MSC Fantasia Reviews

Summary:  As an experienced cruiser, initially I was quite worried about going on this cruise (we are Silverseas / Seaborne regulars !!), but my daughter wanted a family week with her 2 babies and grandparents in the sun so I reluctantly agreed. I read some ‘tripadvisor’ reports and expected poor food, long queues and rude staff etc BUT I was very surprised and delighted with every aspect of the holiday and I can truly recommend MSC. The cruise was geared to passenger enjoyment with great food, plenty of choice, lots of interesting bars, high quality entertainment, friendly staff and I rarely queued (except for the reception desk which was the only poor service for time waiting on the ship). There are 4,000 passengers so it’s a very busy environment and a bit like Butlins sometimes but you can find quiet places and some peace. We had the ‘aggressimo’ drinks package which I recommend. Most people were very friendly. The cabin was fine, the whole ship was very clean, getting on and off the ship was easy and the bottom line is we would book again. Don’t always believe ‘tripadvisor’ reports.

Summary:  Choice, availability and quality of food is very poor in buffet restaurant . Always luke warm and often undercooked. I'd expect so much much from an Italian kitchen!! Very very disappointed. Drinks are reluctant and in short supply... unless you pay for at uplift. Drinking water and fresh milk ( travelled with a baby) isn't easily available. Even bars that are supposed to be offering these are really reluctant and make it feel like begging! Overall Facilities i.e. Lifts and guest services/ reception wholefully inadequate for the size of the ship and not customer focused. I have cruised with Royal Caribbean, Costa and Thomson all were really enjoyable family experiences. I def would not book again.

Summary:  My husband and I were on Fantasia for a week 9/10/16 to Italy, France and Spain. We were on this ship similar time last year and was impressed with this ship - i thought she was stunning and so clean and well run - this time i was a bit disappointed with the following - the Zanzibar buffet area was manic in the morning and full of noise with passengers almost shouting instead of talking which is very offputting - in the cabin the sheets were paper thin and found some very small holes in one of them - the same with the hand towels which also had a couple of holes in one of them and they always looked grubby. The positive things were the comfy bed and lovely pillows - the inside cabin was well laid out with ample storage space and the bathroom was good too - the theatre shows were excellent and generally the staff were good especially the table waiters - didnt think much of the Reception staff because they didnt speak or undertand much English and werent particularly helpful. I dont think we will be choosing MSC again as the negatives outway the positives on this occasion.

Summary:  This was our first cruise, the ship(MSC Fantasia) was amazing, the staff were really friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The kids enjoyed themselves, the pool was great fun for the young ones and our teenager loved the youth club and made lots of friends. The rooms are functional if a little compact but that didn't matter as there is so much to do and by the time we got back to the room we were off to sleep immediately. I didn't think I would enjoy a cruise but now I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. The kids haven't stopped talking about it and we are planning our next one.

Summary:  Stunning ship. Cabin was gorgeous (11189 Balcony). Kept in ship shape by the lovely attendant Sandra Mae. Could get very noisy around the pool and at times getting a sun bed was difficult. Staff around the ship were all very nice and helpful. Getting off at some of the ports could take a while. Enjoyed the itinerary. Food was good but at times it wasn't very warm. All in all had a good holiday and would definitely go with MSC again if the price was right.

Summary:  There was a lot which was positive about this cruise (26th July to 2nd August 2015) which I took with my 17 year old son. The cabin was comfortable and our steward friendly and helpful, he anticipated our needs and was very positive towards my teenage son. Transfers from the airport to the ship, and the return journey were quite speedy. My son enjoyed the young people's club and he had no difficulty finding other youngsters to spend time with. We enjoyed a lot of the food (we ate in the informal café) - salads, desserts and teen food were especially good. I felt that the on board crowd entertainment which featured lots of tomfoolery was light hearted, amusing and carefully balanced so that all nationalities had their legs pulled but no one could be offended. I saw several evening shows and though that they were entertaining and of a high standard. I enjoyed the pools during my usual early swim on most of the days. The English speaking hostess was fluent, helpful and thorough. I was concerned that we were required to pay for coach transfers in ports when the boat did not directly reach city centres. There were safety issues with one - Palma, when there were not enough seats (several seats on the coach had been removed) and we were forced to sit on the floor and hang on (I spoke to reception about this the next day, staff asked me to speak to excursion staff who, I felt, did not grasp the potential safety issues but said that we were counted on and there should be enough seats). I felt that the main meals in the café were not of the standard seen on other cruises, good solid Italian fare, but nothing special. On 2 occasions on the first day I found myself in staff sections of the ship (this was unintentional and very easy to do as some levels of the ship involve staff and public areas which were not well demarcated) on both occasions I found staff abrupt and faintly threatening.

Summary:  My husband and I have cruised many times since the early 90's so have quite a few ships to compare the Fantasia to. In 3 words, big, brash and beautiful! Lots of bars with entertainment from a quiet piano playing, to a group for people to dance to. We always got a seat unlike other ships RCI being one of them, this ship is more for people to enjoy themselves than taking money in speciality eateries!! We found the food to be of a good standard no fillet steaks but then again they don't charge them prices, the ship is spotlessly clean but I did notice that using sanitizer was not enforced which it should be, getting off the ship was a little chaotic at times and a little patience was needed, the pros on this ship certainly outweighed the cons, would we cruise on the Fantasia again... definitely!

Summary:  We (husband, me, daughter and her friend, both aged 20) went on a 7 night Western Med cruise from Genoa. We have previously cruised 5 times, with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Pros - Four swimming pools so you could always find somewhere to cool down. - Fellow passengers were predominantly southern Europeans, which meant that there were many happy families (even though early June and so few young British families) and also that people sat chatting around the main pool areas at night. People also danced (lots) in the nightclubs etc. A relaxed convivial atmosphere, and not apparently fuelled by alcohol. (In our experience, on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, the pool area at night was a dead space just to walk through.) - Beautifully furnished and decorated buffet restaurant. Decent solid furniture, unlike the Windjammer on Royal Caribbean which can feel like a canteen. We could always get a table, especially towards the back of the restaurant (with sea views too). - the 3 MSC excursions we went on were good (interesting and with helpful friendly guides) and seemed cheaper than Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Cons - On the whole, staff one came across, eg on entry to the ship, did not smile and were not particularly welcoming. What a surprise not to be welcomed by the security staff and the greeting staff (just standing around to point guests in right direction, I guess) when we first embarked onto the ship. This happened every time we got off and on the ship. Did staff have instructions to be stern and unsmiling? Restaurant and cabin staff were fine. - Europop music! Yes we danced, but did not really recognise many of the songs! - Entertainment in the theatre was limited by the abilities of the same troup performing every show. In contrast, on Royal Caribbean, entertainment was varied and fun, eg silly quiz shows, funny classical music quartet, magician, as well as the usual song and dance routines. And of the course the brilliant ice skating shows. - Drinking water should always be available and free, not just in the buffet restaurant. - Very few reminders to keep hands clean and use hand-cleansers. On the whole, despite the cons above, we had a great time and thought the ship lovely. Yes, glitzy, but clean and everything worked well. We would recommend MSC and would cruise with them again.

Summary:  Lovely ship and our cabin was great as it was extra large, being one for handicapped persons, although we were not handicapped. Cleanliness in cabin and around ship was first class. The food choice and quality was very good, but the buffet restaurant (Zanzibar) did get extremely busy at breakfast and lunchtime, and some of the time it was impossible to find a table that was free and clean. We did tend to eat most meals, apart from the evening meal, in the Cherchio restaurant which was excellent. As we were four adults in our party, I would have liked a swimming pool which was adults only, as, although the one at the back of the ship was quieter in the Zen area, it got very busy at times with children. We went to 2 shows in the evening, and the Michael Jackson one was absolutely brilliant, and seemed to be enjoyed by all. The lifts were busy at times, and sometimes took ages to arrive at the floor, even going past without stopping, which could be annoying. The bars which we frequented were all excellent and service usually very good, staff friendly and helpful. This was my first cruise and a very pleasant experience and I would recommend MSC to others.

Summary:  The ship is far too big, too many people. The lifts were always packed, my wife and I needed the lifts due to being disabled, people ran in front of us pushed us out of the way, at one time we waited 20 min to get on a lift. At breakfast and midday meal, it was just as bad. The food not really good at all, with people pushing in front of you all the time and to find a place to sit you had to walk around and around. The evening meal was very good and the staff were attentive. We couldn't go ashore much the ship berthed too far away from the town because it was so large. The cost of a lift to town was around £20 each, and you were not taken far for that price. we did go on a tour but it was a rush because the ship only stayed 5 hours in port at Malta. And you must remember at the end they take money for service at the end of your stay its not per cabin but for each person. We have been on a few cruise's and this was by far the worse, at the end we were told to leave by 8:30 we then had a 5 hour wait at the airport. so no thought of people just money.