Like many others we had read some not great reviews of MSC cruises and were aware that this might well be why they seemed consistently cheaper than some other cruise lines. This, however was one of only two cruise itineries that fitted in with our holiday time so we thought we would "risk" it. We are so glad we did!

A very smooth and easy embarkation onto a very stylish ship with loads of well-designed public spaces. Our balcony cabin was of a decent size and nicely decorated with a very comfortable large bed. Our steward was charming, helpful and efficient. The pre-paid Allegrissimo drinks package offered very good value for money including, as it did, coffee and delicious ice-cream as well as most of the items on the drinks menu.

While the buffet was not as large, (some might say-over-whelming) as you could find on a RCI ship, it was plentiful, varied and consistently well-prepared. The staff were polite and helpful and the range of music on board was great and well performed. While the LA Scala theatre was beautifully appointed we found the 1st night show a little uninspiring so didn't go to the others. Plenty other guests obviously enjoyed it so this was probably just our taste. There was alwYs plenty of ither entertainment options to keep us amused but also plenty of space to hide away with a cocktail and a book if we fancied some quiet time. Read more