A Day On Board The Magnifica

Last month i had the pleasure of spending the day on board the MSC Magnifica. I didn’t know what to expect as never sailed personally with this cruise line and i’ve had a few mixed reports with some of their ships. My Auntie and Uncle had sailed on the MSC Fantasia and really enjoyed that.

Didn’t get off to a great start as there were 4 other ships docked in Southampton that day so the traffic was absolute chaos. And driving from Sheffield i’d had enough by this point anyway.

The check in process is very easy with MSC as your cabin card is waiting for you on board in your cabin. The door is ajar so you can get in. You register you cabin card on board within the first day or two to set up your on board account. It takes a 250 euro holding fee but this is refunded if you don’t spend this amount.

Although this ship didn’t have the famous Schwarovski Staircase, i was still pleasantly surprised at how glamorous the ship looked.

For the tour we started in the L’Olimpiade Sports Bar. In here you can watch the Olympics, World Cup, Sunday League Football etc. The screens in there can show different sporting events, you just have to ask the staff. Pool tables are free of charge.

One of the Specialty Restaurants on board was the Oriental Plaza. You can pre book this restaurant before you travel or whilst you are on board. Best to do it in advance.

I had some dinner on board in the buffet area. The food was really nice and loads to choose from. The pizzas were excellent and a great selection off cheeses. I’m a sucker for cheese and crackers. And i was really chuffed to be able to drink Pepsi Max as i usually have to have coke.

No ship is complete without a casino. The casino is not open when the ship is docked. The Casino is cashless everything is done through your cabin card. Your winnings are added on your key card as well.

The theater on board was very impressive. The first showing is usually before the first sitting and the second showing is before the second sitting. there is wheelchair access on the bottom level of the theater. They don’t do waiter service in there as they found this to be noisy and quite chaotic. You are allowed to take drinks in with you from the bar. Expect Vegas and Broadway style shows, Michael Jackson tributes, Alice in wonderland etc. Don’t tend to have comedians on board. The Southampton sailings have had comedians on board.

There are two main dining rooms on this ship, both exactly the same. L’Edera and Quattro Venti.

The main swimming pool does have a retractable roof. I was immediately drawn to the Gelato Ice Cream. If you book a drinks package the ice cream is included.

The spa area was stunning. Had a very Eastern Mediterranean feel to it. Top16 is for adults only. Free for Aurea passengers but other guests can pay. On a sea day this would cost 10 euros. You can also pre book the cabanas before you travel.

The Disco area for the adults is right next to the kids clubs which is really handy for parents. Bowling can also be found up here, it’s 6 Euros a game.

I was lucky enough to be able to see one of the cabins, Balcony cabin number 11089 on deck 11. The cabin felt very spacious and really good sized balcony. Plenty of wardrobe space and draw space near the vanity area.