MSC Cruises

Is a suite upgrade worth it? After four sailings in interior cabins, I recently stayed in a balcony suite on MSC Seaside for a week-long cruise in the sunny southern Caribbean. Was it worth the extra money for a luxury accommodation on my MSC cruise? I was a little nervous to find out if my money was well spent. 

If you are new to MSC Cruises and thinking about giving them a try, there are a lot of benefits to sailing with this European cruise line. They offer some of the cheapest cruise fares in the market, making their voyages an incredible value. 

I recently sailed on MSC Divina for the first time on a super cheap four-night cruise to the Bahamas. Being an older ship, I was able to get a fantastic deal. I paid $185 per person, including Wi-Fi and a drink package. 

The cruise was such a great deal and as a last-minute add-on to another trip that I was on, I did not do much research about the ship itself, something I rarely do. 

Making mistakes on a cruise is often inevitable, and each mistake can cost passengers time, money, and regret later on. Even as someone who cruises frequently, I find myself making mistakes on every sailing, and my most recent cruise was no exception.

The very first cruise ship I ever sailed on was Oasis of the Seas. At the time, I did not realize that I was setting my cruise vacation bar so high. It was an incredible trip, and I immediately fell in love with cruising. 

The endless sea views, onboard fun, and tons of tasty food made it a great family vacation, not to mention the fantastic ports of call that we visited.  

Ocean Cay Marine Reserve is MSC Cruises’ private island in The Bahamas, and it’s everything you could hope for in a tropical paradise. With countless palm trees, eight beaches, a spa, and included food and drinks, it’s the ideal place to relax and unwind on an MSC cruise.

The food is inedible. 0/10.
It just keeps getting worse.
MSC has the worst food in the cruise industry.

If there’s anything I’ve learned from the internet, it’s that people love to complain, and there is no shortage of complaints about MSC Cruises’ food online.

On any cruise vacation you’re bound to come across things you enjoyed and, unfortunately, those things you would rather forget. Regardless of whether you book the cheapest or most luxurious cruise, no cruise vacation is perfect, after all.

I recently returned from a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on MSC Seaside. For the most part, I enjoyed everything about my week onboard, from the food to tropical destinations and fun activities.

Alcoholic drink packages are an extremely common add-on to purchase for an MSC cruise. Being able to enjoy an unlimited amount of tropical beverages while onboard is well worth the cost for many passengers. The cost of a drink package, however, can add up to over $500 for a weeklong sailing.

Even though I’ve been on nearly two dozen cruises, I’ve always been hesitant to purchase a cruise line’s drink package. While I enjoy drinking a cocktail or two each day, I never thought I would be able to “break even” on the cost of a drink package.