MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises just had its best month ever, with nearly 400,000 bookings, and they launched their biggest cruise ship to date, MSC World Europa.

While new to many in North America, the European cruise line is a growing presence in the cruise market, with 20 plus ships and plenty more on the way.

One of the best things about cruising is the great places you get to visit, but excursions can be pricey, some even costing hundreds of dollars for families. 

But there is good news for MSC cruisers visiting the cruise line's private island in the Bahamas. You can have an incredible day without spending any extra money. Not a penny

I recently sailed on my very first MSC cruise aboard MSC Seashore, touring the western Caribbean as well as the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas.

I was very excited to try out this new ship from the European cruise line, which is growing its North American presence.

Overall, I very much enjoyed my inaugural MSC cruise, relishing all that the ship had to offer, as well as some incredible port stops.

Here are some of my main takeaways after my weeklong cruise.

I have been lucky enough to travel on some fantastic cruise ships, and up until this last voyage, they were all with Royal Caribbean. Just this summer, I got to experience the cruise line's s newest vessel, Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world. My family and I toured the Mediterranean on a truly memorable vacation.

Today is a sea day and, sadly, the last day of my cruise.  It is amazing how quickly a week goes by, especially with four port stops to fill the days.

I am jealous of those people doing a back to back cruise; I can definitely see the appeal of another week onboard.

I have very much enjoyed my first MSC cruise, and the ship has a lot to offer. Even today, I found some new spots I had not visited before, proving I do need to spend more time on this ship. 

This morning we arrived in Costa Maya after traveling northwest over night from Roatan.

My first time visiting this Mexican port, I was excited to see what it offered.

From my research, I knew there was a port complex with some shops, restaurants and activities, so I had no formal plans, rather just to go with the flow.

Here is how I spent my last port day on this western Caribbean sailing aboard MSC Seashore.

Leaving Mexico behind, today we ventured to Roatan, an island off the mainland of Honduras. MSC does not normally make this port stop, so many guests were excited to visit.

I have been to the island once before and was in awe of its natural beauty and very excited to have the opportunity to visit again.

Since we changed itineraries due to the weather, I had a credit for refunded excursions, so I decided to book Big French Key, a beach day to relax.

Here is how my day went.

We arrived early this morning in Cozumel and the sun has not yet risen. What a treat to see a Caribbean sunrise; a truly peaceful way to start the day.

After the sea day yesterday, I was looking forward to checking out our first Mexican port stop and exploring the downtown area.

Our weather forecast was once again favorable with mostly sun and a small chance of rain.

Here is how I spent my fourth day onboard the MSC Seashore.

Today is our first sea day, as we leave the Bahamas behind and head southwest toward Mexico and our next port of call in Cozumel. 

A sea day is a perfect time to leisurely explore the ship and enjoy some more of the sunny weather we have been blessed with to date. 

So far, I have very much enjoyed my cruise on MSC Seashore and am eager to try out some new spots onboard, as well as relax.

Here is how I spent my day.