I loved that a free cruise on MSC was really free - didn't even have to pay port charges. The ship was stunning and incredibly clean. The interior cabin was very roomy but lacked storage and only has one US plug. We had a great room steward but they sure work the staff very long hours. Be prepared, this is an European based cruise line and their food, activites, and entertainment are set to cater to that clientele. English is not the main language so it was a little bizarre at first to be surrounded by so many people and have no clue what was being said. Every announcement and evening show was introduced in 5 different languages which is very time consuming. I was disappointed in the main dining room food choices but heard good things about several of their specialty restaurants. Every night They have shows with the same singers and dancers. The male singers were very poor and almost made the songs unrecognizable. They have 3 great polos that were completely packed during the day. There are very few daytime activities unless you want stretching or dancing classes. The casino had a nice selection of slots. I was pleased with the payouts throughout the cruise except for the last day, they made them noticeably tighter. If you want to earn the 9,999 pts for a free cruise, be sure to take advantage of their double points sessions in the morning and super late at night and skip the last day. I did leave the cruise with the same amount of money that I started with which is great after playing heavy all week. I don't think I would pay out my pocket to go on another MSC cruise but would consider if it was comped. They just need to revamp their activities and menus to appeal more to the US market. They did hire an amazing cruise director away from Holland America which was a step in the right direction.

The ship was beautiful; however, other than the shows that were all booked in advance, there was nothing else to do during the day. No music poolside or activities. The food and service was horrible. If you weren't from Europe you were treated poorly. Unfortunately, we felt the same way on the Seaside but decided to give them another try. We will not be doing another cruise with MSC.