Overall, it was a pleasant experience. It was our first time with MSC and we primarily went to check out the line and their newest ship. We have cruised Celebrity, Royal Caribbean,
Holland America, Norwegian, Costa, and now MSC. I would put MSC somewhere in the middle of the pack. Will be go with MSC again? That depends on the price. If it is similar to Celebrity, R.C. or Holland America, not a chance. If it is around the same price as Norwegian, it would be dependent on the itinerary. Costa is irrelevant. If you are cruising Costa it is because you can't afford anything else.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was on par with other mainstream cruise lines. The specialty restaurants are very good, but then you pay for those as with other lines.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The one thing that this ship has that we really enjoyed were its infinity whirlpools. That was a nice touch.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
This is the one area where MSC suffers. The entertainment was so-so. Dancers weren't in sync and much of the entertainment was predictable and similar. So after two performances, attending any more is not that exciting.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We were very pleased with all the waiters, steward, etc.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
This a tough one to rate. The ship is new so everything looks spotless. So, as far as cleanliness, it gets 5 stars. It looks very much like a European ship that is quite modern. A lot of chrome and shine. However, design is another matter. And that is based upon our experience wherein we were only cruising at only 25% capacity. I would be concerned if it were at full capacity and I question whether passenger flow would be fluid. A real surprise of this ship was you could not walk around it. You can walk part-way but then you run into obstacles like the Yacht Club or the exclusive Aurea area. Even if you wanted to walk around the top deck in the open air, you cannot do it. If you are a jogger, for example, you will get frustrated.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Balcony cabins are always nice because you can go outside and get away from the crowds and it makes your room feel larger...usually. The balcony is quite small, but functional and its size didn't bother us. The room is quite small as well but the glaring mistake by MSC is the bathroom. Our balcony room came with the standard shower stall that is very small. If you are a large person, forget it. You might not even get into it (no exaggeration.)
Ship tip
If you can afford it, book a room with a tub or at least a large shower.
This is a nice addition to their itinerary. It is new, private, and there is plenty of room. But, once again, do not expect to walk around the island if you are not a Yacht Club member. If you do "go for the gold" and decide to splurge for the Yacht Club, you'll have plenty of perks. The ports of call for our ship also included Jamaica and Cozumel, however Covid-19 prevented us from seeing Jamaica.
Thanks for the review, going on Seashore on 2/26, seems I will have most if the ship to myself. (Sad 🙄) as I love to socialize. 1000 to 1500 people is what I expect.
Only 2 ports of call? On a 7 night cruise.
Did everyone try to gather in one place every night to set a party atmosphere?
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