The ports were WAY better than the ship itself....
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
When we boarded the MSC Magnifica, we were told we HAD to purchase a drink package (either alcoholic or non-alcoholic), otherwise we would not be able to have anything to drink for the duration of our cruise. My husband and I were in disbelief and tried communicating to be clear what was being said. I asked our server, “so if we don’t get the drink package, we won’t even be able to get water for free?” He said, “No.” We bought 2 drinks packages for each of us and later that evening at dinner, in the main buffet area, there was water AND coffee for free. The next morning at breakfast, there was water, coffee, AND juice for for free. We went to guest services and requested a refund since we were deceived. After 24 hours, they told us we couldn’t get a refund. We were not happy, but tried to make the most of it for the remainder of our trip.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
We’ve been on one other cruise aside from this one on the MSC Magnifica, and honestly, there wasn’t as near as much to do on this one. The outdoor track wasn’t run-able, many of the activities cost an additional charge. We swam in the pools once. They’re always overcrowded, but that’s to be expected with a ship full of kids and a sunny day. No water slides, no running track, no putt-putt golf course, no sky suspension rope course, no trivia nights in the atrium. We hung out in our room quite a bit when we weren’t ported somewhere.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The one thing I will applaud aboard the MSC Magnifica is their nightly shows. My husband and I went to 5 of them on our 7 night cruise and we were impressed each time and very much enjoyed ourselves and our experience during the shows. Personally, they seemed a bit short to us (only about 35 minutes long after all the introductions, etc), but a performance well done each night. Their staff/performers are very talented and have a wide variety of athletic ability.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The language barrier was tough to navigate throughout our cruise experience, but our room steward was phenomenal. He greeted us each time we saw him with a beaming smile and asking us how we were. Pure joy in his face. His good mood was contagious. Very different from the rest of the ship it seemed like. He was awesome. Thanks for a great room experience, Nino! The main dining areas were meh... typical of a dining staff. Our server was trying to suck up to us all week after our drink package complaint, so that was good I guess.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Everything was fine. Personally, it would’ve been cool if they could’ve somehow removed the bunk beds that were folded into the walls so it would give us more space on each side of the bed, but oh well. One thing we both loved about the interior room was how dark it gets. When the sun comes up, there’s no light peering in through curtain cracks or windows or port holes. It’s completely dark and very refreshing. We stayed in an interior room before and we have no problems with it. I know some people worry of claustrophobia, but we didn’t feel claustrophobic at all.
Ship tip
Make sure to save lots of money because everything costs money. Nothing is inclusive. It’s all sold separately.
We had 4 hours there. It’s was sketchy and weird. Seemed like a waste of time to me. Monday could’ve just been an “Day at Sea” day. Not a pretty city and there’s nothing to do really.
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