Will definitely do an MSC cruise again. The ship is beautiful and the entertainment was great! The food was edible but nothing outstanding. They did have a surf and turf night and the lobster was great. If you don't like what's in the dining rooms, you can always find something in the buffet areas which have many stations.
My only complaint is that this is an Italian registry cruise line and out of the many bars, we could only find an Italian red wine in the dining room. (Only stocked California wines). After mentioning to guest services, we learned this was an aberration caused by supplier issues. Hopefully this will be fixed by our next cruise.
MSC is one of the few cruise lines that still has entertainers as part of the crew staff and still provides 3 shows nightly and a different one each night. The entertainment alone s worth it!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Not bad. Aurea class advertised priority boarding, but there was no such thing. However, lines weren't long and check-in went fast.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Venue was beautiful, food was okay. However, the Buffets had quite a variety of choice, and the Pizza was great! Plenty of serving and drink stations so rarely had to wait in line.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Besides the main pool, the were a couple others more adult oriented and not so crowded or loud.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Entertainment like the cruises of old. The crew staff entertainers were outstanding. A different show every night and with 3 performances each night there was no trouble getting a reservation for one. We even had a quality Elvis impersonator. Music/dance venues about the ship provided something for all tastes from Rock to Ballroom to jazz to Latin dancing. Dance instructions were also provided at specific times for those interested in learning. Even the karaoke was fun!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our cabin steward was outstanding. Kept ice in our champagne bucket for days till we decided to drink it. Saw to any of our needs quickly.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
We found crew staff constantly cleaning common areas. The layout was nice, open spaces and it was easy to learn your was around.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
More than enough room. Great balcony on port side that extended to aft so you could watch the ships wake in the water. Love this location ...great sunset photos.
Ship tip
Don't miss the shows and make sure you stop in the chocolate shop (Venchi) for all things chocolate (alcoholic drinks, coffee, gelato, and specialty treats.
Great restaurants right at the port (Fishlips and Rusty's are two of my favorites. If you haven't visited Cape Kennedy yet, it's well worth the visit. I live in FL.and often drive up for a weekend and to visit Cape Kennedy.
The shopping area by the port is extremely crowded. In the center is a large pool surrounded by sandy areas with lounge chairs. There are plenty of shops and bars, but with 3 cruise ships in port, it was way too crowded. My advice...book a tour and skip the shops.
Cozumel is not the safest place to wonder around on your own right now. If you want to see the town...take a tour. Otherwise, plenty of shopping and bars are available right there at the port.
You can carry your own luggage off, but having booked an Aurea class suite, our group had priority disembarkation (first group off) so we elected to let the crew take our luggage off. Once called we walked rightoff and found our luggage easily. Having passports made it even quicker as your photo is on file and they just compare. It was fast and easy
Understaffed at times and buffet limited. MSC Cruiselines does have it's upsides too. I believe that, at times, you have to look hard to find it. That is just my opinion. Thank you for your review.
*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.
