The cruise was great except for mandatory tipping hitting as service charge. Most guests are double charged since you feel obligated to show love for the staff you really like.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
quick and well organized
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
well prepared meals but too much repititions
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
enjoyed the after dinner shows and parties, many dance learning opportunities.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
the individual musicians were very talented, Candice at mid ship was excellent, the jazz and sax man were also good.
Children's Programs
did not participate did not travel with children
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service staff were on point for the most part. My cabin was not cleaned for two days on a row and I do not know why. However my dining room waiters were excellent. Dennis Baldesco was our waiter for the first night and we had a birthday party with us; he was superb. We had Joel Garcia the rest of the time and he was excellent and took great care of us with a side of comedy. He even took the time to greet us and share some jokes when he saw us in the marketplace during the day. We also had Mbali Mtshali who seemed to be in training and learning well with Joel. Rasgeeda Huumphrey greeted us with a smile every evening. I felt it necessary to tip my service staff and did so generously. I am completely against this automatic tipping and believe that it should be illegal. All was great except for the unfair service charge imposed by MSC.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The bathrooms and common areas were clean
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
again my room was not cleaned for a couple of days on a row. I had to ask for washcloths because it was not provided. The towels were not soft and could use some fabric softners.
Ship tip
MSC should incorporate an amateur night when some of the talented ship staff gets an opportunity to perform as I engaged with many talented singers, comedians like Dennis and Joel, musicians etc. It would be a great morale booster for the staff and the staff would enjoy being entertained by their service staff. Please do amateur night auditions your service staff may sueprise you..i
Wash cloths are not common in Europe, where this cruise line operates. And yes, if that's something you use, you'll have to ask. It's just not a thing in most countries in Europe. Glad you enjoyed your cruise otherwise.
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