This was a fantastic first cruise for me! I highly recommend MSC, as the service is outstanding and the food is even better! There are a lot of things to do on the ship and it is easy to access the ports visited.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was seamless. We had to wait awhile in the building after checking in before we were allowed to get on the ship. Otherwise, it was an easy process, even though I had forgotten to print our confirmation and did not have any paperwork with us. Everyone was helpful and got us right through the process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
There are not enough good things to be said! We were so glad we had gotten the Easy Plus drink package! The drinks were fantastic - and we especially enjoyed the drinks we got from the Garden Bar and the Divina Bar in the lounge. Bartenders were all fantastic, personable and a lot of fun to interact with.
The food, across the ship, was 5-star DELICIOUS! We especially enjoyed the amazing pizza!
The buffet was fantastic and open when we needed.
And then let's talk about the Black Crab! The servers made us feel like we were there top and only priority at dinner. Mark and Robin were the absolute best! The food was spectacular every single evening.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We loved that there was an adult-only pool, though the space is very small and the pool is small. If the cruise had been full, we would not have been able to find seating at the adult pool.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We attended the Abba tribute show and the comedy show (Andrew Grose). The Abba tribute show wasn't what we expected, but it was nice anyway. Andrew Grose is hysterical and that was a very enjoyable show!
Our favorite entertainment was in the common lounge - I don't know his name, but the man who sings acoustic with his guitar was simply fantastic. We loved going down for cocktails and listening to him before dinner every evening.
Children's Programs
We did not have any children with us and did not partake in any children's programs.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service we received everywhere on the ship was the very best service we've ever gotten anywhere. Jessie Lyn, our cabin steward, was the most delightful lady and did such an amazing job everyday, all day, keeping our cabin clean and made up. She was always friendly and helpful.
Our waiters at the Black Crab were beyond exceptional - especially Mark and Robin. On my birthday, I was serenaded with not one, but two special songs during dinner.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
While the ship is a little dated in appearance, everything was clean and well-maintained. The common area of the lounge was beautiful and glamorous.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Overall, the cabin was very nice; a little bigger than expected. It was always clean and maintained that way (Thanks to our cabin steward, Jessie Lyn). The bed was average comfort; not the worse but also not the best.
Ship tip
Take advantage of the different bars throughout the ship. While the drink offerings are about the same everywhere, the overall vibe is different in each one. It is worth exploring all of them to experience the differences!
We went into the port area and did some shopping. It is a dirty city and most of the shops have the same touristy stuff, which was fine because I wanted to get a few things like that to take home to my kids.
Because of the hurricane, we ended up not goin to Ocean Cay. We, instead, went to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The port area is very touristy, which is nice if you're into that. We took a bus excursion to a beach, which was lovely and allowed us to see more of DR outside of the port.
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