Cruise Ship Reviews : MSC Cruises Reviews
zicot saw things this way:
Great cruise,, December 31, 2012
Reviewer: zicot
Pros: The entertainment team was great
Cons: Must reinforce dress code in main dining room
Date of cruise: December 15, 2012
Departure port: Fort de France
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Outside
Cabin number: 7138
Great team, great service. The servers need to speak more languages to be understood! The photos were great but a bit expensive. The ports of call were nice and varied, could have stayed in Tortola a little longer.
tcambron saw things this way:
Eastern Caribbean on MSC Lirica 1/3/2009, September 7, 2010
Reviewer: tcambron
Pros: Beautiful new ship in excellent condition
Cons: MSC not ready to compete in American market - service & food awful
Date of cruise: January 3, 2009
Departure port: Ft. Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 10005
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
Embarkation: Smooth and quick. No champagne offered when we boarded. Someone escorted us to cabin but did not offer to carry bags. On-line ?express check-in? did not work ? very confusing on whether it had to be done earlier than 48 hrs. or within 48 hrs. Ship was in very good condition. No signs of wear on carpet. All brass and metalwork shiny. Sufficient elevators ? seldom crowded and hardly ever had to wait. Artwork was sparse and not inspiring. Main theater was well designed with no posts or obstructed views. Other public areas were very nice. Cabin: Very nice, 250 sq ft including balcony. Bathroom had tub with shower and an odd smell. Steward filled little cup in floor with water and that helped for a day. Had to call twice to get fixed. Did not have flat screen TV. Small couch, and small glass table. One chair and stool. resh fruit in room. No chocolate at night. Very generous storage area. TV channels were CNN, TNT, ESPN (mostly international) and free movies (never watched). Listing for movie times was provided in daily program. TV did not have interactive channels with account info, room service, pay-per-view movies, etc. Program usually delivered when cabin cleaned. No newspaper on ship. In-room refrigerator.Did not put towel on floor beside bed. Terry cloth robes provided free. Balcony had two chairs and small table; well divided from neighbors. Library: We did not see it but heard that it was very small with few English books. Each morning had sudoku at Reception desk. No prizes. Fitness center: Very small. Required to register in order to use. Only three treadmills and two of them did not work. Couple of bikes, and no ellipticals. The instructions with weight machines were in Italian. Did not see any TVs. No heart rate monitors. Only tried to use once. Very poor. Internet caf?: Very expensive. Did not use. No movie theater. Entertainment: Good but same performers every night. There were no ?headliners?. Violin players in Atmosphere Lounge very good. No orchestra. ackground music for shows was recorded. No daily trivia. Only games were outside by pool. Mostly loud, juvenile and in Italian accent. Miniature golf was in terrible condition. Cruise director was never seen except a few times to introduce show. Coffee: Poor at buffet and restaurant. Coffee in coffee bar was good - $1.80 for Americano and $2.25 for cappuccino. Did not order cappuccino in restaurant Medium size ship (1,560 passengers capacity) ? few lines. Too much smoking. One whole lounge dedicated to smokers. Moderate announcements ? important announcements in five languages ? no captain?s talk at noon Life boat drill in five languages. Room service menu poor ? no hot breakfast - did not use. Dining room: Two dining rooms. Sat near front ? noisy ? first seating at 5:30. Original seat assignments were at three different tables for the four couples. Maitre?d was somewhat rude and made it difficult to change. It was resolved by second night. Waiter and bus boy did not introduce selves and did not address us by name. Waiter not very friendly. Waiter did not take ladies' orders first. Waiter reached across to deliver food and pick up. Waiter was inconsistent in which side he took order. No fresh ground pepper offered. Salad dressings were not brought to table but were already on salads. Service very slow. No wine steward ? drink orders difficult. Waiter had to get bar waiter. Once bar waiter took order from other side of table and refused request to come to my side, so I had to holler for him to hear order. The incorrect drink was then brought three different times. Did not have dinner in buffet. It was closed on formal nights. Three formal nights. No specialty restaurants. Food poor ? steaks overcooked, fish very small and generally dry, wiener schnitzel was greasy, reuben sandwich ordered at lunch was awful. Italian dishes and pastas were particularly disappointing. Appetizers okay but not as good as most ships. Salads okay. Cold soups were good Desserts poor in selection, quality and appearance. Lido buffet area large with duplicate single lines on each side. Never had problem finding seats. Dessert selection poor and same each day. Glasses for tea and water were extremely small (~3-4 oz.). Usually sat in outside section. Waiters in Lido did not refill coffee or tea. Never saw waiter carrying trays for passengers. Cooked to order omelets, pancakes and fried eggs available. Ice cream was $2.50 per serving outside of restaurant. Had midnight buffet (at 11 p.m.) but we did not go. Cabin steward good ? did not introduce himself, spoke often in hallway, did not call us by name. Photographers annoying ? had a large staff and were very intrusive. Captain spoke adequate English. Never saw him around ship. Staff did not move out of way in hallways. Passengers had to give way. Catholic priest said mass on Sunday. Deck chairs were of odd design that only allowed severe reclining position. The only way to read was to find a wall to prop chair against. Used hot pool ? water was not hot. Only two small hot pools. Towels by pool had to be signed out and returned to avoid a charge. No galley or bridge tours (security). Disembarkation was extremely slow once we were off ship. Boarding cards did not have picture ID ? had to carry photo id off and on ship but never checked. Service ? overall very poor. Crew seemed untrained and not very happy. Bar waiters did not push drinks. Tenders clean, nice and in good repair. Medical services were inexpensive - $35 for office visit. Wine and drinks inexpensive - $4 and 4.90 (for high ball) Not allowed to bring water, wine, cokes, etc. on board. E-mail said they would confiscate. Did not really seem to check.
jansarts saw things this way:
Very relaxing, but not "over the top" great value, August 17, 2010
Reviewer: jansarts
Pros: Cleanest, most pristine ship, pool was excellent, not too crowded
Cons: Entertainment, worst in the industry, casino tiny and short operating hours
Date of cruise: April 7, 2007
Departure port: ft.Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Jr. Suite
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
The MS Lirica was a very relaxing cruise, 11 days, overall great value. Went to very unique places, Panama, Columbia, Costa Rica, San Blas Etc. The atmosphere was very European. Italian is primary language spoken, but English easily understood. The ship is beautiful, spotless, very nice, hotel quality pools. The entertainment was basically boring, a few good shows, but mostly slapstick comedy. There are only balcony suites on board, the room was small but okay. We had a nice walk-in closet that had built in drawers, everything fit in the closet, which was nice, and a very large bathroom, even a bathtub. overall one of my favorite cruises.
Angelika2 saw things this way:
Excellent way of spending your vacation. Super service, high standard., July 15, 2010
Reviewer: Angelika2
Pros: Excellent service, very good food. Perfect junior suite with balcony.
Cons: The loud entertainment at the pool area during daytime.
Date of cruise: June 21, 2010
Departure port: Genova
Region visited: Mediterranean
Cabin category: Jr. Suite
Cabin number: 12020
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Surprisingly good way to travel and spend a vacation. This was our first cruise. The food and staff service were excellent. The cabin was perfect; big bed, enough space and a balcony. The logistics worked perfect in every way. The only thing to complain about was the entertainment around the pool area during daytime, too much noise for those who didn't want to participate. All in all, a very good experience! This was not our last cruise!!
MSC Lirica reviews
Average customer rating:
3.94 / 5
3.94 / 5Average Rating based on 4 Reviews:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
4.00
4.50
3.00
3.33
3.75
4.75
4.00
5.00
3.75
4.50
3.00
3.33
3.75
4.75
4.00
5.00
3.75
zicot saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
4
3
5
5
4
4
5
3
5
5
4
4
5
Great cruise,, December 31, 2012
Reviewer: zicot
Pros: The entertainment team was great
Cons: Must reinforce dress code in main dining room
Date of cruise: December 15, 2012
Departure port: Fort de France
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Outside
Cabin number: 7138
Great team, great service. The servers need to speak more languages to be understood! The photos were great but a bit expensive. The ports of call were nice and varied, could have stayed in Tortola a little longer.
tcambron saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
3
5
2
2
1
5
1
5
2
2
1
5
1
Eastern Caribbean on MSC Lirica 1/3/2009, September 7, 2010
Reviewer: tcambron
Pros: Beautiful new ship in excellent condition
Cons: MSC not ready to compete in American market - service & food awful
Date of cruise: January 3, 2009
Departure port: Ft. Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 10005
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
Embarkation: Smooth and quick. No champagne offered when we boarded. Someone escorted us to cabin but did not offer to carry bags. On-line ?express check-in? did not work ? very confusing on whether it had to be done earlier than 48 hrs. or within 48 hrs. Ship was in very good condition. No signs of wear on carpet. All brass and metalwork shiny. Sufficient elevators ? seldom crowded and hardly ever had to wait. Artwork was sparse and not inspiring. Main theater was well designed with no posts or obstructed views. Other public areas were very nice. Cabin: Very nice, 250 sq ft including balcony. Bathroom had tub with shower and an odd smell. Steward filled little cup in floor with water and that helped for a day. Had to call twice to get fixed. Did not have flat screen TV. Small couch, and small glass table. One chair and stool. resh fruit in room. No chocolate at night. Very generous storage area. TV channels were CNN, TNT, ESPN (mostly international) and free movies (never watched). Listing for movie times was provided in daily program. TV did not have interactive channels with account info, room service, pay-per-view movies, etc. Program usually delivered when cabin cleaned. No newspaper on ship. In-room refrigerator.Did not put towel on floor beside bed. Terry cloth robes provided free. Balcony had two chairs and small table; well divided from neighbors. Library: We did not see it but heard that it was very small with few English books. Each morning had sudoku at Reception desk. No prizes. Fitness center: Very small. Required to register in order to use. Only three treadmills and two of them did not work. Couple of bikes, and no ellipticals. The instructions with weight machines were in Italian. Did not see any TVs. No heart rate monitors. Only tried to use once. Very poor. Internet caf?: Very expensive. Did not use. No movie theater. Entertainment: Good but same performers every night. There were no ?headliners?. Violin players in Atmosphere Lounge very good. No orchestra. ackground music for shows was recorded. No daily trivia. Only games were outside by pool. Mostly loud, juvenile and in Italian accent. Miniature golf was in terrible condition. Cruise director was never seen except a few times to introduce show. Coffee: Poor at buffet and restaurant. Coffee in coffee bar was good - $1.80 for Americano and $2.25 for cappuccino. Did not order cappuccino in restaurant Medium size ship (1,560 passengers capacity) ? few lines. Too much smoking. One whole lounge dedicated to smokers. Moderate announcements ? important announcements in five languages ? no captain?s talk at noon Life boat drill in five languages. Room service menu poor ? no hot breakfast - did not use. Dining room: Two dining rooms. Sat near front ? noisy ? first seating at 5:30. Original seat assignments were at three different tables for the four couples. Maitre?d was somewhat rude and made it difficult to change. It was resolved by second night. Waiter and bus boy did not introduce selves and did not address us by name. Waiter not very friendly. Waiter did not take ladies' orders first. Waiter reached across to deliver food and pick up. Waiter was inconsistent in which side he took order. No fresh ground pepper offered. Salad dressings were not brought to table but were already on salads. Service very slow. No wine steward ? drink orders difficult. Waiter had to get bar waiter. Once bar waiter took order from other side of table and refused request to come to my side, so I had to holler for him to hear order. The incorrect drink was then brought three different times. Did not have dinner in buffet. It was closed on formal nights. Three formal nights. No specialty restaurants. Food poor ? steaks overcooked, fish very small and generally dry, wiener schnitzel was greasy, reuben sandwich ordered at lunch was awful. Italian dishes and pastas were particularly disappointing. Appetizers okay but not as good as most ships. Salads okay. Cold soups were good Desserts poor in selection, quality and appearance. Lido buffet area large with duplicate single lines on each side. Never had problem finding seats. Dessert selection poor and same each day. Glasses for tea and water were extremely small (~3-4 oz.). Usually sat in outside section. Waiters in Lido did not refill coffee or tea. Never saw waiter carrying trays for passengers. Cooked to order omelets, pancakes and fried eggs available. Ice cream was $2.50 per serving outside of restaurant. Had midnight buffet (at 11 p.m.) but we did not go. Cabin steward good ? did not introduce himself, spoke often in hallway, did not call us by name. Photographers annoying ? had a large staff and were very intrusive. Captain spoke adequate English. Never saw him around ship. Staff did not move out of way in hallways. Passengers had to give way. Catholic priest said mass on Sunday. Deck chairs were of odd design that only allowed severe reclining position. The only way to read was to find a wall to prop chair against. Used hot pool ? water was not hot. Only two small hot pools. Towels by pool had to be signed out and returned to avoid a charge. No galley or bridge tours (security). Disembarkation was extremely slow once we were off ship. Boarding cards did not have picture ID ? had to carry photo id off and on ship but never checked. Service ? overall very poor. Crew seemed untrained and not very happy. Bar waiters did not push drinks. Tenders clean, nice and in good repair. Medical services were inexpensive - $35 for office visit. Wine and drinks inexpensive - $4 and 4.90 (for high ball) Not allowed to bring water, wine, cokes, etc. on board. E-mail said they would confiscate. Did not really seem to check.
jansarts saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
5
5
2
4
4
5
3
4
5
2
4
4
5
3
4
Very relaxing, but not "over the top" great value, August 17, 2010
Reviewer: jansarts
Pros: Cleanest, most pristine ship, pool was excellent, not too crowded
Cons: Entertainment, worst in the industry, casino tiny and short operating hours
Date of cruise: April 7, 2007
Departure port: ft.Lauderdale
Region visited: Caribbean - Western
Cabin category: Jr. Suite
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
The MS Lirica was a very relaxing cruise, 11 days, overall great value. Went to very unique places, Panama, Columbia, Costa Rica, San Blas Etc. The atmosphere was very European. Italian is primary language spoken, but English easily understood. The ship is beautiful, spotless, very nice, hotel quality pools. The entertainment was basically boring, a few good shows, but mostly slapstick comedy. There are only balcony suites on board, the room was small but okay. We had a nice walk-in closet that had built in drawers, everything fit in the closet, which was nice, and a very large bathroom, even a bathtub. overall one of my favorite cruises.
Angelika2 saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
4
5
3
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
3
4
5
5
5
5
5
Excellent way of spending your vacation. Super service, high standard., July 15, 2010
Reviewer: Angelika2
Pros: Excellent service, very good food. Perfect junior suite with balcony.
Cons: The loud entertainment at the pool area during daytime.
Date of cruise: June 21, 2010
Departure port: Genova
Region visited: Mediterranean
Cabin category: Jr. Suite
Cabin number: 12020
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
Surprisingly good way to travel and spend a vacation. This was our first cruise. The food and staff service were excellent. The cabin was perfect; big bed, enough space and a balcony. The logistics worked perfect in every way. The only thing to complain about was the entertainment around the pool area during daytime, too much noise for those who didn't want to participate. All in all, a very good experience! This was not our last cruise!!
