My wife and I have just completed the 14 day cruise from Rio to Genoa. Having cruised with MSC before our expectations were reasonable and they were met. The staff on the ship range from speaking English but not understanding English through to a good comprehension of English. If you are expecting a cruise with normal English standards you will probably be disappointed. if you want a cruise that ...
I had never been on a cruise before, although my partner had. We found the boarding process (in Rio) to be as efficient as could be reasonably expected. The ship itself is large and it was easy to get lost! But it's very clean and well maintained, staffed by (generally) helpful crew. Our cabin (on deck 5)was larger than expected. The only cabin gripes I had were the lumpy (and with noisy springs) ...