MSC Cruises Reviews 

Reading all of these reviews give real mixed messages, and I do feel a lot of them are unfair, I went on MSC Seascape with an open mind!!
Bearing in mind the ship caters for thousands of guests and the staff work exceptionally hard, all staff we encountered (apart from one at the spa) was very friendly, helpful, smiling and there to assist and support.
The food was hot, lots of choice and actually couldn't find fault with it, and there was always somewhere to sit in the buffet, restaurant was more of a relaxed longer experience but we were happy either way. The shows were great, the cabin was clean and tidy and considering we were on a ship spacious and well designed and thought out. I did my research beforehand and found a cabin that should be relatively quiet and not rocky - and it was spot on.
There was always minimal queues at the bars and always somewhere to sit. There are quiet areas if you prefer but equally you can join in with the entertainment and have fun - it is entirely up to you!
We purchased excursions with MSC as we weren't sure what we were doing but would be comfortable doing this solo, however, I would expect to pay more for a pre-arranged trip organised by a company!
I really can't grasp why people are so negative and complaining, this was a fabulous cruise, I would recommend and would 100% go on another MSC Cruise!!!! One thing I didn't like and that was the smoking in the casino, but that is my own personal preference and it didn't reflect on the enjoyment of my holiday!
Take it as you find it, go with an open mind, take the negative reviews with a pinch of salt and enjoy your holiday :-)

We were on MSC Poesia to Alaska that started on June 29,2026. Our family does a cruise every year. We mostly go on Royal Caribbean cruises. But last two time we tried MSC. Last December we were on MSC Seashore and this time on poesia. Seashore was just about average but poesia to Alaska was horrible. Staff was rude service was pathetic and food was simply bad. We regretted booking and getting stuck on it for 7 nights. My wedding ring got stolen from my room cabin 11333. It literally got stolen and i couldn’t do anything except report it. They just casually informed me that there is nothing they can do about it. Please don’t waste your money on MSC. We had a horrible experience.

I've been waiting for over 30 minutes to be served….the most useless bar staff I've ever known, just bone adle!!!!

staff is very very rude one bartender named jose luis bartender was the most rude but several of them were rude royal carribien is so much better

I booked a Mediterranean cruise for end of July. I had to cancel it due to personal reasons; now I was aware of a cancellation fee and I was ok with that as it was urgent. I was told that it will take up to 28days from cancellation to receive an invoice and process the refund. it was cancelled June 3rd) and it is now July 07th and I have not heard anything despite emailing back and forth asking. Received blunt and unusefu emails that they will get back to me. I’m increasingly frustrated now as I am relying on this refund for something else. I will never book with them again and don’t reccomend.

Unfortunately i found out 2 weeks before the cruise leaving that i was pregnant than unfortunately start it to feel really sick, vomiting diarreah and several other symtoms that i ended up back in the doctors office were they determine i was high risk and did not recommend i traveled i called and sent emails with doctors letters and nobody helped me they offered no options no partial refund no options to maybe move the date nothing at all for such big cruise line i would hope they are more humane and offer more option for emergency's like this very sad.

We booked MSC May 1 through May 4 of 2026. It was going to be the 45th anniversary of our graduation class of 1981. I would never go on this cruise line! The people, especially the people that you talk to to upgrade your cabin to pay a bill were the rude and not helpful at all and I have been cruising since 1982 I live in Florida Florida easy access and I’ve been on many cruise lines this one was the worst that I have ever experienced in all my years. I would never recommend this cruise line. I know I didn’t get into the details but there’s so many. The only thing good about that. Ship was our cabin person was excellent but other than that, it was absolutely horrible. Oh, and by the way, if you get the easy package, you better keep it because once you get on board, the only one you can get is the most expensive one and I have never experienced that on a cruise. Also, they locked the mini bar a day before your you’re going back to Port. I asked to have it unlocked and it was but the very next day we were at the Private island and when we got back, it was locked again. I called to ask if it could be unlocked and they said no because we were gonna go to the port in the morning. I don’t understand that because you know they’re gonna bill you for your products that you use oh and by the way, there is no water in the room you get a ice bucket 2 cups and this is awe’re at the Private island and when we got back, it was locked again. I called to ask if it could be unlocked and they said no because we were gonna go to the port in the morning. I don’t understand that because you know they’re gonna bill you for your products that you use oh and by the way, there is no water in the room you get a ice bucket 2 to 4 cups in your State room there’s so much wrong with this line but good luck to you and I hope you don’t experience what we did

We decided to cruise with MSC for the first time to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday! We were soooo looking forward to it. It was very obvious upon arrival that there is a HUGE lack of communication amongst the leadership and crew. The staff seemed very overworked. The room attendant never showed his or her face not one day! Guests were provided face cloths upon request; however, body towels and pool towels are provided upon arrival. We received so many different messages pertaining to wheelchair assistance, dinner times...the list goes on. The food was dry each night....and we even decided to give other restaurants a try while onboard! I could go on and on, but I really just want to let you all know, I highly recommend you NOT cruise with MSC!

I have to say, that after (unfortunately) being on MSC Virtuosa I have experienced the worst customer service I have ever encountered. Just be aware.

The first day we got on the ship we got on right away no hassle immediately given incorrect instructions on how to get somewhere this just sums up the whole trip misinformation and misleading people everywhere. Bartenders were the only plus.

Just returned from MSC Magnifica 7 night cruise. The only positive was the Room. (8182). It was nice, clean and a good size. Everything else was certainly not what they portray.
Pre cruise info : we could never get proper information from their call centre
Entertainment/Shows were dismal
Food was the worst I have ever experienced on a Cruise ship. Quality & variety extremely poor. Sometimes simply inedible. The Kitchen cannot possibly be run by Chefs and the Catering Manager should be sacked. Paid $46 in Restaurant for Lobster tail and it was served on a pile of French Fries...are you kidding ! Roast meat served every day but never saw roast veggies to go with it !! and what ever happened to basic fresh steamed or boiled veggies as well ?? Not everyone enjoys overcooked muck covered in spice.
A lot of rude staff which we have never experienced on cruising either. Maybe MSC don't treat them well either.

I booked a segment of the MSC World Cruise 2027 based on the advertised inclusion of 15 shore excursions, which was a significant factor in my purchasing decision.

The promotional material clearly stated:

"All cruises include a Dine-and-Drink Package, 15 exciting excursions, and a 30% discount on laundry services."

After completing my booking, I received documentation showing that only 10 excursions were included with my reservation.

MSC later explained that the advertised 15 excursions apply only to passengers sailing the full 121-day World Cruise itinerary, while my booking covers a shorter segment of that voyage. However, this limitation was not clearly disclosed when the offer was presented, despite the promotion explicitly stating that "all cruises include" 15 excursions.

I raised the issue through Customer Service, a Resolution Specialist, MSC's Executive Office, and ultimately the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Following a formal review, MSC's final position was that no additional excursions, onboard credit, refund, cabin upgrade, goodwill gesture, or any other form of compensation would be offered.

My concern is not simply the difference between 15 and 10 excursions. It is that the promotional language created a clear and reasonable expectation that was not reflected in the final booking.

I would have preferred to resolve this matter directly and amicably, but despite multiple escalation attempts, the issue remains unresolved.

Avoid this cruise line at all costs worse than carnival. Poor service , over crowding , I paid for a room and they put me in a downgraded room, did nothing about it said sorry we are booked and that’s it. Offered nothing to make it right .. I had to go to customer service four times and hound them. Absolutely worst customer service experience of my life .
They also have a water slide - a woman sits at the base and blows a whistle to signal the next person to go down. Well, I had a grown man crash into me while I was in the waterslide because this worker was negligent in her monitoring . Crashed right into my body injuring my back, the staff were not fazed and could care less . They must not have lawyers in Europe or sue for gross negligence🤷🏻‍♀️, you would think someone would have been apologetic or cared .. this is the European version of carnival and they clearly do not like or appreciate Americans at all.

Have travelled in May 2026 from Barcelona on Mediterranean cruise on the MSC Europa, was disappointed overall food was repetitive no varied cuisine became as food dished out in prison. Have travelled with them previously before covid and there's a BIG difference in entertainment, food and general ambience overall. The balcony suit which we had was narrower than the older ships including the bath, shower hardly could dry yourself as it's diminished in size and I'm only size 12. Give me a older ship anytime for space and ambience, I must say our cabin attendant was GREAT he couldn't do enough for us and was very respectful "Akash" defiantly deserves a thumbs 👍 up.
They also close off the dining area during day and night which then forces you to spend unlike before you could ascertain a coffee, tea, water etc not ideal. Before booking another cruise I'll be checking all comments or won't book.

Good bits-Staff excellent, yacht club superb. Bad bits- Although enjoyable excursions overpriced. Food poisoning not welcome. MSC customer service (ashore) would not acknowledge our illness, as onboard medical staff did not verify. We do not need (a paid for) doctor to state the obvious. Felt like I was being accused of making it up. Very poor customer service. Will not be returning to MSC.

One of the nastiest ships ever

The following is a list of what I believe are the negative aspects of MSC Cruise Line:
1. Bad Locations of the MENs RRs on the Entertainment and Food Service Decks
2. Extremely BAD And Confusing Overall Arrangement and Locations of Anything on the Ships

MSC lost my luggage upon disembarking. The luggage contained clothes for nearly another 2 weeks of vacation, but more importantly, our passports. At this point, It's been a Month and a half, and they have yet to resolve this. I’ve had to explain the situation to nearly a dozen people; the next more inept than the previous. It was the tagged luggage that they required to be placed outside the cabin the night before. We put out three bags in total, and when picking them up at the port, could only find two.
We wasted nearly 4 hours at the port while they looked for the suitcase, and then several more hours at the embassy getting emergency passports. This ruined our last day in Athens, and we
were barely able to make our flight to Florence later that afternoon.
At this point, I’ve been sent back and forth, filled out several reports, and everyone I speak with just tries to refer me to someone else. The Lost and Found people I spoke with on the
phone told me to talk to post-cruise support, who told us to contact Lost and Found. No supervisors available, and all I get is that "they are still working on finding my bag". It's been a month and a half.
At this point, a month and a half later, I have accepted that my luggage is lost forever. My clothes, my passports, my souvenirs from Greece. Some can be replaced; others cannot. At this point, I
would simply wanted to be reimbursed. The company has a maximum reimbursement of 600 Euros, which doesn't even come close to covering the cost of clothes, let alone passport fees or souvenirs. This clearly doesn’t account for the time we lost,
the stress, and the frustration, but I just want to accept it to get this all done and over with... l but they are still "looking into it". I've provided receipts, pictures, reports, and I feel they are just making this process drag on, so I get frustrated and just let it go.
The cruise was fine, nothing special, but I would have considered traveling with them again, but after having to deal with their customer service, I will never use them again.
AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS!
Use any other cruise line; I've never heard of a lost bag issue taking so long and being so complicated.

We had a terrible experience. First time I went on MSC under friends and family. We went on Seaside. Everyone that’s employed. There was so rude. We also had a bad experience. My boyfriend got electrocuted. We reported it asked them to come to the room. Had to call three different times they never came up. They took it as a joke. I ended up taking him to the ER on the ship spent time there didn’t enjoy our cruise whatsoever. Everyone in that cruise is rude. Also complaint to the complaint department of MSC. We went on the cruise in April still waiting for a response back terrible service terrible cruise line never cruise with them again.

Their status match program is misleading. They don't really match status. It is discretionary on their part.