I wanted to write a review because I looked for reviews before I book cruises. The reviews for MSC were really all over the place. As a Mom of young children (1 and 6yr old)...here is some information that I wish I had.

IN GENERAL:

I've done a fair bit of traveling in my life. I wasn't upset that as an American, I was the minority on the ship. Most of the 4,800 (900 were kids) on board were from Europe. I think the biggest populations were from France, Germany, and Spain. Every announcement was made in English, Spanish, French, and Italian. The culture of the ship felt more like being in a European country than USA. This also means that the food also was more similar to what you find in Europe (cold cuts, eggs, bread, etc.) If you wanted a burger... you got a European version (like a hockey puck). However, you don't go to Europe to eat Burgers, right? The culture of "lining-up" (or really lack thereof) was also present. I heard many Americans on board complaining about the culture. If you choose to go on an MSC cruise... you should think of it as a floating European country... not an American ship. Personally, I enjoyed the diversity and I'm glad I was able to expose my kids to it. Read more