MSC Magnifica Review

4.0 / 5.0
392 reviews

Considering MSC? I suggest selecting some other cruise line

Review for the British Isles & Western Europe Cruise on MSC Magnifica
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JezzaC
2-5 Cruises • Age 40s

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Sail Date: May 2013

This was our 2nd cruise on MSC. Our first cruise was fine so we were happy to go again for MSC cruise but it wasn't what we expected.MSC Magnifica is beautiful ship and in great condition. They keep ship very clean. Our balcony cabin was also in perfect condition and cabin personnel did a good job during the cruise.Entertainment and activies were quite poor. There were few quiz per day, couple bands playing dance music and couple keyboard and singer duos. They had also few shows with mainly music, dancing and acrobatics. You won't miss anything if you pass.Food was mainly good in main dining room. If you ate fish or seafood everything was really good but other meat wasn't the best quality. For example duck is usually served as a fillet, on MSC they seem rost the whole duck and then cut it to pieces. And the steaks are the most chewy ones I have ever eaten - so seems that they are cutting corners on the quality. Buffet was fine during lunch time but on dinner food was quite disgusting. Chicken was really dry and steaks were really really really well done with dark grey color.Oriental restaurant had really good food and great service. L'Oasi ala carte restaurant was something else. I return to their service part later on this review but the food was also terrible. We tasted one dish before walking out. Outside of the restaurant is a picture of their signature dishes and basil soap with scallops looks delicious. When we got actual portion we couldn't see any scallops and it didn't remind the dish at all. Then we got chef explaining that scallops are just small. When we did some fishing we were lucky to find two world's smallest scallops from the plate. Can't neither remember when I have eaten anything which tastes so bad...Then to the main issue which was poor customer service. We had already hick ups right away on first evening. I had ordered bon voyage package which also included fruit basket delivered every day. I went to ask about delivery for our package and guest relations didn't know fruit basket was included. They declined it several times until finally checking from some document the truth. Major hick up on our cruise was the personnel being not aware about premium drink package. On ala carte restaurant they refused to serve us drinks. We then had to get those ourselves from the bar, but neither the bartender had never heard about it. After long discussion he was kind enough to serve us. Quite soon he also then brought us the receipts to be signed with charging the drinks which should have been included.We tried once again to explain them was is included in the package and what is not. Then the waiter started teaching us with his 8 years of experience on MSC and said that packages have been never applied on the ala carte restaurant. At that stage we decided to walk out. We went to guest relations and there were 4 persons saying to us that drinks in ala carte aren't included in the package. Luckily I had a print from home stating what is included and what is not. I got it from cabin and then they started investigating it.Next I got to talk with guest relations manager. She said that she must contact they customer service right away and let them know that they have given wrong information. Wait a minute! So the fault was now in MSC customer service and their websites? On her opinion ship personnel had correct and rest of MSC wrong.Couple days after I went back to guest relations and she had got more information. Now she said that package includes ala carte restaurants but not L'oasi. So she was still saying we were wrong about having glass of champagne in the ala carte restaurant included to the package. Then she also explained that drinks from bar menu are however included also in L'oasi. At that point we got so confused we decided to give it up. I don't know how often guest relations check their own bar menus but that champagne is mentioned there. One other major hick up was personnel having drinks from my package. I noticed that there were weird double lines on my invoice. I could say from the all previous days were those correct or not - but from that day I was sure. I went to accounting and asked after those receipts. I had had one beer at that bar and it was correct. However there was also another purchase - 2 cans of red bull - which weren't mine. MSC response was very excellent. Since I had a package I wouldn't have to pay those. Great! Who cares, if personnel steals from the company.They also made several small errors - with room service and laundry pricing. To me seems it seems MSC does everything about 90% correct and it is just easier if customers have to do all the work for correcting the information. So customers have to the things which should be done by personnel.

Cabin Review

Cabin 7

Balcony was nice and clean.

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