We’ve done 40+ cruises and thought we’d seen everything, but MSC proved us wrong. Booked Seaside and honestly within the first hour onboard we were wishing we’d run over to another ship still in port.
Room was filthy… stained towels, sheets with holes that never got changed, mold in the shower, dust and hair everywhere. Hallways smelled musty from wet carpets never being extracted. Ship looked decent from afar but up close? Trash on the floor that staff just walked past, kids area dirty, slides suddenly age restricted even though the website only mentioned height.
Most of the crew seemed miserable. A couple told us it was their first hospitality job ever. Food was hit or miss. Main dining was a mess… long queues, slow service, and they tried to seat us at a big table with strangers even though we had a hungry toddler.
Leadership eventually came by because they were getting similar complaints all week. They checked in, sent wine and desserts, and gave a small credit, but honestly it didn’t change the bigger picture.
I wouldn’t sail MSC again even for free. If you’ve never cruised before maybe you wouldn’t notice all this, but if you’ve sailed on other lines… the difference is huge.
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