Brilliant little cruise

We got a good deal on this 7 day Northern Europe cruise so decided to try MSC, having previously sailed with P&O. Embarkation was quick but I wasn’t keen on the photograph being taken at top of gangway instead of the terminal as it was very cold waiting in line, however, once on board the ship definitely had a wow factor. All the public areas were immaculate, the carpets and furnishings in first-class condition, in the cabin that was also pristine, a very comfortable bed, good quality bedding and plenty of space to store your clothes, the fixtures were in good condition with no bits hanging off or scratches. Most importantly the air con made minimal noise and the cabin was lovely and quiet.

The MDR was again well looked after, though our table placing had not been thought out, we were a couple on a table for 8, and the other 6 were one family, who were less than impressed at having an extra 2, so much so that they walked out. However, this was soon sorted out and from then on we were on a table for four. The food was good on the whole but did seem to feature octopus, calamari and snails a lot. The buffet had a good choice of food but was laid out randomly, I.e. roast on one stand but the vegetables were usually nowhere near it.

On the entertainment side, the trivia quiz was excellent as it was visual due to having so many nationalities on board, the shows in the theatre were also good but always featured dancers and acrobatics.

The ship is more casual than P&O and evening dress code is “recommended “ but not enforced, meaning that even if it was a formal night and you had been on shore and were running late for your dinner slot, or just didn’t feel like dressing up you wouldn’t be turned away.

I would recommend anyone to give this line a try.