MSC Seaside

Although I've traveled abroad several times, this Mediterranean five-nation trip, half land and half sea, was still highly anticipated. To be honest, the 17-18 hour flight from Shanghai to Lisbon via Dubai was exhausting, and the 3-4 hour queues at Lisbon airport for immigration were even more tedious. Aside from the relics of Vasco da Gama and Magellan from the Age of Exploration, Portugal's attractions were rather unremarkable. In contrast, the Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain was magnificent and opulent, leaving a lasting impression. We boarded the MSC cruise ship in Barcelona, ​​and our group was in balcony cabins on the 11th floor. Although small, they were well-equipped and could comfortably accommodate two people. The bathroom, while small, was large enough for one person to shower, although the bedding had a slight musty smell. The fifth floor had a formal restaurant with a very ceremonial Western-style afternoon meal. There were two fast-paced performances every evening after 7:30 pm; the troupes were small but quite good. The atrium on floors 5-7 was luxuriously decorated, brightly lit, and bustling with activity. The restaurants on the eighth and sixteenth floors offered a wide variety of food in ample quantities. The blue and white town of Tunis is decent, but it's too commercialized. For cultural and historical value, Florence and Barcelona are still the best. The Sagrada Familia's ingenious design and magnificent architecture leave us deeply impressed by Gaudí's influence on a city!

Overall, the MSC Coastline was quite good in terms of food, accommodation, and transportation. Onboard services were mostly in English, with only one person at the shore excursion desk speaking Chinese. However, I have some suggestions regarding Ctrip's role in selling cruise tickets. They should provide the specific boarding address; otherwise, it causes a lot of trouble for customers. For example, we boarded in Barcelona, ​​where the port has five terminals (A, B, C, D, H) that are quite far apart. Ctrip couldn't provide a specific terminal. Even after repeatedly asking customer service at the port, they still didn't know and only gave a general answer. We had to walk for over ten minutes with our luggage before finally finding it ourselves. With a specific address, we could have taken a taxi directly to the terminal.

The Caribbean beaches and waters are top-notch, and the scenery is definitely worth seeing. However, MSC cancelled port calls in Costa Rica and Honduras on one voyage for reasons they refused to disclose, possibly due to berth shortages during peak season, which could be seen as a sign of their large size abusing its customer base. This caused considerable customer dissatisfaction, and Ctrip provided assistance and is still helping us with our claims. Furthermore, the onboard Wi-Fi was extremely expensive; unlimited speed Wi-Fi cost nearly $580 for two devices, while limited speed Wi-Fi cost over $400. Foreign passengers on board generally considered MSC's service to be of relatively poor quality on Caribbean routes.

The food and service are not as good as those on Royal Caribbean cruise lines.

I was very satisfied with Ctrip's communication during the booking process and the entire order processing; they were enthusiastic, attentive, and patient, which I appreciate. However, I was truly disappointed with the service on the cruise ship. On the first day, we experienced a clogged bathroom drain and a toilet that wouldn't flush. On the second day, our key card ran out of power, preventing us from opening the door, which kept our elderly relatives from getting any rest late at night. Couldn't they have checked the equipment before guests checked in? The dining and entertainment facilities were quite good, and the Caribbean scenery was beautiful, but I probably wouldn't choose MSC Cruises again next time.

Taking advantage of a trip to the US to visit our child, my wife and I took our first cruise, and overall, it was a very satisfying travel experience. Specifically: 1. Dining: Commendable. There was a dedicated Western restaurant where we ate dinner daily at designated times and table numbers, with waiters available. The other two restaurants were buffets. The buffets were also quite good, offering almost everything you'd expect. 2. Accommodation: We booked a sea-view room with a balcony, which was very convenient for watching the sunrise and sunset, as well as enjoying the beautiful scenery and sea views. 3. Service: The service truly lived up to its reputation. Room service, dining service, and entertainment service were all excellent. Many small details showed that this customer-centric philosophy was deeply ingrained. For example, on the first night, a young man led us to our table, reminding us as we walked through many other customers. The room service staff were also very friendly and thorough in cleaning and tidying the room. 4. Entertainment: There was a wide variety of entertainment available. However, due to my age, I didn't experience everything, only swimming, bowling, and watching performances and shows. Especially the daily shows; I subscribed to and watched a total of nine shows. A few shortcomings: I had two issues with my experience: 1. The cruise ship Wi-Fi I booked seemed fraudulent. Specifically: I purchased 3G data for $99.99 for two people. To save money, we used 4G mobile data on four separate trips to Jamaica, Georgetown, Mexico, and the Bahamas. However, data was still being deducted back at the shipyard, which was very puzzling. On the last night, we turned off the Wi-Fi right at 11 pm. The service at the reception center also needs improvement. Finally: A worthwhile experience.

Overall, my experience aboard the MSC Coastline in the Caribbean was quite good. Having previously cruised with this company in Europe, I found the food and drinks to be excellent. The accommodations were also very good. However, the service was lacking; the rooms weren't as clean as those of Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean, or Virgin Atlantic. There weren't many recreational facilities on board. The numerous disembarkation excursions were overwhelming and time-consuming, and in reality, they were all very similar. My suggestions are: 1. Improve cabin cleaning standards, including balconies, doors, windows, railings, and outdoor tables and chairs; 2. Streamline disembarkation routes, perhaps by offering sightseeing, experience, youth, and senior citizen options.

The cruise ship's services, facilities, and dining were quite good. The new ship had all the latest amenities, and there were many activities suitable for young people. There were three water slides, but very few Chinese passengers were on board. If you don't speak English, don't board this ship; there's absolutely no Chinese-speaking service, and with so few Chinese people, you can't participate in the shore excursions organized by the cruise company. I give Ctrip's service a very negative review: First, regarding boarding tickets, there was no information on how to board. The tour guide who took us to port asked a colleague and found out we could board with our passports. Calling the cruise line's customer service in China was unsuccessful, and no one knew where to pick up our tickets. There was no information about boarding in either the email or the Ctrip order. Everyone else who was taken to port had tickets, but we didn't. Second, the reminders were inadequate. There was no one to pick us up at the port, and there was no special reminder. We were reminded about the onboard service fees, which wouldn't have been a problem. It wouldn't have been difficult to remind them that they had to pay for their own airport transfer after disembarking. Given the above two points, I would advise tourists booking cruises to avoid Ctrip and instead book with other travel agencies. Ctrip's cruise services are extremely unreliable. I hope Ctrip can improve on these two points. I booked my travel and flights through Ctrip precisely because I trusted their service, and I was very disappointed with the result.

Overall, the cruise trip was very good. The itinerary was well-planned, especially the MSC private island, which was quite fun. The onboard entertainment and various shows were plentiful, and I was generally satisfied.

The cruise ship was absolutely fantastic; you have to be there to believe it. It was huge and very stable. The rooms were small but adequate, with excellent design. The food was superb, with all-day buffets and separate dinners every evening. The steaks were superb and unforgettable. There were also amusement parks, which were excellent, especially for families with children. The water slides were great, and importantly, all of this was included in the cruise ticket. As for the shore excursions, the falls in Jamaica were amazing—a real test of physical fitness! The fish in the Cayman Islands were right at your feet. The diving and Mayan ruins in Mexico were also fantastic. I absolutely loved it and would love to go again! (I can only upload 10 photos, but I hope this helps.)