Very enjoyable family getaway
MSC Opera Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 28
Review summary
We chose this cruise because we were sailing out of Naples and, quite frankly, it was the only option! We were not disappointed by anything. If you cruise often or you’ve been on a bigger newer boat this is definitely different. But so long as you know that going in and don’t hold the Opera to the same expectations as you might a ship with a flight simulator or 24 restaurants I think you’ll have a great time (and save a bunch of money). We met people from all over the world, had great food at almost every meal, our rooms were wonderful and the staff was very pleasant.Embarkation
Wayne barked at Naples, not Barcelona. The lines were a little bit long but mostly in the shade.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
You have to understand this isn’t the biggest ship and there are not a lot of options. That being said there was plenty of pizza and hamburgers and fries on the pool deck at all hours. And it was all delicious! The dining experience in the dining room was terrific. The food was good in our servers were excellent.
Onboard Activities
Kids programing was excellent but teen programming was non-existent. The teens on board just never showed up. The little kids love the splash pad and the pools or adequate.
Entertainment
This was our second MSC cruise and tell you what, don’t take an MSC cruise for the entertainment. Especially if you’re an American, the European ideas of what qualifies as entertainment are…just plain different. There was a young solo pianist who played the various bars in the evening and she was outstanding but that was a rare highlight.
Children's Programs
Overall very happy with the kids programming, with the exception of teen club.
Service and Staff
We were very happy with the special people who worked to make our time memorable. We left kudos at the front desk before we disembarked with the specific names of the people who did the best job.
Ship Quality
Having done research we knew what we were getting, a smaller ship and a little bit older. That said, it was pretty darn spotless. Everything seem to work great there are plenty of elevators.
Cabin / Stateroom
We actually had connecting balcony rooms because with the fantastica experience you get best rooms available so they upgraded us for free to connecting balconies because the ship wasn’t full. There were six of us so this was a MAJOR blessing.
Ship tip
Be kind to your crew! Try lots of foods at dinner.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
La Goulette (Tunis & Carthage), Tunisia
Skip the first cab stand and negotiate w drivers directly. We got 2 cabs for a 1/2 day for €40, the cab stand wanted €70 for 1 cab for our family. Give the savings to the drivers as a tip!