7 Nights Mediterranean from Barcelona Cruise

A wonderful week on the Med in a lovely ship

From reading some of the reviews I think that MSC's opposition is paying people to write bad reviews. Our experience for my family of eight on board at Aurora level , was we all agreed , very good. But lets be clear. This is not a cruise ship that is suited to people who don't like being on board with lots of other people or who are looking for a gourmet experience for beer money.. There are six thousand on board - but the facilities can easily cope. Yes, it is busy around the pool but we found plenty of quiet spots to sit and to have breakfast or lunch. Having set the scene - here is our experience in summary. Boarding - no problem. Quick efficient. Cabin - very nice, clean. Eating arrangements: Buffets on floors 19 and 18 with plenty of seating. Compliments to the staff who are so busy all the time clearing tables and wiping the floor. No problem with crowding (where do people get this stuff on other reviews??) Choices excellent and different every day. Caters for vegetarians and vegans no bother. Dinner was in Bubbles restaurant. Dinner menus varied and excellent. None of us found complaint - including my 15 and 17 year old grandchildren who are very fussy. Staff service exceptional. Entertainment to a very high professional standard- not the crew doing a fill in!! Value for money - definitely. Yes they do charge for extras if you want them - but that's actually better than paying a higher price for stuff you don't need or want. No gratuity payment added on at the end- all included. Great! Children found things to do in evening teen club but mainly came with us adults on day trip out. No problem at all getting back on or off the ship at ports (where do other reviewers get their complaints from!!) Negatives: Free Wi fi non existent. Couldn't get it to work at all. Some paid for (exorbitant) wi -fi ships service. But can use phone at ports to access internet. cost of excursions- too much when you're paying for eight. We managed to get taxis to take us to where we wanted to go for a lot less. Tips - avoid cabin 15124. It is opposite a crew exit for luggage and was causing disturbance all night long. Getting off in Marseille for flight boarding at 10.10 we were first off the boat at 08.10am carrying our own luggage to a pre-booked taxi and got to the airport in plenty of time. Used a taxi service called Welcome and and found them very efficient - even if not the cheapest. As a group of eight we wanted to go to Herculaneum on the Naples stop. We found an eight seater for 175 Euros to take us there, wait an hour and a half and return. He is giuseppetaxinapoli@gmail.comhe may do other trips too. All in all avery good trip. great value for money. Lovely and helpful staff. Pay no attention to those who write rubbish negative reviews. We've done other cruises and this was a good as any, if not better ,one.

Simply awesome!

Beautiful ship no doubt! Easy and orderly embarkation and disembarkation in Barcelona. Food was great - we could choose between the buffets, complementary or speciality restaurants. Note the buffet is spread over a large area so be sure to check out both sides of the buffet restaurant for more choices. Enjoyed the professional and friendly service at la Foglia restaurant, the champagne bar and masters of the sea. The cabin was very clean and well maintained. Staff were courteous, helpful and knowledgeable. It was not possible to explore all the activities on the ship during the 7 days - so much to do (shows, live music, games), great for kids of all ages and families. Even though it's a large ship with lots of passengers it was still possible to find many quiet spots to relax when needed. Each bar and restaurant is designed with its own unique vibe and feel. The indoor pools and jacuzzis were esp nice and relaxed in the evenings. We had a fantastic time, will definately be back. Thank you MSC World Europa

Fabulous! Great for families!

Such a great experience. Super happy. Kids club for my 5 yr old was spectacular, especially staff member Wen who went above and beyond. We have done Norwrgian kids club before and it was just okay. MSC has really good hours and plenty of activities. Ship itself was great. Lots of pool options and hot tubs. Shows were well done, fab talent. We don't go clubbing but if you like that sort of thing it seemed fun. The tea shop!!!!!! If you need a break from cocktails, it's a good choice. We also liked that people dis/embarked at every port, so the disembarkation process at the end of our trip was nothing like the lines on Norwegian. I did a great excursion to stunning Portofino. Food was better, though perhaps marginally less choices in the buffet. Coffee is 100x better. Pizza and pasta for kids of course. Overall, super happy.