A bit disappointing

MSC Virtuosa Cruise Review

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 19

Overall rating:

3.5 out of 5
MSC Virtuosa

12 Night Western Europe & Canary Islands (Southampton Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 12, 2023

Ship: MSC Virtuosa

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 9143

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 7 months ago

Review summary

Be prepared for crowds. The ship is simply too busy. There are not enough places to escape to, and getting out on deck isn't as easy as on RC ships. Every space is used for the inside, so there is no promenade deck lower down like on other ships. The difference between YC is also too obvious. On RC, my parents had a suite and gold cards but still ate with us, etc. The service in the main ship is so inferior to YC that this would never happen. Main dining room food is not good. They do what they can on such a mass scale, but not once did I say "oh that's delicious." There are literally 3 to 4 classes on these ships. Yes, we saved 4k on our previous cruises, but you could tell. The best thing was the shows, which were very good. We went to a lot of those, which helped.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Children's Programs

2 out of 5

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Cabin was as expected. Cleaned well and comfortable. Wardrobe is a bit small for 2 people, so I wouldn't have liked a third person in there.

Ship tip

Be prepared for crowds. The ship is simply too busy. There are not enough places to escape to, and getting out on deck isn't as easy as on RC ships. Every space is used for the inside, so there is no promenade deck lower down like on other ships. The difference between YC is also too obvious. On RC, my parents had a suite and gold cards but still ate with us, etc. The service in the main ship is so inferior to YC that this would never happen. Main dining room food is not good. They do what they can on such a mass scale, but not once did I say "oh that's delicious." There are literally 3 to 4 classes on these ships. Yes, we saved 4k on our previous cruises, but you could tell. The best thing was the shows, which were very good. We went to a lot of those, which helped.

Ports of call

Funchal, Madeira

5 out of 5
Went on the cable car. Long queues but we'll worth it.

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

3 out of 5
A bit boring. Went on a tour bus. Wouldn't return.

Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

3 out of 5
Was raining in August. Not much to see or do in the time allocated. The tours are extortionate so not an option when paying for 5.

Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Canary Islands

3 out of 5
Not much to see or do in the time allowed.

Lisbon, Portugal

5 out of 5
Love Lisbon. Lots to see and do.

Disembarkation

3 out of 5
Was this review helpful? 19

6 Comments

javawoody     7 months ago

Appreciate the review

Suzie68     7 months ago

Great ti know going in 9 days

Gwbigdog     7 months ago

Thanks for sharing

Skooby     7 months ago

Yes, yacht club doesn't allow outsiders to visit which is why I have several bookings in the YC. Otherwise it would make no difference and everyone would be with the masses who they are trying to avoid. And that ship you were on is always packed and I have two voyages on it later this year, and not looking forward to it, but needed to fill in some gaps after my transatlantic cruise. But I hope to get off at every port far away from the crowd. Thanks for your review 👍

HeavySeas     7 months ago

Thanks for sharing

cruising2004     7 months ago

Thank you for your review.