It would not be our first choice in booking a cruise but would definitely try MSC again depending on value and itinerary.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
I would say that it was organized as far as moving along inside the terminal, however we had to sit and wait a little over an hour after checking in. We had an embarkation time for 10:30am so why offered that time when we couldn't board until close to 12pm.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The main dining room food was ok. Certain items like the chicken breast and salmon were a bit too dry. The buffet were only ok too as it was extremely crowded and some of the lines were way too long. The food was good majority of the time with a few inconsistent taste during the week.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We really enjoyed the Thermal Spa the most. We brought the pass in advance for the week and it was a great value.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We watched most of the theater stage shows and it was ok. We've seen better ones at Royal Caribbean. Most of the musicians were very good but twice we showed up for the scheduled musician and it was a no show.
Children's Programs
We didn't have any children with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The main dining room service was excellent. Our waiter Ian and his assistant were great. Our dining room manager King was very pleasant. They were very attentive. Our room steward Ben was fantastic. Whenever we needed something, he always followed up. Our room was cleaned and made tidy daily.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The layout was very good. The App certainly helped us navigate in the first day or so with the built-in map. I would say the common areas were maintained well.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Two thumbs up. This is the first time we booked an inside room and we were comfortable. It met our expectation for this type of room. ( our experiences have always been Balcony rooms ).
Ship tip
Come with an open mind and take advantage of what the ship offers.
Only took about a 45 minute walk outside of the area near the port. Nicely built up since the last time we were here 2 years ago, it was still under construction.
Usually we have boarded right on time. But i agree w Scooby..maybe the authorities had not cleared the ship so everything goes on hold until everything pertaining to prior sailing is cleared for new passengers to board. I think boarding proceeds quickly then.
Thanks for your review and feedback. Most cruise ships have staggered arrival times. It helps prevent bottle necks at check-in. The ship has no control on when you can board if homeland security hasn't zeroed out the ship. The ship doesn't control when you can board, especially if it didn't arrive on time. But boarding earlier will get you on earlier even though you will be sitting and not standing. Also many people want to show up early to get a good parking spot. None of the boarding times really matter once you're there. Nobody looks at them.
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