M… M… M… M… M… Magnifica what a ship….

I have just got back from a week on MSC Magnifica with my family and some friends who are new to cruising. WOW what a great ship. I loved the public areas, bars, restaurants, pools, kid’s facilities and staff.

I really feel MSC have taken family cruising seriously and the extra special touches like kids menus, childcare, beepers for parents while the little ones are being looked after and staff that really want to have fun with the children make it a special experience for all. Max is just two years and eight months so did not qualify to go to the kid’s clubs. But the Baby club where they can play while parents are around, was fun for him and his new friends. They had Chicco toys to play with in various languages, indoor ball pool, house with play kitchens, ride on motorbike which was the boys favourite and ride on play horses.

We made use of the children’s pool on the open deck and luckily had sunshine to ensure it was almost warm… Of course, children love water no matter what the temperature, however being dragged into, tepid water and then being slashed was not a personal highlight.

The shows in the evening were OK. I understand there are different nationalities on the ship so it was very graphic with each show and very little talking or singing. There were a lot of circus style acts and the dances were generally good but not synchronised. I am a fan of Marella for their entertainment and this was not even close as far as I was concerned.

I am a foodie and I have to say that MSC excelled in both the buffet and sit-down restaurants. I know many Brits may be disappointed that the food is not scalding hot… plus some of the meat dishes were not burned, the way, a lot of Brits prefer it. But I have to say there was amazing choice with all nationalities able to find something from home, as well as fast food and ethnic dishes. It was not difficult to find fruit and vegetables like on some ships. Plus, there was also a healthier option available for those watching their weight.  Baked Alaska parade was included too. So MSC get thumbs up from me and my family.

We had planned our days out already but looking at the cost of tours and shuttle buses we were glad we had thought about this and were able to use public transport in each of the ports.

I also think if ships were sensible with the cost of photos we would have purchased more of them. 30 – 40 Euros per photo is too much. Especially when they are being printed and then dumped at the end of the cruise. I loved what Disney did when we were there and scanned our card to allocate the photos to us. You can then view them on the app and choose the ones you like that way. This would stop the wasted printing of photos on ships.

I will definitely be booking with MSC again as they offer great value for money to families.

If you have been on MSC and want to book to go again, or want more information on a future sailing with any other cruise line just let me know on my direct line 0333 300 2480 Adrian