Great Middle Eastern Cruise

Item: MSC Splendida
Rating: 3.8
Author: sadiep00

MSC Splendida Cruise Review to Other (Asia/Africa/Middle East)

sadiep00

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 42

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5

7 Night United Arab Emirates & Oman (Dubai Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 23, 2019

Ship: MSC Splendida

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8200

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

We enjoyed our time during this cruise and learned a lot about the history and culture. Definitely a trip checked from our bucket list!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Very quick, easy & organized.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Main dinning room was very good. The variety was good. Lots of fish options if you're a seafood lover (which I'm not) but the still had plenty to chose from.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Other than the pools, I did not visit the other activities.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

I've cruised quite a bit and don't go to shows anymore. I honestly can't give this a fair rating.

Children's Programs

Do not have children.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

I heard so much negativity about the staff. I can tell you that everyone one we encountered were very helpful and pleasant.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Design was nice. I personally prefer a larger atrium. The ship was well maintained.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

I really liked having a full-size bathtub rather than the very tight corner showers that are typical on ships. Although the overall size of the room was a bit on the smaller side, it had plenty of closet & storage space. The balcony was a typical normal size. Overall, it was good.

Ship tip

Make sure to book excursions prior to going unless you're currency is in Euro's or you'll end up paying more due to the exchange. Also, booking ahead avoids the lineups at the excursion desk & guarantee's the trip.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Dubai, U.A.E.

4 out of 5

Lots to do here. We stayed in Dubai for 2 additional days after the cruise. Day one we spent some time at the hotel pool (was beautiful) and then did the desert dunes, followed by a camel ride & BBQ - LOVED IT!! Day 2 we did the Hop-On-Hop-Off for the day. We found this was the best way to see the city.

Thumbs Up 6

Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

4 out of 5

We did the city excursion that took us to the Mosque. This city is very new & well maintained. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thumbs Up 0

SIR BANI YAS ISLAND, ABU DHABI, U.A.E.

4 out of 5

This was only a beach port. Nothing else to do there. It was really beautiful & relaxing but very windy.

Thumbs Up 0

Muscat, Oman

3 out of 5

We did another city tour excursion.