MSC Euribia exceeded our expectations
MSC Euribia Cruise Review to Europe - Northern Europe
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 40
7 Night Northern Europe (Southampton Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 15, 2023
Ship: MSC Euribia
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 8124
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 10 months ago
Review summary
Overall, MSC Euribia exceeded our expectations. Admittedly, we had lowered our expectations based on some of the mixed reviews we had read, but we were pleasantly surprised nonetheless. The ship was at full capacity, but despite reviews we have seen, it didn't feel any busier than other ships we have been on. The staff were friendly and attentive and we were never waiting long for drinks or food. There were a couple of negatives (smoking being allowed in the casino and a smaller than expected cabin), but overall this was a great cruise. Initially, we didn't have many kids on board, but as MSC allow embarkation at every port, this changed towards the end of the holiday. For the last couple of days, there was a noticeable increase in the amount of children, some well behaved, but most were rude and unruly. Examples include kicking the backs of the seats in the theatre, playing football outside the main dining room whilst guests were waiting to go to the restaurant, shouting loudly or running around in busy venues whilst shows were on. In each of these examples, these children were with their 'parents', who just turned a blind eye to their behaviour. Thankfully we only experienced this for a couple of days. Any longer and it would have ruined our holiday. We definitely enjoyed our cruise and if the itinerary was what we were looking for, we would sail with MSC again.Embarkation
This was the quickest embarkation process we have ever experienced. It literally took 5 minutes from entering the cruise terminal to being on the boat.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Overall, the food on-board was good. Despite reviews to the contrary, the food was always at the appropriate temperature to eat (i.e. not scorching hot, but not lukewarm either). There was always plenty to choose from in the main dining room and our waiter (Arya Prastika) was outstanding. We ate at both Kaito Teppanyaki and Hola! and whilst both were nice, neither really warranted the extra charge. They were not on par with other speciality restaurants we have experienced on other ships and with hindsight, we wouldn't have booked them. We didn't really use the buffet, but we did try the pizza and it lived up to expectations. We had room service breakfast which was tiny. It seemingly didn't matter what you ticked on the menu, you were going to get what they wanted to give you. Finally, the coffee and hot chocolate at Jean Phillippe Maury was sensational. A bit expensive, but definitely worth it.
Onboard Activities
We were in a group of 7, so we pretty much made our own entertainment. Despite being such a large group, we rarely struggled to find tables to accommodate us despite the ship being at full capacity. Again, we read reviews that everywhere was too busy, but we didn't find this any busier than any other ship we have been on. The drinks waiters were attentive (and busy) and we rarely had to wait long for a drink. At busier times, the waiters suggested doubling up on our orders, which was a good suggestion. Overall, much better than we were expecting.
Entertainment
The stage shows on board were fantastic. Really professional, great cast and an excellent stage. The only criticism I heard was they were all a bit samey, and I understand that. However, the main shows were only 35 minutes each, which was the right amount of time before you could get bored. Make sure you book into shows early though as they do get full. This is the first ship I can recall where all shows we attended were fully booked. The Big Band shows in the Carousel Lounge were also excellent, but you couldn't book these, which was a shame. There were 2 shows per night and often the attendees of the first show stayed for the 2nd, so we did struggle to get seats a lot of the time.
Service and Staff
The service we received was great. However, in my experience, the nicer you are to them, the nicer they are to you. We always enjoy a conversation with ship personnel and we have always found them to be lovely and attentive. We often see rude, entitled passengers who click their fingers and expect immediate service, which is just embarrassing. If you're nice and polite to the staff, I am sure you will be treated with the same level of warmth, politeness and respect.
Ship Quality
This was an impressive ship which was spotless. The layout was fairly easy to memorise, but we did need to use the conveniently placed ship maps as we'd occasionally find ourselves at the restaurant when we expected to be at the theatre and vice versa. Our least favourite part of the ships design is that you are allowed to smoke in the casino. I can't believe in 2024 that smoking is allowed inside a main venue, but I also understand that we don't have to go into the casino. However, if you want to go to the Carousel Lounge, you have to go through the casino, so you cannot avoid the smoke. We have knocked a star off for being forced into a smoky environment to visit one of the main attractions on board. Finally, the use of the MSC app was hit and miss and really frustrating. We all needed to visit the helpdesk at some point during our trip to help resolve issues.
Cabin / Stateroom
We had a Junior Oceanview cabin and it was fine. It didn't match the picture, which showed the cabin having a sofa (our cabin didn't) and it's definitely the smallest cabin we have experienced on a cruise ship. This meant I mostly lived out of my suitcase for the week, leaving my wife most of the wardrobe to herself. It was a practical cabin which we saw as a place to sleep and get ready, but if you were planning on spending any time in your cabin, go for something bigger. Also, the stateroom attendant kept unplugging things and resetting our air conditioning, which was a bit annoying.
Ship tip
Book the theatre shows as soon as you can because they get fully booked quickly.
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
We went into Den Hague and Rotterdam via their excellent metro system. The weather was damp and miserable, which didn't help, but we found a lovely, festive bar in Rotterdam which served great food and drinks and also had heaters and blankets.
Bruges remains one of our favourite places and this was another lovely visit. A very picturesque town which serves great beer and amazing chocolates; what's not to love?
An OK port. The shuttle bus normally drops you off in the town and then takes you onto the Docks retail outlet, so you can definitely find things to do for a few hours. However, the MSC shuttle bus didn't include a stop at the Docks, which was disappointing and meant we were back on board earlier than anticipated. It also meant the cost of the shuttle bus didn't represent good value.
Disembarkation
This was very organised and slick. However, it meant that we did not disembark the ship until 10.10am. This is later than we are used to, but it did feel very relaxed and meant we had breakfast in the main dining room, which made a nice change.