We are cruised on the MSC Lirica as a family of four (2 yrs, 7 yrs, mom (pregnant) and dad) and had hoped for a great family getaway before the baby arrives this summer. Sadly enough the trip was more a disaster and waste of time and money than a relaxing getaway.
While we have cruised a lot in the past, this was out first last) experience cruising with MSC.
To sum it all up:
* Was not allowed to board boat until 6:28pm and lost the first day on the boat. First guests boarded at 7am. We were not allowed to board any earlier than the assigned time, even after inquiring if we could.
* Food quality is absolutely terrible, cheap, poor, and repetitive.
* Cabin was old, shabby (broken off corners, stinky bathroom, seals missing in the bathroom, ...) and DIRTY!!! We arrived to dirty linens, carpets, and a film of filth all over the bed frames and build in furniture. Even after the cabin got deep cleaned the next day you could see build up dirt on the carpets (corners and along rails) because the vacuum cleaner just got run along items instead of moving/picking up things so that the vacuum could get into all areas. YUCK!
* Entertainment program was absolutely limited, repetitive and poor. If you are not into getting dance lessons or have small kids that can not be left in the club you are very limited in what you can do. There were a few ( but far not enough) pub quizzes and one Sudoku challenge. It would be lovely to have more quizzes, challenges, and scavenger hunts where parents can bring smaller kids along.
* The mini golf area is a joke. You might be able to call it a putting green but definitely not a mini golf area. There are no obstacles at all and the greens are in poor shape.
* The library is SO smokey since it is next to the bar that you can not use it unless you smoke or don't mind smoke. We tried to utilize it with the kids (there had a large puzzle that you could help with) but we could not stay in the library due to the smoke.
* The main outdoor smoking area is on the main deck right by the outdoor bar and the stage where the majority of the entertainment is happening. As a non-smoker it is (at times) unbearable to even walk through there due to the smell. Poor smoking area placement to say the least, especially since it could be located one deck up that is overlooking the stage and has clean airflow.
* Staff seems to be unhappy. We overheard multiple staff mention that they are not having a single day off during their contract and that they are looking forward to finally getting off the boat.
* The boat is old and run down (We were hopeful that it would be better since it was recently renovated).
* The food quality on board was extremely poor. The first night our kids would not even eat the ice-cream and that never happens especially not after turning down dinner due to the poor taste of it. We really tried but it was awful ... continuously awful! Even the salad options were terrible (How can you screw up a salad bar?). Not even the minimal selection (lettuce, tomato, cucumber), nor dressing was available on a daily basis.
* The buffet area was pretty dirty. Check all plates, cups, silverware, and napkins before using them. Do not look at the cushions on the couches and never, ever look behind a cushion unless you are prepared to see dirt. The display is full of dust and the carved decorations are old and wrinkled.
* The boat rail on the open deck does not seem safe. The gaps are big and the rail seems low. We would not allow our kids up there at all.
* There is no actual running track on board. Yes, there is space to walk/run but no marked track is there.
* The TV program is extremely limited and poor. There is not one kids channel (Don't even care which language) and not one english movie channel. Disappointing.
* The hot water in the bathroom fluctuates when flushing the loo or running the faucet. I could live with that if it would only fluctuate if water was used in your bathroom but it also fluctuates (gets VERY hot) when someone in a cabin around you uses the water so be careful ... especially if you have young kids shower. The shower is not big enough to shower with small kids.
* No towel animals in the cabin. We got advised that MSC does not allow their stateroom attendants to make towel animals. To us l animals are part of cruising and we really missed them.
* Gratuities gets charged automatically to your onboard account without warning(also a donation per person). You can request to have those removed if you want to tip in cash.
* Shuttles organized by MSC are extremely overpriced.
* Organized tours seem expensive.
On a positive note, the kids club staff was amazing. They also offered a daily window (6:30pm to 8:30pm) where you could drop off younger kids (1-3yrs) and the baby club without charge. On sea days there had some additional times.
It allowed us parents to check out the casino and have some fun there (no kids allowed).
Much more went wrong during our time on board and even we were in close contact with management we ended up not enjoying the cruise at all (We were super disappointed that we only got a 50 Euro onboard credit as a compensation which breaks down to about 1 Euro per day per person as well as a plate of canapés (seas, meat on bread .... after we voiced our anger that there are no gluten free food options on board and I am pregnant, and a plate of chocolate and fruit treats that not even the kids would eat. We ended up just putting them back outside the cabin).
It seemed like a waste of time and money to us.
VERY disappointing to be honest.
Oh and we never heard from MSC even we complained on many levels to them.
Nice customer service.