Our LAST night on MSC Cruises. Part THREE. Was it a complete DISASTER?

In our final live vlog from the ship we give you our verdict. After 14 nights aboard, we've had a good closeup look of the Virtuosa cruise. Some parts have shocked us. It WASN'T all as expected! Let's see why...
We're bringing you live coverage, with an honest and fair running commentary on whether MSC is doing a good job, how crowded the ship is, whether the food is excellent or poor, and if you should be booking your next vacation on this ship.
Past reviews of MSC and Virtuosa have been shocking, with multiple complaints. We want to see if this is right, and whether it's the cruise from hell.
We'll give our initial reactions and whether you should be concerned.
Once the cruise is over, we will be putting out a comprehensive and detailed series of videos: revealing our thoughts about the MSC service, the quality of the restaurants, and the facilities on offer. Most particularly we want to find out why there have been so many bad reviews. People are complaining of just about everything, including: overcrowding, poor quality of the dining, cramped conditions and just how packed the ship is.
#msc #mscvirtuosa #virtuosa #cruise
This is a 14 night cruise, and will stop at the following ports: Cádiz, Málaga, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Toulon, Lisbon
Covered in these vlogs:
Market place buffet
Theatre
Bars
Main dining room
Aquapark
Yacht club
Cabins
Galleria virtuosa
Carousel productions
Starship club
Casino
Indochine
Kaito Sushi teppanyaki
Hola tacos
Butcher's Cut

[@ritzytravelguide]

Thanks for joining us for the 3 live vlogs during our 14 night cruise. Due to slow Internet I had to keep them shorter than I'd like. Once I'm back, I'll put together a really comprehensive review of all aspects of the ship, the service, and an honest opinion. There's so much I didn't have time to cover. A lot I want to comment about: passenger numbers, the buffet, the main dining room, the bars, family entertainment areas, the Captain and crew, the (expensive) optional dining outlets, the port stops (and which we liked) ... what passengers REALLY said to me about their experience on the ship... and whether the positives outweigh the negatives. It will be a full SHIP TOUR, review, and verdict. I'll be as honest and straight as possible.

[@jn7812]

Really enjoying your presentations. Good to see someone being truthful and honest for a change! Dry delivery helps too! Looking forward to your promised forthcoming editions. Well done.

[@ritzytravelguide]

Much appreciated, thanks indeed!

[@chrissk8er2]

Full respect to you for giving up your time to make us videos (and future promises) while trying to have fun there

[@ritzytravelguide]

Thanks Christopher! Taking one for the team 😂

[@TheTravelingHatter]

Thx for taking this one for the team. Well done 👍🏽 I will hopefully be on the QM2 later this year and expect a far less “booze cruise” experience 😀

[@ritzytravelguide]

😂 always happy to take one for the team! Good luck booking your QM2 cruise, hope you get a cracking itinerary.

[@disco9503]

I’m sure if you were to go on the QM2 at peak holiday time for UK then it’ll be similar. I was on this ship the same time and yes it was very busy but I imagine most cruise lines will be at peak times

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi, yes you are correct when you say the QM2 does also get busy.... but I think the primary difference is that although the 2 ships are very similar in length and size to each other.... the Virtuosa takes on 6400 passengers, and the QM2 takes on only 2600. That makes a huge difference to how full a ship feels! If you keep a keen eye online you can sometimes score a deal on QM2 that is very close to the per night cost of MSC.

[@user-vg4iz6up4j]

As ever Mr Ritzy another great and professionally edited vlog. With MSC prices so cheap for families and negligible for kids, it's a case of opening the floodgates to a higher percentage of unruly rable

[@ritzytravelguide]

Correct! In many ways it's a real shame. MSC Virtuosa is a fine ship. Some of the aspects are good. But when you pack them in like sardines.... the whole product suffers

[@TonyLon]

Really interesting set of videos. But I think you’ve just reinforced my view that MSC is not the line for us. Just booked a transatlantic on the QM2 pre Christmas. We’ve done that crossing previously and loved it, so really looking forward to doing it again

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi, I saw that Cunard was advertising a pretty reasonable offer on that pre Christmas crossing on the QM2.... I was tempted to book too! There will be a wonderful atmosphere aboard.

[@disco9503]

Pre Christmas will naturally be a quieter time for travelers especially this with families, it was a cracking ship and I’m sure would be quieter Pre Christmas

[@LifeOnLewis]

Thanks for these useful videos. Our first ever cruise was on MSC Sinfonia, a repositioning cruise from Cape Town to Venice and we loved it. Probably half full and very quiet. Done several cruises since but there is no way in hell we'll ever go on the Virtuosa (or anything similar). Thanks for warning us!

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi there, the Cape Town to Venice cruise sounds like an amazing itinerary. Repositioning Cruises are often on fascinating routes

[@yvonnepanks3998]

Our worst nightmare 6000 passengers 😮, will stick to the small ships, husband went on msc years ago and says never again , thanks for the honest review 👍

[@ritzytravelguide]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@paulborszowski8857]

We were on the same ship on the next cruise returning last Saturday. Chav central, feral kids everywhere, food was ok but everything else sub standard. Most of the staff very rude especially customer service team and security when getting on and off at the ports. Last time I ever go with MSC. They don’t take responsibility for anything.

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi, many thanks for your comments. I agree with you about the MSC security staff at ramps. Gruff and high handed. Not sure why. It doesn't make for a good image. I also agree about some of the parenting aboard. Some parents seemed to let their kids run amok, which led to a noisy and rowdy environment. It got quite wearing by the end!

[@steveloader]

Thanks for the videos we watched them before departure and we are currently aboard the Virtuosa as I write this. Your reviews are very fair it’s noisy, lots of queues and some fairly unpleasant fellow travellers! Yet all in all it does represent good value, the food, staff and ship are excellent, and despite the queues the wait is often worthwhile

[@ritzytravelguide]

Many thanks for comments. You are correct.... It's a conundrum! Value is undeniable, cuisine is good, I think the Captain does a great job, the ship is new and gleaming ....but, unfortunately MSC is packing in the customers to bursting point...plus, for some reason, these Cruises from Southampton are getting some of the most rowdy, antisocial passengers I have ever come across!

[@steveloader]

@@ritzytravelguide I totally agree I’m currently sat at the atmosphere pool surrounded by empty sun beds covered in towels for invisible customers! Whilst already we have drunk sweary folk shouting at their children! We have been on a fair few cruises and don’t mind it a bit lively, but this on occasion can be a bit much

[@familyfrost1399]

Cracking review @ritzy, kudos

[@ritzytravelguide]

Many thanks. I'm trying to be fair as possible, and keep it honest. Due to slow Internet I had to keep it shorter than I'd like. Once I'm back I'll put together a really comprehensive review of all aspects of the ship, the service, and an honest opinion. There's so much I didn't have time to cover. A lot I want to comment about: passenger numbers, the buffet, the main dining room, what passengers said to me about their experience, and whether the positives outweigh the negatives. It will be a full SHIP TOUR, review, and verdict.

[@familyfrost1399]

@@ritzytravelguide Absolutely, I think cruising is subjective in terms of likes and needs and ours align. Booked QM2 on basis of your coronation review/s. I am very much obliged

[@ritzytravelguide]

@@familyfrost1399 Thanks so much for your kind comments, wishing you a fantastic QM2 cruise

[@GJALBARR1]

Bill, I am loving your MSC Virtuosa vloggs! I commented before about Yacht Club experience but did not mention that when cruised last December 17 - 23 December 2022, there were not so many people cruising with children. Ship sailed with about 4500 people at that time. I am 64 years old and found the people cruising in Yacht club to be 50 and over. There were some children but not so many. The people on my cruise were really quite nice. Maybe it was due to an older crowd. I made may friends and really did not see people acting rowdy. It was crowded but not overwhelming. The World Cup was on at that time and the bars were always full but I could still find a seat. Being retired U.S. Navy I served aboard two Air Craft Carriers so was use to living with 6,000 people. All in all I think the time of year and age of the people cruising make a difference. Your vloggs are for targeted for families cruising together and good prices. I think MSC is starting to draw a more mature crowd. I view many cruiser vloggs like yours and have seen the rodwy crowds on many of the other cruise lines during times when there are lots of families cruising together. Keep up the great vloggs! Watching vloggs like yours is great entertainment!

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi George, it must be fascinating for you to have served aboard 2 aircraft carriers... and then come into cruise ships. You must be itching to go to the bridge and chat to the Engineer and Captain!

[@GJALBARR1]

Bill after serving on two Carriers and one Destroyer, Spruance Class Ship it took me 18 years before I started going on ships again! So funny! Served mostly in Asia so did a lot of South China Sea and Indian Ocean time. Did three Persian Gulf tours during the late 90's. Been in more storms and heavy seas than I care to remember. Being in the Atlantic Ocean for a beautiful experience! I can say I have sailed 5 of the 7 seas! Now it is for pleasure! I am watching your Cunard Queen Mary 2 cruises because some day I want to do a Transalantic cruise. Have to find a friend to go with as my wife like the MSC style noise and glitter. She is younger than I so the Cunard style is not for her. But some day I will try! Thanks again for all the great vloggs!

[@katem4365]

Just found your channel and have now subscribed 😊 I appreciate your attn to detail and observations and considerations. I was to cruise w MSC on Euribia through the Fjords in Sept '24 but they changed the itinerary, and I was given the option to cancel, so I did. I'm new to cruising and have decided instead sail on HAL in May, Cunard in Dec then Celebrity in 2025. I prioritize ambience and customer service. And not being around anti social people 😅 I have a limited budget but would rather do one cruise on a higher class line as I dont like massive crowds. Look forward to your future content.

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi there, great to hear from you. As you don't like crowds you have probably made a good decision to switch lines. The 3 you have picked are great cruise lines to go with, in HAL, Cunard and Celebrity. All of them prioritise lower numbers and upmarket cruise experience. They should be a good fit for you! We are going on Queen Elizabeth in October, so will be putting a video out shortly after. In the meantime, if you haven't already spotted them, we have a series of videos on Queen Mary 2, which you can find in our playlists: www.youtube.com/@ritzytravelguide/playlists

[@katem4365]

@ritzytravelguide Thank you so much I will watch your QM2 videos now. 😄

[@amd724]

I'm used to travelling Carnival, so I think I'll give the MSC Virtuosa a try (as we're actually based in the UK). TBH it looks nicer than Carnival with the same issues of queues and lots of people and kids.

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi, yes, I think they have a lot of similarities. But from my experience the cuisine is better on MSC than Carnival

[@carmelshepherd6739]

Im a party girl so i can't wait to enjoy myself in October i really like MSC but also Cunard very different but the price is different too , Queen Ann next if price is ok ❤

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hope it's not too busy for your cruise in October 🤞

[@rags3901]

There is not one thing about this ship that is in any way appealing….I commend you for being able to put up with this ship and remain calm and gentlemanly in your presentation…sadly, I fear that most modern cruise ships share these characteristics…tasteful experiences will only come about when people learn what that actually means and then put their new found knowledge to use…not holding my breath!!

[@stingray490]

Thanks for the vlog.we are traditional cruisers,we went to adults lounge, latillier,champagne lounge casino bar and Horizon bar in the day,never went to the Canteen as food was very good in the MDR.I heard you had the record capacity ever.never saw the white party or silent disco,not my thing,we always felt relaxed.

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi. Thanks for your comments... well it's disembarkation time as we speak. It's absolute carnage/chaos. Never seen anything like it. Queues snaking all round deck 6. Thousands standing in line. Many will miss their connections. Some say they haven't moved an inch in 1 hour. I read recent comments online that MSC disembarkation can be a nightmare.... this takes it to another level. We're sitting out the situation for a while in the Sky Bar lounge

[@stingray490]

@@ritzytravelguide we walked straight off with our luggage at 8.15am after MDR breakfast on our June 3rd 14 night cruise to norway,n queues ship had 4500 onboard,no more than 100 children!!

[@karlreading3201]

@@ritzytravelguideOuchy! We disembarked sky princess this morning - 4610 passengers aboard, into Southampton 7am, asked for first slot, in the car at CpS 08:15. Best exit I’ve ever had. On MSC-V in 55 days - properly concerned what it will be like after reading/ hearing your videos. However, not wanting to sound like I’m shooting the messenger here - fantastic content!!!!

[@ritzytravelguide]

Thanks very much for your comments. You will be able to have a very good comparison between the 2 experiences. Let us know what you think after you've done both. It will be fascinating to hear your thoughts. Wishing you a great upcoming cruise!

[@GlobalAdventurer]

I'm on this cruise ship next October. Taking the QM2 to Southampton then this ship for 14 days +5 days around Europe and then back to USA via QM2. I hope the booze cruise passengers are in school 🤞 I'm not into to pool decks and routy people. Hopefully I find a quite space other than my room😅. Let me know if there's such a place! Thanks for your video!

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi, those 2 ships are a stark contrast! Complete opposites to each other. Part of October is school half term break in the UK.... depends whether you hit those dates!

[@GlobalAdventurer]

@@ritzytravelguide I go October 25😁 Maybe they don't get out of school for 2 weeks +, I hope not. I did read online about the school vacation. I definitely know about the major contrast between the ships, I would be happy to get back on the QM2! lol

[@ritzytravelguide]

I think you will be happy to get back on the QM2. Let us know how it goes!

[@victoriasteers3615]

Are you doing any more vlogs on the Virtuosa. We are due on there in 19 days.

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi there, just compiling a mega review, that's going out by the weekend, or latest early next week 🙂

[@victoriasteers3615]

@@ritzytravelguide fab ill look forward to that 👍

[@jetdriver]

I don’t know if this will resonate or not but this reminds me of Spirit airlines. They are a Ryan Air like ULCC in the States and almost inevitably when you hear about people behaving very very badly in the airport or in a plane it’s on Spirit or a similar ultra budget carrier. They seem with their fares to attract a class of passenger that thinks they are above the rules. That they can behave however they please and demand whatever they want at all times. I wonder if this cruise by virtue of its price point and party orientation attracts the same class of customer. The connection between cheap fares and bad behavior isn’t one that on the surface makes sense but there it is.

[@Ladioz]

I am a big fan of MSC. Ive travelled with them 3 times, however I have never went on the ship during the busy summer months (June,July,August) I always go September.. October .. November... (december too!) The pool in your video looked like a big wet mess, way too many people... and is there anything worse than waiting in a queue just to get a drink ? I have never waiting in a standing queue line when I was on these ships. The only time I waited for a drink was at the Casino in the nights

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi, many thanks for your comments. Yes, going 'out of season' on cruise ships is a far more enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, on this occasion we had no choice put go peak dates .... it underlines what a very different experience it can be!

[@Ladioz]

@@ritzytravelguideYou mentioned there were 6000 people onboard. When i went on MSC Grandiosa (same size ship) in November 2022 it had 4000 people on board. It is a huge difference. Granted it was winter and nobody was swimming. However, it doesn't matter what weather it is, the buffett tip that you mentioned is quite important. I always try to go before 8 o clock in the morning, to enjoy fresh food and barely people walking past each other or trying to find a good table

[@elizabethwalkington2334]

Hi part way through watching your latest Virtuosa video from today and now it appears to have disappeared? What’s happened please?

[@ritzytravelguide]

So sorry, I have to upload it again to KZbin, as there was a technical issue. It should be back up again by tonight, or latest tomorrow morning

[@elizabethwalkington2334]

Thank you very much. I was really enjoying it 👍😊

[@garyatkinson5699]

What time did you eat at the butchers cut looks quiet

[@garyatkinson5699]

Also how do you book these once on board?

[@ritzytravelguide]

We were in the Butchers Cut for 2 hours from approximately 7pm to 9pm. It's a small little restaurant, with limited capacity. You can book once you get aboard via the app, or interactive screens dotted around the ship... or in advance if you prepay for the Experience Package. Have a look at their website, which goes through the 2, 3, or 4 Restaurant Experience. I will be making a review video on the 4 Specialty Dining Restaurants. Should be available in a couple of weeks. Highlighting the in and outs of each.

[@garyatkinson5699]

@@ritzytravelguide look forward to them

[@jabbathehut656]

I like a drink but I like a drink in a decent bar thats quiet, and we can hear each other speak, and anyone esle that we might strike up a conversation with. That ship looks like my worst nightmare. MSC definitely isnt for me. Its one side of the extremes that I hate. The other side is the extremely psoh ships where dressing up is compulsary. I desest that too. No way am I taking a suit or worse on holiday. Brilliant review again, but I am more convinced than ever that Celebrity are the right choice for me.

[@ritzytravelguide]

Celebrity tick a lot of boxes! If you haven't seen them yet, we have 2 new videos on our channel, covering Celebrity

[@jabbathehut656]

@@ritzytravelguide yes I have seen them thanks. Brilliant videos and reviews. Not everything is perfect with celebrity but they get a lot more right than wrong.

[@joanfreestone1707]

Thank you for your excellent coverage of this ship. I can see it's not for me. I'm not a party person, nor do I like crowds. I would have thought that there would be laws as to how many people they are allowed to squeeze onto a cruise ship.

[@ritzytravelguide]

You have to like crowds to be on MSC at this time of the year! Have you got a cruise lined up Joan, are you going somewhere nice?

[@garyatkinson5699]

I’m going to Norway in September so kids should be at school but I’m told by MSC the ship is full ! How is this possible

[@ritzytravelguide]

@@garyatkinson5699 I was speaking to a few members of staff, who confirmed it's sold out a lot of the year. They mentioned it's rarely, if ever, below 4500 passengers, and more often 5000 to 6000

[@garyatkinson5699]

@@ritzytravelguide it looks horrible fully booked , hand on heart did you actually enjoy any of it ?

[@joanfreestone1707]

@@ritzytravelguide I'm sorry to say we have no cruises planned at the moment. Our next holiday is in our own state (Western Australia). I do really enjoy holidays in our south-west (Busselton and Margaret River), but I love cruising. I think it's the ultimate holiday.

[@garyatkinson5699]

What is currency onboard please? Euro or sterling

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi, for our trip everything aboard was priced in £ pounds sterling

[@broadsword6650]

I appreciate the videos. Thanks for producing them. I don't think it's worth your time trying to produce "live" content, however. You aren't covering a time sensitive event. Film on board and then edit at home and present a fully considered video. There's a danger of being a cruisevlogger rather than a cruiser, so that your experience is rather different to the average holidaymaker and you could lose touch with the very thing you are there to report on. It's a difficult balance, and the added stresses of trying to be "live" aren't worth it in my opinion.

[@ritzytravelguide]

Hi. You are spot on about it being quite demanding putting out the content during the cruise. On this occasion there were quite a few sea days, so I had just about enough time to cobble it together and get it out ... the upcoming cruises we have are far more tight and I will indeed need to edit those after the fact!

[@lindaridd4393]

It seems to me from that which you have shown, hell on steroids, these large ships are not for me, I enjoy a sense of decorum, have heard a great deal from friends who cruise, how they queued for lifts for eons, even one friend sailed on the Azura, P and O last Christmas and saw a stabbing by the pool, the police escorted the perpetrator off ship, others have said its an experience but one they wouldn't want to repeat....give them a wide berth, for me anyway, I think you are both brave, thank you I await the rest of your time on MSC

[@ritzytravelguide]

Good grief, a stabbing. How horrific. Cruising with MSC is more polarising than any other cruise line I have ever been on. Half the ship want to drink and party round the clock... the other half want a traditional cruise experience. Those 2 combinations do not mix. MSC will have an identity crisis unless it sorts out which of those 2 paths it wants to go down.

[@lindaridd4393]

Hello again, On that same cruise my friend also told me re a supposed paedophile, he had been accused, however he stayed on the ship and was shadowed everywhere by a security guard, fast forward to my Baltic trip on the Aurora at coronation time, while having a pedicure in the spa, the therapist and I were chatting re different ships, I related the details that I have here, she said that she was on the Azura at the same time and she and the staff wondered why this man was accompanied everywhere by the guard, she found out by our chat, take care look forward to seeing more, they are the bees knees, thank you once again.....Linda@@ritzytravelguide

[@lindaridd4393]

By the way the paedophile was not my friend, relating this sorry tale