This was my 3rd cruise with MSC and I hope there is still allot to come...Everything was excellent, cabins, food and entertainment. The staff was friendly and helpfull and we realy enjoyed the shows. Out of my view there is no option for improvement. The embarkation was quick and easy. Everthing was quickly available on the boat. My kids enjoyed all the daily activities on the deck and we as a family enjoyed the shows. The food at the buffet was excellent and there was a allot to choose from. We also enjoyed the breakfast and supper in the restaurants. The kids enjoyed the nightclub and we enjoyed the casino and lounges on board. Pomene was a great expierience and the beaches is nice and clean. The food on the Island was to die for. Allot of evert was put into it and it was easy accessable. The disembarkation went to quick and before we opened our eyes we were safe back in Durban. Thank you MSC Read Less

I loved the 5 night cruise. The xtra day is worth it. We were on the ship Sunday at 10h00 which gave us almost a full day on board. We were fortunate to get off at both islands which was awesome. Very hot though so take precaution. The pool at Pomene is great and very enjoyable. The locals at PI offer anything for sale. From Cigarettes to Loacal Rum, clothes and more. The food in buffet area was a bit dissapointing but you definately will not go hungry and you have the dinning room as an option. Entertainment was excellent. We loved late nights on the deck. We met new friends and enjoyed different cultures. The teatre entertainment was fantastic and Eric brilliant. We part taked in Masterchef, Bingo and various quiz nights. We enjoyed the entertainment every night in Savannah Lounge. We spent time in the Library and Casino. A bit dissapointing is the photo prices but not forced to buy it. All in all a great ship and memorable cruise. Booked our next cruise 10 Feb 2020 and 26 Dece 2020. Looking forward to the 14 day cruise Read Less

As a Diamond Club Card Holder and recently invited to the Launch Party for the MSC Orchestra on the 16th November 2019 and then Booked for the First 4 night cruise, commencing on the 17th November to say I was a Happy passenger would be nothing but further than the truth. We were so looking forward to this cruise, as we were going to celebrate our 55th Wedding Anniversary on Board this 4 day cruise. Initially I informed MSC that as I had already booked on the cruise immediately following the Launch Party, could they please link my Launch Party cabin to my Cruise cabin. (My cabin number was supplied to them) I received a email back to inform me that this was not at all possible. On the Saturday 16th November '19 I arrival at N shed my wife and were ushered into a marquee to wait boarding. Due to certain "circumstances" the Boarding time was delayed by almost an hour and a half. Diamond Card holders and other VIP Guest's were then herded into N Shed and joined a queue for Boarding. While waiting to board a chance chat to a MSC employer in the shed about the fact that when I asked to have my Launch cabin linked to my cruise cabin been denied, he promptly took our Cruise Booking letter plus those of at least 3 other passengers with the same problem and returned with our Cabin Cards all linked to our Cruise Cabins. Done in 5 minutes. The Launch Party went ahead with no major problems. In fact it was the highlight of our Holiday. However, the next morning the 20 or So Diamond Club Card holders, "Cruise Passengers" were informed that we had to disembark and re-board once we passed through Passport control. In the morning then 20 of us were formed up and were escorted off the the ship with a MSC Staff member. However once we were in the Terminal we were left to fend for ourselves. We had to join the queue for the "Fast Trackers" of the new Cruise passengers embarking, which took for ever to get through to Passport Control. Surely MSC could have arranged with Home Affairs before hand to process the 20+ cruise passengers on the Saturday and thus saved the hassle and inconvenience of seasoned Cruise travelers having to Disembark and back on again standing in long hot queue's?? Some I may add with chronic back problems. Once on Board our "Usual" well organised Gold Card / Diamond Card experience fell terribly short. There was No welcome back party for Gold Card/ Diamond card holders. No Chocolate Ship in Cabin. No Gowns in room, only slippers. No Dance Lessons, No free Sauna /Spar Invitation, No notification of a "Free" meal at the Specialty Restaurant. No Photo taken with the Captain. When I inquired at the Voyager Club Office and spoke to a Mary Ann as to why all the above had not been given as per previous cruises, she informed me that a lot of it was all explained in the letter sent out on the First day. I informed her that we did NOT receive such letter, but she promptly shifted the blame to Housekeeping department. While I was at the counter I was joined by no less than at least 5 other disgruntled passengers with similar "concerns". Mary Ann did however offer to give us each a MSC Backpack that evening. However when it didn't arrive at the given time, again she Blamed Housekeeping. For Dinner we were Booked for 2nd sitting with 5 other Diamond Card holders. Two of them I believe are pretty active on Social Media in South African circles under "Friends of MSC". All were very unhappy on how Diamond Card Holders were treated. Now are also questioning whether it is any incentive to cruise, in order for all passengers to up their status on the MSC Voyager Club Card incentive Rewards System. Of all the many times we've cruised this Dinner time experience in the L'ibiscus Restaurant must rate as the worst my wife and I have ever experienced on board any MSC Cruise liner. During the 4 nights we dinned there, we experienced the following: No Castle Larger Beer. (Hello, this is a South African Cruise season AND it is on the Wines List) The Liner docked Saturday so there was ample time to stock up on all the Required South African drinks and Food lines. Our waiter's English was poor and therefore service was lacking. At times we waited over 30 minutes just to get ice cubes. The delay between courses was far too long. On one occasion a fellow passenger at my table asked for the Indian/ Asian menu. Well it never arrived. ( NB! The Asian Menu was posted in a Glass cabinet at the entrance to the Dinning Room) Food presentation also fell short as we were not offered anything else when ordering Mutton Curry and Rice. That's all one got. No accompanying Sambal's or condiments were on offer. We were also highly disappointed that on "Italian Night" there was NO Usual singing and waving of serviettes as the Kitchen Staff raced through the Dinning Rooms as we all waived our Serviettes singing " Volare". As for our Cabin. Our room was only finished been cleaned at lunchtime on day 2. Plus the bed covers were not put on the bed until our last day. There were no tissues paper in the bathroom. Of the 2 dispensers in the shower, one was completely empty and the 2nd one wouldn't dispense. When I asked the gentleman to bring me his supervisor, he never complied. Besides the Tea/Coffee/Water stations positioned in the wrong areas, one could never find Hot water for tea or coffee, let alone find coffee sachets. One would have to wait until the gentleman taking care of these stations happened to pass by to get a coffee sachet from his pocket. As for the Duty Free shops, VERY few items were priced. When I asked the assistant as to why there were no prices? A very rude man replied that he was on his own and hadn't had time to put up the prices from Euro to Dollars. Every night I went back to check and by the last and 4th night there were STILL no prices up. I finalized my account the morning of departure and proceeded to breakfast. When I tried to disembark the Security Officer informed me that I had to report back to Reception as there was a problem with my account. When I joined the queue at reception I had to wait at least 25 minutes before I was served only to be told that it was a "misunderstanding" and I could continue to Disembark. In the meantime my wife who was in front of me was left standing at the bottom of the gangway on the dock waiting for me and not knowing what had gone wrong with me. So in closing. To say was this one of the worst cruises we've been on, I have to say, YES. Will I cruise again with MSC? Yes of course. But NEVER again on the first cruise. It was so sad, as this was not the way we wanted to remember our 55th Wedding Anniversary, but alas it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. May I also add, that as I am on Social Media I see a lot of of other passengers gripes and complaints and the replies they in turn receive back from MSC Customer-care and it seems their replies tend to be a lot of "Cut & Paste" replies. Hopefully my concerns are forwarded to the MSC South Africa Director as well as the team in Naples, and the reply sent to me is not the usual, "Cut & Paste one?? Read Less

My family and I we had an amazing time the kids loved it and they were busy through out. We love the cruise. However the price on some items was expensive e.g studio photos. In general we enjoyed the cruise. The cabin was clean and the house keeping was on point. The public area pool, bars, kids area and clubs and so on were well managed and the the service was excellent. Entertainment inboard was good however thank you to the intertainment team. And the performers. Food was good and all the restaurants well well managed and the service and house keeping was on point. I understand that the Ship own by the international company. I think it would do the comp company better if you could be mindful of the price when doing SA tours especially drinks. Over all I was happy and I will surely do it again with MSC THANK YOU. Read Less

Love cruising. Always take friends and family with. It's a relaxing and enjoyable way to travel. Love the evening shows and shopping for something special. The service from the bartenders is sometimes rude The service from the photo area is very poor,they are simply rude. The cabin steward in our suite was not helpfull. Towels wher not fresh everyday,as with qall our previous cruises. There was a very bad smell in some of the areas in the vessel. The smell was very bad on the pool deck,near the restaurant.The food in the top buffet restaurant,was really a bad experience. Always the same food in that restuarant and really not something to look forward to eating. But all the bad set aside we love cruising and will be back again and again. Love the cocktails in the Blue Velvet bar. Loved the shopping,they just need more Buckley of Londen jewellery. Also love buying swaroski jewellery Read Less

cruise was advertised in the sunday times as pay for double and 50% for the third person was a very good deal and any6 other offers of that type would surly see me on board again only problem expoerienced was the drink coupond that was delayed and only recieved it on Sunday evening the excursion was vey good as far as the activeties on the island was concerned as well as the food that was catered for and the shattel of passangers to the island was also very well ocastrated cleanleness was obseved on the ship and lots and lots of a variety of food was on offer and also thier was coffee and tea as well as hot chocalte available almost 24hrs the appreciation also for the hallal corner was also noted The entertainment was most appreciated as the people that staged the show were of proffasionalst and the people on board really enjoyed themselves with the on going none stop dancing from embarkment to disembarkment If there would be a special package again i will certainly be on board again thanking MSC CRUSES for a wonderfull experience on board and a very safe sailing to and from Read Less

A lot to do. Can choose from a variety of activities or lounges to go too. Can commend the staff with assistance when I left my wallet in the car. They went above the call of duty to get me off and back on again. The pizza that was available nearly 24/7 was a winner. Only dissapointment was the sit down dinings at night. Food was mediocre. Need to look at a second ice cream bar on the 13th deck. One bar was too congested and one has to que for a long time. I suggest buy the prepaid packages. Works out much cheaper. O by the way know your currency convertion because duty free is not as cheap. Take ZAR Rand to the Portugese Island. Lots of memorabilia and the local rum and raspberry muranga (r&r) is a must. Support the locals. Ps ask for Andries he was the best waiter on the island. My coconut stayed full with r&r. Read Less

This cruise has always been on my bucket list, but I think my expectations was too high for what they could give. I work in a 5 star lodge and is very focused on service and for that reason I am also writing this review. The cabin was very nice. But dining was horrible you go on a cruise to spend time with your partner but find out that you have to sit with complete strangers and there is no privacy. The food was terrible quality. Prepare to stand in lines for 1.5 - 2 hours a day when you want to go on excursions even when you want to get back on the boat. The islands you go on is beautiful and the buffet lunch Msc gives on them was really nice. The boat is unfortunately way overcrowded and you feel like just a number. It is definitely not a 4 night 5 day cruise the 5th day you have to be off the boat by 7 in the morning. The worst thing is you save up to do as many things as you can when on the boat, and I booked myself a acupuncture treatment the one day, where the "spa doctor" actually fell asleep while I am getting my treatment and then still charge you 65$ I actually can still not believe it!! The normal spa treatments with the therapists was excellent they were really good. I would honestly not recommend this cruise to anyone that want to relax or for a romantic getaway. It was nice to tick that I have been on a cruise off my bucket list, but unfortunately that is where it ends Read Less

I have been wanting to visit Egypt since I was 4 years old. Instability and fear had always held me back until I discovered Uniworld River Cruises. Uniworld has a unique way of always making you feel like you’re a VIP. So was it possible that Uniworld could possibly provide us the security and comforts of home that we demand in Egypt? The only way that question could possibly be answered was to book the trip and find out first hand. So after much anxiety we did we booked our trip for March 23, and I am all the more thankful and grateful for the decision we made. For us, it was truly that trip of our life time thanks to Uniworld. We arrived at the Cairo airport a day early and was greeted by a smiling and friendly Egyptian holding up a Uniworld sign named Ahab. He grabbed our luggage and the luggage of another Uniworld couple and headed us to the Uniworld Van. He then began to explain all the wonderful things we would be experiencing over the next two weeks and gave us a short Egyptian language lesson. He was funny and knowledgeable and gave us a very positive impression of what was instore. He offered us an optional day trip to the bent pyramid. Any time you meet a 55 year old guide with a high energy cell phone ring tone, you know you are in for a really good time but we had already made other plans. Uniworlds trip includes a visit to the pyramids, sphinx and camel ride, but we were so anxious we booked a private half day exertion via Viator and had a really good guide named Marwa who made certain we had a great time, along with lots of photo opportunities. Our stays at the Four Season Hotel was wonderful. This hotel is well managed and was like an luxury oasis in the middle of the desert. This hotel exhibited very good security and we always felt safe. Our room was magnificent and over looked the Nile River. My wife and I were treated like VIP’s the entire visit and we received exceptional service. The spa was fantastic and the services they provided were extremely professional. We dined at the Italian and Oriental restaurants and the buffet. The food and service at the buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner was our favorite! Since there was 72 people, they divided us into two groups and each assigned a bus and our own Egyptologist. Ours was named Tarek Mostafa and he was absolutely wonderful. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable about Egypt but had good command of the English language, authentic, funny and extremely good dresser. He also made us feel like we were VIP’s the entire trip. My wife and I have traveled to a lot of places in this world and used a lot of guides via Uniworld, Tauck and Viking, but Tarek Mostafa is hands down the best we have ever experienced. I hope you are lucky enough to have him as your Egyptologist. He went out of his way to provide our group with plenty of safe shopping opportunities during a very packed schedule and even helped us negotiate prices with vendors. He will teach you how to deal with locals trying to sell you stuff for one dollar. Every local knew him, and locals treated him with great respect and admiration. If you are lucky enough to get Tarek as your guide, you tell him Pete said hello. I loved the ole majestic Tosca river boat and all the five star staff that they had on board. I thought it was elegant and beautiful just not a quiet as the electric boats Uniworld has in Europe. She parted the waves of the Nile like a knife through butter. I loved all the wood work, comfortable seating and the pictures of old Egypt that hand on the wall. We enjoyed the Egyptian entertainment and dressing up for the Galabeya party. I even learned how to really dance like an Egyptian! We absolutely loved cruising the Nile River from on top of the Tosca. Plenty of comfortable seating and nice relaxing pool. We returned home so dark, that our family thought we had gone to Miami. Expect to see lots of beautiful tall palm trees and tons of banana trees. The only modern machinery you will see is electric pumps to irrigate the miles of farms. I saw lots of fisherman checking trout lines and nets. My favorite were the smiling faces and waving arms of children along the banks of the Nile all happy to see us. Every single day of our trip went as planned and we were always informed throughout the day by our Egyptologist, staff on board the ship and received a printed itinerary of next day’s events in detail. We always felt extremely safe because on every single excursion we had our own embedded guard who wore a three piece suit and holstered an impressive 9mm MP5. In addition, our buses were always escorted by the Egyptian military or police. Everyone waved to us and thanked us for visiting Egypt. I cannot tell you how many people randomly thanks us for coming to Egypt. Not once did we feel unsafe or threatened. We loved the balloon ride and the trip to Abu Simbal. Everything worked like clockwork during the entire trip. We were lucky that the Nile was high enough to cruise to Dendra, and that there were not sand storms or strong winds for us to experience the hot air balloon ride. All the interior Egyptian flights were with Egypt air and they ran smooth and security was extremely good. Expect some early morning wake-ups to avoid the heat, other tourist and sand that can rise up to 13,000 feet during the mid-day. Trust in the process cause these folks are experts when it comes to experiencing Egypt in a safe and comfortable manor. In return, we experienced a perfect trip and a trip of a life time that I will always remember. We left Egypt with a greater knowledge of Egypt and a much better understanding of the Muslim and Christian people who call Egypt home. The last days visit to the pyramids, sphinx and camel ride was as much fun as the first one! I just wish my wife would have let me buy one of those camels for the back yard. Uniworld not only meet our expectations but exceeded them. Ahab, even helped us inside the airport terminal to make sure we made it through security and check our luggage with no issues on the way home. No other company has ever done that for us. These folks treated us like family. If you want to see and experience Egypt first class and feel like a VIP, choose Uniworld’s Splendors of Egypt! Read Less

It is safe to travel with MSC Cruise with family and I enjoyed being on a cruise employees are friendly and it is the best place to be with family and friends, Me and my family travelled with two of our friends and they really enjoyed being on a cruise though it was not the first time being on a cruise but a first to be in Portuguese Island before they travelled to Pomene. I have recruited my family and friends, cousins they are coming with us next year, I am spreading the word with my friends and family to come and enjoy and experience the fun in the cruise, I am recruiting people to come and enjoy the cruise, You know we work the whole year and we need some time to relax and thank your body for keeping you the whole year now you need a holiday, We are cruising with 5 families next year to Portuguese Island and the beauty of the ship I can't wait to see Orchestra next year, I have been to Sinfornia twice and Musica this year and next year Orchestra, I love the Island and exploring the beauty of the Island Read Less

Everything is excellent, the staff is so professional, the team is so organised, they always ensure that they maintain their goal i.e. making sure that everyone is entertained to the best of their ability. Professionalism is their key word. The food everyone is catered for e.g. those who prefer healthy diet they are catered for and those who like junk food are also catered for. We all know that cleanliness is next to God so the place is always clean the cabins, dining halls and even the entertainment areas, for an example their swimming pools. Communication is very key, they always update you about the activities of the day, there are programmes to remind you about everything happening on the boat. what I enjoyed most it was the dinner time, the service was excellent, you and your family are allocated a waiter to service you. The food on the is out of this world. I will definitely recommend to my friends to go on vacation on MSC boat cruise. Read Less

I will not suggest to my worst enemy to go on the MSC MUSICA AGAIN the cruise was over booked since we got on the ship we did not have anyplace to sit , never mind the package that i took they said there will be a welcoming letter from the Captain - just a note from management i wanted to take all my grand children next year but i will rather stay at home some of the people on the cruise stayed in there cabin due to the overcrowding if you wanted to get a drink at the bar it took you half to and hour, i can be glad that idid not take any children, the super sokkie we paid was a waste of money we could notsee any of the artist and i had to sit on a lamp pole, we could not even see the activities on the cruise we had to stand 95% of our time the only time we could sit was at dinner or lunch This cruise was for my husband birthday and he hated every minute of it the photos costed a lot of many sure all the photos they destroy could have been givenat a special price on the last day of the cruice Read Less

Why is the photos so expensive. When you dont buy it they throw all away?? Their are many people that look at the photos but dont buy. It is very nice pictures but really expensive. Think about cheaper prices as to throw everything away.. The food staff rooms and entertainment is very nice. On our 2 nd trip their was also more fish available. Deserts and so many of a variety of fruits were avaible. Cocktail of the day was also our favourite The staff is helpfull and friendly. We enjoy all the entertainment . We did not see the Sokkie singers too much to mingle with them as it would have been nice. On Portuguese Iland with all the changes and enough shades was awesome. We will definitely go on another cruise. Prices is resonible. Their is 1 more last thing. The hairdryer does not work as the laat time Read Less

This was our first time cruise, it was for our 4yr anniversary..... Firstly looking at all that food got me so full, we loved the food it was as tasty as it looked, the staff was sooo friendly. Dinner was at the restaurant every day...loved that! We had the balcony cabin that was a breath taking view evry morning :-) The cabin was clean and the cleaning staff was awesome!!! The people on the ship was for friendly like one big family. the entertainment was off the hook, the entertainment crew just kept us on our feet, we just had a blast.... The Portuguese Island was awesome, so much to do.... jus the heat was intense but nothing was going to stop us from having fun. Food, fun and entertainment was galore, was worth more than what we paid for. Thank you MSC we had an awesome time and will definitely be back again. Read Less

I went for the Afrikaans Sokkie and it was my birthday. MSC Musica. I did state when I made a booking that it was my birthday. When I did my first cruise 17 years ago also on my birthday, I was supprised with a birthday cake! Now they charge you for it. There was always photographers taking ransom photos during your cruise, now you have to go to them and it is all unnatural studio photos at USD12 per photo!! Previously You bought a beverage package for the duration of your cruise which included all coldrinks, coffee, tea, ice-cream etc, now you can buy a package that has a maximum of 18 drinks, whether it is alcohol or not for R850 depending on the exchabge rate. And they do not tell you beforehand that it is limited to a specific amount (usd) per drink!! Everything has become so commercialized and greedy, that it does not seem to be worth the almost R5000 per day that you spent. Read Less

My family and I had an amazing time, i had my girls with me and they had a blast. They was always something for them to do and they loved the music and entertainment Our cabin was clean and it was kept that way throughout the cruise, even the kids beds were made for them. My kids loved the food, i had the tastiest ice cream ever and the cocktails were the best. I am always so paranoid when traveling with the girls 7 and 11. But the crew were awesome with them friendly and the answered any question the girls had. They really enjoyed the service and the restaurant they were treated awesomely and they had the best food and desserts. The ship is well maintained and always clean. The embarkation and disembarkation went so smoothly. My luggage was well taken care of. We just got back and are already planning out next one. Read Less

These people's embarkation and disembarkation process is NIGHTMARE. By the time you get on the ship you are dehydrated, exhausted, confused and disoriented and you 're bombarded by people selling packages. Non stop and just overehelming. When you get on you have to wait til 1.30pm for your room and up to 7pm for your bag. Then when you get off the ship they line your bags up just after you walk off the ship. So they are not doing you any favours by taking your bag the night before. Tip: take your own bags. On top of this we were first group to be told to get off and last ones to get our bags. And they tell us our tags may have fallen off (us and 50 others). Our tags were very much still on the bags when they were eventually offloaded. They are just incompetent. Food at the buffet was never enough. Tip: if you're not doing the dining then go to buffet early. We had one decent meal on the trip which was on the first night. Water is not complementary as they make you believe. No water in room. You are assigned to eat in the dining area where they serve you food and you pay for drinks. At the buffet they have 2 dispensers which people flog. TWO dispensers on the ship for 2500 guests. wow. By the way they close the dispensers at 10pm. So pay for a drink or die... they charge $20 for a photo on board. I wasn't going to pay that for a photo of me hot and sweaty after 3 hours in their boarding queues. Cabin was spacious. We had a balcony view which was wonderful. Shower had great pressure. Tip: No lotion or conditioner or vanity kit provided in room. Excursions off shore were worth visiting but queues to get back on board were crazy. Also the food gets finished really fast there too. And noone cares if you ate or not. Tip: go early. Leave early. Tip: take rands for the islands. The souvenirs are cheap and nice. Tip: Eat on time. The entertainment staff were AMAZING and so good. Really that was 10 out of 10. The other staff probably need to be treates better so they can be nicer to people. I witnessed many rude interactions where thy ignored a guest in need and I stepped in to help them instead. Especially at the buffet area. We had a waiter at our dining table who was very unfriendly. I think his name was Wilfred from St Vincent. Pools very overcrowded and smell so bad. They lock the bar fridge the day before you leave. This didnt make sense to me at all. It was the only day we didnt go offshore so people were around in their rooms, hot, thirsty, so why lock the bar fridge? Don't they want to make money. Definitely buy drink vouchers. Even if you dont buy it before u board, you can buy it on the ship. Vouchers save you paying 15% tip every time you order a drink. Read Less

I chose this cruise as it was my husbands birthday which was spoilt by the staff at reception and lack of stock . The menu has 5 options and then you only have 1 available. Then you go to the bar and they only have 1 of three options available. We not talking about anything special we talking about champagne. Then we moved cabins because I paid for a non obstructed cabin and got an obstructed cabin. They told us they moving us now. 45 minutes later nobody came to the cabin. Then out of anger we phoned reception and told them to leave it as we cannot stay in our cabin waiting for them. Missing all the entertainment etc.. When we came back to our room at 11.15pm being tired as it was our first day and had to get up extremely early only to find our room emptied and no note informing us which new room to go to. We had to go to reception and then get the new key and empty the safe.... etc. Not once did someone around the pool area offer us drinks. Not once. I spent a lot of money at the shops and photos etc. I bought guess bags and presents for my husband(4.5L chivas regal besides other things) on the boat so it is not as if we were on the boat and not spending and giving back. We have been on the cruises 4 or 5 times. Why does everything not open when we are moored at the islands. Especially the spa. We paid for two pampers but the timing was always awkward as there is only certain times. The more the shops etc is open the more we spend which would be great for your benefit. I don't shop with the crowds like the last day. I shop daily during my cruise. The room cleaners are very helpful and always pleasant. If we book first sitting it is for a reason. I have a colon problem and cant eat late at night or else I get cramps and my stomach runs. First had to fight for that as well on the first day. This cruise really spoilt my husbands birthday and did not work out like it was supposed to. Very very disappointing. After our fourth or fifth time on the cruises we think this is our last. We were supposed to book with another two famalies at the end of the year of January next year but we told them we don't think we will be going. IT is their first time and we were supposed to show them around. We have always been on 4 nights or more to get the feel of the boat as we stay far. (In Port Elizabeth) . WE normally fly in the day before the cruise starts and also pay hotel fees and that is besides flights. We also have to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel and also from the hotel to the harbor and back to the airport which is a costly experience so therefore one expects Service and understanding from the staff. Very Very disappointing. Read Less

the 2 stop-overs at Portuguese Island and Pomene Islands made this trip exciting. I can safely say i loved Pomene Island more than anything else...the white fine sand and the shady coconut trees make the island full of life. we never had hassles embarking or disembarking because we always had offers to get priority service (in addition to the excellent en suite cabins topped with a balcony). lots of activities ie the pool games and parties, music in the magnificent lounges, theatre performances and night parties. Oh and not forget the Photo gallery where you catch the best picturesque moments on board. Those photographers really know their job hey. Always had a hard time choosing what to take and leave. we loved having our food at the buffet mostly rather than restaurant and i have no complaints on the abundance of food. The icing on the cake was dressing up to meet Captain Ciro Pinto. Hats off to you Sir. Great service from EVERYONE!! Read Less

The services on the ship are excellent. All staff are very helpful. Cleanliness is the order of the day on MSC Musica. The ship offers a variety of entertainment activities. The drawback however is that most of these activities close at 23:30. The dicso is too small to cater for the number of people. The two swimming pools are small for the number of people. Some of the bigger ships offer an ironing area where guests can iron their own clothing. My partner's dress was delayed which caused us to miss the first dinner sitting and the show which was hosted that night. The cabins on the 11th floor are very spacious and well laid out. The double beds are big and comfortable. The cabin also contains a comfortable sleeper couch. Dining on the MSC Musica is a pleasant experience. The restuarants are well appointed and the food is excellent. Breakfast was however a struggle to find seating space. Most of the staff are very good at what they do and made all passengers feel at home. Some of the staff are however new and experience language difficulties. I visited both Portuguese Island and Pomene. Disembarkation and return procedures were very well organised. I did not do additional excursions. I travelled with my partner without children. I am already planning my next excursion and would recommend MSC Cruises. Read Less

I chose this cruise to celebrate a special occasion being my partners birthday, and the cruise on the MSC Musica seemed the most appropriate for the said dates, I have only read about the Musica via newsletter from travel agents and no person in particular and least to say that the ship is beautiful and looks amazing. Unfortunately, I wish I had the same sentiments to share about the staff and the food on board, The staff lacked the warmth and enthusiasm that one can expect as a guest on a beautiful ship. They seemed fed-up so to speak to be there. Most of them looked really tired and the they also displayed a lack of knowledge as to what happens on the ship. I must add that most of my negative comments are related to the cafeteria staff. Furthermore the food was of very low quality and stale. It seemed as though the ship was not fully stocked with fresh produce to provide for the guests, The burgers and hotdogs were dry, the coffee was cold. The day we were out on the island, and got back in the afternoon, there was no food on deck 13 cafeteria. When we asked the staff, they said that "we don't know" or "we don't have". There was a chef making pizzas which were tasteless and dry. That was the disappointment that I have experienced and this being my first cruise does not leave much to be desired again. However, one of the good experiences we had was at dinner time. We had an awesome waiter named SetiaBudi..He was hands on, very attentive and obliging. Our Balcony suite was clean and comfortable and beautiful. So..therefore I have mixed emotions. Read Less

Have been on 3 previous cruises, Symphony and Opera and wanted to share this with my fiance. The level of service have definitely decreased and on the Sunday you just feel as if they want you off the ship. The balcony cabin was nice but the floor was broken in front of the sliding door - did report this. No beach towels in the cabin and what a mission to get some! The food was great except for Sunday lunch where they didn't have enough food, the space was far to little and the restaurant was dirty. Not an enjoyable experience at all. On a positive note, the shows were fantastic and every night just got better. The food in the evening restaurants were also very nice and a great experience. It is a pity that the top deck of the ship can only be accessed if you pay. On the island you also had to pay if you wanted a lounger, seems that money is now the main object for MSC. Read Less

This was my 8th cruise and defenitley the worst cruise! 1. Very poor Safety drill, was done in 2 minutes. Crew only showed how to fasten lifejackets. 2. When we asked for help from cabin steward at 16H00 after bording he said that he cant help till after 6 as he is bussy with lugage. 3. We tried to phone help desk but the phone was not working. I eventualy found out the 9 button on phone had to be pressed verry hard and to hold it in for a few seconds til it dail. We reported it but as per technision this was acceptable an didnt do anything to fix the problem. 4. When we went to eat the problems realy started. I had to firstly at every meal clean old food from my wet plate! And still after complaining about it nothing was done! 5. At every meal we had to ask for butter and the response was that there was not butter as there was delivery issues! They eventualy bring butter to our table after our food was cold or finnished. 6. This was the dirtiest cruise ship of all your MSC ships that I cruised on. Lounge Chairs with very old stains and arm rests with old brown fatty marks only clean where the previos passangers hands pressed to stand up. 7. Entertainment at shows after evening meals was repettitve, the same 4 entertainers with the same preformence only different theme... 8. No smoking areas on deck was a big dissipointment. We had to ask several people to not smoke and had to show them the no smoking signs. This caused very tense moments. Please make it clear to all passangers and ask crew to when they walk pass pasanges that is smoking in no smoke areas to address them. So that we dont have to! 9. Our nice view from our balcony was ruined as the lifeboat below my cabin was used as an ashtray. And the stompies was roling around on the roof of the lifeboat. Must be up to a 100 stompies seems like an astray was emptied from a balcony. We also reported this several times on our 5 day stay. Nothing was done! Very dissipointed in MSC as I realy looked forward to cruise with you but this standard of cruise will ensure that I never recomend MSC as a fantastic holiday cruise to all my family and friends. And the photos of a very dirty ship can not be placed on my sosial media as I am to ashamed to show that I cruised on a very dirty MSC Musica! Read Less

My husband and I are a retired couple and run an AirBnB but, we never seem to have the finances to afford a fabulous holiday and, we most definitely did not think that we would ever be able to afford a cruise. Anyway, friends of ours were chatting about their upcoming cruise and they mentioned there was a very special price on offer. Hubby and I enquired at the MSC office in Morningside and we were given the special price of R6850.00 for both of us with a balcony off our cabin. The offer was irresistible and we embarked on a holiday of a lifetime. The nightly entertainment was out of this world...the food was really good although I would have liked to see more cooked veggies. The trip to the island was a pleasant experience with well-designed procedures for moving from ship to ferry. The library, the games, the music in the lounges, dining a la carte and the very helpful staff were all added bonuses. Our cabin had a balcony (YAY)...the double bed, pillows, and linen were very comfortable, there was also a hair-dryer in the room. The bathroom with shower, toilet, and basin is a fair size and well-fitted. The cocktails were not great. We purchased a package for 18 cocktails and do believe that a little more time and effort could have been put to making them. When I drink a cocktail, it should be refreshing and taste like more...some of the cocktails just tasted of pure alcohol. So, tastier cocktails (like the Amurula Magic mmmmm) may enhance the traveller's experience. By the time we finished our 5 day cruise, we felt amazing and very well rested. We will never forget our time spent on the MSC Musica and we do hope that another affordable cruise will surface towards the end of the year so we can relive the experience. Thank you MSC Musica for heping us to make beautiful memories! Read Less

Embarkation was a breeze once we arrived at the port. All staff were courteous and very helpful. Easy to find where to go and what to do. Disembarkation a little more strenuous. The immigration officials were showed that the saying "No Rush in Africa" really is true. Traffic getting to and from the Port was a nightmare. A plan needs to be made to make it easier. A possible thought is to make the embarkation time one hour later. Dinners in the main dining room were great. No pushing and shoving. The service and food were great. Other meals were less pleasant at some stages. The fear of food running out may have had something to do with it. I got the feeling that there was a sense of entitlement and sometimes the lack of consideration for others was a real problem. Staying on the boat while everyone went to the island was great with a smaller crowd and much less noise. Shows were great. Toilets were sometimes a problem due to inconsiderate passengers and numbers. Cabins were great and well maintained. Read Less