MSC Opera

This was the worst value and lowest quality cruise among the four cruises we took on our 76-day European trip. It was MSC's lowest-tier ship, old, yet surprisingly expensive. The rooms were small and old; the air conditioning, toilet, and sewers each broke down once, and the smell was strong. The air conditioning had to be on full blast to keep it cool. The food was monotonous, with the same few dishes served every day. One meal would have three types of rice and four types of pasta, taking up space. Leftovers from lunch could be found in the soup by dinner. The food selection was already limited, and then it was repeated again. The buffet restaurant was small and had few seats, so we had to share tables every meal. The entire ship was a bar, with little entertainment besides the pool. On a ship with thousands of passengers, there was only one ping-pong table, crammed next to the beach chairs, so we could never get a turn and couldn't play well. There were only four treadmills, and we always had to queue to use them. There were few activities; besides shows, there were almost no fun activities. The only person we really appreciated was the Black lady who did our room service. She was very friendly and efficient, diligently cleaning our floor from morning till night. She always proactively asked if we needed anything, showing great care and responsibility.

Poor service

The actual experience was much better than some reviews I'd seen beforehand. My expectations weren't too high, so it was quite pleasant. For example, the boarding process wasn't as complicated as other cruise lines. Upon arrival at the pier, I handed over my large luggage to the cruise staff, and after verification and security checks, I boarded directly. Although it wasn't time to get my room key yet, the restaurant was already serving food—a buffet with American burgers, fries, and desserts; Italian pizza, various hams, roast chicken, salads, pasta, and other Italian dishes, as well as tiramisu and fruit. Our room included unlimited drinks (under €6 each), so we could drink as much as we wanted. The cruise service fee was also reasonable, a one-time charge of €10 per person per day. Other lines I've used charge a service fee plus a tip for each formal dinner, room cleaning, etc. Opera's ship is smaller, so the space isn't very large, and there aren't many activities, but the nightly theater performances are quite good. The bar performances and deck fitness activities are also good, catering to different groups' needs. The gym is also good. We went to the gym every morning and evening. The spa experience was also great. They even offered Chinese acupuncture. As for sightseeing on land, I won't go into detail. The cruise ship offers tours of various attractions for an additional fee; you can choose to do so yourself. Overall, it was a pleasant and relaxing vacation.

This was the worst of the three cruises I've ever taken. The reason I chose this one was because I had previously cruised on MSC Divine Comedy in the US, and although it's the same company, the service was vastly different! The buffet was short, the food selection was limited, the quality was quite mediocre, there were few seats, and it was generally chaotic. Dinner was also mediocre, nothing special, and the gym was just there to fill space. Overall, the small ship wasn't just small in tonnage; everything was shrunk. The evening shows were also subpar, mostly just variety shows. Not recommended!