Europe - Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Reviews

The ship is really fine and the staff are awesome. The weather was spectacular and passengers were diverse and fun. The port of calls were numerous and different. Only way to see the Aegean Sea -- easy and comprehensive. Highly recommended by us.

The staff was amazing, (from the hotel directors to the cruise directors/ staff to the photographers, stewards and waiters), the ports of call historical and beautiful, the ship was clean with many amenities, activities and shows to please everyone.

The cruise was outstanding.  The staff was amazing and the shore excursions were very informative and interesting.

However, we were cruising through the Aegean Sea and going past some of the most picturesque and beautiful coastlines on Earth.  There is absolutely no need to fill every onboard minute with parties and loud music.  There really should be some respect for the landscapes we were surrounded by.  While leaving Mykonos or Athens, we wanted to sit by the pool and look out over the amazing scenery.  Instead we were treated to the droning music or, worse, the inane banter of the "Sexiest Man Alive Contest" host.  Why!?

Don't diminish the surroundings, which were incredible, with trivial worthless blather.

We are so happy with our experience overall, but the ship doesn't really need to force fun down our throats.  The ships' crew and staff does such a wonderful job at helping us relax.

MSC gets a lot of mixed review here, so I wanted to weigh in with an endorsement of the cruise line. We've been on Princess, Holland America, NCL, Carnival and Costa. While we were worried we'd have a Costa-caliber experience on MSC, I'm happy to report that it was far better. The room was beautiful, the food was good and the entertainment was a pleasant surprise. Our only major complaint involves a how slow embarking and debarking was at ports and on departure day. Still, we'd recommend MSC and would cruise with them again.

This was the first cruise for my wife and me. Overall, we thought it was okay, not great. With 3000 passengers on board, it was hard not to feel like a sheep. Lots of standing in line (e.g., for passenger services or the tour desk) and large excursion groups (enough to fill a tour bus). Service throughout was attentive, but not exceptional. The ready availability of food (including a decent variety) was really nice, but it didn't stand out. If anything, it felt old-fashioned - lots of down the middle American food like you would expect in a family restaurant anywhere in the U.S. The exception was the extra cost steakhouse, where we had some very nice steaks and lobster tails one night.

With the exception of one very good show featuring Turkish musicians, folk dancers, and a belly dancer on the last night, it was hard to tell that we were in Greece or Turkey while on board the ship. It would have been nice to see a bit more connection to the destination. For example, instead of the DJ playing "sounds of Miami Beach," perhaps "sounds of the Mediterranean" would have worked. Similarly, a few more menu items in the dining rooms and/or buffets that captured the flavors of Greece and Turkey would have been welcome.

It's also difficult to escape the constant selling going on throughout the ship. There's always a focus on getting you to buy something: photos, jewelry, clothing, art, drinks, special meals, etc.

It was certainly convenient to move from one destination to another (particularly the Greek isles) without packing/unpacking. And the international crew was professional and pleasant throughout. However, this experience didn't inspire us to want to go on another Princess Cruise anytime soon.

I don't understand the poor reviews I've read about MSC Magnifica.

My cruise was fabulous. The cabin was spotlessly clean, as was the entire ship... it looks like it came out of the box yesterday.

The crew were helpful and their systems are really slick. At least 2 crew members were so nice, I'd happily invite them to my home.

Most of all, the food was fantastic! There was a huge amount of choice, and such fresh ingredients! Choices ranged from the healthiest of salads to burgers-and-pizza at the opposite end of the scale... with carvery, pasta dishes, a variety of veggies and a huge dessert buffet along the way. I can't imagine what people are complaining about, it's like they were on some other boat?

I did only one MSC excursion (Olympia) and that was definitely worth the expense, with a very good guide and comfortable, safe bus.

I'll definitely be cruising with MSC again, after this very impressive first outing with them.

It was very nice and excellent.  You can not ask for more when it come to your own private time.  I love it and so did my wife.  A bit of dancing would not have hurt the time of enjoyment but I guess I will have to chose MSC MUSICA next time.  I belive MUSICA is for dancers and Magnifica is for relaxing.  

We just came back home last week end (May 16, 2015) for our 7 Night Adriatic/Greece/Turkey with a happy smile. Norwegian Jade is very clean, all the crews will greet you whenever you meet them, the service is very good. The activities for adults and kids were fantastic you will never get bored. Don't forget the shore excursion -highly recommended.

Everything went well from the embarkation in Venice right through for the next 7 days. Flew into Venice and took the NCL transfer  bus to the port at only £9.00 pp each way. Boarded at around 12.30pm after only about an hour of getting checked in. Went straight to the buffet which was very nice. Cabin then ready and then had a few drinks awaiting the sailaway which was wonderful looking out at St Marks square. First day was sea day and weather was good albeit a little breezy on the top deck. We had taken advantage of the Inclusive drinks package which was a real bonus. Not available at time of booking but a little persuasion to NCL got them to cancel and re-book to include the drinks package.

We had booked first night in MDR to ensure we were not kept in a queue which allowed us to walk straight in.

Meals all week both in the MDR, buffet and Chinese were excellent We had no need to pay any surcharge for the speciality restaurants.

The steward looked after us and provided the usual towel animals each night. A BA cabin on deck 10 was ideal and very near to the lifts and stairs. Made a point though of never using the lifts all week and took the stairs every time. 

The ports were good and took the NCL tour to Oia as it got us off the ship early without waiting for a tender.

All the crew were very friendly and attentive.

Did not try any of the shows and just went to the cocktail bars in the evening. Disembarkation was easy and back to Venice airport was easy.

There are several food choices but we ate mostly in the main dining room for no extra charge mainly because we kept forgetting to make reservations in the other restaurants in advance. The dinners in the dining room were excellent. I did not like both pools being on the main pool deck. If you wanted to relax and take some time away from the 'action' you had to go to a sun deck away from the pool and hot tubs. I also think the spa is too expensive. A person should not have to pay for the indoor hot tub on a nice cruise.

It is, by far, the best ship on which we have sailed. From the captain down to the cleaning crew, everyone was exceptionally friendly and helpful. I would sail on the Reflection again in a heartbeat...

This is a great Cruise Ship, Big and provide a lot things to do. Also the Shore Excursion, well design for all languages are great.

I really wanted to give this ship 5 stars. I had read all the bad reviews and I decided that the complaints were mostly things that did not matter too much to me. So I went with a lot of optimism and an open mind. Unfortunately there were a series of unfortunate issues that prevented us from enjoying our cruise to the fullest. I'll try to be as objective as possible because my intention is not to rant, but to inform other people that are considering this ship of what they are going to find. The Good: All the ports we visited were great, specially Croatia. Embarkation was easy. We were traveling with our toddler son and they gave us priority access, which was a nice touch. The atmosphere in the ship is more laid back and calmer than in other ships. This might not be a plus for some people, but for us it definitely is. We dislike "party ships" where everybody's purpose seems to be to get drunk and the pool area is always crowded and noisy. We prefer a more serene cruise experience. The Bad: My husband's iPhone was lost at the ship's security checkpoint when returning from the first port we visited. Long story short, he gave the phone to the security staff, we never got it back, they were not able to find it and did not have cameras pointing to the check point area. We felt they were at fault for losing the phone. We tried to bounce back from this setback and still enjoy the cruise, but then more things kept happening. From day one we noticed the carpet in our room in front of the bathroom was wet, at first we thought they had shampooed the carpet and would dry out in time, but when by the 2nd or 3rd day it was still wet, and even the cabin steward mentioned it, we realized there was something wrong. The bathroom also started to smell like a sewer, and it was getting worse by the day. The plumber was sent in, and they dried the carpet with a big fan, but the smell would not go away, so the customer service manager decided to upgrade us to a suite.  We appreciated that, and thought it was a nice gesture and that we might finally bounce back from all the inconveniences and start relaxing and enjoying our vacation. But even though the suite was nicer, we were not able to sleep that night. LISTEN TO THIS! Specially if you are considering booking a suite -The suites are right below the pool/cafeteria deck and they spent all night moving furniture right on top of us. The racket was such that we thought we were being punked or punished or something. It was unreal. It was not the normal noise of people moving around, there were no passengers on this deck at that time. Finally at 4am my husband got dressed and went up to see what was going on and we found out it was the crew cleaning the deck at night and moving and tossing the furniture without a regard for the guests trying to sleep just a floor below. Next morning we complained -again- and they promised to tell the crew not to make noise at night anymore (like that is something that needs to be said, isn't that like hospitality 101?) And they didn't. For the remaining 3 nights we had on the ship they did not do it again, but by then our experience aboard the ship was already ruined. It did not help either that the people in the cabin next to us smoked in the balcony, even though it is strictly prohibited. So every time we opened the balcony doors, the smell would get into our room...agh!

The ugly: The ship is old, and it is showing its age. The black out curtains in both the oceanview and the suite had rips on them, the furniture upholstery and the coverlets are faded and/or stained, the buttons on the elevators are falling off. These are only some of the things that I remember now, off the top of my head. Our overall impression was old and outdated.  

Even though Norwegian Jade will be refurbished in 2016, the ship was in tip-top shape. Well kept ship thanks to the crew.

The Jade was a beautiful ship,very clean. Personnel were professional and helpful. The Speciality Restaurants were a highlight. The Garden Cafe is a zoo with people everywhere, lines waiting for food and a terrible shortage of seating! Shows in the evening were a highlight

This was a relaxing 10-day cruise with 4-days at sea. The port of calls were great. Must see the volcanos on the Canary Islands and take the camel ride. Next year the Norwegian Epic will do this route and it's a great ship. The Epic is a 5-star experience. We were able to stay in a room with a balcony for the price of an outside cabin. It's nice to have a balcony when you cruise the Mediterranean!

This ship was clean and well run.

ship is old but looks pretty good

It was a good experience, very clean, courteous help

Oh my goodness, we have just returned from a fantastic holiday with MSC on the Preziosa and I would certainly cruise with them again, I can’t understand why there are so many bad reviews on here? The ship was immaculate, it gleamed everywhere. The staff were friendly and ready to help whenever they could, yes sometimes there was a wait for bar service, but we were on holiday and in no rush, so we would just sit back, people watch and wait for a staff member to get around to us. English was spoken by all of the staff so there was never a language barrier and the majority of the passengers were from foreign shores so it was like a proper foreign holiday not a butlins holiday camp!

We boarded the ship in venice and were told we could book in from 12.00. As it happens we arrived at the port at 11am but we just followed the queues and were on board early with very little delay. We caught the Alilaguna boat from St.Marks to the cruise terminal which was great, 8E plus 3E for a suitcase, although on the return journey the lady in the kiosk told us we didn’t need to pay extra for the luggage.

We ate in the L’Arabesque dining room every night and were sat with a lovely South African couple who became good friends with us. The waiter service in there was exceptional; it was great getting all dressed up and being treated like royalty. The menu was varied and with 7 courses to choose from there was always something nice to enjoy, and if a dish wasn’t to your taste they quickly whisked it away and brought you something else. We regularly had 5 courses and were never over faced. We had the drinks package which meant the bottles of wine were ready and waiting for us at the table when we arrived, our waiter always remembered what we drank! There was also bottled water and an amazing selection of fresh bread rolls brought to the table.

We had breakfast in the buffet which was chaotic, but we would just find a table, either alone or sharing with another couple and then cruise around the wonderful selection of food filling our plates with far too much food! Breakfast can also be ordered directly to your cabin using the complementary breakfast room service so we always had a drink in the cabin whist getting ready for the day, and we had the full continental breakfast delivered on the morning where we were off the ship for 8am. At lunchtime we would just cruise through the buffet picking up a salad or a wrap etc.....but be fair, the pizza always won us over and ended up being the snack of choice for us both! You can eat at the tables on the deck outside the buffet area which was always a preferred choice for us....and a cheeky cocktail was always nice to finish the meal off with. The ice cream on board was also fantastic, I’m a bit of an ice cream snob, but that stuff was awesome and included in the drinks package!

The cabin was fantastic, we had opted for a balcony one and I’m so glad we did. It was a real treat being able to sit out there before the evening meal...a quiet haven of peace with a perfect view. It was nice to be able to get fresh air into the cabin too, the Aircon was great but nothing beats fresh air. The bathroom was fine too, our friends had an inside cabin and they struggled with a small shower, but ours was fine so again worth the extra we paid for the balcony. The cabin steward was in there twice a day making the bed up and turning it down again at night, we never saw her but she did a great job. The mini bar was a bit of a waste of time, although we did keep a couple of cans in there to cool. You are charged if you drink from it, including the bottled water, however both cans and bottles are available from the bars around the ship so a bit of forward planning was all that was required to have drinks in the cabin. We also regularly took coffees, cocktails and snacks to the cabin and there was no issue with this.

The 30 mins shows in the evening were “entertaining” ! We regularly had a chuckle at their productions, but maybe not for the right reasons sometimes. It’s only half an hour so give them a go, but don’t forget to take a drink along with you!

We didn’t take any of the MSC excursions; in fact we only did the one private excursion to Olympia with a company booked through ShoreBee who were waiting just outside the port gates, Katakolon is only a small town but you could pass an hour around the small shops and in the seafront cafes. At Bari we just strolled into the town as it’s only about a ten min walk, not too much to see but a nice seafront with lots of fishermen preparing squid which was a sight to see. Izmir was a bit of a nightmare as the taxi dropped us just outside the bazaar, even though I’d asked for Konak square, and a “friendly” shop keeper met us from the car and wanted us to check out his shop. But we just declined and headed off on our own; make sure you have a map of the area as the signs aren’t too good. Inside the bazaar it was fine, the shop keepers just allowed you to browse at your own leisure and it’s just a nice size to pass an hour. At Istanbul we walked about five mins from the port towards the bridge to pick up the tram, make sure you have Turkish lira to pay for the tokens. It’s cheap and a fast way to get around the city. We did the blue mosque, which had a huge queue although we did wonder if we could have bypassed it and gone through the entrance for prayers that was in the courtyard but this would only work if you were properly attired as the loan headscarf’s and  trousers are only available as you approach the main entrance. The Hagia Sophia  was well worth the entrance fee, although buying a ticket was a nightmare as there was little direction as to where to go for a single ticket, the museum passes seemed to be the preferred  ticket choice but they are of course more expensive. Make sure you go up to the gallery as it’s even more spectacular from up there. The basilica cistern was also worth the visit, it’s an unusual place and if the photo booth inside hasn’t a big queue when you go in treat yourselves to a silly photo! We never got to the bazaar as we ran out of time but I heard it was huge compared to Izmir.

Dubrovnik has to be one of the best ports, we taxied to the old town, about 30min drive because of traffic, and then walked around the walls. The view is fabulous from up there, the town looks beautiful. But make sure you take a drink and visit the loo before you set off! We stopped at the Buza bar, the bar on the rocks but this can’t be accessed from the walls, you have to get down from the wall and then try and find it! But the view was lovely and the cider well worth the trip. A little haven of peace. The harbour area is worth a visit, the waves were crashing on the rocks when we went. I was gutted we didn’t get up the cable car, I had planned for us to do that first, but the taxi took us straight to the old town and it was then a climb up to the cable car station we decided to give it a miss. If you are taxiing back to the ship leave plenty of time, there was a huge queue when we went about 45mins before the ship was due to leave.

My only complaint with MSC was the lack of information we got from them prior to the holiday and about the ports during the holiday. There were 2 gala/formal nights and 3 theme nights (white/Italian/60’s,70’s & 80’s) in the main dining room however this was not communicated to us until the night before. We knew of passengers who then had to go out the following day and buy a shirt for a formal evening. MSC are very focused on selling their excursions so they do not produce any information about the port and sights that are worth travelling to, so the best information I could give anyone would be to do the research before, google is a valuable tool!

So as you can see we loved this holiday and would definitely book with MSC again