers are everywhere on the ship asking you if you want your picture taken All this gave us the impression that we were sailing on a floating busy market or food hall instead of on a relaxing luxury cruise ship. Our next booked cruise vacations are on smaller ships from Viking Ocean. They are more expensive, but everything is included: drinks, gratuities and even (basic) excursions. We will hopefully love to be on a smaller and quieter ship again like we did in the past (Oceania and Ponant). Read Less

My husband and I booked this cruise as friends of ours had already booked. We had never cruised before so after booking we started ready reviews about MSC Seaview. There were so many negative reviews that we feared we would have a terrible experience. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. The embarkation and disembarkation process was flawless. We did not encounter one staff member that was not pleasant and helpful and all spoke English..some better than others but all were functional in English. We ate all our dinners in the Siver Dolphin Restaurant and had the most amazing waiter..Rogi..full name is Rogiroberto I believe. We also had another server named Chester who was excellent. We had an inside room, midship, and we found it very comfortable with adequate space. The food was very good...buffets were sometimes hectic as some passengers thought it was okay to push and poke their way to what they wanted (no fault of the cruise line). We did not prebook any excursions through MSC. At each port of call we simply hired a taxi to take us where we wanted to go and that worked out very well. We would recommend MSC Seaview without any hesitation...very reasonably priced and delivered a great cruise. Read Less