We chose this trip as we wanted to see Norway and the Northern lights. When we got to Tibury we were sent round in circles. The signs were few and far between and not very well positioned. We followed the signs only to be told that we were in the wrong area. It was like Custers last stand! There were cars going round and round in circles all being in the wrong place. We finally got to the right area and had to sit under a marquee with rain, whipped up by high winds, blowing through!! The first impression of the ship wasn't good. It looked pretty unkempt . We were on deck 7 and the smell of sewage and fuel oil was overwhelming . I made a comment to one off the crew and we were told " It's an old ship " and that this was it's last trip before a refit. The smell got worse over the next 4 days particularly when the Captain made a decision to sail with a force 11 predicted!! We had 7/8 metre waves and hurricane force winds. This was a full day at sea. The opinion if the guests was that we shouldn't have sailed. The smell after was REVOLTING. It made your eyes sting and you held your breath until you got away from the stairwell. The food was bland and pretty much the same every day. The trouble was seating. There simply wasnt enough seats and tables to cater for everybody. We had to sit on the window sills on two occasions!! They were constantly running out of cutlery and crockery. Mugs were at a premium. The room staff were SUPERB, as were the waiters, but other bar staff had a couldn't care less attitude. We were served the wrong drinks numerous times and had our cards swapped on 3 occasions. The shows were, well what do I say?. Queen tribute night summed it up. The backing ' band' were terrible. The 4 singers went from English to their native tounge if the couldn't remember the words. I didn't know if to laugh or cry! We walked out after the third song. Some people did say they enjoyed it to be fair. The comedian we saw had the oldest jokes you could think of. To make matters worse he tried to play the guitar! He couldn't keep up with the back music AND played out of time and time. The tours were good and we saw the Northern lights, which was the reason for the cruise. The tour guides were very helpful. We wouldn't sail again on the Meggelan. I know this was it's last trip and it showed, but it just lacked the things that make it a nice ship. Perhaps after a refit things might be different. But going on our experience, this was a outdated old smelly ship and had we known that, we wouldn't have booked it. Read Less

We saw it in a newspaper as BOGOF offer. This was not correct. By the time we had paid extra for the all inclusive element it ended up costing as much as going to the caribbean. Guests on our dinner table had paid far less. This ship is very old (over 50 years) and it shows. The cabin window rattled all the time. The cabin was ok, beds comfortable, bathroom acceptable. The food on board was very good, with good choices available although the dinners really had too much on the plate. The staff were very good, helpful, efficient, friendly. The entertainment was very third rate. However, it should be noted that at 66 we were some of the youngest on the voyage. The days at sea were miserable, and we had to stay on our beds for most of that time, due to the inclement weather. Excursions were expensive, so we opted to sort ourselves out and found getting buses very easy. Most places we stopped at were mostly closed, but the whole point for us had been the opportunity to see the Northern Lights, which we did 2 nights running in and near Alta within the Arctic Circle. Would we choose this cruise line again? No. Ship late getting back into Tilbury, mess-up with the coach back to Victoria, lost our onward connection, had to get new ticket, very long day to get home. Read Less

Having been diagnosed as Celiac four weeks before the holiday going away and eating out lots was of great concern for me. However, during the whole trip I was so well looked after with custom made meals in the dinning hall and a good selection of food in Windjammer. The gluten free pizza in Sorrento's is fabulous, and made fresh to order also. This was my four trip on Independence so I have assumed to I would be looked after but the service was even better than I thought. It was my first experience of a suit as we had decided to try and Junior suit- the room was massive in comparison to a balcony or ocean view. As it was October it was not hot enough to sun bath but it was so nice to sit and watch the world go bye. Embarkation and disembarkation in Southampton was very smooth and my party really enjoyed the new crazy gold area and the all new Sky Pad. We will be back on Indy again. Read Less

This is my 27 cruise. My third on HAL. We chose this cruise for the great itinerary and Koningsdam being a fairly new ship. The experience was wonderful. The quality of the food and selection were some of the best we have had. There are several dining options. We had "anytime dining" and never had to wait for a table in the main dining room. The lines in the Lido Buffet for breakfast and lunch moved quickly. Having a pizza custom made at "NYC Pizza & Deli" made for a great late night snack. Cabins are slightly smaller than other HAL ships. We had a "family stateroom" which was plenty of room for the two of us. Entertainment was Hit or Miss. The ships singers and dancers were good. Some of the quest performers were just okay. HAL is trying to give more of a contemporary twist with the new stage and format. If one likes classical music Lincoln Center Stage Live put on wonderful performances. BB King live was pop and Jazz music. There were enough music venues for anyone's taste. The staff and crew were as always very friendly and went out of there way to make our experience extra special. It is obvious the HAL executives are looking to attract a younger demographic with this new class of ship. This new Pinnacle Class is going to be competition for Celebrity. We would definitely consider taking another cruise on the Koningsdam. Read Less

I chose this cruise because my boyfriend and I love taking cruises. I had been to Europe a few times, but he had never been. I thought this was a great way to see Paris a few days before, cruise to a few different locations and spend an extra night in Germany before coming home. He has never been a sightseer or history buff, but he absolutely LOVED it. This was the most efficient organized cruise I have ever been on, and I believe it was #10 or #11 for me. we landed in Southampton very early on the 15th. Our boarding time was not until after 4PM. We grabbed some breakfast at the airport, but had no idea what to do until 4PM. It was cold and rainy, so we thought we'd just drop by the ship around noon to at least unload our luggage and find something to do. EVERYONE was so kind and welcoming. They took our bags with no problem, and we asked if there was any way we could board prior to 4PM. They welcomed us onto the ship and told us to go get some lunch and warm up. We were told our bags probably wouldn't be to our room until 2:30PM (almost apologetically) but by the time we loaded our cruise card with money for fun, ate some lunch and went to just see where our room was located - our bags were already there. From noon to 1PM, we arrived, checked in, ate, and were in nap mode. That was an answered prayer for two jetlagged people ready to cruise later. The stops were all amazing. We didn't purchase excursions because we like to wing it and see how the locals do it. I don't regret it at all. I was so happy that we got so many hours to explore each port. I will advise passengers who want to see the Anne Frank house to purchase tickets months in advance. They do sell out and you won't get in most likely. We were happy to just see it. This is the first cruise where we went to trivia, saw every comedy show, and other shows in the main theater. Everything was so much fun. Sophisticats isn't something I thought I'd be interested in, but we loved it. we purchased the 30 euro laundry package because it was supposed to rain for most of our trip (never rained once after we boarded) but that was a very nice feature. We had a slight hiccup with our Fantastica drink package. We were given water coupons instead of the beer, wine, and soft drink. They immediately fixed this once we realized it. The only thing I did not like, and it is 100% my issue, not theirs, is Mediterranean Night was 100% fish or veal on the menu. We do not eat either of those things. It was awkward to see the menu and leave, but again I know that is my issue not theirs. I would hve just liked a beef or chicken option as well. I just really can't say enough. I had read some reviews about the state of the ship and other things, and it was the prettiest ship I've ever sailed on. The people were wonderful and we met a lot of great passengers as well. It will actually be hard to do the standard beachy cruise again after this. It was a dream come true, and we cannot wait to come back again. Read Less

Having done over 12 cruises this was the first with MSC and I have to say it far exceeded our expectations. The food was excellent the Spa was amazing the staff were friendly and helpful such amazing value for money we will definitely be sailing with MSC again. The itinery was really what we booked this cruise for, leaving from southampton the embarkation was the sleekest I have ever encountered, the ship whilst mid to large size was easy to navigate. I was impressed by the covered pool area which was great on the cooler days although I was a little shocked that the pool was salt water. We booked the thermal spa experience and used the spa area every day which was great especially after doing 25000 steps in Amsterdam. The buffet was excellent and I found out over 400 pizzas are cooked every day I indulged in a few very tasty. The dining experience was fabulous never left Hungary and our server Kadek was amazing. The shows were great with acrobatics dancing singing etc something for everyone. Well done MSC Read Less

We booked this via Vision Cruise on TV as the price was excellent for 8 days including a drinks package and ocean view cabin. We should have realised it was cheap for a reason. Arriving at Southampton, embarkation was badly organised. On previous cruises we've been 15 minutes from car to ship, over an hour this time. Queuing to board was not pleasant. The ramp had steps up one side and a ramp the other. No organisation which meant people queuing where they liked, no accounting for disabled passengers (the chap behind me in a wheelchair had to stand for 20 minutes). Once on board there was a quick search and a photo taken and our cabin was ready and the room keys were inside (just as well nothing of value was already in the cabin). At this point I must point out the smells on Magnifica - the corridor to our cabin stank of drains and sewage for the entire 8 days we were on board, it was awful (lobbies frequently stank of cigarettes too). As we had the all inclusive drinks package we thought water in the room was complimentary although we were billed for it. When we challenged it we were told water in the room is not included in the package (even though its EXACTLY the same water). Food on Magnifica is rubbish - cheap and poor quality. Breakfast was by far the best meal of the day in the (ridiculously overcrowded) Sahara buffet. Lunch options were horrendous with the same food being served every day (catering for the UK market does not mean serving a lump of roast beef EVERY day!) and little variety. We popped there one day as we wanted to grab a quick bite before heading in to Amsterdam for the evening - it was worse than lunchtime - it was awful, I've had better in a Harvester. We left it and ate in Amsterdam. Evening dining is ok, but not what we've been used to. Presentation isn't great (I could do better), and the quality is often poor (my sister had beef one night which was so fatty it was inedible). We were not aware that the ship carries passengers from every port (unlike previous cruises where all passengers embark and disembark together). Most passengers were rude, obnoxious and frankly had no appetite to queue politely. Every lift meant people pushing in before you could get out, the buffet was chaos with passengers and crew pushing and shoving. One of the crew carrying a plate of dirty dishes knocked my sisters head, no acknowledgement or apology. With six languages on board, EVERY announcement, EVERY quiz, EVERY theatre introduction takes forever, and after a few days really starts to grate. Entertainment was average, given the language barrier it was predominantly dance (and almost exclusively tap and flamenco which they tried to include in EVERY show - does Carmen have flamenco in it!?). After a few days this got tedious and boring. There was however an english hypnotist on board and he was excellent. There were issues most days. We'd requested twin beds not a double - this was wrong. We'd specified the later sitting for dinner, this was wrong. On day 2 the toilet randomly blocked itself. On day 3 the safe broke so we had no security. Reception staff were very dismissive and always directed us elsewhere. One of our excursions didn't have tickets printed, which we were told weren't needed. Surprise surprise they were which meant a last minute dash around the ship to get them. Dress code is strange. We had two 'elegant' nights which aren't compulsory. Granted people can't be forced to dress up but on both nights I was sat in a dinner suite next to people in shorts and flip flops which made the whole thing somewhat pointless. Every British passenger we spoke to all said the same thing - never again will they cruise with MSC, and I agree. This is one cruise I actually looked forward to leaving - a view shared with others as we joked when we collected our baggage from the cruise terminal at Southampton. Read Less

It was mine and my partners first cruise. I really didn’t know what to expect after reading some of the reviews some good and some where dreadful. We went with an open mind and no sort of expectations as it was all new to us, as long as we got value for money we would be happy. Well I don’t understand the negative reviews about this ship she is a stunner. We had a balcony cabin and the all inclusive drinks package that was exceptional value for money. Our cabin was 10096 it was spotlessly clean. Clean sheets and towels everyday and we had everything we needed. The tea and coffee facilities were a nice touch for an Italian ship as I do love a brew in the morning when I get up. We had second sitting dinnng 2030 in the Quattro Venti restaurant and the food was spectacular, with excellent waiter service. Our wine glasses never went empty. The entertainment in the tiger lounge was what you would expect sometimes a little cheesy!! But entertainment staff really friendly especially Ray. The T32 nightclub was good with a variety of music for all tastes. Gym and sauna and pool facilities were excellent and very clean. Casino really big for a cruise ship I thought. Overall a magnificent experience on the Magnifica will definitely be back as we thought she was a stunner. Read Less

This was not the best cruise we've been on at all.....the main problem was the food, it was very, very poor. We ate in the dining room and it arrived Luke warm every time. On the first evening we waited 40 minutes between starter and main course. A couple of the steak meals we had were inedible. Staff were generally nice, especially Joy on the pool deck and sometimes The Tiger bar. Although there were a few who were as miserable as sin and avoided eye contact with you so they didn't have to serve you. This really happened a lot, we were gob smacked. We also witnessed one female waiter on the pool deck drop three or four big ice cubes and a pineapple chunk on the floor and just leave them there. The Sahara Buffet was packed the the rafters all the time; it didn't seem to matter what time of day you went. Two or more occasions we were met with a "closed" sign and they were stopping more people going in.....several times we walked in and straight out again....it was bedlam. The ship itself was clean and our cabin, 9094 was spacious. Our room attendent, Mohammed, was polite, helpful and quick. A couple of nights I was kept awake a lot because they continued to pipe music down the speakers outside our door. One thing MSC cannot easily control are the rude, ignorant morons of passengers who think it's OK to walk passed your door at two in the morning yelling at the top of their voices. The activities during the day were few, there was hardly anything to do. A few days we just lay on our bed and watched telly. We have been on the MSC Divina in the USA and Caribbean and that was a whole different experience....it was brilliant. This cruise on the Magnifica has ensured that we will never, ever go on MSC in Europe again. It was very poor. Read Less

We booked this cruise as we had a good offer which included a balcony upgrade, all inclusive package and WiFi. After reading some reviews we were worried that we wouldn’t enjoy it but went with an open mind. Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth for us. We were on and off ship very quickly. We were given a 13.00 time but couldn’t go to our rooms until 14.30. So had to keep our hand luggage with us and find somewhere to sit while we waited. We didn’t know who our room steward was as there was no information and no introduction when we said hello to them. We were disappointed with the a la carte menu. Choice was limited. I had prawns one night and was not offered a finger bowl. No coffee was offered at end of the meal which was a shame. On occasions felt we were being rushed. Food in buffet was mediocre. One occasion I had meatballs and it was cold. Range of food choices was limited. No hot deserts were available which was a shame. Several occasions the restaurant was full and had to wait to be shown a table and on one occasion we’re told it might be better to go to the restaurant on deck 5. Cost of shuttles transfer in 2 ports was on the high side. €15.90 per person return for 15 min trip each way but it was a bit far to walk with elderly parents. We didn’t do any excursions as nothing was of interest. We were disappointed we didn’t get 2 days in Amsterdam but that was our fault as we misunderstood the timings and thought there had been an error on the original schedule so didn’t do as much as we wanted to do there. We were pleased with the ship design. Plenty of different lounge areas, lovely large theatre and plenty of space. Could find somewhere to sit most of the time. The main atrium area was spacious. Entertainment on cruise was limited. Didn’t meet any of the entertainment team. Played quoits a couple of times but had to collect equipment from specific area at specific opening times. Good choice of board games to use and we used the scrabble but there was a mixture of English and other language letters and the board was not English - made the game interesting. We were able to waiver our tips when we arrived on the boat and there were plenty of places to register your card for payment. We were told that some changes had been made to accommodate the English but they were not obvious to us. One thing that we didn’t like was the fact that smoking was allowed inside the ship in most areas. Coming from a country where it has been banned made it uncomfortable at times. We found ourselves moving to different areas or avoiding those areas. Overall, we were a little disappointed with the trip. I wouldn’t rush back to an MSC cruise but wouldn’t say never again. Read Less