Excellent way to see the Persian Gulf/Arabian Peninsula

MSC Lirica Cruise Review to Other (Asia/Africa/Middle East)

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 162

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5
MSC Lirica

11 Night Arabian Peninsula (Dubai Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 11, 2019

Ship: MSC Lirica

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 12025

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

Great overall service on the ship. There was so much to do and see, we would do this again.

Embarkation

3 out of 5
Wasn't able to board until after 6 p.m.... To me it wasted a whole day. We had priority embarkation but unable to utilize it because the line was not set up.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
We ate at the L Ippocampo dining room. The service was second to none with attention to detail each evening. We ate at their Sushi/Tempura Specialty restaurant. The servers were quick to go over the menu and make suggestions if we didn't know what to order. We only used the buffet at breakfast and it had everything expected for a breakfast selection. It was hot and tasty. We did use their pizza bar. The pizza never ran out and was always hot and fresh. They did have a hamburger/hot dog station. I only ate the french fries, which by the way, were always hot and crispy. We did use room service twice. The food came right on time and was everything we asked for.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
The fitness center was excellent. Always had room and was able to workout whenever we went there.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
For the stage shows we saw an acrobatic and a scaled down opera. Both were excellent. We did take advantage of a few of the lounges. Each had their own unique acts and they were very entertaining. At night we hung out at the pool area which had a bar, stage and entertainment. They held their "White Party" there. It featured a smorgasbord of food, dance and a lot of fun.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Excellent service from our room steward, dining room staff, coffee service and pool area bar servers. They were so good that they knew what we were drinking and started our drinks as we came to their area to sit down. The front desk was manned with enough personnel to adequately take care of passengers that needed help.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
We love the smaller ships and the convenience of getting around easily... We always saw someone cleaning. There was always a clean table to sit at anywhere you went around the ship.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
It was a good size and we were thrilled to have a walk-in closet. The cabin was immaculate and cleaned twice daily.... We were even surprised nightly with a different towel animal...

Ship tip

We stayed on deck 12 to be right outside of the jogging track, but the best part was we could step out every evening to the pool area where there was always a party happening.

Ports of call

Dubai, U.A.E.

5 out of 5
Ultra modern and so much to do. We did 4 excursions at this port. Our favorite excursion was the seaplane ride over the city.

Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

5 out of 5
Richer than Dubai and just as stunning. We went to a cultural celebration while there.... Learned a lot about the people of Abu Dhabi.

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

5 out of 5
We did a bike ride around the island, it was about 5 miles. It's a small island so you'll get to see most of it. We also did a wildlife tour. Got to see the animals that are kept on this island.

Khasab, Oman

4 out of 5
Visited a fort and got to see the natural springs..

Muscat, Oman

4 out of 5
Visited the Sheiks palace.

Bahrain

5 out of 5
Visited a mosque and the Formula 1 racetrack...

Doha, Qatar

5 out of 5
Took a Dhow cruise which included lunch. Took a ride through the sand dunes. It was a blast!

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Quick and easy.....
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