Excellent short trip

The ship is fantastic …great food and great staff…Moira in the spa, Elmer in the Symphony restaurant and our fabulous room steward particularly stand out for me The entertainment in the grand theatre was top notch as was the acrobatic troupe in the Carousel theatre. I’d like to see more seating space in the bars but we always found somewhere to sit even if it wasn’t in the main bars with entertainment on. We had a balcony cabin with a sofa and it was spacious and spotlessly clean I am a vegetarian and was really impressed by my choice of food. I loved the ceiling in the atrium …it was great and constantly changing We really enjoyed the icons show, the white party and our evening dinners in the Symphony. The waiter on deck 17 was hilarious and showed off his dance moves to the DJ on a daily basis …we will definitely travel with MSC again

Brilliant Ship

Boarding – 15 mins from arrival at cruise terminal to being on board. Cabin – Cabin was spotless (apart from the top of the headboard which was very dusty), it was a good size with plenty of sockets & 4 USB points (2 of the latter well hidden in the bedside light). We found the bathroom to be a tad smaller than on other ships, but was manageable. Wardrobe hanging space was limited, but there were plenty of drawers & shelves to use. A kettle & coffee/tea was supplied & topped up daily, the minibar was locked so we could not use it as a fridge as we had hoped. Food – Main Dining room was excellent every time we dined there for dinner, staff here were excellent & friendly. On one night we paid extra & went to the speciality venue ‘Butchers Cut’, the food was mediocre & not as tasty as we had hoped it would be. We paid £50 each for this & would not dine there again. Buffet food was ok, food was never hot (typical buffet), I found the layout of the different sections to be a bit confusing, even after 7 days I couldn’t find what I was looking for. Breakfast here is very busy & tables with tables hard to find. Theatre – Standard cruise ship fayre with nothing outstanding to write about. Staff – I didn’t find them to be as friendly as on other cruise lines I have sailed with, I didn’t see the cabin attendant until the last day as he never introduced himself on the first day as I am used to with other cruise lines. Outside Decks – Plenty of sun loungers available, as usual the further from the pool you are the more free ones you will find, especially on upper levels. Gym – was well equipped & although busy at times equipment was always available. I especially enjoyed using the sauna in the gym locker room ( a well kept secret that MSC don’t tell you about). This was our first cruise with MSC & we were not sure we’d enjoy it due to the very mixed reviews we’d seen/read, however we will be back as the ship was lovely & in very good condition – there were no signs of wear/tear in any area & the ship appeared well looked after by the staff. As I was travelling with a disabled friend I was disappointed to find that the accessible toilets are locate in the respective M & F toilets – not ideal when a male has to take his wheelchair bound female friend to use the toilet. I was told off by a passenger for taking her into the Male area, however on checking with staff they didn’t seem to have an issue. Maybe MSC could plan more separate Disabled facilities on future ships? NB there were 2 stand alone disabled toilets on this ship, however if in the bar area we chose the closest one (as able bodied folk would).

Virtuosa getting even better

This was our third time on MSC Virtuosa, & it just keeps getting better. We've always enjoyed the fantastic food, especially the wide selection at the buffet (walk all the way round, don't just congregate at the first set of mains as everyone seems to - there's so much more!), as well as the amazing friendly & hardworking staff & the beautiful, clean & well maintained ship. The carousel lounge shows have also been a highlight before, & it was nice to see they had brought a new carousel production on board this year so there was something new to see in that venue. But the biggest improvement was in the main theatre - we didn't mind the shows they had before, but the new additions of dirty dancing (we went to the full length, movie version) & the Michael Jackson starwalker show were exceptional. Our itinerary was Norwegian fjords & we really enjoyed it - Flåm we knew would be standout, but Måloy was an unexpected highlight too, with some lovely hiking possible right from the centre of town. The ship was full & we sailed just at the end of the holidays, but we seem to be much better at avoiding the pinch points & dodging the crowds than other reviewers, as we never found the ship too busy to enjoy. There is always somewhere to sit & lots to do. We took my parents in law with us for their first cruise, & they are already booking their next with MSC!