Portugal, Spain, Italy & France from Lisbon with Stay, 3 September 2026 (12 nights)

Great ship, staff were very helpful, good choice of food too.

We have just returned from our very first cruise holiday, cruising around the Canary Islands with MSC, having booked with Iglu Cruise, after finding a great value deal. The booking process was extremely straightforward and we had our cruise booked online within a few minutes. MSC provided very comprehensive information that included all details for our upcoming cruise. The only difficulty we encountered, was that the link to check in to our flights with Jet2 did not work, however this was resolved through a WhatsApp conversation with Jet2. If I could suggest one improvement, it would be the ability to download our boarding passes onto the jet2 app. This was not possible and as a result we had to print our boarding passes at home and several of them would not scan at the airport, both when checking in bags and through security. Jet2 are one of the best holiday companies we have ever travelled with, there are so many ground staff available to assist, that it is so easy to move through the airport and on to transfer. We cruised on MSC Opera, a slightly older ship that can carry up to 2658 passengers but with lots of charm and comfort. To be honest after we booked some of the negative reviews caused us concern, but we need not have worried, we had a fantastic holiday. The ship was spotlessly clean, both in the communal areas, our cabins, the restaurants and public toilets. There were sanitising stations on entry to the restaurants and buffet, but there were very few people using them. One suggestion, (particularly after witnessing two women leaving the toilets without washing their hands, one then heading to the buffet), would be for a member of staff to stand at the door and ensure people sanitise their hands when entering the restaurants particularly for self-service. Our cabin attendant Safa and team (cabin 9032) made up our cabin beautifully each morning, plenty of fresh towels and perfectly made bed to return to. I have read so many reviews about the average nature of the food and I honestly must disagree. The food was delicious and there was so much of it, both in terms of amount and variety – you can eat from morning to night! We initially went to Le Vele buffet restaurant for breakfast but after a couple of days changed to La Caravella restaurant, where you have both buffet breakfast and the option to order from a menu that included, as well as a cooked breakfast, other egg options such as poached, fried and eggs Benedict, in addition to salmon and French toast to name but a few. Juice, tea and coffee were served by waiting staff. The buffet itself provides for every taste and in addition to the cooked breakfast, provided a continental option with ham, cheese, bread, waffles, muffins, cookies and cereals. For lunch we tended to go to Le Vele buffet restaurant, again a wide range of food that varied throughout the week, with desserts to die for after lunch. On days that we were off the ship over lunch we tended to go for ‘Afternoon snacks at Le Vele, served from 4pm, where you could have sandwiches, filled rolls, scones, wraps, fruit, cookies, cake and the most delicious fruit crumble. For our evening meal we opted for the three course sit down meal. There are two restaurants that offer the sit-down meal but you are allocated one by MSC, ours was in L’Approdo restaurant. Again, what a choice, something to tempt every palate. Our waiters Jonathan and Yoga were very attentive, friendly and polite, offering us recommendations for our meal. You must try the Tiramisu, it is the best I have tasted! There are two sittings on the cruise, 6. 30pm and 9pm but your time is preselected by the company, ours was at 9pm which worked well for us. Compliments to the chefs and kitchen staff for their amazing food! After our meal we tended to go to Le Vele for a mug of tea and guess what……. midnight snacks, more cake, desserts and fruit. (You might see a pattern emerging). In addition to all the above, there is a burger buffet throughout the day and a pizza buffet that remains open to the early hours of the morning. The dough is freshly made, and the pizzas are delicious. Some reviews have commented that the buffet is busy and yes it can be, although we never had an issue getting a seat as you can take your food out to tables at the burger or pizza buffets. There are individuals who do not get the concept of queueing but that is not the fault of MSC, it is perhaps cultural or just rude. All staff on board the Opera were pristine and immaculately dressed. The majority were friendly and courteous and extremely helpful when help was required. The process for leaving and returning to the ship to explore the islands is extremely efficient and speedy. We did not book any excursions, preferring to explore around the town by ourselves, taking time to visit little coffee shops and local sights. On board, lots of activities are offered from quizzes to dance lessons, aerobics to games. There is also an excellent gym, although there may be a short wait for treadmills during busier times. If someone is waiting you are permitted 25 minutes, although some individuals ignored this limit. If no one is waiting you can remain on for as long as you want. There are two pools, one of which we had a dip in, it is cold so take a deep breath to go in. We also used the outdoor jacuzzi a couple of times, just lovely sitting in the sun while the ship is sailing. The pool area gets busy on ‘At Sea’ days so go early if you want to lounge by the pool, although there are lots of loungers. There is a fantastic water area for children, although we did not use it as we had no children travelling with us. MSC provide an orange beach towel free of charge and I loved the fact that they have a towel exchange, so if you have been in the pool no need to take a wet towel to your room, they will exchange it for you. They also permit their orange towels to be taken to the beach, so you do not need to pack towels to take with you. Each evening there is a different show in the tiered seated theatre, which was fantastic and not to be missed, although get there early as the seats fill up quickly. Shows are themed and involve singing and dancing as well as acrobatics. The same show takes place twice each evening, the first one at 7. 30pm and lasts approximately 35 minutes. If the ship is a bit rocky sit up towards the back as I found I felt more lightheaded closer to the front. We had rough seas on a few of our evenings (pack the travel pills), but it did not put a stop to any of the activities or entertainment. If you want a cruise with all mod cons such as surfing pool etc or very flash, then this is probably not for you, but if you are happy with more standard pools, decor etc but want fabulous food and a reasonable price, then you should consider MSC Opera. Overall, we loved our cruise, thank you MSC and to every member of staff on MSC Opera that contributed to our wonderful holiday.

We really enjoyed are cruise on msc opera. The entertainment was fantastic best ever on cruise ship. The food was good and a great itinerary.

Generally very good. Plenty of friendly, helpful staff. Food good and plentiful (my tummy is pleased to be back home). Interesting ports of call. I think we could have been given more information about the ports of call (not just selling trips) ie how to get into town, what to see within walking distance etc etc. Also, I think we should have been given a talk about the Canary Islands - their history, how the Spanish arrived, what happened to the indiginous population, how they coped with corsairs/pirate raids, aloe vera etc.