Hottest ticket at Sea
As soon as I was welcomed on board, I could see why she had been named Bellissima, the sparkly Swarovski crystal staircase in the Atrium truly is beautiful. I headed straight for my room to drop my bags off so I could explore the ship but I’m not going to lie it took me a while to find my cabin! The ship is enormous and after walking the entire length twice I had to ask for help!
After a quick refresh I went to explore the rest of the ship, first stop the champagne bar! The atmosphere was great, the layout and décor really are stunning and create a relaxing ambience. Next, we headed towards the heart of the ship, a fantastic 2 deck, 96-metre-long indoor promenade with a spectacular LED sky dome with everchanging patterns, very mesmerising! We got to try out the speciality restaurants which were all offering their signature plates. There was a teppanyaki and sushi bar, French bistro, Spanish tapas restaurant and my personal favourite - Butchers cut, a beautiful American style steak house serving specialty meats, the steak was delicious as was the strawberry cheesecake afterwards!!
Now time to walk off all this amazing food! As a mum to 2 young kids I wanted to see how it could work for us as a family, so I went to check out some of the other cabins and the entertainment onboard. The kid’s area was jam packed with fun, there are 5 different kids club catering for all age groups and the ship works with Chicco and Lego offering the best facilities. I know my 2 would absolutely love it, especially the Lego area, it was like a mini LEGOLAND! As for the cabins, I was really impressed with the layouts and size. They have specific family cabins, very spacious with a full-size bathroom and separate bunk area for the kids. They also interconnect so you can accommodate up to 10 people comfortably.
For the bigger kids how about driving a full-size replica F1 car (virtual driving of course) or try out the VR maze or 4D cinema. There’s also a bowling alley, sports bar and games arcade. Plus, there is an exciting waterpark featuring 4 twisty slides and an 82-metre-long high wire suspension bridge to test your balance - never a dull day at sea!
In the evening there is something for everyone, a highlight must be the Cirque du Soleil shows. They offer 2 exclusive performances for MSC guests, both unique shows I can highly recommend. There’s also a live music venue, a disco, comedy club, several bars and a casino.
The ship has so many innovative features and has really brought cruising into the modern era. It has the world’s first virtual assistant ZOE fitted in every room, an app for mobile check in, booking your activities and keeping up to date with the daily events plus there are easy to use touchscreens around the ship.
My verdict – a fantastic ship that truly is beautiful and offers something for everyone. I think it is amazing for families and prices are great too (child prices start at £159) It really is great value for money and offers some fantastic itineraries.
This is just a snippet from my time onboard - there is so much more to this ship, including the Yacht club, a luxury ship within a ship! I would love to tell you more so whether you are a first-time cruiser or want to try out the new class of ship please do get in touch and I can tell you all about my experience and MSC.
