Worst cruise experience!!

MSC Seaview Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

Mindylepooh001

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 46

Overall rating:

1 out of 5

7 Night Western Mediterranean (Civitavecchia Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 17, 2019

Ship: MSC Seaview

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 5171

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

My husband and I sailed on the MSC Seaview cruise in the Western Mediterranean from April 17 to 24, 2019. We have enjoyed dozens of cruises around the world on other cruise lines. This was our first time with MSC Cruises, and by far, it was the absolute worst cruise we have ever been on. First, upon walking into our ocean view cabin (#5171) on the first day of the cruise, we were assaulted by the stench of the foulest sewer smell imaginable. The smell was inescapable - it permeated every corner of the room, it was on every piece of furniture, on the bedding, in the carpet, on the towels, it was everywhere. We reported this problem to customer service right away, but we were told there was nothing they could do, the ship was fully booked. We had to live with this stench for the entire length of our cruise. The cabin had no windows or doors that could be opened to bring in fresh air. It became a serious health hazard for me. I developed migraines, I was severely nauseated, I vomited several times. My husband and I could not breathe at night and we could not sleep. Every day we reported this situation to customer service and each time we were told they could not do anything. On the fifth day on our seven-day cruise, a customer service supervisor used a chemical spray in the bathroom, which did nothing to get rid of the sewer stench. It only added a strong chemical smell on top of the awful sewer stench and it worsened my already poor health. Second, MSC Seaview was woefully understaffed. With over five thousand passengers, the ship only had two customer service counters and a maximum of six staffers handling customer service requests. This created unbelievably long queues at the customer service counters and a lot of frustration among the passengers. Third, we have never been on a ship that charged its passengers for drinking water during dinner or forced its passengers to buy bottled water. I understand charging customers for alcoholic drinks, but to treat drinking water like a luxury amenity on a cruise is beyond ridiculous. We have never encountered such a "nickel and dime" company such as MSC Cruises. Fourth, for a ship that bills itself as "one the most innovative cruise ships touring the world," we found the onboard dining experience exceptionally subpar. At every meal, the food seemed to be jumbled together with no thought to presentation or organization. We've had better dining experience at our local McDonald's. The bottom line is, our experience onboard the MSC Seaview was the absolute worst we've ever had on a cruise. We will never recommend MSC Cruises to anyone and we will never take another MSC cruise ever again!

Embarkation

1 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

Entertainment

1 out of 5

Service and Staff

1 out of 5

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

1 out of 5

First, upon walking into our ocean view cabin (#5171) on the first day of the cruise, we were assaulted by the stench of the foulest sewer smell imaginable. The smell was inescapable - it permeated every corner of the room, it was on every piece of furniture, on the bedding, in the carpet, on the towels, it was everywhere. We reported this problem to customer service right away, but we were told there was nothing they could do, the ship was fully booked. We had to live with this stench for the entire length of our cruise. The cabin had no windows or doors that could be opened to bring in fresh air. It became a serious health hazard for me. I developed migraines, I was severely nauseated, I vomited several times. My husband and I could not breathe at night and we could not sleep. Every day we reported this situation to customer service and each time we were told they could not do anything. On the fifth day on our seven-day cruise, a customer service supervisor used a chemical spray in the bathroom, which did nothing to get rid of the sewer stench. It only added a strong chemical smell on top of the awful sewer stench and it worsened my already poor health.