MSC Cruises
53 reviews
- Cruise Line
- ·
- Third Party
Cruise Okinawa /Naha Via Taiwan Overall service to the Lighthouse restaurant was pleasant. Although the food was average. After years of saving and paying for families of 5 to be able to afford this 4 days special holiday. Toward the end we were… Read more
slapped with $395 USD Hotel service charge (Tip) $611.AUD Would I go on this cruise again-answer is No. Would I recommend this cruise -No
Follow-up · Restaurant food was everage.more like a fast food service. Entertainment was boring. Overall.our experience for this cruise is that I would not recommend this to friends and families.
MSC Grandiosa Cruise Rome to Rome Embarkment day was met with staff that wouldn’t let us on with our passports as we didn’t have a “Customs stamp” in our passports. As in most countries around the world you use the E-Gates and they do not provide a stamp! Staff were rude and would not accept that and made us pull up our flight tickets, really bad… Read more
way to start a trip.
Charged a Gratitude fee without consent, it’s wrong and illegal!
Pre paid for a trip to Portofino and then informed “weather was bad and cancelled it 2 days prior to trip” even though the weather was perfect. It also stated alternatives would be offered, this did not happen either. We believe not enough tickets were sold, so they just cancelled it. It was the only thing we really wanted to do, so disappointed!
Slippery decking not a single person mopping or cleaning up ever!, food and rubbish all over the place.
No staff, it took 20 minutes to get a drink upstairs in the adults only lounge, as they only have one person in bar making drinks It doesn’t open until 5.30pm, so no place to have adult time in piece at all on the ship.
Cabins are ok, but linen is so old and worn, given towels with massive tears and super thin not up to the quality of the price charged for cruise etc
Marketplace (pig pen) does not cater for the large amount of people in there, we couldn’t even get a table at lunch. There is no order at all, people pushing and shoving, coughing over food, taking it with their hands and no staff walking around to monitor it at all. It’s so loud, you can’t even talk.
Every restaurant we have attended is extremely loud, and tables are pushed so close together, again you can’t even have a conversation with each other, unless you are literally yelling at each other. It caters for families with kids, but not adults without kids, no choice to eat without being surrounded by lots and lots of children/babies. Not enjoyable at all.
Staff in seated restaurants have been great, but again we can’t order anything to drink apart from basic, beer or wine, even though we had purchased the alcohol package. I would not recommend purchasing the overpriced drinks package, as there is not much alcohol actually being put in the drinks, and it takes so long to get them, you just end up giving up, I would be lucky to have had 3 drinks a day, so a total waste of money!
Breakfast at seated restaurants are the same, very loud, you can’t even sit near the windows unless you have a party of 6, even though it’s early and hardly anyone in there, we have asked twice and been told no And sat beside other people, not enjoyable or private at all, felt like you were at a shopping center food court..
It’s very clear that you over sell and under staff, really dissatisfied with the whole experience.
Adults only pool, more like a plunge pool, it’s so tiny for the amount of people, and there are kids sitting in that area also, unable to even get in.
Vaping and smoking are allowed all over the ship, even though signs state otherwise. A couple sat vaping in the reception area, we alerted a staff member, they said they are not allowed but then just totally ignored it.
When sitting near the pool area that is triple the capacity of who could actually get in the pool, although it doesn’t seem to bother people who push and squeeze in, with zero spacial awareness. Not once did I see a staff member pick up any rubbish or clean in any way, nor did I see anyone checking the health of the pool, I would certainly not let my kids swim in it or recommend anyone putting their heads under the water.
You are required to put your credit card on your account, and then MSC just charges whatever they want onto it, without authorisation, I would expect that this is highly illegal as it would be, in most other countries. Service charges charged for “behind the scene staff” when guests are under the understanding that they have already paid prior to embarking on the ship, as well as donations, again without authorisation, double charging for port transportation, again if your not watching your account every day, you will never know.
Getting charged for port transfers, instead of letting people know there are free shuttles.
At every turn they want you to pay more and more. The on board Shows are chargeable, bingo, bowling etc are all chargeable.
We went to get some ice cream one afternoon and got told “‘No it’s only for minors”
The lifts are so slow to arrive, and not monitored at all, so people push and shove and squeeze in, men with no shirts on, hot and sweaty just squeezing in and up against you, it was horrific to say the least.
Ship docking’s are so late in the day, you miss the whole day, as lots are 1.30pm docking and then it takes ages to get off the boat with security and lining up for buses as you are so far from the towns, again with everyone pushing and shoving nobody arranging lines etc.
The whole experience has been a total nightmare, not relaxing or enjoyable at all, my recommendation is to avoid MSC at all costs.
I understand cultural difference especially in Europe, but this has been one of the worst experiences of my life hands down. We joined the cruise as 6 ladies celebrating our milestone birthdays, but that certainly has not happened, and I certainly counted down the days to getting off and never returning.
MSC cruises are not to be recommended and I would be very disappointed if Flight Centre Australia continued to recommend them, absolutely over priced, under staffed, dirty, loud, not relaxing or enjoyable at all!
I have sailed with MSC multiple times over recent years with my family, but each year the company continues to decline in service quality and standards. While MSC Seaview is larger than previous ships we've sailed, the service has deteriorated significantly. Housekeeping now comes only once daily instead of twice. Dining rooms are understaffed… Read more
with dirty tables sitting uncleared while guests wait to be seated, and insufficient waiters to take drink orders. The food quality has declined dramatically. Breakfast buffet items like salmon and mozzarella were completely removed, fresh pineapple only lasted two days, and most dishes were bland. We survived mainly on hamburgers and pizza. Evening dining was worse - improperly cooked meat, oil-soaked fried dishes, and terrible service. Our overwhelmed waiter couldn't manage his tables, causing significant delays and missing courses entirely. Other tables finished dessert while we waited for main courses. The experience was so poor we skipped dinner service in our final nights. Entertainment was amateurish - shows resembled community center talent shows rather than professional cruise entertainment. Pub performers seemed unfamiliar with song lyrics, creating an unsuccessful karaoke atmosphere. The beverage package was downgraded - no more fresh shakes, only artificial concentrates with terrible aftertastes and excessive sugar. Many crew members appeared undertrained or overwhelmed, lacking basic service awareness. Another significant issue is the lack of a dedicated space for young adults aged 18-21. With no appropriate venue for this age group to socialize, it creates problems for families traveling with older teenagers who have no suitable platform to meet peers on the ship. While you can't take away the beauty of the sea, MSC has lost us as future customers. The extensive cost-cutting measures across every aspect of the cruise experience - from reduced housekeeping and beverage quality to understaffing and entertainment - have significantly damaged what was once an acceptable cruise experience, even if it was never exceptional.
Reviews with attachments
Freshly returned from MSC cruise on Meraviglia, New York to the Bahamas. Where to start, we are regular cruisers (25+) in our early 50’s so maybe not target audience, but it missed the mark in every area. Meraviglia is a pretty ordinary ship all around, smallest cabins we have ever experienced, the food was so far below other competitors we spoke… Read more
to the restaurant supervisor by night 3, the staff are just over the whole thing. On the agreement I didn’t name them, several staff I spoke to reported that MSC has become the last choice for a job in the cruise industry as they treat the staff like rubbish, they reported 50% less staff per passenger than other comparable companies. The buffet is the usually a litmus test and on day 1-2 they ran out of ketchup on a cruise in America, the fruit looked to be left overs from previous trip and definitely not fresh. The gym is 1/4 the size of normal ships. The entertainment was so far below other cruise lines it was comical, the dancers were out of time, the composition was clunky, the MSC entertainment staff were so bad that it was glaringly obvious the crew that were contractors. We left New York on time and yet we were 3+ hours late into Port Canaveral so they cancelled tours booked to Disneyworld & NASA that were the headline tours advertised for the trip. Port Canaveral is a wasteland with nothing near the port, it’s basically just MSC’s resupply port and they use it as an excuse for a port visit.
If you’re considering MSC I would suggest doing a full read of multiple review sites as the general feeling onboard was one of disappointment.
"Caution: MSC Cruises withholds deposits even for one-day cancellations." – "MSC Cruises refuses refunds, poor customer service." Never book through MSC Cruises. Show details
Horrific! – I paid for Aurea experience and have not gotten all of my benefits, received old discolored chocolate, I was refused to eat in Manhattan restaurant because my card said Bella and not Aurea. Went to speak with Customer Service 3 times now and no resolution…..still waiting on my robe and slippers. Spoke to the nastiest Customer Service Rep, and his… Read more
aggression and unprofessional behaviors with blame on me and no resolution led me to speak with supervisor who I asked how will they resolve my issues. [Name Removed] responded to me everything was on my boarding packet and it was my responsibility for me to tell them at the beginning of the error…..she further responded what do you want something free, a massage or something…. Very distasteful of her in my opinion. She further offered me a free meal after I told her for medical purposes I can’t do massages and I already purchased and reserved meals at the specialty dining facilities. She assured me everything was taken care of……after 3 nights into the cruise.
Night 4 there was no Prosecco, strawberries or robes & slippers so I went to express my concerns again with customer service and there was strawberries, Prosecco delivered but no robe and slippers. He advised he would see what else they can offer since the meals were purchased and I was unable to receive a massage.
The following morning I returned to customer service where the same rep from night 3 was present and still hostile. I requested the manager again and the same manager came out and told me to read my email. She also advised that my reservations were sent out on 11/20/23 and updated (upgraded)11/22/23. I asked why did my card and paperwork reflect my changes and I was told she didn’t know. I still do not have full privileges on the ship, never apologized for their error, was blamed for me not micromanaging them and what they do. I am grossly dissatisfied.
- +1
Ultimate best thing was getting off this ship! – October 2023. Part of tripadeal Puglia, Amalfi and Mediterranean.This was our first cruise, ever, so really didn’t know what to expect. It was part of the tripadeal Bari, Amalfi & the Mediterranean package which included the 7 nights on the LIRICA. The ship looks pretty good in dock. everyone was frantic that they’d confiscate alcohol and drink,… Read more
they couldn’t care less. Our boarding time was 9 am. Boarding is so slow about 3 checkpoints to go through until you finally get into a hot room waiting for your section to be called so you can board, this took over 45min. By the time we got on board it was 11am and we couldn’t access rooms until 12.30. The remainder I will put in point form. Firstly the good points and there aren’t too many of them * Staff are the nicest, friendliest, obliging people you could ever meet. * The food in the given restaurant is the most civilised place you can eat. Take your phone because the menu is accessed with a QR code. The only place you can get free internet. * Complimentary canapés and bubbles we received in our balcony cabin at end of cruise. We probably paid for it with all the surcharges. * The little cakes in the buffet at dinner. * Did enjoy the masterchef at sea. Where after a quiz the 6 passengers with best score got to compete. The winner received a mc apron, MSC bag and bubbles, that was fun Negatives outweigh positives. * Don’t book shore tours through ship, do it yourself. A tour in each port, 5 of them, cost us $1100AU and were definitely not worth it. I’m sure they count the travelling time in the length of the excursion. The staff seem so disorganized and slow at getting passengers to excursions. * You are forever in a queue. * They charge €12 per person per night service fee ours cost €168. Then they have the hide to charge another 15% on drinks. For example we decided to have their cocktail of the day which they offered a 20% discount. By the time they added the 15% on we got a 5% discount. * Plenty of food in the buffet and so much to choose from. BUT most of the time it was cold. * Noticed if you go for breakfast at opening the pastries are a day old and some foods such as bacon have been refried. Go later. * Entertainment were the same singers doing different styles of music each night. There is no variety at all. * So many rude people who think they are privileged. * Even launches to shore if you don’t have a booked excursion are charged for. I think it was €11 each way per person. Some of the people on our tour purchased wine etc on land and brought it back to the ship. Bags are scanned but alcohol was never confiscated, I don’t think they care. If you don’t have a drink package there is plenty of tea, coffee, ice and water and at breakfast juice. At dinner we always had a beer and 1 litre of mineral water and that cost us just over €11. So a $500+ per person alcohol package was way overpriced. I could go on and on but will stop.. From what I was told by people who had done many cruises this one is the worst they had been on and rated it as one of the cheapest lines. We absolutely hated this cruise and will never do another again
Don't Book Early – Very disappointed with MCS, they have changed my cruise, port departure (its from Malta to Italy, another country now!), date and itinerary, and have had no customer support or offered any solutions or even compensation. Handy hint to people don't book early as there is a good chance there will be an 'Operational Change' Show details
Positive reviews
Highly recommended – My initial review would have been terrible. This is certainly one of the best ships I have been on the staff have been nothing more than amazing. Bellissima is a very modern ship, launched in 2019 and not used until after COVID circa 2022. Very well appointed rooms and facilities are second to none. Staff extremely attentive and friendly. The best… Read more
out of the eight cruises my wife and I have done. Would certainly recommend and would certainly use MSC again.
Fantastic smooth sailing – This was our first cruise. Went on msc orchestra Mediterranean 7 nights .. Was a very well run smooth experience from embarkation to finish. The staff always smiling helpful and look slick ..to begin We were pleasantly surprised to be upgraded from a inside no room to a stateroom with balcony .so needless to say once U experience a stateroom we… Read more
would not even think of a no window room as a huge part of our enjoyment was sitting on balcony watching different vistas and ocean. We did not load money onto card..your room key is a card with all info on it.so U can charge card up to about 250 euro and then simply pay with card via machine on board..can get printout from reception at any time. We only pre-booked Florence excursion from Livorno otherwise if Ur not going on tour .the cruise provides a shuttle to city centre for about 12 euro which was great .then n explore on own which was great .we only ate at buffet or Villa Borghese which is where you order from a menu and are waited on.buffet was fine for me .food is not my number one priority but I enjoyed it especially fresh made pizzas..my partner is a bit more food critic and would have liked more variety especially at dinner time.we did not purchase drink package as they provided hot drinks 24 hours..water available..juice only available breakfast and lunch was not avail at dinner..but many people would fill flasks with whatever and just use them..never saw lemonade..must be extra.we enjoyed jacuzzi and table tennis .pool was not warm enough.. Did not attend any stage show. Casino is only open 30 mins after sailing or is open if day at sea so we enjoyed a couple of hours there..here is Only place of U have cash can put in machine.otherwise U use cruise card. All arrivals were usually early departure always on time. Rooms immaculate clean.all areas clean.no rowdy passengers We just really loved it and was sad when it ended .we certaintly look forward to return to msc again and really recommend..
First time cruisers – We (my husband and I) were booked to go on the MSC Orchestra. Due to problems this was cancelled. We were then booked on the Poesia. As first time cruisers, we had not pre-conceived ideas and went with an open mind. We found this ship small, friendly and staff excellent. We had no paperwork, as our first cruise was cancelled 7 days before we were… Read more
to depart Australia, on a TripaDeal tour. We were somewhat anxious. From the moment we stepped on the gangplank to the day we stepped off, we found nothing to complain about. Quite the opposite. Staff were amazing and were there to assist with any questions. Buffet was good, plenty of food, food and more food. Requests were greeted with a smile and nothing was too much trouble. We didn't eat at the Buffet very much. Excursions etc. When we did found it very good. We ate in the dining room every evening, it was beautiful, red velvet and chandeliers. Our waiters were very experienced and attentive. Being a vegetarian I had meals to choose from or just had to ask. Excursions were run with military precision. For our first cruise we were impressed, we were on deck 10 and had a balcony. At sea days we would have breakfast in our cabin and wander or do absolutely nothing, they became one of our favourite days. Bars, Theatre, etc, etc. Always plenty to do. Quiet nooks to just sit. We agreed that we would prefer a small ship 3000. 7 days would be ideal. Thank you MSC Posia for making our 1st cruise so memorable. Would we travel with MSC again....YES WE WOULD.
Negative reviews
Staff unfriendly except two. Expensive and drink package is not what you think. Food very bland and very similar each day. Started at Venice on to Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and back to Croatia. Lovely countries. Show details
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Booked two back-to-back MSC cruises in the Mediterranean. First one on MSC Armonia. We paid for 2 suites. Got a very basic cruise, soured by poor shipboard maintenance, including lack of working toilets. Didn't have to go too far to get a whiff of septic odours. Food is bland and repetitive, dining rooms had many waiters - but most were bored and… Read more
congregating in groups chattering amongst themselves rather than waiting on customers. Found it hard at times to even get a bottle of water. Cruise services and activities are very disorganised. Guest services shipboard staff seem to be kept just as much in the dark as customers, it was hard to get a definitive answer on almost anything we asked. Dishonest practices from MSC shoreside management, we had $500 shipboard credits listed on our boarding documentation for each of our 2 suites, despite providing copies of MSC's own documentation listing these inclusions they were NOT honoured and blatantly refused. Choices given: suck it up or go elsewhere. Otherwise OK-ish, but in balance, negatives outweigh positives.
The cruise ship itself is stunning and punctual, with excellent cleanliness throughout. However, the service was severely lacking and quite disappointing. I highly recommend purchasing the drinks package—it's great value for money and definitely worth it. The included cocktails were fantastic. Skip the specialty dining. We prepaid for it, but… Read more
once onboard, they refused to honor what we'd paid for—even after I called ahead to confirm. Frankly, it's the same price (if not cheaper) to simply dine as you please during the trip.
The buffet offered a great selection and was consistently enjoyable. It's unfortunate that the customer service fell so short—it's virtually non-existent across the ship. With proper staff training—perhaps even something as basic as McDonald's customer service standards—this cruise could easily be a 5-star experience.
Recent reviews
outrage having to pay for a glass of water in the dining room for either lunch or dinner. this is not included in the price you must purchase a drink package!! this turned out to be expensive as our Australian dollar is low against the Euro for 7 days basic package dine & drink included house red/white/sparkling wine, beer, soft drink & WATER, NO… Read more
coffee included in this package. costing 105 Euro for 7 days!! around $194 Aussie!!!!! they advised that you were not to fill your water bottle in the buffet, but this did not stop a lot of people. a bit hard to get a glass of water from buffet to take to dining room - as this was also luke warm never cold (ice machine was also an issue here as could not handle the amount of people getting water/ice). - why should I have to carry a glass/plastic tumbler of water down from buffet (usually top floor down to level 5/6) to dining room Booking done through Holiday Max - this was great deal they included all flights and transfers, staff always there to meet us, only issue we found that meeting up with other Aussies, us from the West did not receive any cabin credit, but all from the East coast received between 50-300 Euro per cabin on both cruises. would I cruise with MSC again? would have to be a really really good deal - but maybe not.
1. Issues with MSC Cruises – staff and no care taken Our experience with MSC Cruises was nothing short of disastrous. Upon our luggage arrival to the room (eventually and after the boat had left the port!), my laptop was damaged beyond repair due to mishandling of our luggage by MSC staff. Their indifferent response, citing Italian law to… Read more
indemnify themselves from liability, was infuriating and dismissive of our loss. Additionally, my husband’s luggage was damaged, with a broken wheel and other items in my laptop bag also suffering damage, all before we had even left port, so nothing much we could do and heaps of travel with broken devices, communication and luggage. This level of carelessness is appalling. 2. Poor Service and Health Risks on MSC Cruises The conditions on board MSC Cruises were abysmal. We were charged for room service and bottled water, despite these being listed as included in our package. The dining arrangements were rigid and poorly managed, and the staff were consistently unhelpful and very rude. The buffet area was a chaotic free-for-all, with food being served at very unsafe temperatures and salad items not properly rinsed (bugs and dirt on the food), leading to significant health risks. The overall environment was so unsafe that we feared for our wellbeing. The aggressive and violent behaviour of other passengers (I have to say mostly European – it is an Italian boat!), particularly during disembarkation during bus tours and in the ship’s buffet area, made us feel threatened and unsafe, along with unable to change cruise restaurant bookings from late afternoon to early evening when we needed to eat, made for very unwell, and very unhappy passengers. This appalling environment ultimately led us to disembark early in Copenhagen on, cutting our holiday very short out of concern for our safety. Never again will we travel on an Italian boat, not just on MSC Cruise ships, it very much reminded me of the move – The Ghost Ship! 3. Additional Costs from Early Disembarkation The decision to disembark early, made in the interest of our health and safety, resulted in substantial additional expenses. We were forced to arrange alternative accommodation, meals, transportation, and adjust our flights, all at significant additional cost. These expenses are directly attributable, in my opinion, to the gross negligence of My Cruises in selecting and promoting such a substandard supplier, and we have had no suitable response from My Cruises in regards to this disastrous package holiday that is so subpar, it should have been free!
Awful – just returned from an msc cruise I found the room very smelly and small couch in suite was covered in old stains and the shower was mouldy in some areas .also a big cruise liner should have decent tv shows to watch if your sick and need to stay in room. also to charge so much for internet is highway robbery Never ever again.
DRINK PACKAGE SHAME – 1:05 = 3 65 We have travelled on 2 previous MSC cruises in 2023 and have just booked another this year. Drink package price changed from 460 US to 700 US with a 15 drink cut off how can this happen without an email of something So have checked outer sites the EURO ones still incl the Easy plus package no limits I now wished we booked through these… Read more
sites FUNNY have just checked the US site they have realised their POOR business decision and now including it as a bonus for extra 420US Australian site you have no luck stuck with the expensive option What happens onboard all these different nationalities different package deals a lot of ANGER unfolding on the ship. So wd have decided to buy as we go VERY slowly in signing those stupid receipts and getting stuck into the drinks at the ports MSC you've done it again!!! SO FOR THIS REASON IM OUT!!! Booking for October 2025 and already regretting this decision to try MCS again Also after the cut of 15 they then let you have as many as you can handle at full price!!! They mentioned in their excuse it's to help with health and wellbeina I doubt that anv plain Freddv AA • Q msc australua く
UNORGANISED AND LACK OF INFORMATION – We booked back to back 11 day cruises. On the last night of our first cruise we were informed that we would have to change cabins for the next cruise, we packed everything up and moved out of our cabin by 7am. Then had to wait till after all the passengers had disembarked before we could access our new cabin. We waited 11 hours to gain access… Read more
only to find it was 5 cabins away from our original cabin, seems to me it would have been simple to leave us where we were, both cruises were booked at the same time. How difficult would it have been to leave us in the same cabin for the 22 days? Food was average at best, little variety and after 11 days became quite boring. The only thing we enjoyed with this cruise was the days ashore where we could have a good steak. We have cruised with Princess Cruises on several occasions and the food was much better with much more choice. I know you only get what you pay for, I now say spend a bit more and you will be better off. Would not recommend MSC
MSC DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE WORST CRUISE – Been on a number of cruises before with other companies but MSC is by far the worst. Looks great but horrible service. Expensive internet, drink packages can only be order by every person in a cabin, buffet food almost always the same and not nice, with a boring variety of food and not fresh. By the end of a 8 day cruise, my family was physically… Read more
distressed by the quality and options of food provided. No sufficient hand sanitising stations, experiences are expensive and not great, poor communication, expensive, rooms smell, ship configuration poor as difficult to move around the ship, service desk next to live music bar, fine dining experience under bowling alley that can be heard easily. This cruise was at the end of a European holiday and was going to be a relaxing way to end our holiday before returning to Australia. It was by far the worst experience and this will be our our last cruise ever as it has spoilt our opinions of cruise ships and has lost our faith in the industry! Please, avoid at all costs and save yourself stress and illness….. as we and others all got sick in the final days. You would think after Covid, cruise ship companies would ensure customers health and spread of diseases are important but MSC ARE TOO BUSY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TAKE MORE OF YOUR MONEY. VERY DISAPPOINTING AND MSC SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES!
I enjoyed the cruise locations, but felt that MSC cruises did not offer the level of service to be expected – My cruise was booked through CruiseAway which provided good service. Their package included return flights from Sydney. My cabin was well-fitted, well serviced and comfortable, if small Re amenities, there were too few public toilets on boards, and there was Mould in the Ladies toilet outside the Inca buffet was offensive. This was not cleaned… Read more
during the full 23 days on board. The dining options were good but the menu choices were limited at times, particularly for breakfast in the restaurant. The trip itself did meet my expectations. The crew on board were excellent, providing friendly service. On the positive side, the locations visited were excellent. The tours arranged through the ship were mostly excellent if slightly over-priced. Coordination with 3,450 passengers on the ship was well-handled, although security on returning to the ship from each port was very slow with long queues in cold weather and occasional rain. However, there were many aspects of the cruise lines' policies which were not up to the standard one would expect. * The "fruit juice" provided at breakfast each day in both the restaurant and the Inca buffet was overly sweet cordial mix, not "juice". * Drinking water, even at meals, was only available if you purchased it by the bottle - small 2.59 euros, large 3.74 euros (including their service charge of 0.54 euros). * Small cans of soft drink cost 4.05 euros (including their service charge). * Facial tissues were not provided in the cabins * Bathroom despensers of soup and shampoo were provided but no hair conditioner or hand creams. * Eggs at breakfast were invariably served cold in both the restaurant and the buffet * Milk in the 24-hour beverage bar in the Inca buffet was occasionally sour * Gratuities were automatically debited from passengers' on-board credit accounts, unless specifically requested to be removed. * The onboard entertainment in the theatre with the regular group was adequate, but the specialty performers on my cruise were excellent. * Background briefings before each tour locations were badly timed and not easy to get to.
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Avoid – Overcrowded, spent two days in queues, staff overworked rude and unhelpful, children entertainment over booked, restaurants over run and breakfast area total free for all with not enough food or tables, queues so long that you couldn’t move. Food was so terrible and not fit to eat. This trip was meant to be a taster for our kids and chill out… Read more
weekend, but it’s totally scared the kids and is was far from a relaxing. If your going on a stag or hen then this probably for you. Drainage problem was sickening around parts of the ship. Customer service didn’t seem to care about any complaints, possibly because that they were overrun with complaints. Only positive thing I can say on this whole trip, the boat itself was lovely.
worst cruise ever – Despite staff attempts, the food was stale reheated mush that resembled airline food. The entertainment was virtually non existent. The drinks package was totally confusing and there was a constant grab for more money for extras. To be honest I may never board a cruise ship ever again. Show details
First time cruising – Ship was huge over 6000 passengers, utilised the laundry package only to get my clothes back with black marks on them. Had to rewash by hand. Being a Bella status there is not a lot of choice for meals unless you were prepared to pay extra. I can’t fault the staff they were great, MSC just needs to make it clearer. The entertainment was ok nothing flash. You are pressured to buy packages, internet, drinks etc just adding more cost. Show details
Not as good as the rest – We have the advantage of having cruised on Princess/Azamara/Costa/Royal Carribean/AMA waterways. Despite a brand new ship this was very disappointing and comes in last of the above cruise lines. We had to hand back our food on 2 occasions. The staff were good but the product is sub par. The entertainment is fine but not exceptional......the excursions were hideously expensive......we can do better, and learnt from this experience. Show details
DON’T BOOK WITH MSC CRUISE LINES – If I could give it zero stars I would!! DONT BOOK WITH MSC We are currently on this terrible cruise. Over 500 people on board have signed a petition protesting the way MSC are treating us. 1. So many sea days Change of itinerary increasing itinerary to an extra 20 sea days, less port times, and no compensation for these changes or refunds of tax… Read more
and port fees. Going back to Walvis bay twice. Boring and why couldn’t they have chosen somewhere nicer!!
As compared to other cruise companies such as Cunard, princess, costa, holland America who have all put in place packages for their customers and have communicated with them.
2. Entertainment- uninspired and mediocre quality, more forgettable performances than memorable. Daily activities- is on a set and forget programme we do the same activities every day if you don't dance, drink or exercise you are pretty well screwed. Miss information. The ship is full of misinformation and Chinese whispers.
Uniformed staff comment about ship life restaurant staff telling cruisers that we are running out of food. Just this morning honey and grapes were on short supply. It seems to be a big joke that the world's largest shipping company had supply issues.
3. On board issues: The worst food ever on a cruise ship. I can say this as we have been cruising for over 20 years and have never ever come across such bland, boring and unappetising food. Both the restaurant and buffet consistently produce poor quality food. With only one speciality sushi restaurant on board there are no other options.
After many emails have been sent to head office worthless apologies nothing else has been received.
Wasted visas - many customers wasted lots of money on unnecessary visas. We were forced to apply for Brazilian visas even though we showed them the smart traveller website that visas weren't required but following their instructions we applied for such visas only to be notified 2 days later that these weren't required.
There is so much frustration for what was meant to be a dream cruise! Not stuck on a ship with no communication from Head Office. Out of pocket expenses and boring itinerary!! Book with anyone else but MSC
No help from anyone – We had our trip cancelled and sailed on the Poesia. Staff on the counter on the ship unhelpful with our packages that were cancelled. MSC still have AUD $ 3780 of our money paid in July for the cancellation excursions and keep fobbing us off with dates when we will get it back. The ship is 3 star and that’s what you’d expect going cheap. Days at… Read more
sea are too boring as the entertainment is poor. Smokers walk around everywhere and are not cautioned. No would definitely not travel with MSC again. After the end of December we are taking legal action for our money refund. There are better ships out there.
Wouldn’t go again on any of their ships even if they paid me to – 1. Took my passport and gave me bogus photocopy. US State Department rules for US citizens are clear; MUST HAVE ORIGINAL PASSPORT when traveling abroad. 2. Wouldn’t refund excursion since I didn’t have my real passport, and I made it clear I would not leave ship without passport. Their “deal” with immigration officials is suspicious. 3. Food barely passable to say the least. 4. “Activities “ disorganized. It’s like they couldn’t tell time. Show details
Doesn’t deserve the ONE STAR! – To begin, we were told the drinks were available 24/7 and our choices were Water/Juice & Coffee. The option were limited to water and only in selected areas and only particular times of the day. However, there were plenty of crew members attempting to sell their drink package around every corner. Next our balcony glass was cracked and held… Read more
together with duck tape. The bad thing about this is they actually knew about the crack and said it had been that way for months.
When we finally decided to eat, I was shocked just how nasty their food was. It seriously reminded me of high school lunch food.
To cap all this off, I attempted to simply go home when the boat docked and they said I would have to pay $1000 to leave. Literally holding that over my head felt like being held hostage.
Worst experience of my life!!
Avoid! – You have to link your card and they overcharged by €920 in preauthorisations. No customer service email address worked, took 6 attempts to find someone to address the issue, finally resolved a month after disembarkation. Still waiting on resolution of badly damaged Suitcase AUD250.00 reimbursement. Disembarked 20th September it's now 30th October!… Read more
If you ring Customer service they tell you the agents only work a couple of days a week and you just have to wait until they get back to you. Cruise was supposed to be the highlight of a European trip but just caused stress and of course over €900 short on funds. Also to get a drinks package you have to buy for every person on booking
Don’t do it! – MSC Poesia was an absolute disaster. They renamed a spa the kids pool. Children weren’t allowed to use a basketball or plastic golf club without getting an adult to sign for it. We ended up buying our own basketball in Sweden to save them the trouble. Shows were second rate and very repetitive which limited your options of what to do. Customer… Read more
service staff were quite often rude and extremely unhelpful. They honestly could care less whether you were enjoying your holiday. Not one tv show or movie available in English to watch. No cinema. The big screen near the pool was only used for their own ads. The library had one tiny shelf of English books which disappeared on the first day and were never seen again! The buffet didn’t change from lunch to dinner and for the whole 24 days remained the same apart from a tiny section called daily specials which really weren’t special at all. The monotony and lack of anything to do was just torturous. Definitely not worth ruining your valuable holiday time taking this ship line.
Spa & Wellness Centre OVER CHARGING – I recently had the unfortunate experience of visiting your spa & wellness center on board MSC SINFONIA for a massage treatment. While I had high hopes for a relaxing and rejuvenating experience, I left feeling disappointed and frustrated due to the overcharging for your services. Prior to booking the massage, I inquired about the pricing and was… Read more
provided with a written quote. However, upon receiving my bill, I was shocked to find that I was charged more than the initially quoted amount. This unexpected price increase left a sour taste in my mouth and completely marred what should have been a pleasant experience. This pricing discrepancy not only undermines your reputation but also erodes trust in your services. I felt taken advantage of as a customer, which is disheartening, to say the least. It is imperative for any business to maintain transparency and uphold its initial price quotes, especially in the service industry. Having had this experience with the wellness centre on the MSC SONFONIA I would caution others to carefully scrutinise their quote to avoid falling victim to such overcharging practices. I urge you to review your pricing policies and ensure that customers are provided with accurate and transparent information regarding the cost of your services. Trust and customer satisfaction should be paramount, and my experience with your spa on MSC SONFONIA fell far short of these expectations.
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