The number one reason we booked this particular trip was an overnight in Cuba, someone make sure that didn't happen, MSC went above and beyond in my opinion to make it up to us, they exceeded our expectations in that regard, the embarkation was smooth and the cabin was ready for us, our cabin attendant was extremely good, courteous and knowledgeable, the only gripe was the horrible and tiny shower in our cabin a cloth shower curtain that was eating us alive! The Pizzeria is open all the time, food was good, in the dinning room we requested at table for two and got it, but we were practically on top of the tables next to us, the food needs to be improved, the steak was tough and tasteless, prime rib night the bake potato was served with no butter, no sour cream, just plain, the staff was superb and they brought us anything we requested, for breakfast in the restaurants when you ask for cream for your coffee, they act like they have never heard such a thing! The shows for the most part were really good, the cruise director wasn't on board, but his assistant took over and he did a fabulous job, they were always smiling and cheerful. The most annoying gripe happened while having breakfast, I asked a waiter for water, his reply, "I only take breakfast orders" I told 1 of his supervisors and they apologize. We have done the Caribbean plenty of time and were looking forward to Cuba, it didn't happened :( I would sail again with them and for an old ship, still looks good and it is not a tacky palace like some other line :) We met great people at the meet and mingle, the Captain didn't see fit to join us! The MSC Divina's Captain make sure to meet us back in March of this year With a few flaws I would still sail again on the MSC Armonia Read Less

First off, we were told we had a free upgrade. I tried to contact the travel agent to no avail. When we got onto the ship, I asked about the upgrade and had a sign literally pushed into my face which said there are no free cabins. We were told to board the ship at 5.15 pm. We discovered that the ship had been parked at Southampton all day and most people just got on when they felt like it. Like wise disembarkation, we were told 10.15 am. We left at about 10am and discovered that most people had already left. Dining:- The quality of the food was poor, lukewarm at best and it was impossible to get a hot drink. The buffet area was horrendous, doesn't do to be a shy retiring Brit. Survival of the fittest (loud Europeans). Excursions:- Extortionate. Bruges transfer approx. 55 Euros. Lovely lady gave us information (including safety) on the coach into Bruges. Very pretty town. Rotterdam:- Transfer to Amsterdam about 55 Euros. Horrendous. The ship was parked up all night (until 6am next day) and yet we had to be back on the ship by about 4pm. It took 1.5hours to get into Amsterdam and nearly 2 coming back, and so we had about 2.5 hours in Amsterdam, time to do next to nothing. There was a commentary going on all the way to Amsterdam, in German. We asked the German guide where we were when we arrived, he drew a circle on our map, we asked him which direction we should go in and he pointed to a street, which was a very seedy back street selling undesirable items in the shops. Best value was taking a trip round Amsterdam on one of those bikes that holds two passengers. People who had been to Amsterdam before said Rotterdam is much nicer. We complained at Excursion reception and we were told by a very rude lady that there was no guide on the bus. True but there was no safety instructions either on or off the bus. Don't bother complaining about anything, you are wasting your time. Hamburg:- We took the shuttle which was about 15 Euros. Unfortunately it was Sunday so all shops closed. We took a HOHO bus which was good value. Once again we had to be back on the ship way before it left. Le Havre: we just stayed in Le Havre because most of the trips were expensive. E.g. Paris 119.99 Euros. 11 hours but takes a good few hours to get there. Le Havre is a dump. Entertainment:- Most shows were very samey and only lasted for about 30 minutes. Cabin: We had an indoor cabin which we will never do again. Cabin staff were very good though. The ship itself was fantastic, but trying to partake in any activities was difficult due to overcrowding. We will not travel with MSC again and cannot recommend it. Read Less

Just came back from Msc Bellissima ,we booked a year ago . This is our 15 th cruise ,second time on Msc.We were so looking forward as Msc Splendida was perfect. But unfortunately this one no.Inside cabin very small,buffet always same food. The only positive place was the Lighthouse Restaurant staff very nice especially our Waiter Antonio and his wife Sandy.Food was very good and health there.Its the only place we looked forward . Every day at 5 pm huge noise of a drill every single day.So never a siesta. I think Msc are building too many ships in short time ,and things are not being done in good details.Changing of ceiling screen is nice but not everything. We look for nice details,Doors from were you can go to see the sea on most floors. Italian shows used to be better,Cirque de soleil was very nice ,but cancelled once so many missed it . Read Less

Food in the main dinning room was good some nights and bad others, lobster was available one night for an addition $24 and was very small. And salads are not offered as one of the courses. Drink packages are very expensive, you need at least 19 drinks to break even. Buffet for breakfast was limited, no omelets. Nightly shows were only 1/2 hour long and limited to mostly the same acrobatics and singing. No live musicians , and the limitation of translating up to 5 or 6 languages probably has something to do with why their show were so limited (no Magicians, or comics or broadway style productions) Their were live musicians in some of the nightclubs. The ship doc’d late so some people missed their flight, we had arranged priority departure and found that since we did not book our flights through MSC that we had to wait until those folks got off, and we also found out that we couldn’t walk off with our luggage at Venice. The only reason we did not miss our flight was because we hire private vans for our group. If you need to cancel an excursion be prepared for an argument and escalation to the manager. The positive is that the dinning and room staff were good. And their pricing is attractive but we quickly found that you get what you pay for Read Less

I've cruised Carnival, RCCL, Norwegian, and Disney Cruise Lines over the past 20+ years so I wanted to try MSC Seaside. Overall it was a great cruise. Very fast embarkation process (35 minutes from entry to terminal F to on the ship). Very Beautiful ship. Cabin was good size (9216 Aurea Suite) with a very large belcony. Buffet on decks 16 & 8 were good but almost identical in food choices and serve 95% of the same food choices ever day. Deck 16 Bascayne buffet has the only free ice cream machine, deck 8 Marketplace Buffet is much larger. Nightly dinner in the Seashore Resturant was excellent And Melvin our head waiter and Lindsey our assistant were were outstanding (Thank you so much for the great service if you sre reading this). I did not try any of the specialty resturants but my friends did and the reality enjoyed them and I did not use the fitness center.The Easy Drink package was perfect for me, it had all the different drinks I enjoy. The ship was always spotless and very clean. The staff were always very polite and enjoy talking to you if you let them. There was a very large number of foreign travelers from outside the USA and it was great talking to them and learning about there countries and culture. The showes were all excellent every night. Venchi Chocolate Bar was outstanding especially their Chocolate Martini. There was always plenty of activities going on day and night (Thank you and Great job to Eric our cruise director, you did a fantastic job) The only real downfall was that the in app (MSC for ME) texting did not work well at all for me and any of the others I was traveling with. No towel animals. I did not like having to have a bracelet on the entire cruise just to be able to use the water slides (I am 52 years old, I am not a child except for at heart). I did not care for the 5pm arrival at San Juan (everything was closing or closed, I wanted to do the fort tous but the were already closed. I also would have liked more time in Saint Martin 7a-1:30p was not enough time to do any real tours because alot of places were not even open yet when we arrived and by the time they did open it was time to leave. The few downfalls did not by any means ruin my cruise. Overall it was an Outstanding Cruise at a very fair price. I would definitely cruise with MSC again. Read Less

Well, we just got back home from our first Crouse with MSC Seaside. I tell you we had the best time ever. They got me upset at first because of some ship rewards in the Casino. But I got over it the service's was great the ppl on the ship were good. Our Balcony stateroom had a tub and shower so we were delighted. The food was alright but the steakhouse was awesome. The drink pkg was worth it we just had a good time. I know I did I even jump on a 70 dance box on the 70's night. So I know I had a good time Lol.we won in the Casino , the drinks were great, Carmen in guest Services was the reason my whole trip turn into great. She was a great help to us. So the next time we decide to go we will think about MSC. Read Less

MSC is a great cruise line that we first went aboard several years ago in the MED. My wife and I have taken 6 different cruises with them and found all to be just fine. The best part is the shows at night. Second to none. The performances are just great. The food I am o Heart Healthy diet and they do a great job putting all my meals together. We eat each meal at the Buffet. So to fix it seperate is just great. Plan on another cruise with them in December. We have sail many times with Carnival and Princess. Both are o.k. but they are not MSC. The ships are just beautiful to walk around and look at. Yes you have to overlook the many different cultures but ever be afraid to learn from others and their way of life. Thank You Joseph Hardin Coxs Creek KY Read Less

My wife and I greatly enjoyed this cruise. The most that caught our attention was the excellent treatment we received from all MSC Armonía employees. Kindness and courtesy since we entered through the doors. Especial mention to the waiters at Marco Polo Restaurant, Kosih and Renelyn, excellent service. In the service area of ​​the room, Mr. Marion Garcia, far exceeded our expectations. The entertainment Kevin and Moises and their group are wonderful, original, dynamic. The shows at the Fenice Theater, compare with Circo de Soleil, or Brodway, incredible talents. The BR Beats band, wonderful, excellent musicians, and great singing. The cruise director Miguel and the captain (I don't remember the name) are high-class professionals. People who with honesty, respect and warmth make everyone, employees and clients feel like a family. The infrastructure of the ship requires remodeling. But the customer service, human warmth and love of its employees far outweigh that weakness of the ship. Read Less

Previously used MSC about 7 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Treated with respect and pleasant dining all through the day. This cruise eas so different, majority of staff unsmiling and grudgingly helpful when unable to avoid assistance. Started badly with us (70 yrs of age) having to lug our luggage from the port entrance to our cabin, plenty of staff just watching pretending that they could not understand the language (English) Promises of some free laundry services never materialised and cabin attendant was just a cleaner who tidied and replaced towels twice daily. Breakfast was a chaotic scramble, as was lunch, the evening meal was OK at best with small 3 courses which was never hot and rather small, often just meat with a couple of small pieces of vegetable. Despite selecting not to have a service charge on my bill (I like to tip for good service to deserving individuals who were few) it took 3 visits to customer services to get a €140 service charge added to my bill without my consent to be removed. The vast majority of staff had little if any English. Almost all clients were Italian with a lot of small children, the Italians are very nice but mainly noisy and excitable. Entertainment about 40 mins of which 15 mins was a compère introducing the show in about 6 languages.The 25 min show however was good Newpver sgain Read Less

The Ship: A brand new, gleaming white ship. I was in awe of the size as I walked towards the harbour at how high she sits above the water. The embarkation in Genoa as absolutely seamless. Basically no queues and excellent service. From arrival to boarding it took about 15 minutes. There were plenty of check in staff, so i have no idea why there have been so many people complaining on the forum about embarkation being stressful. Issued with room card and wrist band which we could use to open doors and pay for goods, an excellent idea. Once onboard security was quick and easy to get through. Initially we were asked if we wanted to avail of package upgrades, but because we already had premium plus drinks package all we did was politely decline. I can see why some people think there is a "hard sell", but we didn't experience that. You can choose to just walk on, stop stressing out! In photos and videos I got the impression that the ship looked a bit tacky in places, but I couldn't have been more wrong. It really is very tastefully done and looks beautiful in all areas. The layout of the ship is excellent, easy to navigate and has interactive screen throughout to help you find where you are going, make bookings and see what is happening each night. Plenty of lifts and never waiting more than a minute or two for one to arrive. Deck areas are nicely laid of and plenty of places to lounge in. I tended to find the aft (Horizon Pool area) of the ship a bit quieter and more chilled, especially on a day at the dock. We had access to the aurea package members only 'Top 19 Solarium Deck' which was nice. Its a little quieter and has plenty of loungers if you want to chill out. The only thing I would say is the MSC could make it feel a bit more special. Some plants and greenery wouldn't go astray to give it a more exclusive feel and the service here wasn't always very good to be honest. There is no bar, you have to order from the attendant or go to the "pantry" which looks like a little kitchen and i found this a bit odd. Dining: Ok people, the food on board is incredible. Let's start with the Marketplace Buffet. I really do not understand all the moaning about "lack of choice" and so on. Seriously I never found myself wanting, which begs the question, what do some people want!!?? I found all the found tasty, fresh and plentiful. They put a lot of pride into onboard cooking and food presentation. From the mozzarella factory to the breads, cakes, pizza and beautiful pastries etc. If anything it appears that a lot of people are just downtright greedy and wasteful gluttons. Try a little of everything, but waste less people! Yes, the Marketplace can be busy at peak times, but a top tip is move to the rear of the ship and you'll find lots of space, emptier buffet points and a more calm atmosphere. We ate 50/50 between the assigned restaurant and speciality restaurants. Both were fantastic. The lighthouse restaurant had great set menus and plenty of selection. Service was top notch, we never had to ask for service, they always anticipated our needs. Top tip is to go slightly earlier, about 1900 and you'll find it less busy and bag a seat by the amazing aft full height windows. We tried The Butchers Cut and teppenayki restaurants, both had fantastic service and it was well worth the extra supplement - you're on holidays, spoil yourself! **DRINKS PACKAGE** we took the premium plus package and I have to say it was well worth the money! We had whatever we wanted, when we wanted it. Everything is included on it. Everything. Even if you're not a big drinker I think it's worth it. We had champagne/cocktails in the champagne bar before and after dinner every night. We got to know the champagne bar staff well and they were absolutely incredibly good to us. We tried every cocktail on the menu, Moet and Chandon, Veuve Cliquot etc, I really can't think why you wouldn't get the drinks package!? Entertainment and activities: There is so much to see and do on board, particularly at night that you really do need to be well prepared. I suggest planning your evening carefully around theatre shows, dinner, galleria light shows and Cirque du Solei. The evening along the Galleria were my favourite. It's a real riot of colour and fun. Lots of music and dancing made it a sociable and interactive experience. The entertainment staff were excellent. For those moaning about this being a "party ship", well you need to wise up. If you don't like the music and dancing there are plenty of places for you to go, like the jazz bar (Sky Lounge) or the British Pub. You're on holidays, enjoy yourself and embrace there relaxed European vibes.... or alternatively go on a Cunard cruise if you're worried you might have fun, good forbid! Cirque at sea was a great experience. The purpose built theatre was wonderful and the shows incredible. One of the evenings it was used for the MSC Got Talent show where crew members from around the world sang and danced - Don't miss this!! Honestly it was one of the most fun and enjoyable parts of the cruise, especially the Haka Dancing ships firemen from Maori. The whole crowd was wild for it. The theme nights were fun - White night, 70s night, space night and pool party - the staff put a lot of effort into making sure people have a lot of fun and you can see it when you look around and see guests dancing and smiling. Service: Again I cannot find any reason to complain here as so many feel the need to! Never once did I find myself wanting for anything. All needs anticipated and catered to. Once some of the staff got to know my name they greeted us personally. Plenty of people on deck taking orders for drinks and atttending to all needs. On a side note it's not all about who you see, it's what you see. The ship is spotlessly clean, shining and well maintained. I never once saw a grubby surface or dirty public area. Well done to all behind the scenes staff. Recommendations: book the aurea package if you want access to the spa, it's well worth it! Great facilities and really relaxing. Because I had this package I rarely got off the ship and spent most port days here chilling out. One of the nicest spa areas i have ever used. Ignore the hard sells in the spa and you'll be good. The Sky Lounge seems to be very under used which is a shame. Head there for unique cocktails and great service with special treats! We didn't travel with children, but I think my nieces and nephews would have really enjoyed this ship and I'd love to take them some time. Great places for kids to be entertained all day. Read Less

If you’re looking for a bit of luxury, some good quality service, friendly staff, great entertainment and decent value for money, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU. The entertainment is a bunch of people singing, changing outfits and dancing, EVERY NIGHT. The Market Place cafe is chaos 20 hours per day. Absolute mayhem. The staff and cruisers have very little to non existent manors. Pushing, ignorance, shouting and being generally rude is commonplace. MSC over charge on everything. 8euros for a beer.... PLUS 15% service charge on top. Buses at ports are all 4x the price they are when you actually leave the ship. One thing we didn’t think of was the fact people leave and start their holidays at almost every port. Imagine all of those safety drills, suitcases and so on all over the place, every day! If you’re in you’re room you have a ten minute lecture in every language about the safety procedure, almost every day. The food.... is ok. That’s it. Lack of imagination and small portion sizes but in the lighthouse during the evening it’s pretty good. They will try and get you to pay for speciality restaurants and drinks packages at every opportunity. The room we had, 12261 with a balcony was great however. Very large and much better than other ships we had been on. Our cabin steward was nice. Room always tidy. The boat is pretty nice. The layout isn’t great though and means you’re up and down stairs a lot, the lifts are always full. It’s designed and fit out a bit cheesy rather than luxury but I guess people like that. The best area of the ship by far is the Masters of The Sea. The staff are funny, friendly and personal. They remember your name, your drink and are super efficient. The live music is good and the pub has the best vibe of anywhere on the ship. One thing we should say is we are British. We’ve sailed from Southampton a number of times with different companies but this cruise fell far short and we certainly wouldn’t be booking with MSC again. Today is the last day of our cruise, looking forward to getting home. MSC if you’re reading | Areas to improve Adult only areas - quiet areas (no party music blasting) Some manors. Some organisation to the Marketplace. Restocking of minibar as standard. Entertainment - A new manager. The entertainment is simply awful. The same thing every night and every day. Very poor and a very basic standard. Try a different cruise liner and see what they do. Food leftovers left down the hallways on the floor. Pretty disgusting and often left for hours. The safety procedure. He has been talking for ten minutes In every language whilst we are trying to relax in our room. We’ve heard it 5 times. Make him stop, please. Read Less

Picked this cruise from Bari as we wanted to come back to Bari and spend time in the Puglia area.. Cruise was great although more time could have been spent in ports . Restaurant waiters and service was great and food too. Our housekeeper Mundir was very helpful and always there if Needed. Room was always cleaned to perfection. Entertainment staff were the best I have come across on a cruise . All very talented and hospitality with guests were great and so was the music played as well.. Stefano Guzzardi and Yennier Moreno who are part of the entertainment staff have made this cruise very memorable for me.. not only they are kind, funny and great entertainers , they are both great dancers which I love to do and both made time several times for me.. I would love to join them on a cruise one day .. Luigi Incarnato is also a great entertainer and always gets the crowds going.. Read Less

It started off great. I was going to sail on the very ship I have admired for years from my balcony as a resident of Miami. The embarkation procedure was seamless. The cabin was very nice. The steward was very friendly and did a nice job. Then the 1st lesson started as 1 of the many sales pitches got me to purchase the upgrade to the seafood fine dining restaurant on night 1. Stale bread and frozen butter to start, minuscule over frozen crab portions next, and a simply horrible meal to . finish. Write that one off...not here to complain. Next, we sent out 4 shirts and 5 dresses to get the wrinkles of packing out using the laundry package that I paid 30.00 for. The next day our cabin steward arrives at our door with his boss to let me know they ripped the collar buttons off of a brand new 100 shirt and offered me champagne as a token of apology. I didn't accept since my accomplice doesn't drink and it would have gone to waste for the most part. The rest of our ironed items were still very wrinkled so we never used that service again. No worries...I'm there to have fun. Write off #2. Next, I spent over 5 hours with various members of the "customer service" desk to get the free internet working on my phone since there was a hurricane pointing at my home and I wanted to be available for family. 2 IT (internet technology) techs, 1 multimedia tech, and about 6-8 different others all couldn't get it to work on a very common apple XS phone. The internet on the ship was horrible as I heard from many others. For the rest of the cruise, the food at Roy's 3 restaurants was very good, the buffets were pretty average good, the pizza was a great idea, and the ship dinners (we went twice) was very acceptable. But the staff was definitely not overly friendly. Most of them didn't understand english very well, which is kind of odd for a ship that sails out of Miami...and Spanish wasn't their language of choice either. To wrap it all up, the customer service desk didn't want to offer me anything for the bad meal, the damaged shirt, the internet that didn't work, or the the poor laundry service. But they did however offer me a refund of the gratuities that I was charged for all of the people who are there to make my experience a good one. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD AND WAS THE PERFECT REFLECTION OF A COMPANY THAT DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYEES. I absolutely refused to screw those hard working people and was given a card to email "customer service" in Ft. Lauderdale I'm guessing. The auto responder said I'd get a response in 7-10 business days...I wait...nothing. Then I called them and get placed on hold for almost 2 hours before I hang up in disgust. I call back and tell the receptionist about the incident and she promises to get it to a supervisor. The next day I get an email stating that they are sorry for all of my inconvenience and offered me 30.00 off of my next cruise and didn't even address my issues! That was it!!! And the funny part is that I was a rated player in the casino...I'm sure that they'll want me back. I'LL NEVER CRUISE MSC AGAIN. Read Less

We chose this ship and our first MSC for the itinerary to Cuba only but as it got cancelled we decided to stay with the offer of onboard credit and make the most of it plus 11 in our party so dates and two nights in Miami made our minds up ! Ship was better than the reviews I had read, yes older but spotless and crew could not be faulted in any way, in fact best crew ever on any ship we have sailed on, friendly knew our names and smiling the whole cruise. Cabin was as expected small but clean, of course we prefer Celebrity but difference in price reflected that. You do get what you pay for in life! Food was adequate, dinner was better in the Pegola restaurant, we had that privilege as my parents were suite passengers, but buffet was quite disappointing with lack of salads etc and very repetitive but Pizza was best at sea, delicious and very Italian. We had the premium drink package but found the cocktails already made up using very sweet syrups but stuck mainly to wine and Grey Goose. If you want to party and love Spanish style music and heavy reggae in the nightclub then this is the ship for you, there were a few different music singers in the bars but in all the ship was very Latin based in the entertainment field which suited us most of the time as we were a party crowd but was very loud so think carefully if you prefer a more peaceful cruise. Done one excursion to the falls in Jamaica, ok but not great organization except our guide in the falls, we done all others ourselves by using local transport and taxis. Would we go with MSC again, yes but a newer ship, also embankment was the quickest ever, walked on very quickly which was a great surprise. Read Less

We flew to Hamburg to join this cruise and were very impressed with the price. Boarding in Hamburg took forever.. we queued for at least 2 hours and we arrived early. The ship itself is beautiful and balcony cabin was lovely. There's plenty of bars and we always found someone to sit. Food was disappointing in the main restaurant. We had no rapport with our waiter who wasn't really interested..meal sizes were tiny and not very uniform. Greek salad had 1 tiny piece of feta. Tables are also shared which is difficult if you don't all speak the same language. Buffet food was good if you could find a table to eat at. Staff generally were very lacklustre and didn't seem particularly happy. Entertainment was poor with not great singers or any sort of direction. I probably would do MSC again as their prices are good but maybe set my expectations a bit lower. Read Less

Background This was my 80th cruise overall, with most of them being on Celebrity in the past, followed by Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Cunard and Carnival. We found an incredible offer back in February on this 7-day cruise and could not pass it up. My partner and I went and traveled with a close friend of ours who booked a solo cabin. Pre-Cruise We started our journey in Miami. We actually flew into Fort Lauderdale the day before, picked up a rental car and enjoyed lunch before heading to Miami. We checked into the Holiday Inn Seaport and then returned the rental car. We took an Uber into South Beach for dinner before retiring for the night. We checked out at 11am and headed to the port via an Uber, which was very inexpensive. The Ship We arrived at the port and were onboard before noon. The entire process was easy. The ship is stunning. Magnificently constructed, although the gray and burgundy theme inside was not my favorite color palette, it was gorgeous. The layout was fun and different than any ship I had been on. The majority of the fellow passengers were from Europe, and we loved it. Our stateroom was on the 13th floor, a balcony aft. We had booked an inside guarantee and the upgrade fairy gave us a kiss... the first time ever for me to have this kind of upgrade! Also, MSC did a status match of my status with Celebrity, which was amazing. We loved the aft elevator being right outside our door and gave us quick access to the upper pool deck on 16 or the adult only pool on deck 7. Also, the buffet on either deck 16 or deck 8. Our stateroom was very spacious and perfect, I could not have asked for anything different. Food is always subjective. I have to say in my opinion, MSC does a very good job. The buffets for breakfast and lunch had a beautiful array of foods with a lot of variety. Overall everything was very good and we were always more than happy with what our choices were. At dinner, we had the 7:30pm seating on deck 5, table for 3. The food was very good, I still give Celebrity tops, but I have to say I think that MSC rivals the food that the rest of the lines offer. Service in the main dining room lacked a bit, our team had 3 other large tables of families, and they were all high maintenance, but we were patient and enjoyed. They do three seatings in two different dining rooms. Very courageous, but they pull it off.. the thought is exhausting to me if I were a server! The shows were excellent. We saw two, which we booked from an interactive screen onboard. We saw Wizard and Starwalker, both excellent. Just like the dining times being divided into 3, so are the shows. The theater is small and intimate, I think the smallest I have encountered. I did notice the missing orchestra pit and musicians, which I did really miss. Overall a great experience. The onboard entertainment was excellent. There was always something going on, and the live musicians were all very good. There were theme nights throughout the cruise that for the first time I have ever seen... people participated with vigor! They brought outfits and all. I have to say, I do not know how they knew about them as I never saw anything about them other than the white party, which I saw a post on Instagram about. The ports were great, although I would like the port times to be tweaked, but I understand the logistics with the 7-day itinerary. We were in San Juan first, from 5pm-1am. We walked into town and did dinner and had some cocktails. Next up was St. Thomas from 7am-7pm, we went to Secret Harbor and had a fabulous day of snorkeling and lounging. The restaurant there is not great and expensive, but the rest of the day was perfect. Third stop was St. Maarten from 7am-2pm, which is really too short if you want to go to Maho or across to Orient Bay, so we just walked into town and enjoyed our time. Last stop was Nassau from 12pm-6pm, where we went to Junkanoo beach which was just a few minute walk and we had a great day there. The chair hogs were out in the most amazing display I have ever seen. During peak times on days at sea I would say that 80% of the chairs were sitting empty with towels on them. Horrible. And nobody policing them. This is where the line needs to step up their game. The adult pool was great, although it was very deep at 6'5"... so be aware. It is salt water, which I loved. We had the easy package included with our stateroom and it was fantastic. They let you get two drinks at once, so we would often do doubles as their pours are small. If you want a foo-foo drink that is over the limit, they let you order one as a virgin with a shot on the side ;-). The internet was the best I have ever experienced. Instead of charging by the minute they charge by the GB. I loved it. I had a 3GB package included with the room and I worked every day and only used 1GB of it. If you avoid social media, videos and pics you are golden if you need to work. It was fast, too. Very happy. In the end.. MSC, you have us. We loved it and cannot wait to return. The value for the money is amazing. Read Less

Cuba price reductions were very tempting as was “status match”. “Bella Class” reminded me of near-steerage at times, but cabin was close to elevator and main decks were very close. Staff was friendly, but every announcement was made in six additional languages, each longer than the last. Food at buffet was pretty much same as dining room except for appetizers and desserts, in neither case was the delay in eating really worth getting a miniature Baked Alaska or miniature Boston Cream Pie. Cocktails with the Captain (who was absent and ill) consisted of carbonated white wine or non -alcoholic fruit punch, with zero food products. Prizes for trivia etc. were basically less than nominal. “Maveric” was very pleasant. We were told to embark after 4 p.m., but embarked at 2, long after pretty much everyone else. Warning: cabin air conditioning appears erratic at best, off most of the time. Refrigerator in room had seeming the same concept. Whirlpools numbered two, for five persons each. When you wait for an hour for your turn, that does not help much. The Chef was very personable, but staff in the dining room was variable. If a good deal arose (apparently above “Bella” though I do not drink enough for a drink passage to make any sense) I might consider it again, but it is lowest of the four lines we have used at this point, alas. Read Less

We are just back from 1 14 day back to back cruise on the MSC Seaside and wanted to share our thoughts. I am a very critical person when travelling. Firstly I am not going to compare the Seaside with any other cruises we have sailed on which include Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean as I believe all have their good points and not so good and it is unfair to compare. The Seaside is a lovely, clean and very impressive ship. There are not many times you feel like you are onboard with 5000 passengers let alone another 1500 crew. We experienced only a very positive interaction with crew members with many taking time out to say hello and a general friendly approach especially to our 2 grandchildren who got lots of attention and high 5's. Embarkation and debarkation was very smooth and quick . Cabins - we had a balcony cabin and whilst cosy for 2 adults and 2 children it was comfortable and clean. Space can be a little tight but we adapted with bringing over the door organisers. I cannot comment on the room steward who whilst wasn't very visible always kept the room clean. Kids Club - our 2 grandchildren loved it and although we wanted to spend some good quality time with our 2 grandchildren on board it was nice to get those couple of hours to ourselves once in a while. Shows - a little confusing at times and some acts repeat over other shows later in the week but they are very professional and enjoyable. The Starwalker Michael Jackson tribute and show end on the Friday is a must see. You get a bit of everything at the shows, singing, dancing and Cirque de Soleil type performers. The beer prov children rated comedy show was very funny and a good watch. Food - we ate in the buffets for breakfast and lunch and the main dining room for dinner. This was probably our biggest disappointment. The buffet is a little repeatative and sometimes a little lacking in choice but the pizza is great and the late night cookies at the snack station were wonderfully soft and delicious. we ate in Ipanema main dining room and the waiting staff were friendly including the maitre d's even dancing with our granddaughter and always asking if we were ok and had a good day. service was a little slow on occasions and the very odd dish was not great but we felt the food could have been better overall. Guests - it is a very multi cultural guest list is the most polite way of putting it but again with 5000 guests from 120 nations you are going to get some who do not share your manners, standards and etiquette. Don't be put off by the completely negative comments you read about the MSC Seaside, I am very critical and would describe our experience as positive overall and YES I would sail with MSC again. Read Less

We picked this cruise because the price is reasonable/cheaper than Carnival. 1. The embarkation and disembarkation were smoothly. 2. Ship is new and clean 3. Cabin is small just like any cruise ship cabin. The shower area seems small. 4. Breakfast/ lunch is good. Formal dining at night is good (way better than Chili’s, TGI Friday’s, Applebee’s . Comparable to Red Lobster but fewer selection. 5. Entertainment is great. Quality of shows is excellent. 5 stars to Steve Young (director of entertainment). All of the family shows are great, Peter Punk, Butterfly, Michael Jackson. But all adults shows perform by a group of 4 person is just ok. Would like to have few standup comedians shows. 6. Service is good. 7. Port and shore excursions have good timing. Except Saint Martin 7am to 2pm. We would like to go again. MSC going to have new ships in 2022, definitely looking forward to this one Read Less

Chose to book our 1st family holiday abroad on a cruise after watching the cruise channels and seeing the MSC Bellissima, it was important to us that the ship we went on had activities for children as we have a 9 & 8 year old, it had an aqua park , rope climb and small arcade. The ship itself is stunning, everything is well designed and the staff keep it well cleaned at all times, we had housekeeping visit our cabin twice a day. The pool is large and a great place to spend the day. The entertainment staff had daily activities such as dance lessons, aerobics and games to keep passengers occupied, often they would have ‘sail away parties’ when leaving ports and had everyone up dancing. All staff are really nice and helpful, never had a problem and service was excellent, with waiters even taking drinks orders from your sun lounger. The food in the buffet was nice and plentiful, the pizza especially! Food in the main restaurant varied each day and was delicious. We booked a show each night after dinner and enjoyed every one, and then afterwards went to the themed parties hosted in the main gallery or the pool. Our cabin was clean and not too cramped, with our premium plus drinks package we even had access to the mini bar. We didn’t book any excursions with MSC, as when we got off at the ports there were plenty of tourist information staff to help us book a cheaper tour. Enjoyed every moment, and have even booked our next cruise in 2020 with the same itinerary on the MSC Grandiosa - we cant wait!! Read Less

My husband and I decided to book a very spontaneous trip on MSC Magnifica four days before the ship was to set sail through Expedia. We were coming from Boston, USA and took a non-stop flight to Rome, then a smaller flight to Bari, Italy where we embarked. We read some of the negative reviews (mostly about smoking on the ship and staff being rude) but decided to risk the trip anyway. We are so happy we did!! We found most of the criticisms of MSC and the crew to be completely inaccurate. From the moment we boarded, the staff, crew and bartenders were fantastic and very responsive to any of our needs. We did not have to wait very long for drinks, everyone was friendly to us and the ship was gorgeous. The cabin was ready when we arrived with our bags already in the room. The cabin was nicely furnished, very clean, comfortable bed and a beautiful room with a balcony. The dining in the main dining room at night wasn't my favorite. The food was good but nothing blew me away with flavor. If you are what we call in the states "a foodie", this is probably not the cruise for you. The buffet for breakfast and lunch was good, however. Very nice salad bar, hamburgers, french fries, pasta, homemade pizzas, rice, Thai dishes and lots of other choices. We went on the cruise for the Ports of calls and a spontaneous adventure. The dining portion and food were a low priority for us. The Activities on the crew were fun, we danced, had drinks at the cool bars, sat in the sun, and attended many of the Broadway-style shows. They were cute shows with skilled dancers and singers and a nice way to end the night. The thing we loved the most was the amazing ports of call. Every Greek island and/or city (Venice, Montenegro, Bari) was outstanding. Too much to write but a trip of a lifetime. Everything and more that we had hoped for. I highly recommend this cruise. The only small difficulties were lots of Europeans do smoke, but only outside. Not many people spoke English so we were a little isolated (but my husband found that to be a positive lol), the initial Embarkment was a 2.5 hour wait to get on board, and lines were a bit confusing in the buffet area for breakfast and lunch. I recommend going to the buffet right when it opens to avoid the frenzy. The only people I found to complain were the Americans who didn't have a lot of travel experience. Their expectations were too high for some of the places they visited off the ship. We understood that traveling to these ancient cities there would be lines and confusion since they are not equipped for the influx of thousands of tourists descending on their infrastructure at one time. Some of the ports of calls would have 5 cruise ships show up at one time letting 4,000 people off per ship. One last thing, I do believe you need to be average to good shape to walk around these ports of call. I am in good shape (45 year old female) and found it to be moderate to above moderate exercise to get around with lots of cobblestone walkways and uneven terrain. I was grateful my 80 year old parents decided not to attend the cruise with us as I don't think they would have had the energy to walk around. Overall I would rate this an excellent trip and would do it again with my family in a heartbeat. Read Less

Very nice open ship. It has not stolen his name Seaside , you are very close to the water. Friendly staff. Very high end decoration Cabins have a very good size. The beds are top . Normal size bathroom with real door not a curtain ! The closet could have been better placed a it was difficult to slide the doors ( have a look to aida prima , much better designed ) . Good size of balcony with sliding door. Very good dinning options . You can have free room service , which can be great if you take breakfast in your own cabin /balcony to enjoy a bit of tranquility. The food is really great . they should just leave more time between the dishes so you can have a more dinning experience. Free food tour in speciality restaurants was also great . Nice bars and atrium. Entertainment is nice altough it is always a singing performance but with variety , except for the comedy show. Duration perfect 40 min , not to short , not to long . Great slides and waterpark. 5D dinema for 10 dollars and 10 dollars for Zip line is a must do ! Nice Spa, but small ) although a prefer a open spa with a view on the sea (see adida prima ) . Good , but expensive massages. Service is good , bu they should clean up the aft decks close to buffert more often , as the birds are at ports always "attacking" the left overs. With the wind all food and others are on the decks , should be taken care off ! Also only 2 toilets for woman next to buffet could have been doubled . Time at ports can be very short , shore excursions are okay , but organisation is chaotic. Prices are rather expensive for what it is , sometimes we had even to buy on top our own lunch. Went also on Seaview is same ship Read Less

This was the only cruise that fit schedules for everyone in our family. We also thought maybe we should try new cruiseline after 5 cruises with the same company. Big mistake. The ship itself looks beautiful. Embarkation was fine. Excursions were fine. Cabin was fine except that some guests decided to smoke in their cabins so our cabin smelled smoky too. My cabin has “no smoking” sign inside not sure about others. Complained twice, nothing was done. The housekeeper even said he did not want to anger other guests. Bad smell aside, it’s for the ship safety. guess safety does not matter. Food was bad. Buffet breakfast was cold or overheated (rubbery) scramble eggs. Yogurt was in a big open bowl so gross that someone could easily spit on it. Buffet lunch or dinner was a collection of pasta and pizza, a little grilled chicken, grilled fish, nothing spectacular. Dinning room only went twice. Dining room did not serve any drink, not even regular tap water. You are forced to buy bottled water or wine. Definitely no coffee or tea after the meal. Meal was way below any cruise line standard. I could possibly do better at home in terms of taste and presentation! This cruise was 95% Italian focus. Shows were mostly in Italian and there was 1 in French. For my family, pure english speaking, no entertainment for the entire cruise. To be honest, the singing was ok, dance, acrobatics were below other cruise lines standard. Disembarkation was a disaster. 3 hours delay due to some event happening at Venice. We were expected to believe that this event was new and they knew nothing about it and did not think it would affect disembarkation. Really? According to our “daily program”, we should be out of the ship by 9:30 then changed to 10:30. We did not get off until 11:45. We missed our flight or many guests missed the flights or we had to scramble to look for alternatives paying extra. All we heard from the customer service, which probably more appropriate to call them customer no service, was that it was not their fault, there was nothing they could do. YES, you could do something and that was simply providing accurate information from the beginning! Being pure English speaking Asian from the North America, definitely minority in this trip, my family did not feel welcomed at all. No crew ever said a hello to us even if we walked right into each other. There was this lead Spanish officer, she was so cheerful and bubbly speaking in her language with her people but when she saw me, she took away the smile and simply looked and walked away. The worst I have ever been treated in my cruise experiences. MSC clearly is not ready to handle international guests in Europe, at least with this cruise and this crew. The whole cruise is tailored for Italian, Spanish or simply white. Going forward we will stick with more reputable cruise line, get our money worth. Read Less

I’m not even sure my words can accurately describe just how amazing this entire trip was. Our vacation started in the beautiful port of Venice, Italy. Highly recommend flying in at least 2 days before embarkation so you can explore a bit in Venice. Stay at the Hilton Molino Stucky if you want beautiful views! We were first time MSC cruisers so unsure exactly what to expect, as we are American and the ship is dominantly Italian folks. Embarkation was a breeze. We were settled on the ship with our luggage within an hour of boarding. We had a balcony on deck 12 towards the back of the boat and loved the sizing and layout of the room! Our bed was a bit shaky, which we blamed on the engines (maybe?) but it was certainly bearable. More than enough room for 2 people in the basic balcony! We had the Fantastica experience, as we did not need any bells and whistles but did want a bit more than the “Bella”. The itinerary was simply phenomenal. Each day we got off the boat more in awe of where we were. We booked excursions in every island that required us to walk and move around a lot. This was not your typical ‘relaxing’ vacation. This itinerary is heavily culturally enriching. You will gain a lot of knowledge of the ports and the history surrounding them. I am not a history gal, but I was mesmerized by the history I learned. It was fascinating to learn from the tour guides who were so proud and excited to share their wealth of knowledge. Our itinerary break down was as followed: -Venice, Italy (visit San Marco) -Bari, Italy (visit Matera) -Katakolon, Greece (you have to see Olympia here) -Santorini, Greece (go visit the famous Oia) -Piraeus, Greece (you have to visit the Acropolis) -Corfu, Greece (must visit paradise beach) -Kotor, Montenegro (do a boat tour of the bay) The food on the Magnifica was SOOO good! We tried to keep our buffet time to breakfast only. Which was perfect for our early docked days. For dinner, we ate at the same table with 6 other folks and LOVED who we sat with. At first, this seems a bit ridiculous to have the same server with the same guests but we genuinely valued this time to unwind and reconnect at the end of a busy day! The entertainment was decent, but certainly have seen better. However, the dancing was great! MSC brought on aerialists that were excellent to watch! They were the highlight of most shows! The cruise staff was the absolute best staff we have ever been around. We have cruised several times but found this staff to be the BEST. So engaging, kind, and genuine. They wanted to really get to know you and help you have the most enjoyable time on board. It really says a lot when out of 2,500 rotating guests, they still remember your name! We were so sad to leave this crew, as they truly helped create many memories. The ONLY downside of our trip were the amount of children aimlessly running around, pushing and shoving. Luckily, we quickly learned how to avoid them and kept our distance. MSC is very family oriented, which is great! Just beware, you will certainly come across kids in mot public areas! Overall, this trip was epic. One of the best, if not, the best trips I have ever taken. Do not hesitate to book this trip. Hurry before it sells. You will love every second of it!!!!!!! Read Less

The ship is terrible - despite its enormous size, has very few things to do, no entertainment program on the main pool deck, only a few games to share among 5000 passengers, very low quality theater shows. Food is quite bad quality. Shore excursions are over priced, with mediocre guides with thick accents you cannot understand. Premium drinks are low quality (particularly wine). Kids programs are super boring - this is the first time my kids refused to go to the kids center and kept repeating how boring everything is. There are only 2 pools on the main deck!! - one indoor and one outdoor, and both are tiny so they are incredibly crowded at all times. Service across the ship is below mediocre. Casino manager is the least professional and disregarding you will ever encounter - don’t bother spending big money, you will get zero attention. Overall, a cheap look and feel and not worth any price you pay. STAY AWAY. Read Less