MSC Cruises is a popular choice for families, and its newer ships feature a lot of tween and teen-friendly amenities. On ships with the Fantastica and Aurea packages, meals and snacks are included.
MSC offers a variety of sustainable tours that help protect the environment. You can also take advantage of the Explorer Packages that offer three top excursions at a discounted price.
Shore Excursions
If you want to explore the world on your cruise vacation, MSC offers a wide range of shore excursions that are perfect for every taste. You can choose from sightseeing tours of the local attractions to adventures that take you ashore to exotic destinations. You can book these tours online or at the cruise line’s shore excursion desk once you’re on board. The cruise line also offers a variety of packages to help you save money, including the Explorer Package, which allows you to pick three top excursions for a discounted price.
The number of shore excursions offered by MSC cruises has increased, with 1,390 options available this summer — the most that MSC has ever offered. These excursions include everything from extended stays ashore to half-day highlights. Some of these are part of the line’s Protectours, which allow guests to visit a destination while preserving its natural beauty and culture.
Some of these trips are a bit more expensive than others, but they can be worth it if you’re looking to explore a particular place. For example, the MSC Cruises excursion to the ancient ruins of Kohunlich in Mexico takes visitors through a Mayan acropolis and sunken palace. The MSC cruises excursion to the pristine beaches of Nassau, Bahamas, on its private island Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is another great choice.
Tours ashore
In addition to offering a wide variety of shore excursions, MSC Cruises also offers an extensive array of other onboard activities that make your cruise even more enjoyable. You can book these experiences ahead of time online or onboard your ship, though some of the most popular excursions fill up quickly and are limited to a set number of participants. Depending on your itinerary, you can choose from activities like touring Rome’s cobblestone streets or snorkeling at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve.
Modern savvy travelers want to experience more than just dipping their toes in a foreign destination’s local culture and cuisine. MSC Cruises has created unique, enriching tours that provide these curious wanderers with a complete, in-depth experience that expands their horizons.
The cruise line’s extensive range of tours for summer 2022 includes the return of its exclusive PROTECTOURS, first introduced in 2020. These unique excursion packages promote sustainability and responsible tourism by not only educating passengers about the natural environment of their destinations, but also by ensuring that all tour components – including transportation — are eco-friendly. Almost 70% of the PROTECTOURS include low-impact transportation options, such as walking or cycling.
Guests who book an MSC Excursion package can benefit from discounts by booking their tours in advance. This not only helps save money, but it also ensures that you can take part in popular excursions that may sell out.
Pre-booking
Guests can pre-book shore excursions online or onboard to save money and avoid disappointment. MSC Cruises offers more than 1,390 different excursions, including PROTECTOURS, the line’s sustainability tour programme, which focuses on providing original insights into local wildlife and nature while making a direct contribution to its conservation. Guests can also book an Explorer Package to enjoy three top excursions at a reduced price.
MSC Cruises is a Swiss-based global cruise line that operates ships around the world, including several routes in the United States. Its most popular itineraries are the Western Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean sailings, but the company has a full slate of worldwide voyages as well. The line’s newest ship, the MSC Bellissima, was named “Best New Ship” by U.S. News & World Report in 2019.
MSC cruises offer a variety of cabin types, with varying amenities and price levels. The line’s three levels of experience, Bella, Fantastica, and Aurea, vary by length of cruise and ship, but all include meals and onboard activities. In addition to the standard cabins, MSC also has special family staterooms called Super Family Cabins. These staterooms include a set of bunk beds and a separate room with a foldout couch, as well as two bathrooms. The company’s onboard entertainment is equally impressive, with theater shows and a ropes course among the many options available.
Onboard
MSC cruises offer plenty of onboard activities to keep you entertained. You can try your luck in the casino, swim in the pool, and enjoy Broadway-style shows. You can also dance the night away in one of the many bars and clubs. The ship’s entertainment schedule will provide you with all the details of each day’s events.
Guests can book their excursions online, or in person once onboard. You can choose from a wide variety of tours, including those that are only available to pre-booked passengers. Pre-booking your excursions is a great way to guarantee entry to popular attractions that may have limited walk-up ticket availability. You can even save money by booking a Tour Explorer Package, which includes three top excursions for a discounted price.
The food on MSC is generally praised by cruisers, although some people complain about the lower-end restaurants included with the tickets. They say that the meals are decent, but bland and made with low-quality ingredients. They also say that the portion sizes are smaller than what you would expect from a North American-based line. Additionally, the MSC customer service is often described as less obtrusive than on other lines that cater to English-speaking North American passengers. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on your preference.
