small ship, crowded, noisy & too many cigarettes

MSC Sinfonia Cruise Review

frenchies

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 37

Overall rating:

3.9 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Mediterranean (Venice Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 23, 2023

Ship: MSC Sinfonia

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 8104

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 7 months ago

Review summary

Despite our grumbles, we enjoyed the cruise & loved the rear outdoor decks of the ship. The mdr food was excellent & the bar & restaurant staff were lovely. The buffet was a bloodbath. Our ship was 100% full & we felt there were way too many passengers for the size of the ship. We didn't like the bus aspect of the cruise (new passengers at every port of call + daily muster drills). This has made us more weary of cruising & we will avoid the Mediterranean in holiday season. Our cruise was "educational" and has helped us shape what we want.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

You embark from the port of Venice. Although the ship sails from Maghera, you cannot embark there. A free shuttle boat ferries you across. Look up directions before going.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Overcrowded buffet, was a struggle to get a table.

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

Theatre shows dreadful in our opinion (cabaret style). The swimming pools were not heated. Good disco / musicians.

Entertainment

2 out of 5

Terrible!

Children's Programs

5 out of 5

Fantastic kids' clubs on board.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Great restaurant & cabin staff. Appalling shop staff. We had to argue over a hour to get a refund on an article & had to escalate the issue to customer services. This was our second cruise with MSC and will be our last. It left me feeling very bitter.

Ship Quality

2 out of 5

The cigarette smoke from the casino went everywhere.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Small & cosy.

Ship tip

Avoid the school holidays.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Venice, Italy

4 out of 5

Mykonos, Greece

5 out of 5

Brindisi, Italy

3 out of 5

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

5 out of 5

Split, Croatia

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Easy disembarking from Maghera, with a nominal fee (vs Venice, which is free).

5 Comments

Gwbigdog 7 months ago

Thanks for sharing

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

javawoody 7 months ago

Appreciate the feedback

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

cruising2004 7 months ago

I’m sorry this wasn’t the best of cruises. Hope you find a cruise line more to your liking.

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

HeavySeas 7 months ago

Thanks for sharing

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

BPRD2696 7 months ago

Thanks for the review. Looks like you had mixed experiences in your cruise. We are doing a Mediterranean cruise next summer. With 10 stops. We start in Barcelona and end in Venice ( in reality almost 2 hours away).

Thumbs Up 0

Flag