MSC Lirica Review

MSC Lirica - Central America/Panama Canal

Review for the Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on MSC Lirica
User Avatar
jula
First Time Cruiser • Age 20s

Rating by category

Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Feb 2007

This was our 9th cruise, our previous cruises have been with Celebrity (6 cruises) and Princess (2 cruises). This was also our first cruise longer than 7 days. I would like to say that this cruise was a great value. The price of this cruise is what caught our attention in the first place since it was a super price for a balcony suite. My husband and I agreed that we would take this same cruise again. This cruise was a very good fit for us. Here are our thoughts...

We flew in the day of the cruise, arriving at the port about 2:30PM. Embarkation was a breeze, we were in our stateroom in about 15 minutes. Our stateroom was very comfortable and lots of storage. All the staff were very professional from our cabin steward to the reception desk. The excursions were handled very efficiently. We enjoyed our excursions, especially the Panama Canal tour. The food was good, it wasn't Celebrity Cruise quality which we always have found to be excellent, but it was good. No one went hungry but the food could be a wee bit improved. We did not go to any of the midnight buffets so I can't comment on them, nor did we go to any of the shows. We did hear that some of them were very good. We loved the fact that they don't make alot of announcements. They actually treated you like adults, imagine that. We also enjoyed the 3 piece band that played in La Pergola outside on deck 11. It was SO NICE to not have a loud, steel band playing! We could actually enjoy the music that was playing and have a conversation at the same time. It was great! The ship didn't feel full at all. We never waited in the breakfast buffet line or at the outside lunch area. That could be due to timing, we usually ate breakfast around 9AM unless we had an excursion scheduled. At the grill area in La Pergola you could get made to order pancakes, french toast and eggs. This was a good choice if you didn't want to go through the morning buffet. We did not use the dining rooms for breakfast or lunch so we cannot comment on them. The ship was very clean and very nice. We never found ourselves saying, "I wish we could do this or that" or that something was lacking. Nothing seemed missing. Our table mates at dinner were lots of fun, and our waiter and his assistant did a great job. We were the first group off the ship and actually got to the airport early enough to take an earlier flight and get home 2 hours earlier than expected, a nice finish to a great cruise experience. We realize we are not the typical cruiser, we are not show people or late night people but we are casino people and my husband enjoys an evening cigar. All our needs were well taken care of.

I wouldn't recommend this cruise to a first time cruiser, but for people who have seen the glitzy ships and are looking for a really nice experience, this is it. I would be happy to answer any questions. Happy Cruising...

Cabin Review

previous reviewnext review

Find an MSC Lirica Cruise from $79

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.