Our Christmas cruise started on Christmas eve with Christmas day at sea. The entertainment team really went the extra mile with the Christmas spirit. The theater had a Christmas show that was a full stage production with fantastic acrobats...it's amazing what they can do on a rocky ship! The white party had a foam machine that made it seemed like it was snowing at 85 in the Caribbean! Christmas spirit was decorated throughout the ship, include the ginger bread village created by the pastry team! The food on the ship was better than other ships I've sailed, although there was only 3 dining options (the main dining room, a surf & turf, and the buffet). The hours for dining started early and lasted late into the night (always a pizza or burger available).

I was mixed on the ship overall. I thought the pool area and bar areas throughout the ship were very relaxing and not overly crowded, and the entertainment crew was always throwing fantastic parties. The room itself was very disappointing as it wasn't clean and was the smallest room I've had at seas by far!

The ports were great (Montego Bay, which we were diverted to Ocho Rios, Cayman, Cozumel and Havana overnight). As much as MSC tries to threaten you, you don't need to book an excursion with them. As of 2018, U.S. citizens need to qualify for one of 12 categories. The cruise ship offers a people to people category, same as what a third party excursion company would offer. There are other categories (i.e., family, journalist, etc.) so it's worth doing a little research to know the laws. You can exchange cash at the currency booth at the port terminal. They were open when we left mid-afternoon, so it was easy to convert back to your currency. The port in Havana let out into San Francisco Plaza. Read more