MSC Magnifica September 9-13, 2024

This was our first MSC cruise, unless you count an overnight shakedown of the Seashore before its inaugural sailing. We tried to approach this with an open mind, as we had read many mixed reviews of both the line and the ship. We were pleasantly surprised. Here are our impressions.

Embarkation

Embarkation could not have been smoother. We were onboard within 8 minutes of entering the terminal. We had chosen an early arrival time slot, 12:00-12:30, and things were moving very quickly. We could have dropped bags in the room when grabbing our cards, but we were traveling light so we kept our things with us.  Cabins were promised and were ready by 2:00 PM.  Our cruise cards were hung on the door to our cabin. We picked them up and headed to lunch.

On embarkation day we were encouraged to eat in the dining room, L’Edera, which was to be our dining room for the length of the cruise. We were given a complementary glass of sparkling wine when we sat down. Our orders were soon taken, and the appetizers arrived shortly thereafter. There was a bit of a delay before receiving our entrees, and then there was a very long wait before our plates were cleared, probably 30 minutes. We passed the time talking with the neighboring table.  The dining room had gotten quite busy and after a long wait, we still had to ask for our desserts. Despite the delays in service, the food was good. The same service problems appeared in trying to get a drink around sail away time. The main bars did not open until 5:30 and the pool bars were slammed. We decided we liked the Tiger Bar the best for a pre-dinner cocktail. By the way, we did not get a drink package. The average drink price is $10, premium drinks are $14. The beverage package would have been $46-$56 per person per day, and we really don’t drink enough to make it worthwhile.

Accommodations

We sailed in a Deluxe Balcony on Deck 10. The room was a standard cruise line veranda cabin. Being an older ship, the bathroom was small but serviceable. The beds were firm but comfortable and could be made up as a double/queen or separated as 2 twins. Our room had a single upholstered chair with a table and a matching upholstered cube seat at the desk/dressing table.

There were 2 power outlets on the desk alongside 2 outlets that were 220V. We packed converters and so we had plenty of charging options for our electronics. On older ships, USB charging ports are generally not available.  There were no accessible outlets or USB ports next to the bed.

The cabin had plenty of storage space. There was a double closet with lots of hangers – plastic ones so there was not  much noise if the ship moved a little. There were 6 drawers and 2 shelves in another closet, along with the usual safe. There were 2 bedside tables, each with 3 small drawers, good for undies and socks. The desk had a large center drawer and 3 drawers on each side, and a large mirror above. There was a mini fridge in the cabinet below the TV, stocked with the usual assortment. We unfortunately were assigned to a connecting cabin and the door was not at all soundproof. Our neighbors were quite chatty when they came home at 2:00 AM, so we do not recommend connecting cabins unless you are travelling together.

The balcony was a nice size, with 2 chairs and a footstool. The sliding door locks were push-button, maybe the easiest to open and lock that I have ever seen. The blackout drapes were very effective, with a nice lace patterned curtain overlay.

The shower was quite small with a shower curtain that did a good job of keeping the water off the bathroom floor. Shampoo and shower gel were provided in dispensers. There was also an in-the-counter pump dispenser at the sink for hand soap. Towels were standard cruise issue, but the bath towels were large enough to wrap around yourself comfortably. Probably because the ship is European not American, and older, there is a glass ashtray in the bathroom next to the toilet paper. Apparently, these were not removed when smoking was banned in cabins.  We thought they might be good for holding a watch or jewelry while showering.

The Ship

The ship is Art Deco/Moorish in design with dark wood, greens and blues as opposed to the completely neutral color palate favored on most newer ships. The atrium is oval shaped with a multi-story waterfall over backlit, color changing tiles. On our cruise a pianist or a sax player, both of whom were very good, performed in this space. The piano sits on a glass floor above the pool at the foot of the waterfall – impressive when viewed from several stories up.

The theater is beautiful and multi-level. Seats are comfortable and there are only a few seats with obstructed views. The sound system may be a bit too powerful for the space – it was sometimes hard to understand the words being sung over the volume of the music. The lighting was intense for the show we saw – Circus Story – lots of very bright spotlights directed right at the audience. There probably should have been a warning for people with issues about bright lights. The show itself had some amazing performers – a juggler, unicycle rider, trampoline stunt artists, aerialists and even roller skaters. The “plot” was a little hard to follow but it was good entertainment. The other major shows that we did not attend were a Metal Rock review, the music of Elvis, and a comedian who presented an early PG as well later R rated shows.

The Magnifica has two pools, an outdoor as well as an indoor with a retractable roof. There are plenty of chaise lounges, some with sunshades, and tables with seating near the bars and food service areas.

The ship has a moderately sized casino. We play slots not table games, and the payouts seemed standard. We are not big gamblers, $20 here and there, and we hit several times for $40+ and once for $160. It provided our “entertainment money” for the rest of the cruise. We did see some folks betting higher amounts and hitting the larger jackpots.

The Aurea Spa is a lovely relaxing place. We indulged in Couples Thermal Pass for the length of the cruise and received gifts of multiple health and beauty products. While the thermal spa is not what you will find on the newer, larger ships, it has 3 hot tubs, a steam room and 2 saunas, with men’s and women’s changing rooms with lockers, towels, bathrooms and showers. There are contoured chaise lounges and chairs with footstools for relaxing, and fruit infused ice water is available. There is also a wellness bar in the spa.

There is a gym next door to the spa, with an assortment of bicycles, ellipticals, treadmills, exercise machines and free weights. Classes are also offered. A good workout in the gym followed by an hour or so in the thermal spa is highly recommended.

Food

So let’s talk about food. The buffet is average, but this is the place to get some top-quality pizza, with up to four varieties available and replenished frequently. The burgers were also very good. The buffet offers entrees, salads, Indian cuisine, vegan/vegetarian options, fresh salads, fruit, and of course desserts.

The main dining room offers breakfast and dinner. Breakfast offerings include eggs many ways, including benedict, along with cold breakfast options, cereals and baked goods. Brunch one day was amazing – everything from eggs shakshuka to burgers. The mini-croissants were perfect, light and flaky. The eggs arrived hot and as ordered, although the portion of scrambled eggs one morning would have fed a table of four. Service was good with only minor delays.

We were seated at a table of 8 for dinner – we liked sharing a table, but if dining at a smaller table is preferred, that can be arranged. Our server was from Kenya. He was very professional yet friendly and put up with a lot of good-natured pranking from some of our tablemates. The selection of food was quite good. There were hot and cold appetizers and soups and salads. Additional courses were inserted as requested, e.g., a shrimp cocktail plus the caprese salad, with an extra charge of $5.00 for more ordering than 1 entree. Elevated beef entrees were available for $19.99, and one night lobster was also available for $19.99. There were menu themes – French, American, Italian. Desserts were the usual cruise ship fare, with small portions and always a sugar free option, usually ice cream.

Adult beverage service was a bit spotty at dinner initially, but once they understood what you wanted on the first night, they were there to get your order the next night. Same was true of coffee service after dinner. The meals themselves were typical of most cruises – we tried Ceasar salad (passable), caprese salad (good) several soups (good), and multiple fish and meat and poultry entrees. The fish entrées were well flavored and cooked properly. One caution – if you order the strip steak, be aware they are cooked sous vide and then finished to order by browning on a flat grill. Our steaks ordered medium rare were the correct temperature but looked rare, which was a bit disconcerting. The flavor was great, but we would order medium next go round.

Ocean Cay

We loved Ocean Cay. We docked overnight there, arriving at 2:00PM and leaving at 5:30PM the next day. This made for a quiet and movement-free night’s sleep. The island is gorgeous! It is part of a 64 square mile marine preserve created by the MSC Foundation. The ship docks there, so no tendering, a big plus in our book. There are solar powered electric trams to take you to various parts of the island.

We chose South Beach on the southern side of a lovely lagoon. The water was warm and clear and there were almost no waves. It has a very nice sandy beach and lagoon bottom. The umbrella rental (covers 2) is $29.00 for the day but was discounted the first day for the late arrival time. On a full day on the island, there is a buffet barbecue lunch served from 12-2 with all the typical foods you would expect. There are also “food trucks” called Beach Shacks. These serve some items at additional cost, but for $11.99 we just had to try the lobster roll and fries, and both were great. In keeping with the eco-conscious nature of the island, they were served in a paper boat on a bed of shredded cabbage with paper napkins and biodegradable tableware.

It is important to note that you need to bring your beach towels from the ship onto Ocean Cay and bring them back to your room. They will be exchanged for clean ones for the next day. The majority of the walking surfaces are concrete, so flip flops or shoes are recommended. There is a small but very nice retail area on the island where you can purchase clothing and souvenirs. The MSC foundation also has a store there and purchases support the marine reserve.

There is usually a laser light show on the lighthouse but unfortunately it was damaged in a storm several weeks ago. The beach party got moved indoors too when the weather did not cooperate. The same was true for the White Party the next night.

Speaking of parties, the is a formal night and a White Night on the ship even during a 4-night cruise. It was nice to see folks dressed up and some of the outfits for White Night were amazing! You can choose to participate or not.

One of the other things we like to do on a cruise is let the photographers grab some shots of us at different times. We connected with a photographer named MJ who not only took some great shots of us but convinced us to sign up for a no-cost-or-obligation formal B&W portrait shoot. We were absolutely blown away by the photos and in the end bought a package with digital images and prints.

What we thought

All in all, we were pleased with our cruise experience and will definitely sail MSC again. There are a few provisos, especially for American passengers. This is a European cruise line and as such does not necessarily provide the kind of instantaneous service demanded by many Americans. That being said, we felt the value for the price was very good. Overall, the cruise gets an 8/10, with an 8/10 for service and food, 9/10 for the ship and 9/10 for the price/value. If you appreciate sailing in a bit of a retro fashion, the MSC Magnifica might be the ship for you.