Overall, we liked this cruise and what it offered at the price we paid. We've cruised before on other lines and are looking at other lines again. I would cruise MSC again if the right deal came along.
The ship is absolutely stunning! Wish we had been able to go to the island (check out "Building Paradise" on Tubi for a documentary about how it was made) but currents were too strong to dock. Food was good to so-so depending on what you get and when.
I wish there were a bigger variety of activities scattered throughout the day. Several times there were things we wanted to do that interfered with our dining time, so we couldn't do them. We could have gone to the buffet to solve that, but by day 3 the adults were pretty "over" the buffet. My kids loved it every time, though.
I truly love the kindness and friendliness of a majority of the staff. They dealt with a capacity cruise with their very best. My judgement was impacted by a few experiences that brought that overall score down, but that doesn't mean that staff were intentionally inattentive.
Overall, a fun cruise. A cruise is what you make it, but that doesn't mean you don't have to talk about things that can be improved upon. I'd definitely consider one again at the right price-point, but I won't be an "MSC Exclusive".
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Pretty easy to get on and lines were as I expected.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
This is an OVERALL score. Some of the dining room food was really good. Some of it wasn't good at all. Buffet had lots to choose from, but the reality is that it's very similar throughout the cruise. Pasta was generally a little undercooked. Pizza was very good. Omelettes were good. I don't think any cruise buffet will really WOW you a
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Again -- an OVERALL score. My 11 year-old son didn't like the drop off kids zone at all and was bored after a day so he never went back. Loved the water slides and the ropes course on the ship. Full cruise, so lines were there but that's to be expected with a cruise that is at capacity. I've experienced more general activities for adults on other cruise lines that were more varied. (Ice sculpture classes, cooking tours, etc.) They did have lots of trivia, dancing, group exercise, bingo, etc.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Extremely talented group of people! Seriously! Stage shows were great. DJs and parties (not my thing) seemed to be liked by people, so thumbs up there.
Children's Programs
2 out of 5
After part of the first day, my son didn't want to go back. The idea of the "Lego" theme is great but between that and the activities, he ended up spending the time with us -- which was great because that's what it's about anyway.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Again -- an overall score. We had some amazing service on this cruise! We also had some incredibly poor service on this cruise. Bear in mind that this cruise was at capacity and this staff had likely not seen this for some time. Additionally, I believe every cruise line is either short-staffed right now or is "making due" because of general cost increases to help margins. Other reviewers have complained about running out of items at bars -- true there was some of that -- but we generally found what we wanted or just swapped out the "strawberry daiquiri" for the peach one and loved it just as much. I do believe that most of this staff was really good and friendly but this score is trying to balance the overall experience.
One experience that really irked me was when I went to order a drink. My 14 year-old daughter was trying to order a mock-tail as well. They thought I was trying to buy her the regular version, which would never happen. They made a pretty big deal of it which wasn't appropriate since I wasn't trying to do anything inappropriate. The language barrier was what made that situation difficult. Did it resolve? Yes. Was I mad about it? Yes.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
VERY clean and well-kept.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Comfort was good overall. Views were always amazing! Balcony is very big and I loved just hanging out there to read a book, etc. Mattress was a little hard and by the last night, I was ready for my own bed. That bathroom seems big until you have to really use it, but that's how it is on general rooms on any cruise ship. Happy about the room overall and would totally book it again.
Ship tip
This tip is about tipping. MSC automatically charges your tip onto your bill as a "hotel service fee" or something like that. Go to the guest services desk and tell them reduce that fee by the amount that you would tip your waiter, maitre d' and room cleaner. Then tip those people with that cash directly to them. MSC discourages that, but the reality is they're the ones who know your name and take care of you directly. I didn't tip bartenders cash this trip, but I'd consider it for good service on my next one.
Liked this one lots. Our first time in we just stayed close to the port and didn't do any excursions other than shopping and eating. The next time we do this, we'll take a taxi to the "Happy Lobster" where many people told us that food is good, chairs and umbrellas on the beach are free, deals on beer are good and a 1 hour massage was $20.
Smooth as long as you followed directions and didn't try to rush to get off. Expect a wait and you won't be disappointed. It is what it is for a full cruise.
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