We have just returned from a 7 day cruise in the med (Barcelona Marseilles Genova Naples Messina and Valletta) and we were quite disappointed with the MSC Bellissima. It is not as beautiful as the MSC Seaside and there is no 'vibe' . The main attraction is supposed to be the 80-metre-long LED dome which turns out to be an overcrowded shopping mall. The Cirque du Soleil at Sea is supposed to be the other big attraction but there is an extra charge for that. The captain is barely visible or audible (we only saw him at the photo opportunity with captain event). The music is quite dull and depressing and there are very few daytime activities and most are chargeable. I have attended a Zumba session on a previous cruise which was held in one of the big theatres. It was free and great fun. Not on the Belissima! The Zumba started 15 minutes late as the teacher had to collect the fee and it was held in a tiny room that doubled up as the spinning studio in the gym area. Luckily there were only 5 (!) people attending. The gym is far too small for a ship this size and there is no area for floor work or stretching. I ended up stretching on the floor (no mats) in a little corridor outside the toilets with people stepping over me.

The other thing that bugs me is that on formal nights people are allowed to attend formal dinner in t shirts. Very few people wear dinner jackets and that is sort of fine. However can people not make a tiny effort and wear a shirt with maybe a tie, instead of a scruffy red tshirt? MSC should enforce a minimum clothing standard in the formal dining rooms on formal nights.

The food was fine with plenty of choice at the buffet. I would have liked longer opening hours which would have helped us avoid the 'scrum' that regularly occurs in the buffet area. Also, it would be nice if MSC stopped people from filling bottles from the water machines as this is not hygienic.