First and foremost, I can say I would cruise with MSC again. I felt that the crew provided outstanding service and the food was just as good if not better than what I've had on other cruise ships and MSC's private island Ocean Cay is really one of the nicest ones I've ever visited. I know lots of people are loyal to one specific cruise line and they will never venture out beyond that and while I suppose that's admirable it's also unfortunate because you don't get to experience how things can be done on other cruise lines.
MSC was also the only cruise line I could find going out of Port Canaveral that offered reasonable rates for solo cruisers. This was my first solo cruise and I feel that if I was to ever do another solo cruise I would go with MSC because I did not pay a single supplement like almost every other cruise line charges.
It was a beautiful ship and a relaxing getaway and I would encourage anyone to try MSC.
Lastly, one thing I kept reading about and hearing about is the fact that MSC makes all of their announcements in five different languages and that absolutely did not happen at all during my cruise. Everything was presented in English and Spanish and that was the end of it.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Everything was paper-based in terms of embarkation and the process was one of the most efficient and worry-free that I've ever experienced.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
After reading so many scathing reviews about the food I was curious to see what I would get. Overall the food was great in the dining room as well as the buffet.
The Welcome Aboard cake with the fresh fruit at the buffet was absolutely delicious. I had the 8:30 dinner seating in the Villa Rossa dining room and I had blackened grouper one night and shrimp and grits the next night and both meals were spectacular. I did notice the dessert portions were much smaller than what I've seen on Royal and Carnival and NCL and in some cases the dinner portions would be smaller as well but you have the option to order more than one main course if you want. I am guessing because it's a european-based cruise line the focus is more on fish and pasta and bread so you do not see the same variety of selections on MSC that I've seen on other cruise ships.
I did find some items on the buffet as well as some items with dinner that were not 100% to my liking but that's been the case on every single cruise I've ever been on so MSC is no different in that regard.
In terms of the crew who served us dinner and worked in the buffets I'll say that they provided exemplary service and were very accommodating.
Piazza Del Doge
5 out of 5
I went here every morning for a fantastic cappuccino and a pastry. The service was phenomenal and it's an absolutely beautiful cafe area.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
I spent most of my time on the balcony but MSC had numerous activities planned throughout the day and into the evening.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As I stated in the comments related to the restaurants and food, I felt the service on this ship was spectacular.
With that said, during embarkation they can be quite aggressive in terms of trying to sell you on a drink package if you have not already purchased one. I missed the window to purchase one online or over the phone so I needed that service because I needed to purchase a non-alcoholic package and they were right by the elevators on that first day encouraging people to buy packages. After that first day I don't recall having any other experiences with the staff trying to sell me anything or upsell anything.
My room steward was very polite and ensured the room was cleaned twice a day. Service at dinner was always a great experience. While I was dining in the buffet I received the same level of service as if I was in a main dining room.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was very clean and there were numerous stations around for hand sanitizing and it was nice that those dispensers stayed full the entire time. I think it was one of the most beautiful ships I've ever been on in terms of interior. It had a consistent theme throughout based on La Dolce Vita with numerous black and white photos from the 1950s featuring celebrities like Sophia Loren and Bridget Bardot.
My balcony cabin was a very nice size with one of the larger balconies I've had on any cruise ship.
I felt like this cruise ship was trying to be classy and not be over the top like some of the more extreme ships that are out there that have theme parks built on the top decks.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I felt like the cabin was the perfect size with a rather roomy balcony. I liked that it had a thermostat that actually worked and adjusted the air temperature in the cabin very quickly and very accurately.
And here is my
warning about cabin 8096- It is an adjoining cabin and even though the door in between both cabins was locked I was able to hear every detail of every conversation in the cabin next to me.
I don't know if it's this way with every adjoining cabin or not but my neighbors were very loud anyway and the wall seemed to be very thin.
Also with cabin 8096: it is listed as a balcony cabin with a partially obstructed view and what you should know is the lifeboats are right outside the balcony on Deck 7 so you are able to see the tops of the lifeboats and everything else but you still have a very clear view of the ocean but you just can't look straight down and see the ocean.
Ship tip
As soon as you get on the ship find one of the kiosks that allows you to link your cabin key with your credit card because that is something each guest has to do on their own.
One other thing I want to make sure everyone is aware of because there seems to be a lot of debate about this but I can confirm that there is absolutely no way to check to see what your expenses are prior to receiving your folio on the last night of the cruise. MSC Divina does not offer an app for your phone and there is no way to view charges on your TV inside your cabin. It felt very old school to get my most current folio placed on my bed the last night of the cruise and while it was accurate it was something I had not experienced in many years.
This place was beautiful and awesome and gorgeous and I would go back in a minute. As soon as you get off the ship you are as close as you can possibly get and this island has multiple beaches that you can visit and they do run a golf cart service to pick you up and take you back if needed but I don't think that starts running until later in the morning because I was one of the first people off the ship and I walked over to North Beach but the golf carts were running when I left the beach at noon.
It seemed that some of the beaches had free umbrellas whereas others made you pay to rent an umbrella but they all had lounge chairs. In addition there were restrooms nearby as well as food trucks and they did have a restaurant area that served buffet style but I did not eat on the island. If you take a towel with you off the ship you have to return it on your way back and get a fresh beach towel to take back to your cabin.
I don't know if MSC plans to do any more development but if you are looking for places with water slides and lots of loud music and zip lining then this is not for you. This is a relaxing beach area and it is truly one of the most beautiful I've ever been to.
Disembarkation was just as easy as embarkation. Lots of passengers who wanted to get off very early had their luggage and weee waiting in the common areas and after they made the first call for them to begin the disembarkation process I waited about 30 minutes and then headed down and experiences no lines, no crowds, and no waiting.
thank you for that review I've been seeing good reviews about them, we have only been on carnival and ncl we tend to go more with ncl but they have same itenary it dont seem to change much so looking at other options
@RetiredRay: I wasn't really concerned about my expenses and I am sure guest services could have provided something but I was not spending time waiting in line. I probably should have worded that original comment a little more clearly because I stated there was absolutely no way to check and in my mind I meant without going to guest services. I had OBC and there were no mystery charges I didn't understand. I made the comment about it in my review because so many people (usually who have never been on MSC) are very quick to make the comment that you can view on board charges on the TV in your cabin and that is simply not the case.
Thanks for the detailed review. I sailed MSC in January and agree with your comments. I thought the food & entertainment were equal to or better than other lines I have sailed and the ships and private island are the best I have experienced. The inexpensive solo rates are a huge factor for me as well.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
