MSC World Europa cruise 2023

[purifier]

My wife and I just booked a cruise on MSC to go on the new ship World Europa. The cruise is in April of 2023 starting in Barcelona. First time going to the Mediterranean. First time on MSC. We have cruised on 4 other cruise lines multiple times on each. I’d like to know the good and the bad about MSC from the people that have cruised with them. And also cruisers that have done the 7-day basic Mediterranean trip (good and bad things you would or wouldn’t do again). Thanks!

[Nunagoras]

Hi!... Welcome to the MSC boards!...

 

If you read the MSC Boards, you'll find pretty much most of the info you're asking for. If you need some info about the ports of call, please be free to go to the ports of call CC boards.

 

MSC is an Italian line, so, first advise: Expect a very multinational crowd aboard, and in result a very multilingual one as well. English won't be the most spoken language aboard, though, both crew and most of the well traveled MSC clientele will have some English speaking level at least to a certain degree that more than covers the basics.

 

At the time of your sailing, the World Europa will have just a few months in service. Considering it is the first on its class, expect a few small "bugs" to be ironed out with the time. The World Europa will just to be a little smaller than an RCI's Oasis Class vessel, so bear in mind with its size.

 

Otherwise what can I say? As far as I know, all your ports of call will to be within the confines of the Schengen Agreement, that said once you'll enter in Barcelona till you exit from Barcelona, you'll to be like if you were at the same country. Currency here and at the cruise will to be the Euro. I suggest you choose a card with no international fees associated with. Transaction currency change used by MSC will to be Bloomberg quote of the time of transaction, if by then they don't have an option to give you the bill directly in Dollars.

 

Barcelona is a very nice city to visit for some 2 days before the cruise, if you have that possibility. It is advisable to purchase the Sagrada Família Church entrance online to avoid the ques if you so want to go inside. Plenty of taxis running the city even though sort of on the expensive side of the pound. The "official" HOHO bus lines daily tickets are reasonably priced though, as well as their public transportation system.

 

If Rome is on your itinerary take the visit as just an opportunity to have a glimpse of what it has to offer. No time for more than that on a regular port day, considering the huge distance from port to city center.

 

Private shore excursions may be slightly less expensive than MSC sponsored ones, but if you don't feel comfortable with going on your own, pick the ships sponsored ones. In Rome, I think it is the best choice in any case. You won't like to be left behind the ship in case of a delay...

 

And more? Well: I think I've covered most of the basics. Read the most negative reviews in these boards with a grain of salt. MSC is surely different. I've covered that earlier on my post, but that doesn't mean they're worse than the others. If you have some experience with the likes of CCL, RCI or NCL, you'll know that you're on such a similar standards cruise line. MSC's website is not the best on this world for sure. Their call centers do have such a bad reputation on these boards for sure, but the onboard experience is usually consistent. Personally I'm not a fan of what I'm watching about the World ship class, but that may be subjective. Let the product to land out later in the year and we will see.

 

Have a nice day and a nice sailing!...

Edited April 5, 2022 by Nunagoras

[Byglandsfjord]

Hi Purifier:

Nunagoras covered the details. Well.

 

We sailed on the MSC Sinfonia in 2006 for a Med Solar Eclipse cruise, which we observed in Libya before the revolution.

 

Sinfonia was 4 years old, and it was a nice cruise. It was similar to HA or RCL. The food was good, the balcony room was comfortable. We had a great time. We've sailed on everything from Royal Mail ships/freighters to the Paul Gauguin.  We are booked on a balcony in 2023 from Jeddah Saudi Arabia to Rome on the World Europa. We can't wait. Your fellow passengers will be a very interesting international group.  And you will have a lot of fun, if you go with the flow. The announcements will be in 5-7 languages.  The food will be varied & interesting. Some will be delicious;  others will be the usual cruise food. If you want interesting ports MSC has them. If you want a Seabourn or Viking Ocean cruise, you will get many of the interesting ports too, but you will pay much more.

 

MSC's an Italian line, so things will be a  fluid sometime. It's like being in Rome compared to Zurich. 

 

Let the boards know after your cruise. 

[sverigecruiser]

On 4/5/2022 at 7:31 PM, purifier said:

My wife and I just booked a cruise on MSC to go on the new ship World Europa. The cruise is in April of 2023 starting in Barcelona. First time going to the Mediterranean. First time on MSC. We have cruised on 4 other cruise lines multiple times on each. I’d like to know the good and the bad about MSC from the people that have cruised with them. And also cruisers that have done the 7-day basic Mediterranean trip (good and bad things you would or wouldn’t do again). Thanks!

 

We are booked on that ship from Barcelona in July.

 

One bad thing with the "7-day basic trip" is that people will embark in every port. Some of the great cruisefeeling is then missed, I think.

 

Hopefully they will have some great italian food.

[deliver42]

Please, and I emphasize Please, don't call MSC for anything. They will probably screw your booking up.

[Utopia62]

On 4/6/2022 at 8:49 AM, Nunagoras said:

Hi!... Welcome to the MSC boards!...

 

If you read the MSC Boards, you'll find pretty much most of the info you're asking for. If you need some info about the ports of call, please be free to go to the ports of call CC boards.

 

MSC is an Italian line, so, first advise: Expect a very multinational crowd aboard, and in result a very multilingual one as well. English won't be the most spoken language aboard, though, both crew and most of the well traveled MSC clientele will have some English speaking level at least to a certain degree that more than covers the basics.

 

At the time of your sailing, the World Europa will have just a few months in service. Considering it is the first on its class, expect a few small "bugs" to be ironed out with the time. The World Europa will just to be a little smaller than an RCI's Oasis Class vessel, so bear in mind with its size.

 

Otherwise what can I say? As far as I know, all your ports of call will to be within the confines of the Schengen Agreement, that said once you'll enter in Barcelona till you exit from Barcelona, you'll to be like if you were at the same country. Currency here and at the cruise will to be the Euro. I suggest you choose a card with no international fees associated with. Transaction currency change used by MSC will to be Bloomberg quote of the time of transaction, if by then they don't have an option to give you the bill directly in Dollars.

 

Barcelona is a very nice city to visit for some 2 days before the cruise, if you have that possibility. It is advisable to purchase the Sagrada Família Church entrance online to avoid the ques if you so want to go inside. Plenty of taxis running the city even though sort of on the expensive side of the pound. The "official" HOHO bus lines daily tickets are reasonably priced though, as well as their public transportation system.

 

If Rome is on your itinerary take the visit as just an opportunity to have a glimpse of what it has to offer. No time for more than that on a regular port day, considering the huge distance from port to city center.

 

Private shore excursions may be slightly less expensive than MSC sponsored ones, but if you don't feel comfortable with going on your own, pick the ships sponsored ones. In Rome, I think it is the best choice in any case. You won't like to be left behind the ship in case of a delay...

 

And more? Well: I think I've covered most of the basics. Read the most negative reviews in these boards with a grain of salt. MSC is surely different. I've covered that earlier on my post, but that doesn't mean they're worse than the others. If you have some experience with the likes of CCL, RCI or NCL, you'll know that you're on such a similar standards cruise line. MSC's website is not the best on this world for sure. Their call centers do have such a bad reputation on these boards for sure, but the onboard experience is usually consistent. Personally I'm not a fan of what I'm watching about the World ship class, but that may be subjective. Let the product to land out later in the year and we will see.

 

Have a nice day and a nice sailing!...

[Utopia62]

Hi, what great comments! I am Australian, from the tiny island of Tasmania, I am booked on this cruise, fly to Dubai and board the ship there and disembark in Genoa, then do a 7 day tour of Italy which is part of the package. So looking forward to it as Covid put a stop to my Bellissimo cruise. Hope to meet you all on board 🤞