We stopped at San Juan, St. Thomas, Puerto Plata, & Ocean Cay (MSC’s gorgeous private island)! We LOVED each stop a lot! San Juan is very nice and we walked around a lot and took some fantastic pictures (especially perfect for sunset). We visited Megen beach in St. Thomas (only $16 round trip for taxi + $5 entrance) and completely worth it! The beach is beautiful and super clear! I was completely impressed with the cruise port in Puerto Plata! It looked like a resort with a large pool and beach area with comfortable lounge chairs and shopping areas as well as restaurants and bars. The area was free to walk into as well so no excursion needed if not available to enjoy this area! The last port was Ocean Cay and this is a must see island for all. It is absolutely breathtaking! The beaches around the island are unbelievably stunning!!!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We got to port two hours before our assigned time and were able to check in and get on the cruise within an hour or so. Very smooth process overall.
Ship experiences
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
I enjoyed the activities on this cruise lots! The included items were the jungle pool for kids and families, the water park with various slides including one with VR experience, the adult only pool, the main pool where lots of games and shows happened, there was also the best shows at sea in the theater, hot tubs all around the side of the cruise and near all pools, there were activities for kids and families throughout the cruise, etc. I highly recommend this cruise for families!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The entertainment was top notch! MSC has some of the most talented people on board providing never before seen shows and production-like experiences! There are also very talented singers (duos, trios, etc) at the different lounges providing live entertainment that is worth the listen! The cruise is very diverse too so there will be something enjoyable for everyone!! There was a live DJ during the different dance classes and at the private island that really helped us feel relaxed and step into the island cultures.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I’ve heard so many complaints about the service on the cruise but we absolutely loved the staff! Everyone was very friendly and kind! The room service & cleaning team offered top quality service. They even learned our names and always asked if we needed anything. The waiters all over the cruise were fantastic. We ate at 5 different restaurants and we were treated very well at all of them. The rest of the staff (at entrance and exits at gangways, bar service, gym and spa employees, etc) were courteous and treated us great! The entertainment staff is wonderful and hilarious!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
MSC provides so much luxury, comfort, and style on each cruise so this one is not the exception! This cruise is gorgeous!! Every inch of the cruise is picture worthy. The rooms are pretty comfortable and large. Our balcony was also pretty big and private. Most people complain that the bathrooms are small but I’ve been on several different cruises (with other cruiselines) and didn’t notice much of a difference to be honest. We were very happy with the experience!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our balcony stateroom was VERY comfortable!!! The bed was nice and firm as were the pillows as well. The room also had a sofa and spacious balcony. There was also a good bit of storage space in the closet, near the bed, in the dresser area, in the bathroom, etc. I was very impressed that we didn’t actually use all the space! The stateroom was cleaned twice a day including replacement of towels and spa bathrobes (for AUREA experience only). There was a smart TV that had screen mirroring and Bluetooth capabilities as well.
Ship tip
My advice is to take enough change for tips because the staff truly earns it. They work very diligently and with such a great attitude. I also advise everyone to bring some night formal/gala attire for formal night as well as an all white outfit for the all white night. There are so many great places to take pictures on the cruise so bring clothes you can take pictures with!
Disembarkation was pretty smooth but some people just didn’t want to wait their turn and made it a bit more hectic than needed. I didn’t see any of the confusion myself but the cruise director came on the intercom to ask people to wait until their # was called a few times.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
