My wife and I, both retirees, have taken more than thirty cruises but this was our first cruise with MSC. We decided to take this cruise at short notice and selected the Lirica because of the itinerary and the price. Had I read the reviews before booking the cruise I might have had second thoughts. But it was too late to cancel so we decided to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. As it was, it turned out to be one of our most enjoyable cruises.

Embarkation was swift and problem free and we were pleasantly surprised by the friendly welcome with which we were greeted. At disembarkation we were part of a large group of passengers who elected to carry off their own luggage. There was some congestion around the gangway which might easily have been avoided if the group had been divided into two or more sub-groups. However, this was no more than a minor glitch in what was otherwise a smooth process.

All the reviews that I had read before boarding the ship, even the most negative ones, commented on the cleanliness of the ship. We fully agree with this assessment and found the Lirica to be amongst the cleanest ships that we have ever sailed on. The housekeeping department deserves the highest praise. Read more