Very tacky. Most of the service was terrible. This is not good value for money. There was absolutely nothing to do on the boat. My shore excursion was cancelled due to lack of people. Also there is no sports area at all so unless you’re into power walking around 2 pools then you’re out of luck. There is hardly anything in there minuscule shopping by centre. There is nothing on the TV. If I could I would rate the gym I would say -1 star. Do not travel with MSC as they are selling you a ton of lies. There are one or two good things I could say however. The beds are comfortable and reasonably large. The theatre is a great experience and is well done. There is a vast range of places to eat/have drinks. To summarise I would say that MSC are definatly not the best cruise company I have travelled with by a long shot. Read Less

My family of 4 (ages 12 and 13) took a Spring Break cruise with a few other families and would definitely recommend the Seaside from MSC. The embarkation was a breeze and despite being told the check in time was 1:30pm, they allowed us in the terminal right when the doors opened at 10:30am. We checked in immediately, but when we sat down, I didn’t know we needed a Boarding Card. Luckily I made friends with someone who had a “4” card and he got an upgrade to a “1” card and gave me his “4” card. It only took about 10 minutes to be called to board the ship. As all the reviews have stated, the ship is absolutely beautiful. The Atrium was gorgeous and turned out to be a popular hangout for many of us. I am very glad we checked the best cruise hacks to be prepared with thebitems to bring aboard like the magnets, towel clips, over the door shoe rack, magnet night light, and shower curtain. The room was great for a family of 4 as the couch turned into a bunk bed. ***A word of caution. The top bunk has a metal piece that covers the light and could easily cause a nasty cut if you say up in the middle of the night and hit your head*** The food: we had the early seating (5:15pm) and it was a bit early, especially with some excursions, but the staff was great, the food was good (not a WOW, but good.). We did the 3 specialty restaurants (Ocean Cay for lunch and Asian Fusion and Butcher’s Cut for 2 dinners). They were very good, but thought it was weird we couldn’t get a glass of wine, but could only get a bottle and had to pay regardless of having the premium package. I would get this again as the main dining room’s food, as I said, was just “good” and have a little differentiation. The lunch was very repetitive and is my only negative comment for the entire cruise. Breakfast was good as they always had fresh fruits, veggies and pastries. We ate at the sit down (Seaside restaurant) restaurant a few times as they had “fresher” foods and different items than at the buffets. Onboard Activities: we hung out on deck 16 as much as we could, our son hung out at the sports bar and the arcade and our daughter explored all aspects of the ship without reservations. The slides were awesome, the zip line was fun (not worth doing more than 2x though) and the shows were fun. Definitely do the comedy shows (Beer Improv and the kids version) as they were awesome. The casino was fun, but very smoky, so if you are allergic to smoke or it bothers you in the slightest, it will definitely be a problem for you. There was always enough to do on the ship, but I wish there was better communication prior to boarding regarding when the formal night was going to be, when the white Party was, and what other specialty events (20’s party etc.) Ports of call: St Maarten and St Thomas were awesome. The excursions we took (Magen’s Bay swim and tour of the island) and (Golden eagle Catamaran) were tremendous. The catamaran trip was our second best excursion of all time, second only to a wall dive in Hawaii for our honeymoon. We docked into Puerto Rico at 5pm so only had an opportunity to have dinner and explore the night life a bit. You couldn’t see the Fort if you wanted to so don’t be too disappointed, but luckily we’ve already seen it so it wasn’t a big deal for us. For Nassau, we took a Jitney (line 10) to Cable Beach for $1.25 per person each way and spent the day at the beach for $200 less than we would have paid on an excursion. The beers and hot dogs were also half the price. Read Less

Bhangra was awesome and the shows were great. Loved the atmosphere. The food the service and the ship was to the tea.loved every minute with my family. I would definitely advise anyone else to go on the msc. It was our first time. I was worried about the weather but it turned out better than expected. Portuguese island was so relaxing and we enjoyed playing in the water. Please msc cater for mutton aswell because we do not eat beef or pork. We mostly ate chicken onboad. We ate not fish lovers. However everything was beautiful. Very efficient in the planning. We received a newsletter every afternoon to know whats happening the next day. The shows were world class. We really enjoyed it. We did experience some motion sickness at first but after the first night it was much better. Thank you so much for this experience. We will be definitely coming back. Read Less

Firstly, let me start of by saying that a MSc cruise is something that everyone or every family should go on at least once in their life. As a first time cruiser I did not know what to expect. Let me just say "I had a Mind-blowing experience". Departure time was 15:00pm on Friday March 29th. We arrived at the N-Shed passenger terminal at approximately 8:00am to a small queue of people. On the side of the queue were 2 shops selling coffee, tea, cooldrinks, pizza, burgers, boerewors, rolls, chips, sweets, chocolates, etc. The crew opened the boarding process at 10:00am. Once the line started moving we were greeted by MSc baggage handlers that took our luggage & other MSc staff that told us what documents to have on hand. From here we want to the MSc checkin desk, and thereafter to the Immigration/Home affairs officials who checked & stamped our passports. Quick & effecient. Thereafter MSc photographers took photos of all guests. Passports were taken once on board so they could be presented to the Mozambiqcan Immigration officials. The first thing we did was go the the activities desk to get an armband for my son so he could be identified if he got lost. Thereafter we were directed to the buffet area to have lunch. After we were done with lunch we were free to explore the ship in all its glory. And my word this ship is "Glorious" and of gigantic proportions. The attention to detail is second to none, well designed in every aspect. Opulence, Luxuriousness, Magnificence & Grandeur is the only words I can use to describe the beauty of this work of Art! There is a whole floor of duty free shops selling everything from Liquor, clothing, toys, jewellery, watches & Msc memorabilia. We then proceeded to the top deck whilst we waited for our cabins to be prepared where there were 4 jacuzzis, a kids pool & 2 adult pools. The top floor boasted 4 bars situated on each side of the deck as well as the centre. There is also a whole day buffet inside the top deck. Pool loungers & tables on either side of the ship for guests to relax and take in the ocean breeze. And intercom announcement stated that all cabins were ready for occupation at approximately 13:15pm. Once we had found our cabin low & behold our luggage was outside our cabin doors. The room & the view is stunning for its size. Neat & fresh. Everything smelt clean, considering that people had just departed the very same morning prior to our occupation. It can't be an easy task maintaining a ship of that size that thoroughly with such efficiency. Every day you receive an itinerary that tells you stuff about the island, the ship, shows, entertainment & where its happening as well as specials available at the duty fee shops. Cruise cards which is your personal ship everything card was left on the beds. You use this card to do everything - buy stuff, excursions, bar purchases, etc. The cruise card also states which dining area you go to for supper as well as your table & seat number. You use the same table every evening & you have the same waiter. Prior to supper there was a compulsory drill where all passengers & crew were asked to go to the cabin and fetch our life jackets from the cabin & the proceed to the 7th floor which is deck 7. Just so you know the lifeboats are on deck 7 and no; the ship wasn't about to sink. It was a drill to show all passengers what to do in case of an emergency. Staff were well prepared and on point. We opted for the 18:00pm sitting with a different menu every evening. 3 course meal consisting of a starter, main & desert. Meals were well prepared by master chefs from around the world. Kids also have the option of choosing from their own menu or the main menu. Some always available option are also on the menu. Service is top notch, as waiters are constantly checking on you. You can purchase drinks or cooldrinks at the restaurant. The waiters simply charge it to your cruise card or use your vouchers. Whilst dining were we greeted by waiters selling bottles of alcohol like Jameson & Klipdrift which if purchased came with 3 cans of cooldrink. Being a brandy connoisseur I opted for a bottle of Klipdrift for $37,99 which at the current rate used by MSc for the cruise was R15,14 which worked out to R575. Which is not bad considering I was told that drinks are very expensive on board. And people saying that you must buy vouchers because it works out cheaper. Let me explain - MSc has a drinks voucher for R858 which gives you 18 drinks of your choice like cocktails, whiskey and coke, etc. For me, I drink brandy which made more sense to buy a bottle, actually I ended up buying 2 bottles which when compared to buying a drinks voucher was a waste of time for me. For other cocktail and Pina colada lovers the drinks voucher would have made sense because it works out to about R50 a drink. Which is what you would pay in a nightclub or bar. And the price I paid for the bottle is what you would pay for a bottle of liquor at a restaurant or nightclub. Saturday morning breakfast was the usual variety of bacon, toasts, salads, eggs, juices, fresh fruits & the list goes on & on! One thing food & the variety of it is never short. There's too much. The 13th floor were the top deck is has a buffet area that is operational almost the whole day until midnight. You can have burgers, pasta, hot dogs, pizza, carvery, etc. In fact I cant even remember all the food to mention because there was too many options. After breakfast we went down to visit the Portuguese Island. Once you receive your number you relax in the lounge or explore the shops whilst waiting for your number to be called. Once called you follow a queue to get onto the speedboat after being scanned off. Once on the island there were various market stalls selling everything from alcohol to gifts. The island is uninhabited and only has MSc lounges and buffet areas as well as bars. Food was already ready once we arrived with everything from burgers, chicken wings, cold meats, calamari, fresh fruit, etc. The water was so clear you could actually see the fish. The water was warm and calm. The way back was also efficient. You are scanned back in & given an ice cold hand towel, a relief after being in the blistering sun. You are not allowed to bring any wooden items on board due to contamination. The on board entertainment is great, MSc really has great staff from around the world and there is always something happening somewhere. We attended a theatre show as well as a comedy act. The night prior to disembarkation you are given labels to attach to your luggage. You also receive a disembarkation form that tells you based on the colour of your luggage label which lounge to wait in & what time to depart. The whole process for disembarkation is efficient. All I can say is that from the time I boarded the ship to the time I left "Everything works like Clockwork". Hats of to MSc, from the call centre staff to the crew both on board & off. You guys rock, every interaction with any of you was a pleasant experience. Staff were well dressed and extremely well mannered. Read Less

Firstly this was our first cruise so we have nothing to completely judge against, however the things I will talk about was our experience. On arrival onto the ship we we’re badgered by staff wanting us to sign up to a drinks package which we had already sorted pre arrival. This also didn’t stop for a couple of days. ( by all means assist customers but make staff be seen but have customers approach staff ) We also were constantly bugged by the staff photographers constantly asking if we wanted our picture taken and even after a polite no they then pleaded ‘it will only take a few minutes ‘ whilst following us. My polite no’s were beginning to wear very thin towards the end. To add insult to injury the one time we gave in, we were then automatically charged £34.99 to our card before even seeing them. From the reception they told me it was down to me to say I didn’t want them to have the charge removed. So I was glad to keep an eye on my account on my tv in my cabin. Otherwise it would have been a shock on leaving. ( may be better for customers to say yes before charging). Each place we docked at we were badgered if we wanted taxi or sight seeing bus. All were stupid prices and you can do so much better sourcing your own public transport at great prices.... it got tiresome as they wouldn’t take no as an answer. I feel msc security/ dock security should monitor this and actively reduce this annoyance. Now the ship is an absolute beautiful design. Really took our breath away. The mid ship sky screen shows and displays were very good. The shows onboard were very very good and thoughly entertaining. And at 30 mins I feel it was too short but understand with time restrictions for the program it has to be that way. I had no issues with my premium drinks package and recommend this is purchased. The staff were all very friendly and pleasant and had no bad experiences in the dining room with food or waiting staff. The cabin ( we had a balcony) was a nice size and I would say it was a slightly smaller than the average Travelodge room but pretty much the same layout. Tv channels were slightly limited ( but who comes on holiday to watch tv ). The safe is quite tiny and we couldn’t put our iPads in it. But it was simple to use. The Bed was very comfortable with two pillows. Balcony size ok. Mini bar idea not so good. .... it is not covered on the drinks package. I think to enjoy the balcony it would be good to use from mini bar to save having to go to the bar for purchasing drinks to carry back. Most drinks in there can be from the bar anyway. ( just saves borrowing and restocking ourselves the next day early). The spa is amazing and well worth the visit. Spent most days in there for a couple of hours recovering from our days walking. However on the sea day it got very busy. Maybe it would be good if msc only allowed the package deal only people to access on sea days and offer no day pass. ( could earn more money for them and balance the numbers out for spa visitors). With the numerous relaxation areas jacuzzis and steam/ sauna rooms and ice room. Not forgetting the emotional showers there are plenty of places to relax and rest. Never gambled before and the casino was an awesome experience. Staff very friendly and when it was quiet we asked how to use tables and all was explained very well. There are serious gamblers there, and people like us who had fun with between 10-30 Euros per visit. We actually visited most nights and actually walked away with more Euro’s than we started with. The water slides were fun to use, and the pools were relaxing. And the external hot tubs on the deck were very nice also. Anyone in two minds about first time cruising, I think the ship will give you the experience that will help decide if it’s for you. And as for us......... we will stick with msc and look out for more locations this ship will visit and try out the other ships in the fleet. We have been converted to a life of cruising for sure. Read Less

As it has always been away for me and my late wife to relax and this would jave been our first cruise with our children Just a pity of the rotten egg smell On the pool deck suspect it was exhaust fumes other wise the staff and food was off grate standard and i would cruise again but not on the musica soly on the issue with the smell on the top deck and that it made me sick . The transfer and embarkation for children was speedy and good well done msc The shows were grate and the staff looking after the children were awesome they need a grate round of applause .They make it for single parents like me the cruise a bit easier and more relaxing i will do it again with them . Just a pity we could not go to pomene or Portuguese island but im glad to see that the captain has our safety on his mind .to close it off im looking forward to be cruising on the orchestra and hope the experience will be grate . Read Less

I went with 16 family members. The food, entertainment, crew was fantastic. The cabin and service were excellent. The only thing, which was not the Captains fault, was that we never got to both islands due to the heavy sea swells. But we were entertained well for those two days. The children were well looked after, 6 year old and four year old.And for the older children the disco and fun times were good. We found that the swimming pools and Jacuzzis were very relaxing. The waiters were very friendly and always ready to serve you. The photos that were taken were very professional and the quality excellent. The boughey was very good with a wide variety of foods. You could never get hungry on the ship as there was always something to eat, no matter what time of day or night. And as for the entertainment there were excel;lent shows and game shows. I highly recommend this cruise. This has been my 4th cruise with MSC and will be planning another one next year. Read Less

This was my 5th cruise with MSC. I was interested in visiting Portuguese Islands and Pomene on this cruise. So yes, it was disappointing that we could not tender to the two islands. However, the revised two programmes for these two days made up for not being able to get off the ship. Also, I appreciated that Captain Pinto chose to place the guests and crew's safety first. The overall experience of my cruise was awesome. The suite we stayed in was wonderful. We were wonderfully surprised to have guest gowns in the cabin. I always enjoy the fine dining. And as on previous MSC cruises, I was not disappointed. The food was wonderful and the staff was wonderfully efficient and friendly. THANK YOU Shasha and your team. The shows were extraordinary, so wonderful. I attended all 4 nights. However, I did not necessarily enjoy the comedy evening, I am not a fan of live comedy. But that is just me. I did not use all my pre-paid vouchers and it is great that I will be able to use the vouchers I have left on the next cruise I have booked. I enjoyed all the entertainment, from clubbing to after midnight to dancing on Deck 13 until late. Read Less

We choose MSC Musica cruise because our cousin told us how nice to cruise and we thought let give it a try. This was our very first cruise. The whole experince was so out of this wolrd welcomed by friendly staff or crew. Every was communicated to us embark disembark was so smooth and well organised the MSC friendly was helping us. Guess what we enjoyed ourselves and even our son always asked dad when are we going again, we just laugh. Very impressive, we would do it over and again. Thank you guys for everything so well organized eg cleanliness from the cabin to the bathrooms and toilet, food, entertainment etc. It is safe to travel with MSC cruises Musica and our safetly come first hence were not transfered to the Islands due to weather we were disapointed but after we enjoyed the ship entertainment, music and games we palyed so fun an exciting. Read Less

Great experience - sad that we could not go to the islands but loved it so much we booked our next cruise on the Grandiosa in December. Staff is excellent - room was always in immaculate condition. Deck was a bit crowded seeing that we could not get off on the islands however still loved it. I do feel better planning in buffet area as we queued Very long and then had no table to sit and eat. Really looking forward to our next cruise and hope that we will have the same service! It one staff member I walked passed or saw did nothing - they all worked and did their best to make our experience the best! Loved the entertainment and would highly recommend MSC to anyone so they can experience the same! Oh by the way never knew those ships are so big! It is massive! And so well looked after. Read Less