To introduce myself, I am a 24 year old American guy that went on this trip with a friend and this is my third cruise (2 others were on Carnival. I like MSC more). I've never written a review before, but I feel obliged to after seeing the negativity on here and then experiencing such a wonderful time. I was nervous after reading some negative reviews, but I couldn't have been more pleased. Embarkation was smooth and fast and the ship was absolutely gorgeous. The food was to die for. I mean really, PHENOMENAL food. The pizza was the best that I've ever had, and I've gotten pizza all over the world, including Italy. The buffet was always fresh and had tons of options. There were always healthy options, like fresh fruit and delicious healthy meals. There were also lots of options that cater to the American market more, such as burgers and things. I had a taco and it was delicious. There were foods from all over the world and all were great. And that's the buffet. The main dining experience was as good as it gets. Wonderful bread, interesting appetizers, fantastic entrees and hit-or-miss, but mostly great desserts. The wait staff was polite and efficient. All the workers, in general, were extremely polite and helpful. The drinks all over were really tasty, affordable, and bar tenders would always "make them strong" if I asked them to. The shows were very entertaining. Their performers are very talented. They are also the perfect length, at 40 minutes each. The excursions (mine were Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, and Costa Maya) were really fantastic. Bright blue water, easy to get off the ship, lots of options for what to do. There were interactive screens all over the ship that could show you what was going on, you could sign up for shows, and it'd even give you directions to a certain place on the ship if you needed it. Really clever. The pools and hot-tubs were always pretty crowded, but that's to be expected. They certainly weren't impossible to get in. Especially, the pools. They always had room. The basketball/soccer court was really great. It was very nice to get to play sports with some foreigners. That's another thing, there are people from all over the world. That was a plus for me, as I'm pretty extroverted and I love meeting people. And meet people, I did. I made about 35-40 friends, literally. At night, there was tons of dancing and a lot of people stayed out. I was out until 3am two nights and one night, I was out having a blast until 5am. I guess it depends on who's on the ship but I met a great group from Argentina and we all danced the night away quite a few times.
The activities on the ship were great, it just kind of sucks that a lot of them cost extra money, such as the pool table, F1 simulator, zip-line, etc. Still worth it, though, I'd say. The gym was crowded in the mornings, but there was a plethora of equipment and it was easy to get a great work-out. The cabins were really great and very clean. There was always live music that was phenomenal. The atrium, and everywhere else, were beautiful. The furniture alone was astonishing. It was so modern and stylish, yet comfortable. The shopping was great, too, and I'm certainly not rich. I bought a really great GUESS watch for 40% off, as well as a not-as-high-end watch for only $20. They both look great. It is a very affordable ship, overall. I'm a 24 year old nurse and I think it was a steal. I loved everything about this ship. Top-to-bottom, it was an incredible experience and a really enjoyable way to see the Caribbean. The absolutely astonishing parts that truly stand-out to me were the food, the beauty of the ship, and the diversity of cultural elements. I can't believe how anyone didn't absolutely love this ship but I met one "cruise critic" and he and his wife had a truly negative attitude. It was suddenly clear that it was people like them leaving the negative reviews. With some people, nothing is ever enough and they would rather focus on small errors, rather than the incredible experience that the MSC delivers. If you go in with an appreciative, optimistic attitude, I promise that this ship will give you the time of your life. Feel free to ask me any questions. I also have lots of pictures if anyone would like to see them. Give this ship a shot, you won't be disappointed unless you're a glass half empty type of person. Even then, I'm not sure what else you could want. I had an unbelievably great time and will surely be back.
The cabin was really great. No, it's not the size of a hotel room but it was me and another man and we had plenty of room. It was always cleaned promptly and thoroughly.
I didn't do an excursion, we toured the port for a bit and then took a taxi to Manhual. It's right down the street. We had a wonderful time shopping, having drinks on the beach, and I got a super cheap, wonderful massage on the beach. It was a spectacular time.