The cruise was excellent value, and we had a lovely time. The cabins were more spacious than expected - and a balcony is the only way to go! The staff go to a lot of effort to entertain passengers when the weather isn't great. Everything on the ship, including the shore excursions, are incredibly well-organised. And the maintenance crew are constantly cleaning the ship both inside and out - it's incredibly neat.

My only complaints are that the photos are too expensive for you to get as many of them as you would like. They print them all out but then charge so much that you can only buy a few. I guess they just trash the rest, which is a real waste, considering they could just charge less so you could buy more of them. The other complaint is that, while most of the staff are incredibly friendly, helpful, and accommodating, we did meet the odd few that were actually downright rude and would even fight with guests. Luckily, we weren't confronted by anyone, but allowing this kind of behaviour does run the risk of giving MSC a bad name. The customer may not always be right, but the customer is always king - and rude staff members should undergo training to correct this behaviour.

Overall, though, I would highly recommend this holiday to anyone. It's excellent value for money - especially if you have kids. The ship is incredibly child-friendly. We'll certainly be going again soon on one of the other trips offered in South Africa - and perhaps internationally.