MSC Splendida Review

4.5 / 5.0
366 reviews

Mixed bag but give it a try

Review for Europe Cruise on MSC Splendida
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Pickaway Cruiser
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

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Additional details

Sail Date: Sep 2016
Cabin: Balcony Stateroom

I chose this cruise based on the price and ports of call. The ship is big and beautiful, although the décor is so reflective (shiny/mirrored) that we had a hard time with finding things at first. It has a lot of sparkle everywhere. Balcony rooms were so affordable that we booked one, and the room really was great. The shower was really small, that didn't bother me, but was not easy for my husband.

The staff is generally not as friendly as the people on previous cruises. We have always enjoyed meeting the staff and chatting with them, but really didn't have much chance to do that here. Our cabin steward was really great. Our head waiter at dinner warmed up after a few days.

The expectations we had were based on experiences with several pervious cruises (on Holland, RCCL, Carnival). On those, we always got announcements and clear notifications of when we could get off the ship. We didn't have that here. We missed some time on land at the first stop because we were waiting for the announcement. What they did do well was use several languages for announcements we did get.

Cabin Review

Balcony Stateroom

Cabin B2

The cabin was spacious with plenty of room to hang your clothes, 6 drawers, and room to store your luggage. The shower was small and that bothered my husband, but was fine for me. There was a cabinet that allowed you to store your cosmetic items beneath the sink. I am not sure of the category designation so I chose the middle one.

Port Reviews

Brugge (Bruges)

Don't miss Brugge. It is the most beautiful city I've seen yet. It's easy to do on your own. You don't need to purchase an excursion. Normally you can just walk up the road and catch the train, but they were on strike the day we did it. The ship also offers shuttles to/from town, which is an easy way to get there.

Southampton

We started from London and took the train to Southampton; on the cab drive back to the train, we saw a little of the city and it looked like a place worth exploring. There's a lot of history there and the locals can tell you a lot of stories.

Amsterdam

We did our own transportation. It was easy to get around and the locals are helpful. We visited the Dutch Resistance Museum and took a canal ride; we also took the train to Haarlem to see the Corrie Ten Boom museum. Her family sheltered Jewish people during WWII and were all arrested; most of the family died in the camps. The story of their commitment was profound and inspiring to all who would help others being persecuted. It was the highlight of our trip which included many wonderful sights and experiences.

Hamburg

Keep in mind that this city was nearly levels in a bombing campaign during WWII, so there isn't as much antiquity as in other ports. The Rathaus building was VERY impressive and worth the time to fully appreciate it. We also loved the Miniature Wunderland. We got a group Hamburg card for local transportation. We had to ask for help from the bus drivers because it wasn't as easy to understand as in other cities, and not much English at this port. Also the Steinwarder dock is far from town. You'll either need to take a taxi - around 25 Euros one way - or buy the ship's RT shuttle, about 15 Euros RT per person.

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