MSC Opera Cruise Reviews - Reviews

We had a very nice cruise. The ship was full but never felt crowded. Met very nice people. Great drinks from very professional barmen.

We enjoyed we have rebooked a diff ship as we now know what we want from cruising its perfect for first timers to try

There's no a box big enough to do a brief description just don't ever sail MSc they should stick to just shipping

Before MSC Opera I was on MSC Fantasia which is a bigger (and better) ship. Overall impresion of this cruise is great! Itineraries are great, time spent on shore excellent and everyone are so nice and kind. If this had been my first cruise I would have probably been thrilled, but since this is my third cruise I couldn't help myself but to compare it with previous ones. We were the first passengers since the ship was renovated last year, and one could say that this was a test cruise. There were a lot of oversights: mugs and cups in buffet restaurant were often dirty - every second cup was clean so it became tiresome to check every cup. Juices in the self serving restaurant were available only in the morning not in the evening and hot chocolate wasn't available at all although it was included in the price. Later we found out that staff don't bring out bags of hot chocolate or they rarely do and sometimes they make a hot chocolate in the thermos which is not warm and which has very little cocoa (color was dirty white, not brown!).

Food for breakfast was the same every day; muesli was already prepared on the milk-it looked disgusting to me and I would prefer to prepare it by myself in yogurt. I drink a lot of tea (which was available all day) but I could find honey only in the morning and lemon was even harder to find. The food was often greasy (even fish!) and dinner in the restaurant was taking too long, every single day (from 9pm till 11pm!). Although maître d'hôtel came to us one evening asking us how is everything, are we satisfied and promised us faster service, nothing has actually changed.

The midnight buffet was very poor: mostly vegetarian sandwiches and desserts from previous days.

Air Conditioner made being inside the ship very uncomfortable because it was very cold in bars and lobbies. Inside temperature was around 20 C, which is low considering outside temperature is much higher. I regret not bringing more long sleeve blouses, jackets etc.

I had situation by the pool when pool attendant told me I can't eat fruits by the pool (which is OK, because it was said on the warning board that it is forbidden). But I was disappointed he didn't say anything to other people eating around or even worse: children diving and jumping in the pool that is not in children area (it is clearly stated that it is forbidden to dive and jump in the pool and to run around the pool) ! When I asked him about that his answer was that they are children. I don't care if they are children or not, but because of that children I couldn't swim, or sit by the pool because they splashed water a lot and got me and my expensive camera wet even on the sunbed. Not to mention that children were diving and jumping in the whirlpools! So I didn't use those either. Deck No.11 has 2 pools deep 1.8m and one big part of the deck for children (that is new). But 30% children were in children area, and the rest of them around other 2 pools. It was very noisy on 11th deck. The best part to rest is the back of the ship.

Most people have spoken english perfectly, but it happened that woman on reception (from Kyrgyzstan) didn't speak it very well (or almost at all) and we couldn't understand each other which was very frustrating. Except that situation (and situation on the deck by the pool) all stuff was very polite, friendly, helpful... I'm not complaining on staff, I am disappointed with the ship and a lot of oversights which now I can't remember all.

I don't regret going on this cruise, I just think that MSC can offer a much better experience then this.

No words to say…excellent in all aspects, the ports were great, staff onboard very friendly and helpful

Prepaid for many items. When we got on board they claimed we hadn't paid for any since they couldn't see it in their system. Everything was a fight but thank God I had printed receipts with me. Many card changes because they claimed we didn't look like our pictures. Cold food. Limited food selection.

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.

This was cheapie cruise, and we enjoyed it. The weather could have made things better but hey it was February. I have read many MSC reviews which have not been great but I feel they are making a good effort to improve and we would have no hesitation sailing with them again

Most cities were beautiful and glad I visited such as Kotor, Mykonos & Santorini, Corfu. Bari was OK not great. Excursions were not worth the money. Service as absolutely terrible. Will never take a MSC cruise again!!

We are heavy cruisers ( 28 to date ). This is the first time the service was not to part. With other cruise lines, the bar attendants will chase you down to purchase drinks by the pool side. With this sailing ( and I'm sure with other MSC ) I would need to go to the bar and wait a minimal of 30 mins to be served with the crowd of people standing in line. There are no smiles from the other employees. They're just there for a pay check.

The worst cruise we have ever been on! Have cruised with all major cruiselines but have never experienced a cruise as bad as this! Chose this one for the itinerary, but couldn’t wait to get off this dirty, overcrowded, tired, old ship with rude obnoxious staff who care nothing for their patrons. Have cruised all around the world and would recommend you choose a different cruise line. Don’t waste your hard earned money by cruising with MSC. NEVER AGAIN!

An absolute nightmare. If you are British, don't go. Treated like 2nd class citizens

A really big and awesome looking cruise ship. A lot of space for you to walk, a lot of decks and a lot of entertainment.

Secondhand smoke that is. It is an honest to god miracle the MSC Opera has not burst into flames due to the unbelievable amount of smokers on board with zero regard for non-smoking areas. I do not necessarily take issue with those smoking in designated areas, that’s what they are there for. What is irritating to me however is people with little to no respect for rules and for those around them. Unfortunately the cruisers on our ship consisted mainly of the latter. My husband and I splurged for a balcony room, only to find out that all of our neighbors did the same so they could chain smoke the entire week. Needless to say, our balcony experience was less than glamorous or even enjoyable because of the constant smoke. We complained multiple times, and each time a team member assured us that the issue would be taken care of. Somewhere there was a disconnect because it continued the entire trip. And because we were just that lucky, there was a door between us and our neighbors. So not only did we have smoke coming in through our balcony, we also had it seeping through into our cabin through the shared door even when our balcony door was shut. By the time we disembarked, us and our belongings smelt like we had rolled around in a poorly ventilated casino. Speaking of ventilation (or lack there of), the indoor smoking bar /lounge has essentially none. Unfortunately for all non-smoking passengers, the entire mid to forward 5th deck REEKS of smoke. It is hard to even enjoy a show in the ships theatre because the smell is truly that strong. It is also difficult to enjoy lounging on the sun beds without feeling like you are sitting in the middle of what can only be described as a smoke-fueled fog machine. So if you are pregnant, have children, asthma, or just don’t care to spend a week in an ashtray, I urge you to spend the extra money on a cruise line with a more strictly enforced smoking policy. Otherwise you can expect to leave the ship with singed nostrils and a smoker’s cough.

There must be a better choice of boat rather than MSC Opera

A smaller MSC ship but still shiny and clean in all the right places. Embarkation and disembarkation both very easy at Marseille. Cabin was a Fantastica balcony on the 9th floor. Bed was really nice with the 3rd bed a fold down bunk which was across the bottom of the bed - not roo much of an issue. The balcony was fine with 2 chairs and a table. The bathroom was as normal and the shower had a door rather than a curtain. Both the toilet position and the smallness of the shower took a little working out to use but not a problem when you get it. Our steward was very efficient and always smiley. We had no real need for him but he was always about. Food in the evening MDR was very nice and varied but the service was a little slow at times. No real complaints there. The buffet was a little small which meant peak times were the usual cattle market and tables a premium. Added to the continental dislike of queuing then we tried not use the buffet and kept to the MDR or room service. Buffet food wasn't great although we didn't go hungry so that may tell a different story. The MSC pizza station was as gorgeous as usual - no better pizza at sea! We had all inc drinks which means the cocktail menu was sampled from top to bottom - great value. Entertainment was better than expected for MSC with proper themes and not just a visual mish mash for a change. There is an outdated smoking policy aboard in that the pub allows smoking inside and the big drawback is that as it's a smaller ship then the smell permeates the whole of that part of the ship and up into the theatre. There were also plenty of people smoking in their cabin judging by the smell as you walked past. Excursions were handled well and we have some good memories of new places. All in all we would sail on her again with the right itinerary as long as we had the balcony on floor 9.

This cruise offered a nice selection of ports but was unorganized at every turn. The food was awful and many of the staff were just plain rude. The entertainment in the main theater was less than professional quality compared to other ships we've been on. The balcony cabin was very nice. We will not cruise MSC again.

The room attendant was very good but apart from him the Service was very poor , we struggled to try and get drinks from bars and the ice cream was so slow to get served we gave up . port excursions are very expensive ,

Generally a very pleasant first ever cruise. Due to the cleanliness and ambience of the ship and excellent service from all staff I would cruise again with MSC.

Quite a bit for my money. Quite a bit for my money. Quite a bit for my money. Quite a bit for my money. Quite a bit for my money. Quite a bit for my money.