MSC Virtuosa - 25/6-02/07

[wood868]

Just got off this cruise yesterday, we had an okay time, it wasn't the best or worst, MSC has definitely made the cruise more UK friendly with kettles in the cabin, proper scones for afternoon tea etc.

 

I can offer assistance to anyone who maybe is booked on this with answers to questions about the ship or anything to put your mind at ease about the experience etc.

 

Embarkation- This was handled extremely well, roll up at the terminal, hand over your bags and we was on the ship within 20 minutes- they didn't ask to see our travel insurance documents, but did want the negative test results and boarding pass- so anyone stressing about the insurance, get it for obvious reasons, but they did not want to review it on this occasion which seemed strange to us.

 

Food and Drink- The menu had again been tailored to what they felt British people want, roast dinner on the menu each night, chicken Kyiv, Apple Pie, the food was small in quantity and also bland in taste, we have cruised MSC twice before and enjoyed the experience, we later learned the dining staff is new to the ship which explained some of the chaos with the service we experienced, We struggled to obtain drinks as we were constantly told 'that's not available or 'we don't have that' so they tended to push you towards 'Pinot Grigio' which was the cheapest wine they had, we could have got by with the basic drinks package if it had not been included as part of our package.

 

Entertainment- Lots of singing, dancing and general theatre type shows, average to good quality, they had a British comedian who wasn't to our taste, lots of recycled jokes from more famous comedians, the older people seemed to enjoy it so maybe we're just from a different age group, The singing was okay, but we both felt Princess and Celebrity had better entertainment.

 

Cabin- As people mention they are smaller than most, and storage is pretty bad, we had a standard balcony on deck 10, Mid-Aft - when the sea was moving we really did feel the movement, this was our fault as we booked the 'Bella' package so we had no choice over location, bed was firm to hard and pillows not the best, I prefer a firmer pillow as an example. 

 

Bars/Lounges- the ship was only sailing with around 3500 pax we understood, it was almost impossible to get a seat at some venues such as the Sky Lounge as there are so few places to get a drink during the evening, the English-style pub was always popular but just didn't have a nice ambiance. The Virtuosa lounge is right on the main promenade and this was where they held most events such as the silent disco and the White party so it was noisy and busy each night. If this ship was sailing full then we could only fear how crowded it would feel.

 

Disembarkation- We chose to self-assist disembark and were told we needed to register for this on day 6 of the cruise, in reality, nobody checked and there were about 500 others queuing to get off, so I would say this is the easiest way to leave the ship, we was off within 30 minutes and in the car heading home up the M3 whilst everyone else was still eating breakfast.

 

Overall MSC feel there is a demand for UK-centric cruises from Southampton but this is not something we would repeat, they will do the same with the Grandiosa next summer but we for sure will not be on board!!

 

 

 

 

 

[GonzoWCS]

Thanks for this!

 

Cheers

[showingdiva]

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy some aspects of Virtuosa.  Having just returned from a cruise on her a few weeks ago, I would agree that embarkation / disembarkation is quick.

 

It's a shame the food fell below your expectations.  I agree that the general MDR portion sizes are small, but never had any difficulty if I wished extra vegetables, or in one case in deliberating between two starters, the waiter brought both.   As a vegetarian (well, pescatarian), I can't comment on the British roast dinners, but my travel companion said those served in the buffet were very acceptable.

 

Oddly enough, whilst I'm a good "sailor", I've never once felt any movement on Virtuosa (admittedly, the weather was kind on both cruises).

 

I hope, despite everything, you had a good break and you find a cruise line / ship you prefer.

 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by showingdiva

[Trevor Fountain]

18 hours ago, wood868 said:

Just got off this cruise yesterday, we had an okay time, it wasn't the best or worst, MSC has definitely made the cruise more UK friendly with kettles in the cabin, proper scones for afternoon tea etc.

 

I can offer assistance to anyone who maybe is booked on this with answers to questions about the ship or anything to put your mind at ease about the experience etc.

 

Embarkation- This was handled extremely well, roll up at the terminal, hand over your bags and we was on the ship within 20 minutes- they didn't ask to see our travel insurance documents, but did want the negative test results and boarding pass- so anyone stressing about the insurance, get it for obvious reasons, but they did not want to review it on this occasion which seemed strange to us.

 

Food and Drink- The menu had again been tailored to what they felt British people want, roast dinner on the menu each night, chicken Kyiv, Apple Pie, the food was small in quantity and also bland in taste, we have cruised MSC twice before and enjoyed the experience, we later learned the dining staff is new to the ship which explained some of the chaos with the service we experienced, We struggled to obtain drinks as we were constantly told 'that's not available or 'we don't have that' so they tended to push you towards 'Pinot Grigio' which was the cheapest wine they had, we could have got by with the basic drinks package if it had not been included as part of our package.

 

Entertainment- Lots of singing, dancing and general theatre type shows, average to good quality, they had a British comedian who wasn't to our taste, lots of recycled jokes from more famous comedians, the older people seemed to enjoy it so maybe we're just from a different age group, The singing was okay, but we both felt Princess and Celebrity had better entertainment.

 

Cabin- As people mention they are smaller than most, and storage is pretty bad, we had a standard balcony on deck 10, Mid-Aft - when the sea was moving we really did feel the movement, this was our fault as we booked the 'Bella' package so we had no choice over location, bed was firm to hard and pillows not the best, I prefer a firmer pillow as an example. 

 

Bars/Lounges- the ship was only sailing with around 3500 pax we understood, it was almost impossible to get a seat at some venues such as the Sky Lounge as there are so few places to get a drink during the evening, the English-style pub was always popular but just didn't have a nice ambiance. The Virtuosa lounge is right on the main promenade and this was where they held most events such as the silent disco and the White party so it was noisy and busy each night. If this ship was sailing full then we could only fear how crowded it would feel.

 

Disembarkation- We chose to self-assist disembark and were told we needed to register for this on day 6 of the cruise, in reality, nobody checked and there were about 500 others queuing to get off, so I would say this is the easiest way to leave the ship, we was off within 30 minutes and in the car heading home up the M3 whilst everyone else was still eating breakfast.

 

Overall MSC feel there is a demand for UK-centric cruises from Southampton but this is not something we would repeat, they will do the same with the Grandiosa next summer but we for sure will not be on board!!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your honest review.  However, I am slightly confused. You say you have cruised with MSC twice before. Your signature shows that you have completed three cruises. You also say that this cruise wasn't the best or the worst. Does this then make this the second best cruise you've ever been on. If you have only done three, and this wasn't the worst, are you sure you even enjoy cruising. It doesn't seem to me that it's your cup of tea.

[LifeonMars]

Been on Virtuosa many times, In my opinion the food is very good  Especially the Pisa and pasta which is made on board and is better than P&O when you compare prices paid.  Virtuosa  for cooked Breakfast in the Buffet is exceptional and even has sliced Gammon for breakfast ! .  (You must walk around the complete Buffet to see  the whole selection)  Gala nights  have Surf and turf with the turf being extremely large prawns. Waiters will supply you what you wish from the menu, portions are small but you can order however many courses you wish. Butchers Cut Speciality restaurant is exceptional and although small very popular and booking a must.   The Cabins I have had, have easier access to the wardrobes  than the cabins on P&O Iona.  Regarding Pillows 2 hard and two soft are supplied. Yorkshire Tea bags also onboard.   

[eric1969]

Thanks wood868 for your post. We are on the Virtuosa from 22/07 in Palma to 30/07 in Southampton and I have a couple of questions. 

1. Do you recall which nights were formal / gala nights? We will visit the 4 speciality restaurants so I'm just trying to work out a plan. I appreciate that they are not as formal as other cruises. 

2. Was the waterpark timed and limited entry?

 

Thanks