scareyness

We're considering a 30 day cruise on the MSC Splendida, starting end of March 2019. We've never sailed with that company. Can anyone tell us where the smoking areas are, on this ship? We called the company and the person we spoke to didn't seem to be completely sure about this.

Can anyone tell us what the gym was like? We like to use it every morning.

Do they have a beauty salon?

They have a very low passenger to staff ratio. Is this going to be a problem?

Any other thoughts about this ship from people who have been on it recently?

Thank you.

Hi

If you are doing a 30 day cruise on Splendida then you won't need the gym, the ship is soooo HUGE that you will do so much exercise just getting from one area to another! lol

Yes, there is a beauty salon.

The staff ratio to passengers is the lowest we have ever had on a ship, it was okish, but at times could have done with more staff in the buffet, bars and reception.

For us the ship was beautiful, but just much to big and noisy.

I brought the surfer package in advance and got 960MB, not that I even understood what that meant. lol

We were on a 7 night cruise. I needed to check my emails numerous times a day and also be able to get into my booking system to add bookings (I own a guest house)

I found the whole issue and absolute wind up! I had huge difficulties logging in, I managed to register my tablet but not my phone (you can add 2 devices) someone on reception kindly helped me to add my phone. They told me wifi was available anywhere on the ship. It was not!

I tried just about every location, cabin, on deck, in reception, in all the bars, it was soooooo slow!

I used 40mb out of 960, total waste of time for me.

Yes the price was a big thing for us too.

I guess July will be very busy with families too, but as you say some fabulous ports of call to look forward to.

The best thing I can suggest, is to make a list of all you liked and enjoyed on those ships as well as anything you didn't like. The read as much as you can on the pros and cons of Splendida and see how they match up with what you want from a cruise.

It is very difficult to judge by what other people say as we are all different. (thankfully lol) but our experience last week has made me realise that I need to pick much more carefully for our next cruise.

Sometimes you think you have it right but you don't :(

One thing I made a BIG mistake on was thinking there would maybe only a few children. OMG how wrong was I! Didn't realise it was holiday time in Italy. It had devastating consequences for us :(

Thank you for your feedback, now I feel that we have made a big mistake in going with the MSC Splendida. Not sure if we can still change it.

 

Thank you

Have you cruised before?

Hi

We were on Splendida last week, currently attempting my first cruise review!

This was our first MSC cruise, had planned another one in October but not going now.

For us the ship was just too big and so busy with many large family groups of very noisy, rude, inconsiderate Italians.

I have found this review which is very interesting reading, hope it helps you. I found it in the list of reviews for MSC Spelendida on this forum.

MSC Splendida Overview

By David G. Molyneaux, Cruise Critic contributor

Yes, only Heineken available, seems crazy as all the beer prices were the same!

Brilliant, many thanks for the advice :)

Perfect! That's what I was looking for, many thanks :)

Is it worth buying a package before we board?

I would possibly need to go online for 10-15 minutes a day to check my business emails and maybe post a few pictures to my social media for family so not huge usage.

In the past have found using internet very expensive on ships, so not wanting to spent loads of money on it.

I can use free wifi when ashore, but I'm not usually one for spending ages online when in port, got better things to do! :)

Any advice much appreciated. :)

Someone posted photographs of what is included on the Allegrissimo drinks package recently, but I cannot find it. Anyone able to direct me to it please? Thanks in advance. :)

We received an upgrade to YC on an April sailing in Europe. We found out just before our ticket information was Emailed to us. We already had purchased a drinks package so we were able to order at the YC bars but we were not allowed to use the mini bar. My memory is not what it used to be but I think that is how it was.

 

It was a very pleasant surprise and it got us hooked on the YC experience. We don't expect to ever cruise (at least with MSC) and not book a YC cabin.

I only found out a few weeks ago about the upgrade, We had already purchased the drinks package. I only found out about upgrade when I added passport details, we wen't actually told about it!

Looking forward to our 1st MSC cruise what ever it brings. Not bothered about mini bar, but do hope for some sunshine!!!! lol

Hope you have a really wonderful time and that you get the whole YC experience :D

 

Best of luck and bon voyage ;)

Thanks very much, I hope we do. have had a very seriously bad time of late and a much needed break is needed! Very much looking to our 1st MSC cruise what ever it brings :)

Please do ............... there is a serious lack of information about upgrades to YC. For all other upgrades, you get the cabin upgrade but not the 'Experience'. In your case, I don't believe you can have one without the other.

I will post for sure. As this is our first MSC cruise and also our first upgrade I will be interested to find out myself! Also had many posts about this situation, as you say not sure how we can get one without the other? Will they physically stop us using the YC areas of the ship? Will have to wait and see I guess, 5 days to go!!! :) :)

I booked a fantastica balcony, been upgraded to a suite :) 5 days and counting

Found your review brilliant as we are off on our 1st MSC cruise in just under 2 weeks. We have the algressimo drinks package so pleased I got that. Excellent tip re the stairs, I fell down a wet stair case in Tunisia 2 years ago and broke 5 ribs in my back and am paranoid about stairs now :( so glad of the advance warning. Fab pics too. Thanks very much for taking the time to do your 1st review!

Hi

 

Just happened to read a thread about someone who had been on MSC on the P&O board and are curious re MSC now and what it offers. We are pretty easy to please and will book knowing what we have booked and will go along with it all. (Hate it when people want the cruise line to change to what they want!) I.e. we fit our holiday to whatever cruise line we book.

 

We would have to sail in mid August and are interested in a cruise from Naples or similar.

 

Have read about the Yacht perks ---- seems good to us.

 

How does MSC compare to P&O and Celebrity?

 

Thanks everyone

Our 2nd cruise was with P&O on Arcadia and we loved it, last cruise was on Ventura, did not like it. So far Celebrity have been our favourite. Doing our 1st MSC cruise in just under 2 weeks so will let you know the difference on our return. We have a free upgrade to YC but unsure what we will get for that.

One thing we have always found, (and this is not to upset or offend anyone) but different nationalities like or prefer different things in our experience. As an example, we have found some guests from USA but obviously not all, not so keen to dress up in formal wear in the evenings and many have been upset if lobster is not on the menu. I love dressing up and have no interest in lobster, that's what we love about cruising, we are all so different.

We cruised with Celebrity in the med taking in Naples and it was just amazing. Will be interested to see how MSC fare in the med, but in any event I am very lucky to be able to cruise :)

Do you enjoy dancing, other people doing the cleaning and cooking for you, not having to drive from port to port, or checking into hotels every evening, people watching, exotic foreign ports, new experiences and ideas, gambling, drinking swimming, massages, steam rooms, working out at the gym, and watching sunrises, and sunsets from your own balcony? If no, you will hate this cruise, otherwise, You will love this cruise. Young people like you would fit right in. Don't worry about the language issue, the crew speaks fluent "U.S. dollar". The shows are one notch above other cruise lines sailing the Caribbean, and you can keep to yourself as much or as little as you want. No one will tell you what to do, except during the mandatory emergency drill. Yuk. If there is one thing I learned, and like, about Italy and the Italian people is their philosophy of "live and let live".

 

 

 

So, Ya'll enjoy your cruise.

 

Cheers .

What a fabulous post and soooo true! :)

We have booked a balcony cabin for 2 weeks time on Splendida, just 2 of us. Knew our cabin number on day of booking, a few weeks ago found out we have been upgraded to YC, not sure why we got upgrade, but will post experience on our return. :)

I have been given a free upgrade to YC, can anyone advise me if that means we must now eat every meal in the YC dining areas? I don't seem to be able to find the answers I want to questions re the upgrade.

MSC will not speak to me regarding this as I did not book direct with them. The Agent I booked with just says I should be delighted with the upgrade. But as I am not sure what it entails totally finding it difficult to be so enthusiastic.

Can you expand on this as no-one seems to know how YC benefits are withheld? Was your friend assigned dining in the YC restaurant, have access to the Top Sail Lounge and the One Pool bar? Did drinks have to be paid for in the enclave?

Thanks for bringing that up, thats EXACTLY what I want to find out.If you have a room in YC how can they stop you using the facilities of YC?

Delighted to have found this thread. We sail in just under 5 weeks time on Splendida our first cruise with MSC so I am very happy to have got so much more detailed info.

The only slight concern I have had is with us being English, I have spoken with people who have been on cruises with non English speaking passengers and they found it a problem. Guess serves us right for being lazy!

I booked a fantastica balcony cabin, requested late sitting dinner with table of 6/8 and brought an allegrissimo drinks package and have spent the last few months looking forward to the cruise.

Last week I found out that our flight from Gatwick has switched terminals (we have a room booked in North and are now flying from South, which is not too much of an issue) our flight times have also changed, all the port in/out times have altered. Also we have been given an upgrade to YC. I have been unable to find out if that means we will not stick to our late seating and table requirements, or if we have to eat in the separate YC dining areas.

Does anyone have any knowledge on this?

Hi everyone.

 

I am planning 2018 cruise. Planning a 12/14 nt cruise on Divina or Seaside. I will be booking through the EU or UK site the fantastica package doesn't include any drinks.

 

What I want to know is the pppn cost of the alcoholic drink package (not mealtime package) so I can calculate the price difference between aurea room/suit.

 

A couple of years ago the package was only €26 pppn, but my cruise brochure shows it as €43 pppn, that's quite an increase in 2 years.

 

Your input would be appreciated 😀 I'm going in Aurea suit this September, so am familiar with this class.

 

Kerry

 

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I paid £140 pp for our all inclusive drinks package, drinks packages seem to always work out well for us. In the past I have been able to get fresh juice at breakfast, nice coffees during the day and after dinner, as well as bottles of water, hope this works out for us this time! We have also been given an upgrade to YC, never sailed with MSC so hope it is going to be a fab experience :)

2 but you don't have to dress up extremely formal - just nice. I wore a dressy maxi dress on both nights, my husband wore a dark suit and tie. However there were a few women in sparkling dresses and I saw at least 2 men in tuxes.

Many thanks. I love dressing up lol

Can anyone advise how many formal nights there would be on a 7 night MSC cruise please? Thanks in advance.