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Patti from Green Bay Wisconsin Sailing date: Oct 2011Pros: The room and balcony Cons: No Movies on big screen This was the most romantic week we have ever had with a vacation! We requested a table for two because we are in a business that deals with people all the time and we needed alone time! The food was amazing. The presentation of the food was incredible. I will continue to recommend this cruise to others and look forward to returning. Next time I hope to take ballroom dance lessons before going. If not, I will just hop on my husbands feet again and it will be fun too Ship QualityShip was very clean and staff was exceptional. Layout was confusing initially Dining/FoodFruit sculptures were incredible Stateroom Quality
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18 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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   Disappointed cruiser by
Marie M. from Bloomfield, New Jersey United States Sailing date: Sep 2011Pros: Beautiful ship and very clean Cons: Food and staff Beautiful, clean ship with rude staff and terrible food. Very disorganized. Ship QualityRooms clean, beautiful ship, however, public restrooms smelly. Dining/FoodFood was terrible, worse than fast food. Very little variation to the menu in the Dining Room. Fish overcooked and tasteless. Steaks grizzly and fatty. Everyone very disapoiinted. Cafeteria was even worse. Stateroom QualityDecent statement but extremely small bathroom and shower. Ship Staff QualityWait staff was friendly and courteous, however other Italian staff was actually rude. Entertainment & ActivitiesOne great singer every night, dancers not professional at all. shows barely lasted 25 minutes. 
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Newport, Rhode IslandDid our own walking tour. Great city, walked all the way down Thames Avenue to shopping and Harbor Market. Get time.
Quebec City, QuebecShort tour of Old Quebec City and then to Montmorency Falls. Went back after for a walk around the Old City and Mount Royal. Beautiful City.
Sydney, Nova ScotiaNot much to see, very old fishing village.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward IslandBeautiful island. Went all the way from Charlottetown to the North Shore to a wonderful lunch at the PEI Preserve Company. Wonderful lobster lunch and gift shop.
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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We loved this cruise! by
A Traveler from Tampa, FL Sailing date: Aug 2011Pros: Elegant, Romantic even with kids Cons: not used to some European customs My husband and I loved this cruise! It is a European line, so there were some things that were noticably different. While the staff was friendly, they didn't seem to go above and beyond like American cruise lines. However, overall, it was one of the best we've been on. Ship Quality
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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Best cruise for dancers by
Judy S from Grand Ledge, MI Sailing date: Feb 2011Pros: All the opportunities for dancing that we had each night on the ship. Cons: The extremely long 4 hour wait in the freezing lounge to debark the last day. This was a great cruise for people who like to dance - which we do. There were many lounges and bars with lots of music for all types of dancing. There was also a group of employees that got people dancing if they were alone. All the music was wonderful and there were many types of music. There was no break from dancing either. You could just move to a different place if they took a break. All the bands overlapped. The shows were very good. We went to all of them but they got sort of repetitive. It was sort of like the same show each night with different costumes. They were very talented though and the shows were short which I appreciated. Excursions were nice. We took two and loved them both. The shopping of the ship was minimal. I would have loved a lot more logo items to buy. They pushed a lot of expensive jewelry which I didn't care about. You can get the same thing a lot cheaper at home. I would have liked more logo things from the ship.Food was very good in the dining room. We loved eating in there every night. Our waitstaff was just wonderful and friendly. Our room was small. It had a balcony which I loved but it was the smallest balcony room of any ship I have been on. Our room staff was wonderful too. Very attentive to us and friendly. Everything was very clean and towels were refreshed constantly. The worst thng was the the long long long time it took for debarkation the last day. That was very bad planning. Had to be out of our room at 7:30 am and had to wait in a freezing loung until11:00 am to be called to leave. Then we were in a sea of people for another hour waiting to go through customs. That was just a terrible morning. From now on, I highly suggest everyone carry off their own luggage. You would have gotten right off with no trouble. Ship QualityNot huge but big enough to see it all. I was still getting lost the last day. Everything was very clean and neat at all times. Dining/FoodI was impressed with the food. I enjoyed all my food. Some were complaining about certain foods but mine were all great. We ate every night in the dining room and lunch and breakfast at the buffet up on 13. We didn't eat in any speciality restaurants because I didn't see any reason to pay those high prices when the other restaurants were included. Stateroom QualityOur balcony room was the smallest of any ship we have been on. It was addequate. Room was kept very clean and comfortable. Room staff was just wonderful too. Our room was in the very back of the ship. I would have liked a better location. It was noisy and much more rocky back there. I would love to go again and have a better location. Ship Staff QualityI have to say that our room staff and our wait staff in the dining room were just fabulous. They were very friendly and just wonderful. We noticed that the waiters in the bars and around the pool were not very friendly. You almost had to beg them for help. Then they acted like they mad that they had to help you. Most of them definately seemed like they didn't want to be there. I'm just glad the ones I had to deal with all the time were friendly. The animation team was friendly too. I liked all those kids and they were very friendly. Entertainment & ActivitiesLots of entertainment onboard. We love to dance and this was a great dancing cruise. All of the dancing couples agreed. Lots of dance lessons too. Lots of fun dancing. We want to come again just for the dancing.
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Cozumel, MexicoIt was much cleaner in Cozumel. We liked it. We took the Tequila Seminar and park tour. Very interesting. The tour guide picked us up at the dock and stayed with us the entire time. He was very knowledgable and friendly. Name was David. He knew all things Tequila and all about ruins in the park. Very fun day. They let us taste the different kinds of tequila, gave us margaritas and chips and 6 kinds of salsa. Then gave us tacos for lunch. Very very nice time. Then took us back to the ship on a van. Loved the day in Cozumel.
Don't Miss: Tequila Seminar Key West, FloridaLoved Key West. Lots of fun bars with fun singer and musicians. We took the trolly tour and Hemmingway House tour. It is a must. We loved it. We walked all over the place too. Shopped a lot and walked a lot.
Don't Miss: Hemmingway House Tour George Town, Grand CaymanSame as Ocho Rios. Dirty, and boring. Sate in Margaritaville again and back to the shiip early
Don't Miss: Nothing, Sorry I got off the boat. Ocho Rios, JamaicaWe didn't care for Ocho Rios. Nothing to do in town. It's sort of dirty and depressing. We wandered around for awhile and then sat in Margaritaville for awhile. Then went back to the ship and went to the pool
Don't Miss: Nothing, Sorry I got off the boat. 13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Elegant, Enjoyable Cruise by
K & K from Globetrotter living in Ontario Sailing date: Dec 2010Pros: good food, great fun, meeting new & interesting people Cons: impatient, picky people who should just stay home We recently sailed on the MSC Poesia, our first time on a pleasure cruise, and were unsure of what to expect. Although there were some negative reviews posted online, we had made up our minds to stay positive and ended up having the best vacation we've had in years. .. .. ..
Having limited balance and mobility, I really wondered how I would manage getting around but my fears were soon allayed. The staff were extremely courteous and discreet yet friendly and very helpful whether it was carrying my plate or assisting me on/off the beautiful ship. Our balcony room was kept immaculate by two very diligent staff and we never lacked for anything. .. .. ..
The food in the cafeteria/ pizzeria was mostly the same each day; however there were enough variations and choices of condiments to appease the majority. The formal lunches and dinners, while not always gourmet, did offer a wonderful selection from which you could choose a delicious, custom meal. .. .. ..
The entertainment, like the ship itself, was classy, lively, and sophisticated. I especially enjoyed the opera singers and accompanying musicians. The Italian lessons were as much fun as they were educational. .. .. ..
Embarkation and debarkation was amazingly well organized, fast, and painless. We did not book through the ship but rather arranged our own tours at the ports and had a great time exploring each island at our own pace. .. .. ..
I found the programs which were slipped under the door each night to be easy to follow and highly informative. Our only complaint was with the occasional rude person/family that seemed to think staff should wait hand and foot on them and/or couldn't read the guidelines outlined in the daily program. To those people I would say leave your unreal expectations and obsessive need for self gratification at home and remember you are a guest, not a member of royalty. Ship Quality
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Entertainment & ActivitiesThe onboard sales on the last day or two of the cruise were fantastic. 15 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Not for me! by
Dave O from Wolcott, CT Sailing date: Dec 2010Pros: Waiter Cons: Everything else I haven't been on a cruise before so I don't have anything to compare it to so my opinions may be a little off, but I did not enjoy the ship at all. Nothing to do if you have kids, which is kind of ironic considering that they offer kids free with two paying adults, which is probably one of the good points. If you are on a tight budget and looking to go on a cruise then maybe you won't mind so much the lack of everything. The food was bad, really bad, my son and I pretty much ate cold pizza the whole time. I would never go again..... Ship Quality
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10 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
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A bad cruise by
A Traveler from Canada Sailing date: Apr 2010Pros: The ship was pretty Cons: the lack of help and kindness of the crew This was my first cruise on an msc cruise ship. It was a very pretty ship but the crew was very hard to communicate with, the also seemed very indifferent to the people on the ship. and most could not speak english.when asked where something was many said I do not know. being an italian ship I was looking forward to great italian food,. It was very bad food, the steaks were pretty good, there was no variaty of food always the same thing,Most of the people at my table returned their food for something else. some more than once.. MUCH food was waisted,. the dishes were returned with most of the food on them. the layout was fine, on one deck the ally way threw the cabin areas smelled strong with sewer. Vacumes and buckets of dirty water were in the ally ways. my room was kept clean and nice., the activities were for people who drank life fish and wanted to dance, the pool( 1) pool on the ship. was always full.you could not even get a drink of water without paying for it.. I have been on other ships where I was felt welcome. I did not feel that on this ship, I will not take another msc ship at this time. Ship Qualitythe size was fiine, clean. nothing to do other than drink, I drank some but all day was to much for me. Dining/Foodthe quality of food was very bad, to much noise.. no ambiance at all in the restaurants
Stateroom Qualitymy room was a good size. no amenities to get excited about . comfort was fine but the bed cover would NOT stay on the bed. Ship Staff QualityStaff not friendly, no very willing to help, Entertainment & Activitiesoverall only for a few drunks Children's ProgramsI was told by some parents of teens there was not much at all for their children. and what was offered was very short.
37 out of 44 people found this review helpful.
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Beautiful ship...thats all! by
Eileen C from Lincolnshire, IL Sailing date: Feb 2010Pros: Entertainment Cons: service and food Having traveled on many cruises, thought this would be a nice change. Ship was beautiful, cabin very small but nice. Choices at night for dinner were awful. Not only bad choices but the food not prepared well. Very European, need to learn how to deal with the American public. Not understanding or how to serve a meal. No bar service at pool or at dinner unless you asked specifically for it. Did enjoy the entertainemet, very nice.
Did not do any of the ship tours, thankfully, did our own. Would not recommend this cruise line.. Ship Quality
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40 out of 42 people found this review helpful.
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"Not a bargain cruise-just low-priced" by
A Traveler from Chicago, IL Sailing date: Feb 2010Pros: The ship and our balcony room. Cons: Boring activities and shows, no food available after scheduled service times, even iced tea, juice and coffee were not available and just water, staff could barely speak and understand English and it was difficult to communicate, reception staff was not friendly and customer service oriented This ship is geared towards European travellers most specifically Italian and French. They still have to learn to adjust to the American traveller's preferences but the staff seem to not be as willing to cater to their American customers as much. The people at the reception desk seemed unwilling to help and not quite service oriented, they lack the qualities of the American standard of customer service. The shows are very short and dull. The deck party was half done, it was really just one of their evening shows since they did not offer any refreshments during and after the party. We had to wait for the scheduled midnight snack to get iced tea and juice and coffee since none of these were available during the so-called party, moreso food including snacks. This cruise ship was very stingy with food and iced tea, juice or coffee. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe formal dinners were good to look at on the menu but they were not what they actually served. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityNo going above and beyond was experienced during this cruise, staff was only willing to do what their duties are. Entertainment & ActivitiesBoring shows. Not enough activities on board. most of the time when the ship was at sea, nothing was going on most of the day. The activities were very few to keep people occupied. Instruction were geared towards Italians and French nationalities. Entertainment staff had a difficult time conversing in English. 23 out of 27 people found this review helpful.
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You get what you pay for by
Jamie B from Canada Sailing date: Feb 2010Pros: Most beautiful ship we have been on Cons: Service The ship it self was beautiful. This was the cleaniest ship we have ever been on. However the childrens activities such as foosball ,ping pong.and all the pools are in the smoking section of the ship. As well all the pools and hot tubs close at 7pm which make them almost impossible to use as you are on land all day. If you are english speaking there is a major language barrior with the staff as several of the staff do not understand the english language. The buffet at lunch was the same food all 7 days hotdogs hamburgers and sausage along with a large selection of salads and deserts.In our late dining there were only 3 choices of entrees each night in which 2 of the choices were always pork and pasta.We puchased excursions through the ship 3 months prior to our arrival and when we boarded the ship they were no longer available and they gave us a piece of paper for us to get a refund from our credit card company ourselves. They would not refund our money or let us use the credit toward another excrusion.During the day no entertainment unless we were at sea.When we asked staff for directions they would only point and wave us away not very helpful at all. We did not get any of our daily programs until after 9pm every night so we had no idea what time our excursions were the next day until the program came as the staff we delt with in the excursion office could not understand what we were asking them in english. Ship Quality
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23 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
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