Our table was 671 and they always make sure we had that table right by the window and our waiter Mr. Kumar was amazing and he spoiled us like we have never been spoiled before. Pankaj Kumar, we will never forget you The food was amazing our rooms were perfect the balcony could use a little bit more space but otherwise it was fantastic. But the entertainment wasn’t Las Vegas style it was just pretty average.. We ended up just taking in two shows that’s about it The shore excursions were great we loved every minute of it only thing is there wasn’t enough time in Santorini which is a real drag it would’ve been nice if we had more time there. Our rooms or shall I say our beds were really comfortable shower was clean and housekeeping was fantastic I would definitely recommend MCS opera Read Less

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It was my first cruise experience. I want to specify that I'm 24 and I'm used to travel but I opt for hostels, b & b and Airbnb. I was told that the cruise was a nice option to see more places as easily as possible. The positive: - The food was varied and always fresh. The evening menu is different every day and offers several enticing options. - The room is quite large with lots of storage (for two). - The maid service was very good. - Entertainment is appreciated. The gym is awesome. - The service is generally good. Nothing more. Some servers were very insistent with me and my friend. The negative: - The many hidden charges on the bill at the end (souvenir album of the boat for gifts but charged 29 euros) - The organization for some landings, often late. Must arrive early to book tickets for an evening bus. On several occasions, we had to book shuttles ($) to be certain to get quickly to the center of the place. - The number of days at sea (2) (too) - The number of chairs around the pool does not suit the number of passengers. We walk on the feet. - The waiting time in general - The time at each destination was sometimes too short (Santorini and Mykonos in particular). - The check-out were endless, we were landing at 8am. We went out at 11am. - Water bottles, when we were not at the restaurant, were loaded onto the card while we had unlimited water option. I talked to several passengers who told me it was one of the worst experience on a cruise ship. They strongly recommended me to try a cruise with another company, not to stop with my experience with MSC. The choice is yours! Read Less

Imagine heading into your local travel agent and telling them that you are half considering a cruise for your Honeymoon, and then the travel consultant recommends MSC, well if this happens to you, run for the hills!! I was half hearted about a cruise to be honest, I felt it would be very restrictive - I was later proved right, but the travel consultant persuaded myself and my now husband, that this would be a relaxing well earned rest after all the stress of the wedding planning. We could have all the little extras that all honeymooners deserve All inclusive - we left having settled a bill for over €250, this was including the charge for tips - €9 per person per day for all the hard work people are doing in the background or as I like to call it Just doing your job I have never known stress until I set foot on what I now refer to as the Prison Package Holiday. We arrived at the terminal to be greeted by a pleasant young man who told us where to leave our bags,- this was the end of the good customer service. As we checked in we were accosted by two over enthusiastic photographers - yes you will be hounded by these people on the ship, they are nice but relentless, their job is to get you to pose over several nights and hopefully spend an average of €50 for these memories of your time on board. I'm afraid I don't need photos to remind me, its indelibly implanted on my brain, I may need to seek out a therapist in the future We had, on the advice of the travel consultant chosen the Aurea package, which is the two lower packages plus extra benefits such as welcome massage and cocktail (IE the second premium package) , and access to the thermal suite - a child free haven with hot tub - the first time we had a quick look around the hot tub had been taken over by a gentleman and his two small children. We also had the additional benefit of the Allegrisimo drinks package - €26 per person per day, now I don't know about anyone else and I enjoy a drink as much as the next person, but you would be hard pressed to drink this amount every day, but there must be fear on board that you could, so don't worry there are several obstacles in place to ensure you don't!. Oh how delighted my new husband was when he discovered this meant he could have any beer he wanted as long as it was Heiniken, delightful, especially if this is one of the few beers you DONT drink - and it had to be draught! We were told we would have a choice of several places to eat, in reality, its three and two of them do exactly the same food, and look the same, in fact up until day two we thought it was all one restaurant. Our package also entitled us to access to an exclusive deck - for Aurea package patrons only and child free, which is what you want on your honeymoon, lets be honest. It also had a bar so that you can just walk the few steps from the rattan lounger to get your self a drink, great idea except that it was often unmanned. And being above deck 13, it could get a bit windy, not too bad but the very nature of rattan furniture ensures that it moves around the deck and when this happens no matter how early it was, the bar and deck closed Staff were on the whole unfriendly, ; the two pool-side bars were tended by men who seemed to think that when you asked for a coke, it was code for a kidney or you were asking them for several pints of blood and boy did those surly faced gentlemen treat you with great suspicion Our 'my choice' dining meant that we could rock on up to our designated restaurant without a reservation apparently but you might be forgiven for thinking that this means you can eat anytime, well you can as long as its between 7.00 and 9,30 and if you choose to dine early, the big scary maître D, who also happened to bad mouth other customers, will give you the evils (evil death stare) to get you out of your seat should you choose to spend more than the allotted time. Also when we did show up to eat, on two occasions we were asked if we minded having a drink in the bar while the maître D practiced giving more customers the evils as some of them had become immune. My next moan is about queuing, queuing to get on, queuing to get off, its a pain and from talking to other people who have cruised with other lines, not the norm except with MSC apparently. The reason is that you have to present your card which is duly scanned so that your identity can be verified, God forbid you will have passed your card to someone on one of the stops and begged them to take your place. Thanks but I don't dislike anyone that much! Getting back on board, your place your bag on a converyor belt so that it can be scanned, in case your a threat to national security? Alas no, your crime could be that you are smuggling alcohol on board which is a big no no, because unlike us, if you went for a more basic drinks package, there is immense pressure to upgrade, but beware there are obstacles to stop you drinking your allowance everywhere as I have already attested you. Most of the bars are closed when the ship is docked and those that are open, I saw one, was unmanned for 20 minutes. So when you visit MSC's website, please note that it is akin to a fairytale and should be treated as such - as in Grimms Fairytales. . That said if you are the type to eat your bodyweight in Pizza then this is the place for you, its available practically 24/7. the food is good, not overly fantastic, in fact over several days I could have cooked better myself and I am a mediocre cook at best. This may seem a little harsh but just in case you've forgotten, this was my HONEYMOON and I would never recommend MSC in a million years for a honeymoon or to anyone that I remotely like that said I know many a person who sings with gusto the praises of Thompson, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, but I will just have to take their word for it. So was there anything nice about the cruise, hell yes. The places you get to see - however brief - remember the queuing the get off, were lovely, Corfu was my favorite followed by Montenegro. But the best thing about this cruise was docking back in Venice and getting off - the inmate was released! Read Less

After reading several very mixed reviews we decided to book MSC Musica as it was the only cruise visiting both Santorini and Kotor. Our balcony cabin was clean and spacious with a large comfortable bed. The pillows, however, were in desperate need of replacement and, had we actually seen our cabin steward, we would have asked for them to be changed. There was none of the usual friendly greeting from the cabin steward who, on all other cruises we have been on, has been there to welcome you and show you where everything is in the cabin and explain room service, laundry service etc. Check in was very well organised as was leaving and returning to the ship every day. The destinations were very good and the shore excursions we took were equally enjoyable. The entertainment was dreadful. Everything was introduced in several languages and, whilst the dancers themselves were talented, every night was the same just to different music. The singers in the lounges were repetitive and painful to listen to and there was very little in the way of organised quizzes, sports etc. The buffet was crowded, the tables not cleared quickly enough, English tea bags and milk was always running out, food was luke warm, selection repetitive, quality poor and drinks service was slow. Breakfast in the restaurant was disorganised and on the last day it took so long for the waiter to take our order we didn't actually have time to eat before leaving the ship. Evening meal in the restaurant was a slight improvement but nothing special compared with other cruises we have taken. Drinks selection was very good but service slow at times especially at the pool bar. The staff didn't go the extra mile and I have to wonder if pre-paid tips is killing the need for outstanding service!! Deck and pool areas were very good and clean. To summarise, we had an enjoyable week but would not consider cruising with MSC again. Read Less

I`ll be honest, I`ve heard things about this company but we booked the cruise anyway for several reasons which I will not go into here. It was our 4th cruise, twice on Royal Caribbean and once on Norwegian. We were due to sail from Venice at 5:00 Sunday. Having arrived there the day before and watched the ships sailing out from our seat on Piazza San Marco, I was really looking forward to the sailout. When we got on the ship we found out the departure time had been pushed back to 6:30, the time when we were at dinner. Sailout from probably one of the most beautiful places on earth and we missed it. Not off to a good start. Having said that I`ll break this review down into various categories. 1)Embarkation Nothing bad to say about this, everything went smoothly, didn`t take more than 20 minutes. Personnel very warm, welcoming and helpful. 2) Itinerary The only thing I would say was that we never had 1 solid day at sea. I missed that, especially for the first day. Gives a chance to get to explore the ship and work on the tan. 3)Cabin We had a balcony. Very nice, nothing bad to say, in fact the first time ever that we seemed to have enough hangers. Lots of storage space. HOWEVER, we NEVER in 7 days saw our cabin steward. All communication was by leaving notes for him. I`m used to meeting him almost immediately. This wasn`t a huge deal, just a detail I thought lacking. The last thing was the pillows. After the second night I called for a better pillow, and they sent me one exactly the same. No allergy issues or anything like that, just a cheap crappy pillow. 4)Food This is where things really went downhill. I`m sorry but for the money we pay I do expect a little better. The breakfast buffet was pretty standard, but the food was always cold. I gave up after 4 days trying to get even luke warm eggs. The coffee was hit and miss. Sometimes excellent, sometimes horrible. The dining room did not do much better. While the menu changed daily and offered what seemed to be interesting choices, the food again for the most part was not hot. One night I had a fish and seafood meal that tasted as if it had been under a warmer for hours, overdone, dry, and rubbery. Meat dishes were also overdone and again cold. The portions are small, though they do offer 4 services to make up for it. Hint, fill up on the pasta or risotto, or you`ll be hungry soon after. Also, don`t expect to get a coffee with your desert. The dining room does not serve coffee, you have to go to another place to get that. 3)Service Now we are into major problem territory. Please note that for almost 30 years I was a waiter, so I think I do know a thing or two about service. I will start by saying that for the most part the staff DO work very hard, but not a day went by when I didn`t have to wait at least 15 minutes to get served a drink on deck. I noticed one day that although there were 5 servers on deck, there was only 1 barman. Someone needs to review their scheduling... Our waiters in the dining room were very nice, but frankly I don`t think a customer should have to serve his own wine. 4)Entertainment The shows were fine (not great) just fine. The animation was very good all over the ship. The casino, frankly is small for the size of the ship, and the slot machines pretty outdated. Again service at the bar pretty horrible, but the one bright spot, the nicest waitress on board. Always friendly and smiling, loved her. I don`t think I`m unreasonable when it comes to these things, but perhaps I`m just spoiled because I have had much better. We still enjoyed ourselves, but probably will not cruise on MSC again. Sorry guys. Read Less

We have just returned from our 3rd cruise with MSC the latest being on Musica. We have been totally satisfied with all three cruises, the ships were clean, cabins clean,and food delicious. One lady said there were only hamburgers. Did she not go to the main restaurants ,where food is lovely and the waiting staff very friendly,all greeting passengers as they go into dinner. Another critic said she did not know why the ship was call the Musica because there was not any Music.Where on earth was she, in all the bars there is live music, all different, the only criticism being that it was a bit loud to hold a conversation. this we feel a miner criticism. We found all staff were very friendly and could not do enough for you, maybe its the way they are treated, some passengers can be very rude. Port embarkation good. although a lot of people it moved quite quick. Disembarkation was very straight forward . Our cabin was lovely and we even had breakfast served in the cabin a couple of times when we had an early start. The dinning room is well laid out and we were put with others speaking English.A good time was had by all. We would have no hesitation in cruising with MSC again, we have traveled quite a bit and find there is always someone complaining, we believe in, if you have a complaint fair enough, but these critics are just trying it on. Read Less

Great time had, good shows and entertainment. A stop everyday. Went on my own with 11 year old son. He loved the 4D cinema, shows. We dinned in the Mexican a couple of times which you pay extra for but the food was marvellous....T Bone Italian steak bigger than the plate!.....if you take out the drinks package you get 15% of at dinner in the Mexican. Bars and staff really really good service at all bars. Breakfast in restaurant lovely. Dinner fab....first night didn't go to plan but ok after we were in the cerchio di oro restaurant would have preferred the re velvet better placed. Wonderful holiday Checking in was the only thing that we had trouble with took nearly 3 hours!!! No joke this was in venice been with msc on three previous cruises never had this problem wanted to get on ship then go back to go to venice never got the chance! Thanks again MSC will be back very soon Read Less

First the good news; the ship was lovely, beautiful - it was literally gleaming, and kept sparkling clean throughout our holiday (they even washed the balcony twice in a week!). The food also was excellent, cooked and served to a very high standard indeed, if a little over-reliant on cheese! The ship was also so smooth to sail on that a couple of times I looked overboard to check that we were actually moving; this really is a magnificent ship! However, having travelled on P & O and Thomsons in the past, I have to say that the service levels on MSC were most definitely not up to scratch. Sadly Johnny Foreigner doesn't like to queue, so waiting in line at the bar was a no-no, as fellow tourists would just push straight in front of you, storming forward as if they were reenacting the invasion of Poland. The bar staff, miserable and sullen at the best of times, did nothing to discourage this behaviour, and were happy to serve those with the loudest voices first, irrespective of whom had actually been waiting the longest. The entertainment was also poor, in fact it was bordering on pathetic; Thomsons entertainment teams literally blow these jokers out of the water. The main lounge on the Fantasia is on the 7th Dec, & had a dance lesson every night for most of the evening where everyone was taught difference dance steps, three steps at a time. The ship was so multinational that the compere had to say "uno, due, tre ... ein, zwei, drei... un, deux, trois...one, two, three................" Zzzzzzzzz you get the picture?!! (Ironically, on the one night they had a quiz show, it was all in Italian!!!!). I'm afraid this just would not pass as entertainment on an English cruise ship, although to be fair the continentals seemed to love it, all sitting around with either no drink or a little cup of expresso, different culture I suppose, I just think the British are more discerning! Moving on to the nightclub; where to start???? Saw a karaoke one night, the compere's English was so bad he introduced one singer as doing "My Way, by Frank Skinner". To be fair, the buffoon sang it more like Frank Skinner than Frank Sinatra, so perhaps it wasn't a mistake! As for "DJ" - absolute joke. Every night he banged out underground hard-house, to virtually no-one, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he wasn't gigging in some underground nightclub; he was actually in the middle of the Adriatic on a cruise ship with a bunch of mostly middle-aged people. Yeah mate, you're playing very trendy music; now put some Abba on you absolute buffoon! There was also no show to watch in the theatre if you were on second sitting for dinner; would never happen on Thomsons. Also, no chocolate on your pillow, no towel animals, no personal touch whatsoever; the type of little things you take for granted with Thomsons and P&O. Also, we had to disembark at 9.30am on our last day, even though our airport transfer wasn't until 3.45pm. Next time I'm cruising with Thomsons again, I just wish they had nicer ships!! Read Less

The whole trip started out badly. We had booked the cruise through an agent, but where trying to sort out drinks packages, etc. ahead of embarkation. This was mostly due to MSC stating on their website that drinks packages had to be booked ahead of the cruise and wouldn't be available on board. The first problem we encountered was that the MSC website seemingly never works. We had tried unsuccessfully for a couple of weeks, but were unable to either access our booking or proceed with booking "extras". Another issue is trying to get through to MSC customer services. You can be waiting for a response for over an hour and when you do get through, they are surly and helpful. They directed us back to our agent, who did indeed manage (with some difficulty) to book the drinks package. Once we arrived for embarkation, the process was generally ok with no major problems. However, when checking in, we were asked if we wanted to purchase a discounted drinks package (i.e the same one we had tried to book with such problems earlier) at a cheaper price. It became obvious then, that MSC are not particularly scrupulous in their dealings with customers, nor particularly good at telling the truth. They also tried to say we only booked the non-alcoholic drinks package that required a somewhat exasperated conversation to ensue, which eventually got sorted out. The ship itself is nice and the cabin was comfortable. However, for such a new vessel, it is not wearing well and is very tatty in places. The sheer size of the ship may be off putting to some people, as it takes awhile to get orientated. The size also presents it's own issues, as there are a lot of passengers on board and it can feel cramped and overcrowded at times. Likewise the noise levels in some of the more popular public areas can be unbearable. So if you're looking for quiet relaxation, this is not the ship to go on. The food on the Fantasis is abysmal. The Zanzibar cafe (the large buffet restaurant) is a massive free for all that is stressful and hideous. The food is of a dreadful quality and is more often than not served cold. We didn't try the main dining room, but were informed by a number of other passengers that it was even worse than the buffet, with slow service and sub-standard food. We did eat a couple of times in the tex-mex restaurant, (that you pay a supplement for) mostly be able to eat some marginally acceptable food. Even here, it is questionable whether the offering was worth the price. The free beverages on the ship are horrible, the coffee is nasty and the fruit juice is really just coloured, sweetened water. We were relieved to have purchased the drinks package, if only to be able to get a decent cup of coffee. The service on the Fantasia is also horrendous. The staff are surly, rude and unhelpful. There are very few exceptions to this, which really indicates a very poor customer service culture. Waiting staff wander around aimlessly in a bored, lackadaisical manner. It seems like you are asking them to sell their grandmother when you request something from the bar. The room steward, although pleasant enough, did not particularly put herself out to be helpful. On one occassion, she didn't bother to come in the evening to do a turn down. Not getting programmes and replacement items for the cabin was commonplace. The 14th floor, where the pool and buffet are situated is the epicentre of rubbish service. We appreciate that it is busy up there, but either get more staff or replace the hideous specimens that you have up there. After a few days of really bad service, we got fed up and made a complaint. We highlighted a litany of issues, but for whatever reason, they only chose to investigate one of them. This issue (the lack of turn down service) was deemed our fault, because we had left the energy card in the slot. We had not done this, which would have been evident from our cabin cards being used throughout the ship, so it was plainly not investigated at all. We were offered a bottle of "champagne", as a token of goodwill, but this turned out to be a really cheap bottle of sweet, fizzy wine that really just added insult to injury. It just seemed to epitomise the contempt that MSC holds for its customers. If the port of call requires a tender, then you will be subjected to another quirky system that MSC has put in place. You are required to queue for timed tender tickets (usually starting early in the morning). This would be all well and good, except that MSC don't bother following through on a system that they have put in place. After having queued for tender tickets (sometimes for more than an hour), you will go down to the tender at the alloted time and they will just wave you on. No one bothers to look at the ticket, therefore you might as well have not bothered in the first place. The only positive thing about the queing is the entertainment that ensues when people try to push in (which happens A LOT). We saw a couple of near punch ups through this system, which was more entertaining that the embarrassing spectacles that pass as shows in the theatre. For some reason, the amount of time alloted in each port is staggeringly short. We suspect this is because MSC are too cheap to pay for longer docking in the ports, but this becomes an issue. It is really annoying when you have to get a tender, as soon as you are off the ship, then it is more or less time to get back on. And this was a ship you REALLY wanted to get off of. There were a myriad of other issues with this cruise that I could speak about, but this would turn this review into an essay, which should in itself, tell you everything you need to know about cruising with MSC. It is worth pointing out that my partner and myself have clocked up over 70 cruises between us, on a variety of ships and have never felt compelled to write an unfavourable review before now. This was our first cruise on MSC and will be our last. We couldn't wait to get off the ship at the end of the 7 days and feel like we need another holiday to recover. AVOID! Read Less

This is our 4th cruise, second with MSC and we were a bit disappointed, the first one had been in 2008 the 1st time the company came to South America, and being also summer with Argentinians and Brazilians on holiday we can say it was full but never as crowded as we experienced last week and the standard was much higher. In Fantasia, forget about having a good breakfast or lunch if you don t go to the restaurant, the buffet was impossible, crowded with bad mannered people (and this is a surprised 46 year old writing, not an elderly lady from more educated times) finding an empty deck chair was another story and don t you dream about swimming as the three small pools (2 outdoor and 1 indoor) were packed with children and people who pushed their way into the pool on those hot afternoons after re embarking. The restaurant for dinner was nice but you could not move your chair an inch or the waiter would not be able to serve you so near were us from our neighbor table. The food was good but far from what we had on our first MSC experience. Everything came down in standards. The only exception is the show, it was great every night, I think it is the best team in the whole cruise. We were expecting the chocolate night party or the ice sculptures that we have seen on MSC and other companies. Forget about that or having lobster one night as we are expect on a cruise. Forget about getting many things for what you pay as MSC expects people to pay extra for everything. We took all their excursions knowing they were too expensive but were too lazy to organize something different with other guests and paying for the excursions was easy. Mind you, some of them were good but others depended on who was your guide. Some guides were disastrous, and just took you to places where they could get a commission, like the one in Katakolon. One little suggestion in summer: for the price of the tours they should give you a glass of fresh water, what do you think? In other countries, they even give you fruit, drinks, beer, and here not even a glass of water in a 40/50/60 € tour of 3 or 4 hours! It was a shame when elderly people had to walk to buy their water under a 40 C sun. The multi nationality mix may be tiring for the many languages spoken all the time , which was not an issue for me but it was when the Asian people, who were many, did not care about who they pushed or which photo they ruined!! Another issue, the photograph prices, but that s typical in a cruise, I guess. Be also aware that people smoke a lot in public areas, which bothered me and my husband. So, if you take the MSC Fantasia to Greece beware of these details. me? I will do my research on higher level cruises next year! Read Less

We decided to take our family of 18 to a cruse, chose MSc only for the fact that it is the only line, that will accept babies from 3 month, our granddaughter is 4 months. It is the most disorganised, unfriendly, chaotic, unruly, guests running around, smoking all over the place including cabins, corridors, pool area's everywhere, no control from any management, the crew was completely uninterested in anything really, they all looked totally annoyed, they where unhelpful, and clearly bored. We booked 5 balcony cabins and one family cabin. On arrival we inquired on private babysitting with payment, we got told that there is no baby sitting not even for one hour, there is a facility for toddlers, with parent supervision, but only for 2 hour in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, one would expect this to be at dinner time!!! no way, in the middle of the afternoon, needless to say the place was empty. Children on this cruse where allowed to run around alone, unsupervised, ALL pools impossible to negotiate, no control from parents or pool attendants, small children could not make use of the pool at all, due to the bigger children jumping in, and splashing the smaller one. Children where allowed to play soccer in the foyer, by the lifts no parents available, no visible controls made,by the crew This cruse, felt like the Ship is not managed by the captain or the management, but by the passengers, in this regard, passengers rude, and uneducated, going to the buffet for breakfast or lunch was like going to a daily stampede. on this Cruse Line, English is not prevalent, most of the staff does not have a grasp of the language, very frustrating. Food of very poor quality in the dining room, pasta and rice, overcooked, dessert pretty much a daily disaster, good in the buffet, unfortunately very unpleasant to negotiate the crowds. If you are english speaking, and want a relaxing cruse with polite, friendly and educated passengers, efficient friendly trained crew in control of the ship. IT IS NOT MSC.   Read Less

As we embarked from Piraeus and we were only about 50 persons, the embarkation procedures were straight forward and quick. Our cabin was on the 11th level with a good sized balcony. Its size was ok and we unpacked all our clothes and stored the suitcases in the corner, leaving enough room to move around. The room deco was, I would say, cozy and pleasant. The TV could have been larger. The bathroom was reasonable but the shower curtain made it look cheap. The could easily have accommodated a class door instead. The bed was comfortable but the pillows were small, lumpy and terrible. The rooms were done up two - three times a day with clean, absorbing towels every time, but the bed sheets were not changed every day. However, we did not manage to meet the so called "personal butler". The food: There was plentiful quantity and wide variety of food with fair quality in the self service restaurant on the 14th floor. I believe that if somebody wants to see everything would have to walk at least half a kilometer. The restaurant, one of two, was spacious and beautifully decorated. The lunch and dinner menus were acceptable both quality and quantity wise. The service leaves a lot to be desired: Slow, unorganized and difficult to communicate - Asian and Latin waiters only - . Entertainment: As a whole it was very good to excellent. Many bars with live music and comfortable seating, a huge theatre with excellent shows every night and quiet sitting areas and decks to enjoy your drinks. The casino space was generous and beautifully arranged. The swimming pool and surrounding area, I found it inadequate. Only quiet time very early in the morning. Afterwards, it was always crowded with lots of children running around. The organized excursions and un-organized visits were always badly handled. As an example it was the fiasco to disembark in Santorine. We had to wait for 40-45 minutes to get tickets which nobody bothered to check - they are still in my pocket. In our group of 5 we had minor problems with the bills - one overcharge and one 'unable to trace payment!" Final disembarkation was fine. Overall it is a good cruise ship with lots of things to do, but be patient and be prepared for overcrowding. I would not recommend it to those wishing relax or have a quiet time. If you have children go for it! Read Less

I have to say I read a lot of reviews and I was a little concern about taking the MSC, I was very happy I booked this cruise , I have been on Royal Carribean and Disney and this cruise was different, first of all the majority of the passengers are European we were the very few Americans on board the ship, not a big deal at all. We were two families, 4 adults and 4 children under 12. The ship was immaculate, the food was great and the staff were excellent. The attendant who cleaned our room was so helpful and gave us so much advice on the different ports and kept our rooms spotless. The ports were amazing. We did not book any tours except Santorini which you kind of need if you want to sit on the beach and see the village , which I would highly recommend. Bari you can take a taxi or even walk to the little town. The other islands you can take a taxi to the beaches and what's nice is that the beaches supply lounge chairs and unmbrellas as long as you eat at their restaurant which was great because the food was awesome and the beaches were beautiful . Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful places on earth. We booked a city tour with the cab at the taxi stand directly at the port and he took us around and dropped us off in the village where we shopped and walked back to the ship. The few faults with the ship is that it was very difficult to find a table at the breakfast Buffett and beach chairs were very hard to come by, people would put t owels on chairs and hold then for the day. The pools are beautiful and they have a slide for the kids. They do nickel and dime you with lots of extra charges like drinks , we didn't get the drink package which would of cost an additional $ 700 for the family cause everyone in the cabin has to pay for the package. We are not big drinkers but their were extra charges for soda, bottled water, gelato and smoothies. I bought what I needed and spent $150 on drinks which came out cheaper than the package. They do give usa and Canadian residents 30 vouchers for water per family. They have a simulator for the kids which cost 8 euros per ride . They have ping pong and a soccer ball which were included. The shows at night were nothing spectacle but after being at ports every day we were tired after dinner ,the casino was nice and they have an arcade for the kids which was 1 euro per game. They Europeans are not big into throwing their kids into day care, where as the Americans are and also they don't eat like the Americans do so the menus were very European , but they had everything from pizza (which was amazing ) and burgers for the kids. You cannot complain about the food at all it was great and they had so many different dishes every day. The dinners were very good and they were small portions but there were 7 courses and if you wanted more you just need to ask. The price was good as children are free if they are in the parents cabin. For the price I paid compared to RCL and Disney I think I got a good deal. This was a beautiful ship and is the cleanest ship I have ever been on, it was cleaned non stop and the workers were so friendly. I would recommend this ship but keep in mind it's European, and has many differences than an American ship, but it was worth it and I would definitely go again . Read Less

Although I had read some very bad reviews we decided to give MSC a chance. What a mistake! If you do not speak the language you are in for a hard time. Culture clash of note! Have to say the embarkation and disembarkation were fantastic but this is where it stops. The actual pricing of the cruise was acceptable but once you get onboard you are stung for everything. Whoever heard of having to pay for water at dinner and then to have to pay tax on top of that. The food in the dining rooms was edible and adequate but we did find the food on deck 14 a bit of a trial. Also this eaterie does not get cleaned as often as it should be - floors were sticky. Cabin steward was amazing but then it felt more like he was fearing he would lose his job if any little issue was raised regarding the cleaning. Our concern started with the lifeboat safety drill - staff could not be more unenthusiastic and in fact I felt that in a crisis I would feel compromised. Entertainment - no cannot really call it entertainment as it is rubbish. My biggest gripe was the inefficiency of the reception staff. Their English is not great so there should be at least one very good English speaker at each desk. But the body language was appalling. We complained that our newspapers were not being delivered and my husband got told a different story to what I was told. I feel robbed of a holiday as we found this cruise so stressful and unenjoyable. Could be a bit of culture clash but this does not explain the inefficiency. If you are thinking of MSC think again! Read Less

First and last cruise with MSC, thought price was to good to be true when booking and it was! From nightmare in Vience boarding would have faired better at the Harrolds sale. On first impressions the ships decor was opulant and luxurious there ends the positive feed back. We booked a balcony for us and 2 ocean view cabins for friends, they got an automatic upgrade to a suite with bath shower large balcony, they were delighted of course as they only paid for an ocean view, us however paid more and had a small balcony room. No reason was given to us by MSC. Food in the buffet resturant was not good quality, with cheap cuts of meat. I never at home eat pizza, but had it every day on the ship with salad as it was the only quality food served. Had a drinks package! joke getting served, I am sure that once they know you have a drinks package they hold back on the service. Evening resturant had friendly staff but food was of very bad qualtiy, makes me feel ill just thinking about some of the food that was served. Also after desert you had to go to the bar for coffee as they didnt serve any drinks at the end of the meal. Entertainment was deffinatley not for the English. The swmmining pools all catered for kids (no pool for just adults unless you wanted to pay more money) No sunbeds available , in fact i never had one swim or one lay on a sunbed in the 7 days. Last but not least we had one trip orgainised by MSC to Athens, I cannot go into details but can say it was a disaster as our credit card company are currently in dispute with MSC over this trip. But i must WARN you that MSC have confirmed in writing that they take no responsibility for the trips they sell and do not guarantee the quality, basically you go on the trip and come back to the ship that is all they will guarantee . We all came back from the cruise needing a holiday.   Read Less

As a couple living in America, I am married to a German. We decided on a family vacation to cruise the Greek Islands with my husbands family (all German). MSC surpassed our expectations. We have cruised several times before (Alaska, Hawaii, Bahamas, and sailing cruises) MSC was the largest ship and the fastest disembarkation of all the cruises! The staff for the most was friendly and accommodating, a few not so friendly staff but they didn't deter from our experience. State room attendant was fantastic and remembered our preferences. Positives: fast disembarkation, land excursion offerings, wardrobe flexibility for dinner (either dress according to theme or not), dinning room waiter spoke little English and no German, we had no issues with our meals or special requests during our meal time. Our waiter was gracious and we found an easy way to communicate. Food at dinner was delicious. Note to Americans they are smaller portions however, you have options for soup, salad, main entree, second entree, and dessert plus bread. If this is not enough for you simply tell your waiter and you can have another main entree. Several times I was torn between two appetizers and he brought me both. You will not go hungry. Easy to side step & avoid all the photography opportunities. Nightly entertainment in the theater: we saw 2 shows. Michael Jackson tribute was fair to good. You know the songs and will sing along. Variety of on-shore tours provided in various languages, even one that was offered in both English & German which meant neither my husband nor I had to be a translator. AWESOME! Tour desk staff very knowledgable of tours and if not taking tours advice on getting around town on your own or little known beaches. Breakfast buffet (can be crowded) just keep moving there is more than one egg and sausage station than the first one. We found it best to go all the way to the back where there were less people. Cons: no adult only time at the pools. I knew that families would be on the cruise and I would encounter children at all venues, except if you pay for the adult only pool (yacht club) which is a daily fee. It would have been nice if one pool for a few hours each day was adult only. Not every parent monitors their children for splashing, if you want to relax in the water either pay for the yacht club or do it during a land excursion. Also, the room service while timely I had breakfast delivered (as I have done on previous cruises. I work out in the morning in the gym, shower and then come back to my cabin. I find it easier to eat in the room and then disembark) however the I checked off yogurt, and toast. And that is all I got: yogurt and toast. No jam or butter. Breakfast buffet is good, I mistakenly thought I would get some accouterments along side the yogurt and toast. Photographers everywhere, a few were strong attempting to get us to take family photographs, we knew we wouldn't purchase so we only did once. But they were at some point aggressive to take your picture. Slippery walkways (to be fair the staff was constantly wiping up around the pools but it was a never ending loop, just be careful, we saw several people slip). Elevators near reentry doors would have lines, after time spent in port of call, if you simply walk to next set no waiting. Other passengers are loud when traversing the hallways at all hours, as a guest think of it like a home when walking past cabin doors the people attempting to sleep inside will hear if you speak in above average voice. (Our bad for putting birthday signs on our cabin doors as everyone made a comment, especially the kids in loud voices at all hours). The gym: some of the equipment was out of order (several treadmills) plus the air conditioner didn't work as efficiently making the workouts more challenging. People did go over the posted time limits, but they do that at every gym I have ever been to, a gentle reminder or 'are you almost finished I am waiting thank you' worked great. Breakfast buffet is crowded, but there is plenty of food and they refill constantly. Only issue if you do not drink coffee (as I don't, I am the only one in my family that doesn't) getting a soda in the morning was challenging to find a wait staff or wait in long lines (breakfast & lunch time) to get one. Last con limited movies / tv programs offered in English, nor could I find English subtitles. If you wake up in the middle of the night and want to watch a movie you'll find one you know just not in a language you know. Understand we are all adults over the age of 40 a few over 60 and perhaps some of my comments will make us sound older or that we are curmudgeons. However, I think all travelers just need to remember manners when while on vacation. And remember it is vacation, you are outside your culture and to see the situation from another point of view. It was not a problem to mingle with all the cultures and people on board. Most of our experiences were positive. Just because it is different doesn't mean it is wrong. My American sized appetite was surpassed and my husbands German appetite is even larger and he was satiated. A fun experience we were on board during World Cup when Germany played America, I was definitely outnumbered onboard by crew and passengers, We had a blast in our respective country colors. We mingled with many people poolside, during excursions, people at neighboring tables during meals; they were all pleasant. We all concur we would absolutely cruise again on MSC, we had a great time and even though there were some cons they didn't deter from our overall fun. The biggest challenge honestly was the adult only pool time which we found at 6 am. However we also wanted it after being in port during the day. That was my biggest criticism to MSC that one pool to have at the top of each hour 30 minutes for adults only would be great. There are plenty of pools on board that designating one for adults only is a feasible option. Read Less

The embarkation procedure was much quicker on this trip (although the time spent waiting for the transfer coaches from Marco Polo airport to the ship was quite lengthy) from the port side. The staff were mostly friendly, especially Eric (our table waiter in the Il Cerchio d'Oro Restaurant) who was always smiling, friendly and attentive to our requirements.He kindly arranged for a cake and champagne to be presented to us as an anniversary gift (my husband had arranged this) which was a lovely gesture at our dining table. We were seated with 2 other couples of a similar age in the restaurant and we got on very well! One criticism I have regarding the excursions which we had pre-booked; on the first trip of the cruise we had pre-booked to visit Alberobello (near Bari) but the tickets were booked incorrectly, although my husband has booked for 'English' speaking tour. His ticket was booked for 'Italian' and mine 'English', so we had to get these changed which meant queueing once again even though the error was not our doing! There is an administrative hitch in that trips are booked automatically in your 'mother tongue-according to your passport, rather than your place of home. The trips we participated on were very good, especially the Olympia trip. Our guide Eugennie was briliant and so knowledgeable on ancient Greece. She was warm, friendly and welcoming. The buffet area on the ship was often crowded but you can't expect anything less when the ship carries over 3000 passengers on board! There was a wide variety of food choices available, including fresh fruit and salad. The sun decks can get a little crowded but there is always somewhere to sit down. I felt there was a lack of drinks waiters on this trip compared to those previously (this was our 3rd cruise with MSC) and if often took a while before you could track a waiter down to order drinks. I would recommend that you opt for the 'Allegrissimo' package for drinks for the week before hand as this includes soft drinks, teas, coffees, bottles of water, ice cream and cocktails. The entertainment was extremely good this time, especially the 'Tribute' to Michael Jackson. The performer who played MJ was excellent and the dancers were great. I would recommend this ship and the Greek Isles trip during May/June.   Read Less

Spent a week on the Aegean sea on the MSC Fantasia (pronounced Fantasy-a). The ship was very elegant and spacious " far better than the P&O Azura in every respect (cruised Feb 13)! Our cabin was stylish and spacious with a small balcony. Actually the ship did not appear cramped at any time during our cruise in any of the public areas (again, the total opposite to the Azura). The buffet restaurant was well designed and we had no trouble finding a table, although did have to search hard a few mornings. Food in the buffet was fine, with a wide selection for both breakfast and lunch. However, we were not so keen on the food in main restaurant in the evenings " 6 small courses but not the best we have tasted. Didn’t stop me from piling on the pounds though unfortunately! The theatre again was very well designed and no-one had any problems getting a seat. We only went to one show " Michael Jackson experience " which was quite good. The other shows were mostly acrobatics from what we heard. Some people we spoke to enjoyed and some not so much. The staff were fantastic. All had a smile on their face and were keen for some friendly banter. Top marks to them all. The announcements were made in a number of different languages but mostly only in the public areas, unless they were important. This did not bother us in the slightest. In terms of the ships clientele, it was so nice to chat with different nationalities and watch the different cultures enjoying themselves throughout the ship. Very entertaining I must say! There were far more Brits on board than I expected " I would estimate maybe 15%. Others were mostly Italian, French, German and Scandinavian, although there were some Americans, Australians and Japanese! There was a Japanese wedding on board actually. The itinerary was excellent and our favourite destinations were Santorini and Dubrovnik, although we only had 3 hours to spend in Dubrovnik which was definitely not enough, so have decided to return for a week next year to explore further. The weather, however, was not brilliant but that was obviously out of MSC’s control. Torrential rain in Venice which ruined our last day and night spent there after our cruise. We only did the one excursion with MSC to Athens and the Acropolis. Absolutely awful - don't bother, On the whole, we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and would definitely sail with MSC again if the price was right! Our favourite remains Celebrity though, but we are trying hard to find a better cruise line (MSC was our 6th attempt!). Read Less

The ship was almost new,my cabin was an inside cabin on high level floor,had everything needed very nice nothing to complain about.I had forgotten this was an italian ship but soon realised by the people noise i was not on an english or american ship.It quickly became apparent we the english in a minority aboard ship were ignored and abused by the majority of the italian cruisers. The food for me was too italian and did not cater for the english especially at breakfast time. Breakfast was chaos,noisy,rude italians jumping queus,it was like school dinners but worse.Usings lifts was hard work,trying to get out of a lift while 20 rude italians trying to get in before letting you get out.Some of the staff on board had poor english speaking skills,but the staff who could speak good english agreed that italians can be very rude to foreigners aboard their ship,they are dead right about that.The ship did not have a main street down the center of the ship like the american ships do,a let down for a ship this size.There is not much to do aboard ship while at sea,not like american ships.The shows are good but only last 45 minutes and you cant even take your drink in with you how bad is that. No cinema,very little english tele,no climing wall,no ice rink,swimming pools full of screaming italian kids,no english pub with nice english people in it,what a shame.To sum up my review i would say if your english do not cruise with MSC stick to english or american cruise lines as everything is better,the food,the entertainment,the ships,the service and best of all the people who you will be cruising with will speak good english and have good manners. Read Less

MSCs 'Children go free' option make it an excellent cost effective holiday option, typically paying only about £100 port taxes per child, if you share a 4 berth cabin. This is our third MSC cruise and we largely we knew what to expect: Good: Food was Italian orientated and always top notch. An army of very able and friendly waiters,bar staff and hotel services, many were Balinese. Great itinary, plus Venice itself, Kotor, Santorini and Dubrovnik are the best stops in our view, but all are worthwhile. 4 berth cabin had just enough space to be comfortable, The ships overall are excellent well maintained and if you want some peace you can find some ( Card room + rear decks ). Enjoy sailing with a big mix of passenger nationalities. Bad: Entertainment a bit too sequins and feathers for our liking. Italian staff often appear aloof and unfriendly. Poolside gets very crowded. Don't rely on MSC to entertain your children or teenagers - they can't. Do join their members club as if you intend to cruise with them again you get some good perks.   Read Less

We regularly cruise but this was the first time we had selected MSC for our cruise holiday. After reading the reviews I did have some concerns as to what to expect but I worked on the principle that the itinerary was excellent and the price very reasonable so that was the starting point if you want luxury then book another cruise line. However I was really impressed with all aspects of the cruise which far surpassed my expectations. We flew from Edinburgh as it is nearer our home in Northumberland and it was a very painless process. Upon arrival in Venice we found we were the only couple on the flight going to the Port we were then joined by an Italian couple and had a seamless transfer by private coach.. It was only 12 noon when we arrived so we expected some delay in boarding but we were advised we could go straight on board and our cabin was ready for us to use. A very short while later our luggage arrived and we were able to enjoy all the ships facilities. The ship was very well laid out public areas were bright ,clean and well maintained. We had an inside cabin on deck 11 towards the rear of the vessel. A few steps and we could be out on the rear deck to enjoy superb views over the ports of call. The only down side was we were directly under the buffet restaurant and it could be noisy when food preparation cleaning etc was taking place. We paid for the Allegrisimo all inclusive drinks package which cost us 20 uk pounds per person per day which we felt was good value as it included soft drinks water coffee icecream as well as a reasonable selection of alcoholic drinks. Settled with a glass of wine in hand we then enjoyed the most spectacular views as we sailed out of venice port. Wonderful a highlight of the trip. The next day found us in Ancona and we opted for a trip to the seaside town of Serola it was a good opportunity to take in the local countryside but that was the only trip we booked. The town of Ancona has some interesting buildings and monuments and is worth an explore but it doesn't have the breathtaking architecture of other Italian cities. Our next stop was Kotor in Montenegro and we opted for a local sightseeing bus tour along the Fjord to some of the nearby villages really picturesque and at 10 euros a head good value. The bus is open topped and has a personal headset to listen to the narration. The whole trip was added to by the fact that it was such a beautiful warm sunny day. Corfu is a regular holiday haunt so we opted to take the shuttle bus into town and have a walk around the bay towards Mon Repos Palace very pleasant the only down side was we left Corfu so early in the afternoon for our next stop Santorini so I always felt I was watching the clock here. Santorini was a first for us and I was so impressed with the Island .We got on a minibus and went to Oia stunning scenery but very busy I would hate to see it when there are several cruise ships in. Kefelonia is an old favourite of ours and instead of following the crowds we walked away from the town to the right over the small hill to the Italian memorial which is signposted and then around Finari point and lighthouse and then back along the road to Argostoli. Its a three mile round trip but there are a couple of bars to stop at. So quiet and peaceful and we didnt see another tourist until we got back to Argostoli. Dubrovnik was very easy to visit as the ship put on a shuttle bus but if there are more than a couple of you check out the prices of the local taxis at the port as you may find this is just as cheap and saves the hastle of queueing for the buses. We were very fortunate to be placed on a table with three other English couples who were of similar ages to ourselves and we had a ball. We were always the last out of the restaurant on an evening and we could not speak highly enough of the wait staff and the service we received. The food was really good and I am quite a fussy eater but the pasta and risotto served every night were delicious and there was always plenty of choice. If you like great big American size steaks this isn't the cruise for you but I thought the food was some of the best I 've had. All in all I have no criticism other than the conduct of some fellow passengers who seemed to think that they were above queueing. We had a very large group of Austrians on board who wore bright red tour company lanyards throughout.and, whilst I know not all of the group were guilty of this behaviour, it seemed that forming an orderly queue and waiting your turn did not apply to them. The staff did their best but when you have one person controlling access to the bus you can't see who is coming in from the side and circumventing the queue. It could have really spoiled our trip but we made light hearted banter of it each night when we compared notes to see which of the four couples at our table had witnessed the most devious queue jumping. I saw one elderly lady with a tender ticket number 5 turn it over so the number was hidden and join the queue for the second tender cutting a good hour off her wait time in Santorini. Ingenious we should all do that. The other issue that wasnt really enforced was the hand sanitisation which I think is really important. Sanitisers are available but no one monitors the use before entering a restaurant or food service area which is usually a pre requisite on other cruise ships. All in all an excellent good value for money cruise and i wouldn't hesitate to book again with MSC . Read Less