MSC worst cruise company. We have just completed sailing on MSC Poesia world cruise 2024. January 7th to April 28th Sadly, this cruise was without doubt the worst we have ever sailed on. We have sailed previously on MSC world cruises and have enjoyed very positive experiences, but not in 2024. Before embarking the conflict in the Gulf area forced MSC to change the itinerary twice, but they totally failed to inform passengers. Even the day before we left to travel to Barcelona for embarkation MSC UK told us and our TA that we were still sailing through the Suez Canal. We knew we weren't from the passengers Facebook group! The iconic ports that we had signed up to but could not visit were replaced by 3rd rate venues. MSC refused to allow anybody to cancel or postpone their holiday without forfeit of 100% of the fare paid. Other cruise lines similarly affected were quick to offer their passengers good levels of compensation and a choice to cancel or defer. MSC initially refused anything. After considerable pressure from travellers some compensation was offered and a small cruise credit for a future sailing. Over 900 people and subsequently a further 400 passengers signed petitions to MSC saying the compensation was inadequate, barely covering the cost of no longer required visas etc. With the changes and subsequent further changes to the itinerary we ended up with 20% more sailing days and consequently less port visits. The voyage bore very little resemblance to what passengers had paid their money to enjoy. Further, later in the voyage we were scheduled to visit the North Atlantic in March, April. The weather was dreadful and the ports we did manage to visit in Canada, the locals all told us that never had they seen a cruise ship arrive so early in the year. We could not dock at Newport Rhode Island, too rough. Then we were supposed to sail to Nuuk Greenland, well the cruise season for Greenland on a non expedition ship is June through September. No surprise when we sailed right passed Greenland, well to the south to avoid ice and icebergs. On to Iceland, couldn't visit Isafjordur too windy to dock.Whoever planned this at MSC needed their heads examining. On a different point; the food was extremely poor. A lack of variety, no fresh produce, everything seemed to come out of the freezer. The preparation and cooking was awful, most served undercooked to raw or a burnt offering. Extraordinary as we'd sailed with the same executive chef 3 times previously without complaint. The ship ran out of basic produce, fruit, eggs were rationed, fruit juices, blue cheese, peanuts to name just a few. Plus they weren't replenished at the next port, incredible! The excursions were expensive and quite dull. For those of us who'd sailed previously the entertainment was the same as we'd already seen. Same theatre productions, guest entertainers doing exactly the same shows that we'd seen in 2019, 20 and 23. So boring. All in all MSC failed to deliver on many fronts. That said, the onboard crew as previously tried their best on the face of mounting issues, problems and increasingly frustrated passengers. Be very, very careful before choosing to sail MSC. Previously we held them in good regard, but now we would never sail with them again.

Very poor customer service staff are r… Very poor customer service staff are rude and arrogant. My whole experience was very bad from start to end it felt like I'm in a jungle not on a cruise ship. over crowded no places to sit people reserving sunloungers from early morning without using them so you can't use the facilities because it was very Crowded horrible food too. Pay a bit more and look elsewhere

Better to pay more for a better criuse line not MSC The water tastes terrible. the cake is really boring. The food is mostly the same throughout the cruise. There is a hotel service charge that if you are not experienced you don't know about it and when you get home you find it on your Credit card.

Extremely poor customer service Extremely poor customer Service. It doesn’t feel like anyone there knows what they are doing, I have been told conflicting information by different members of staff and had some of the most useless and unhelpful responses I have had from any company. I would strongly advise you book your cruise with another company. I only wish I had seen some of the reviews here before I booked. Shoddy.

Overcrowded and understaffed 8 months ago my family sailed on the Meraviglia. Worst cruise I've ever been on. They fully booked the ship but didnt have the staff to accomodate. I never imagined having to wait on a 45 minute line to get a drink while on a cruise...that was the case all day, every day. The staff was miserable and stressed. The pools were awful, overcrowded to the point where it was shoulder to shoulder standing room in them all day. The overcrowding caused shortages of chairs on deck...i watched passengers physically fight over them, and obviously there was no staff in sight to break it up so it was just a free for all the entire cruise. I'll never go on a cruise again after such an awful awful vacation. I wish I could give 0 stars