Pick another ship.....

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 4

Review summary

We have sailed MSC in an Aurea class suite few times. So very excited about the prospect of another front facing suite. And a new ship! Unfortunately they have diminished almost all the suite benefits and heavily push the Yacht Club. (our suite was more expensive than half the yacht club rooms) The only suite benefit: bottle of champagne and chocolate bar, access to the 19th floor rear of ship adult only sun deck, save $4 on room service fee, jacuzzi on balcony, priority embarkation and disembarkation (only on arrival, not on excursions or ports) and that is it. You pay for mini bar, laundry, etc. And many of these benefits are for all Aurea guests.... On this ship, the room was half the size of a similar class suite from last year (MSC Fantasia) the bathroom was a postage stamp, and hardly any closet space. The "couch" in the living room was only a bed, not even able to be a couch??? And there wasn't a single chair in the room other than the balcony. Laundry is expensive and no self serve on the ship ($42 for 25 pieces) Anytime dining was " show up and we will seat you when we feel like it" and no bar service! And the bars, what a mess. Pointer, never wait in line, bully up to the counter, demand service, and you will get it, while those waiting patiently will be ignored. Pool, never mind a lounger, towel parking is alive and well and not enforced. The arcade was a disaster; between a bowing attendant turning our game off half way and demanding the we are done (we had paid for an hour, this was 30 minutes in, and then not being able to restore the game, was a big downer and ruined the vibe, thus same bimbo unplugged a arcade game in the middle of the play, with no remorse, she is just stupid and foul. Then forget about winning on a claw machine, never going to happen (I own 2 of them, if I can't win, no one can!) The casino is smoke free, and they have a large playing area for the table games, not cramped, best thing they have done on an MSC cruise. But you will find limited drink service, and the coin pushers have casino credits that can only be used in slots.... weird. Also, you may want to have some Euro's for a few of the machines, they do not take your sign and sail. The shows are mediocre, presented in a column free auditorium that requires a reservation on their app. Their app is haphazard, works most of the time, same with the internet. The dining room staff was pleasant, but very slow and the menu selections are pretty weak, and the pasta, just say no.... The buffet is standard fare, doesn't change much daily, but a large selection of basic foods. The specialty (Asian and Mexican) were both great food and service. The pizza is a strong point, and the new charcoal pizza is a huge hit and tastes great. The ship itself is pretty, the promenade and shopping area is splendid. The LED ceiling is great, although they could do so much more with it. The ports on this cruise were great except for the "private island" which has a poor beach (bring reef shoes) and is poorly accommodated for the bars and buffet. Yacht club is furthest from the ship and has its own private bar and dining, cart service to and from; the aurea is next to it, but you have to walk to it (you would never be allowed to ride with the upper class yachtsmen!) and the buffet is on the other side of the beach, a good 10 minute walk or so. Also, the safari excursion is a complete rip off, I could write a book on this one, save you money. Nothing to see on the island. Get off, go to the beach, go back to the ship and eat, go to the pool. To recap, the ship is pretty, new and has an inexperienced staff and lousy management, there is no benefit to a suite that you do not get with the Aurea level, Bar service is poor at best, food is adequate, specialty restaurants and pay as you go gelato/pastries are worth the up charge) shows mediocre, internet and app weak, Port selection is pretty good, shore excursions expensive, (you are better off hiring a local guide, we did at all ports, no issues at all) All in all, you cannot get all of these countries as easily as you can on a cruise, yet I would recommend skipping this ship for a few years until they get their act together. Or, buy a cheap cabin with the Aurea package. If you want to splurge, definitely do the Yacht Club, that way you may get a life boat if the ship sinks....

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Dubai, U.A.E.

Doha, Qatar

Bahrain

Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

SIR BANI YAS ISLAND, ABU DHABI, U.A.E.

Disembarkation