Bottom line up front: We had read many negative reviews and were not expecting great things from MSC. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the experience on our 4-night Bahamas cruise. MSC offered excellent value for the price paid. I am including a lot of detail below for folks who might find it useful, particularly families.

About us: We are a family of four with school-aged kids, and were looking for a cheap spring break getaway. With exceptionally low fares and "kids cruise free", MSC was by far the best deal out there. We booked an aft balcony on a 4-night itinerary with a stop in Nassau and overnight at Ocean Cay. We did not opt for any up-charge items such as drink packages, excursions, specialty restaurants, or shows, so I can't comment on any of those things. Our kids also didn't take part in any of the kids' clubs this time. Our only previous cruise was Holland America to Alaska aboard the Koningsdam, so that is our frame of reference. We arrived in Orlando and used a hotel/transfer package through GoPort (not inexpensive, but well-organized and stress-free) to get to and from the ship.

Embarkation: Our bus arrived at Port Canaveral around noon and embarkation was so quick and easy, we couldn't believe it. We were on the ship within 30 minutes of getting off the bus. Our transfer was well before our assigned boarding time, but there was no problem. We immediately registered our credit card at one of the kiosks, and headed up to the Lido buffet for some lunch. Staterooms were ready just before 2 pm. We checked into getting wrist bands for the waterslides, but they were closed on boarding day, as I'm sure staffing is tight then. Read more