MSC weekend cruise to Guernsey…….a bigger ship…… with so many floors (hmm….. wrong spelling perhaps?)

If you would rather the short version, you are welcome to skip straight to the end. If you find yourself in South America, you’ve gone too far, though feel free to read on, as it is very interesting!

Booked some months ago as a taster, and to pop the cherry of our very good friends’ cruise virginity. A much larger ship than we have been on before.

I have to say before you get any further, all opinions are my own and a fair few from the group, and all with the background of having done a few cruises, all of which having been bowled over by the amazing level of service and attentiveness by the staff and absolutely amazing food, which you know for us includes the question of somewhat odd dietary requirements. They, therefore, may be biased for having been treated so well on previous cruises, and others may have a different opinion. It has been impossible not to draw comparison.

You are probably aware of the first flaw. Not long after booking they declared we were no longer doing Guernsey but Cherbourg. A big disappointment however should not need to distract from sharing the trip with our friends.

Let’s share some positives.

Check in. So smooth. Hardly any time taken. Could not fault it.

The ceilings in the main walkway had different art every time you saw it. Very impressive.

And we found the pub right there doing Belgian beer (well, luckily, there was one of them they had not run out of)

The water flumes and high wire were a big highlight. Absolutely brilliant! We may have got hailed on while on the high wire, and for some reason our private photographer didn’t catch that time frame (I think he may have run in and left us out there!) There was also much shaking in the ropes for some reason!?

Cherbourg was a pretty port, though the town very sleepy and closed on a Sunday.

The cruise was much less family and kids than expected and full of hen and stag parties, and quite a challenge at some bars. Apparently, this is not a normal and was due to it being a weekend.

The second flaw has to be the emergency musters. As with previous, you watch a video and then attend your muster station to scan in so they know you have been there. However, rather than give a several hour window to do this, there was a 20-minute madness for all to do it, and your charge card would not work until you had. Having just showered, we were late to our muster point and were told that’s fine, as long as we have been, it doesn’t need scanning. Hmm. Thankfully, we stumbled on another and scanned in there. We weren’t the only ones saying this. I believe a fail in their safety regulations.

And we’re off!…..

So lovely to sail off and see Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

The MSC app. Great concept showing all the activities for the day and much more……. if you can stay on their WiFi long enough, however the constant logging you off makes it useless.

Interestingly, on day 2, you could see the full listings for day 3……. the sail away party we are not going to, etc!

The silent disco. Great concept, and enjoyed them before. Shame they didn’t plan for enough sets of headphones so had run out. We managed to catch someone going to give them back. We took back the spare to discover they all need checking back in otherwise there is a deposit charged to the people that checked them out. Not only will many people get a charge, but that will make for a big queue giving them back!

White night. The second evening had a great theme. Most people dressed to impress. Shame no-one thought to ensure we knew about the theme with enough notice.

Theatre shows. These needed booking and a smaller theatre just on one floor, though there were many stand by seats. A great show of music and dancing. There were a couple of the dancers doing amazing flips etc. Shame it was only 35 minutes. You could also pay to go to a different show. We did not try this.

Apparently there was a light show on the arcade ceiling after each theatre show……. if you got out fast enough to see it.

The rooms. Normally, the room service is impeccable, and the person doing it is so lovely and cannot do enough for you. We met him once. The room was generally clean apart from a lack of hoovering. No turndown or chocolates.

Our friends’ room had not been cleaned when we were allowed to go in to drop our bags. However, even after cleaning, there was no toilet roll, not enough cups, and not enough pool towels. We were already aware the pool towels can be swapped at the pool, however if missing on check out, we will be charged. They also had random things of previous occupiers under the bed. On asking for toilet roll, you would think an apology and for them to quickly appear with some. No, they were disbelieved and told it was there.

Dining. Wow, where do I start?

I think we had previously asked to group our set time dining to a table of 5. On board, we found it not the case so amended. This meant our dining room, time, and table number were handwritten on our cards, which, of course, soon smudged. We rocked up on time. One waiter disagreed with the number we thought it was. Either way, the five of us, with just as many waiters, ended up strolling around the whole restaurant looking for the table number. They were certainly not logical in location! Finally, the waiter put two tables together based on the number we had said it was.

Wow, have you ever wandered around a restaurant trying to find the table you should be on?!

We were allowed one menu to share as the intention was to use the QR to view the food and drinks menu. Apart from not liking the concept of using phones at the dinner table, which whilst may work for a pub it does not say luxury dining, may have worked if the app did! The children’s menu took several asks.

No sommelier, of course, and playing the guessing game of what wines they may have. Certainly no opportunity to have an opinion on the best wine for a dish. You were lucky to have more than one choice of white wine. The food did not wow us.

Breakfast. The menu looked very promising. After needing to ask a couple of times for water, and of course the one menu had been round enough times for us to choose, we finally gave up and asked to place the food order. It was not, however, our turn. There was another 15 minutes before we were in turn to place our food order. Asking someone else a little later seemed to have queue jumped a little.

The waiting staff did not seem busy or attentive. The dining service could not be more different to our last cruise. A huge disappointment, especially as we considered this a big part we wanted to show our virgin cruiser friends.

Back to the buffet. The food good but it doesn’t make it our kind of evening.

Allergies? Not one person asked.

The small things we now see as normal on a cruise that makes it amazing that just weren’t there……..

The staff being so polite and chatty to make your day fab.

Rocking up at a bar and they know your name and order. Certainly no queuing or having to fight to get noticed.

Rocking up in the jacuzzi and a bar person appearing from nowhere to take an order.

The restaurant staff all knowing you and having a laugh with them and impeccable service and food.

The attentiveness of the room chap that is always around doing things and cannot do enough for you.

The constantly clean toilets with towels and paper towels to hit the door buttons.

This cruise director, we noticed when saying about disembarkation, rather than wishing us well, mentions instead needing the boat clear for the next guests.

Makes you realise how brilliant they are…… a little itchy feet for another now, maybe?! Ut oh!

To summarise? Overall, we had a great time and, with the addition of Paultons and Salisbury, a brilliant weekend. One we will always look back on together. A disappointment, however, to not be able to introduce our friends to the amazing cruise experience of astounding service and food we have loved previously.