MSC Magnifica

MSC Cruises is an Italian cruise company who is beginning to make waves with US travelers. While a decade ago you would have mostly found MSC cruises only in Europe, and with mostly European travelers, that is all in the past for MSC cruises. MSC recently started offering a variety of Caribbean itineraries leaving from the port of Miami which gives cruise lovers another option to explore the Caribbean from the busy port of Miami.

Thanks to a special promotional rate MSC offered for traveler advisors, I was able to explore the MSC Magnifica on a 5 night cruise from Miami to the Bahamas. Our cruise left on Monday, January 8, 2024. I'm all about traveling with the whole family so my companions included my favorite travel companion of all times -- my fun-loving husband Adam. We also brought along our two boys. At the time of the sailing Sam was two weeks away from his 2nd birthday. Alexander was 3.

One of the reasons I love traveling with the whole family is because I get to watch my kids love of travel grow. This was the boys' second cruise (their first being a NCL cruise from LA to Vancouver in April 2023). The joy of cruising is all Alexander talked about for months after our first cruise. His cruise-fever was so high we couldn't even tell him in advance about our second cruise. We had to wait to tell him until we were packing for the airport because we knew his excitement would be so high he wouldn't be able to think of anything else.

We flew from Cincinnati to Miami on a Frontier flight. It was just as we were about to board that we found out Alexander was getting sick. He was beginning to vomit and we questioned whether we needed to cancel the trip. We decided to take the chance that we would need to find a doctor in the Bahamas and got on the flight anyway. Frontier is convenient for their direct flights, but the overall experience always leave me wishing I took another airline. This trip was no different, but that's a story for another day.

We arrived in Miami around 8:00 p.m. the night before our cruise set sail. I didn't want to have to lug around car seats for this trip so we opted to stay at the Comfort Inn and Suites Miami Airport. This was a great choice. The Comfort Inn and Suites Miami Airport offers a free airport shuttle until midnight. It also offers a free cruise ship transport so the next morning after an included breakfast we were able to check-out and hop on the shuttle to the port. All our transfers were completed and no need for car seats!

When we arrived at the cruise port around 1:00 p.m. (even though our assigned check-in time wasn't until 3:30 p.m.) we nearly walked straight up to the check-in desk and then right on to the ship. This was the first of my 6 cruises which didn't have at least a one hour wait time to board. I found this efficiency to make such a difference when traveling with young, restless kids. The next efficiency I found to be a life-saver was that our room was ready at 2:15 p.m. and our bags delivered by 3:30 p.m. With most large ocean cruise lines rooms aren't ready until 5:00 p.m. or later and bags may not arrive until dinner time or later. The fact that our room was ready early meant we could eat lunch and put the kids for a nap at a normal time so that everyone would be refreshed and ready to enjoy the evening. As this was my first MSC cruise, I can't say whether every MSC cruise begins as smoothly as this one, but in our case it did, and we were impressed.

Ocean Cay Marine Reserve (MSC's Private Island)

Our itinerary was set to include 2 days at Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, MSC's private island, and one day in the capital city of Nassau before returning to Miami. Unfortunately though a winter storm was brewing in the Caribbean and it followed us like the dark cloud it was on most of the trip. Our first day scheduled for Ocean Cay Marine Reserve had to be spent at sea because the strong winds made docking impossible. By day 2, we were able to safely dock, albeit later in the morning than planned and in rainy conditions. I was determined to enjoy the beach though so we set off to explore the island even if it meant getting rained on. MSC handed out free ponchos to everyone leaving this ship which I found to be a nice touch to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

Ocean Cay Marine Reserve was truly beautiful. Unlike some cruise lines private islands, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve boasted no water slides or pools, but it whispered the beauty of the Caribbean softly with its white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. We stayed on the island long enough to swim a few minutes on the beach and enjoy the BBQ lunch, but then we went back to the ship to warm up and relax.

Nassau, Bahamas

The following day we landed in Nassau. Adam and I have been to Nassau before on a cruise so we were familiar with what it had to offer. We opted not to do any of the shore excursions offered through MSC and instead to explore the island on foot. Just after travelers walk down the pier the port boasts a beautiful, newly constructed gated area to shop, eat and drink, or get your hair braided. After exploring in this area for a bit we followed the rest of the travelers outside of the gated area to the busy shopping area which included the World Famous Straw Markets. We didn't make it 20 minutes outside the gated area until Adam and I agreed it was time to get back to the gated areas. Once you leave the gated area, locals bombard tourists in ways that make most US travelers uncomfortable. We found the locals attempts to sell tours and merchandise somewhat harassing. I'm also admittedly slightly paranoid to have my kids in that type of environment. My fear for their safety among such a crowded area on a busy street just wouldn't allow us to stay. No matter though as the rain was about to set in and we had plenty of areas to shop inside the gated area restricted for cruise ship travelers only. We did find a delicious gelato restaurant where the kids were able to enjoy their favorite flavor -- "Blue". If you're use to the real gelato of Italy, this was a far cry from that, but it was still delicious.

Shore Excursions

On this trip we took no shore excursions. That decision was in part to having 2 young kids with us who need naps each day, in part to the fact that nothing offered really called out to us, and in part to the fact that any excursion for a family of 4 is easily over $400 dollars. Considering what happened with the weather, not booking a shore excursion was a great choice on this cruise.

Accomodations

We opted for a balcony cabin for our family of 4. The balcony cabin was average size for a cruise ship room but we were pleasantly surprised with the size of the balcony which extended out a few feet farther than on most cruise ships. Alexander loved his pull-down bunk bed which we could close up when not in use. Sam still sleeps in a crib at home so we brought his pack-n-play.

I was very disappointed with the cabin bathroom. In our room the shower had only one temperature -- scolding hot. MSC also offered no complimentary hair conditioner. There were in-shower shampoo and body wash gel, but no conditioner. I was sure having conditioner provided was standard on cruise ships so I didn't pack my own, and it was a major let down for me.

We rarely saw our room steward as he cleaned the room at times that were convenient for us when we were out and about anyway. Our room stayed clean though.

Aurea Spa

Since our time ashore ended up limited, we got extra time to explore onboard. As I boarded the ship I told myself over and over again, "Don't go to the spa. Don't go to the spa. Don't go to the spa." What did I do 2 out of 3 days onboard? Go to the spa. I can't help myself. I love a good spa. This cruise offered a spa pass for $120 for a single person, or $200 for a couple. (*Note, the price varies by cruise ship and length). Passengers also had the option to buy a single day pass for $60. I spent one of my spa afternoons with a spa day pass which provided options for jacuzzis, dry saunas and steam rooms. Sure Jacuzzi are available elsewhere on the ship, but they are often overcrowded and less comfortable. I prefer the serenity of the Jacuzzi in the spa area.

During my 2nd day at the spa I took advantage of a flash deal. MSC has an onboard app that notifies travelers of certain 'flash deals' available only for the day. I opted for a $113 deal for a 25 minute express facial, 25 minute back massage and head/scalp massage. For $113 I consider the experience to be a steal.

MSC Magnifica for Kids

MSC offers a kids club for ages 3+. This was the first cruise we've been on as a family where Alexander was allowed to attend. He wasn't a fan, but I don't blame MSC for that. He just didn't want to be separated from the family, even if it was to play with other kids. My one complaint is the lack of options for youth care staff to reach parents. Their only option is to call the room phone. Most parents aren't in their rooms while kids are in kids club, so youth staff typically can't reach them when there is an issue. We dropped Alexander off around dinner time, so approximately 6:00 p.m. Afterwards I spent some time at the spa then picked him up around 9:00 p.m. Apparently he wasn't having fun and no one could reach us to let us know which gave me terrible mom guilt. He didn't want to go back, and we clearly didn't push the issue. After all, he is still only 3 years old. I give it another year or two and he loves it just like the other kids.

Since Sam was not even 2 years old on this trip, he was eligible only to go to the baby-time activities. There was typically an hour each morning where parents could drop off their babies for care provided by the staff, but we knew Sam would not be okay with that so we didn't even try. He did check out the baby play area during the open play times, but he wasn't overly impressed. It was adequate, but I think Sam didn't know he was a baby. He prefers to see himself as a big kid like his brother.

MSC Magnifica had a kids pool and play ground area with slides which our kids thoroughly enjoyed. MSC Magnifica was originally built in 2010 and then underwent refurbishment in 2021. Though MSC Magnifica does have a small kids pool and play area, the size of it cannot compete with newer, larger ship options (such as Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas). I noticed its inability to compete, but my kids didn't notice. They enjoyed themselves nonetheless.

Onboard Activities / Shows

My second favorite thing on a ship (first being the spa) is quality theater shows. Sadly, this is an area in which MSC is sorely lacking. Our first night onboard did not offer any theater show. Nights 2 and 3 only offered live music. One was a rock show which Adam enjoyed and the other was an Elvis music show. Since these shows are nothing more than a musician standing up and playing music, they are not even close to some of the Broadway style shows other cruise lines offer.

On our last night onboard there was one actual theater performance, a circus. Performers included acrobats, clowns, jugglers, and all the other typical circus type performers. No animals included. This show left our children grinning ear to ear, particularly when performers did trampoline tricks. Their joy alone brought me such happiness.

Other than the shows, MSC offered the typical cruise ship entertainment -- karaoke, trivia contests, dance lessons, etc.

MSC Magnifica does have a casino but it is smaller than most and consisted of only slot machines. On each of our other cruises Adam liked to play in the poker tournaments (and lucky for me he tends to win a lot!) This cruise offered no poker tournament which was a big disappointment for Adam.

MSC Magnifica does offer an indoor/covered pool, but it was 6 feet deep so not a good option for the kids unfortunately. In the same indoor area gelato was available at an extra fee. Of course we tried it, and it was delicious.

Dining

All guests onboard MSC are assigned a dinner time and table in one of the 4 main dining rooms. There is an early seating at 6:00 p.m. and a late seating at 8:30 p.m. We opted for the early seating since our little ones need to get to bed shortly afterwards. We had a table for the 4 of us. Its common in the cruise industry for two or more smaller parties to be joined together at a larger table to eat each night with other guests they have never met before the cruise. This is something commonly done among many lines and I can't stand it (thank you Norwegian Cruise Line for not participating!). I have zero interest in having to share my dinner table with other guests trying to eat while my kids throw tantrums. We always request a private table, and so far it hasn't been a problem on any line. We had a private table for the 4 of us and a highchair was provided each night for Sam.

MSC missed some of the little details that could have improved our main dining room experience. First, each night we had to come in and wait for the high chair to be brought over and unfolded/set up. We had an assigned table and our assigned waiter clearly knew by night 2 we would need the high chair. It would have been nice if it was just waiting for us. Second, we found the wait time between courses in the main dining room to be excruciatingly long, even for adults. Dinner each night took between 1.5-2 hours. If it was just adults at our table, we would have managed with only minor complaints. Since we had a 1 and 3 year old, we repeatedly had to ask for things to be brought out quicker because our kids were melting down at the table and unable to cope with being asked to hold still for so long. We brought an iPad but it just wasn't enough to occupy them. Third, and this one really bewilders me, the main dining room did not offer any type of durable cups for kids. Sam, at 1 years old, is pretty good with an actual glass but when he gets mad, he throws it on the ground, and that's exactly what happened. Our poor waiter had to clean up shattered glass. When we asked for a different type of cup for Sam, our only option was a thicker glass.

As for the actual main dining room food, I was impressed. I found the menu had some great options and they were typically well-prepared. With the exception of one steak not cooked as ordered, the rest of the food in my opinion was very tasty. Adam found it to be only average. Either way, it at least met everyone's expectations. They did have a kids menu as well which offered options suitable for a variety of ages (6 months +).

Prior to setting sail we opted to purchase a specialty dining package. While I hear there are more specialty dining options on other MSC ships, the MSC Magnifica had exactly one specialty dining restaurant -- an intimate Asian restaurant with only 16 tables. We made reservations for one night, showed up and looked at the menu, then left. We were unimpressed with the specialty dining option -- a noodle dish which could be prepared in several different ways. There was also no kids menu. Kudos to our waiter though who was understanding when we said the menu wouldn't work for us and gave me the tip to go to guest services and ask for a refund on the specialty dining package. The request was granted hassle-free by a helpful guest services representative.

A few of the dinner menu options are below:

Beverages Onboard MSC Magnifica

MSC offers beverage packages just like all the other major cruise lines. There are 3 tier options. I personally don't drink enough alcohol onboard to make it worth it. Though Adam would, I don't want him doing that! Like most other lines, if one person in the cabin had a drink package, everyone had to get one. It wasn't worth it to us so we paid for drinks individually. I only engaged in maybe 2 cocktails during the trip, but Adam had plenty. He was disappointed by the lack of beer options, particularly craft brews and IPAs.

MSC has a reputation for being the best coffee at sea and they very much lived up to it. Each bar/lounge had a full espresso maker and the bartenders could whip up cocktails and specialty coffees with equal skill and speed. I had 1-2 cappuccinos each day. A cappuccino was about $5, but it was worth it. Each cup I received had a hand poured heart made of foam as well a small bit of chocolate. I savored every sip. Lack of good coffee options on a ship is usually a complaint of mine, but not here!

Price / Overall Impression

For a family of 4 to take the 4 night / 5 day cruise we did from Miami in January 2024 was approximately $1300, including taxes and fees (excluding gratuities, drink packages and other extras) for a similar balcony room. This is similar in price and itinerary to what travelers could get with a Carnival Cruise Line option. Thankfully MSC offers a travel agent rate so agents can learn about the company and help guide guests with future cruise so we only paid a fraction of that price.

My ultimate opinion of our trip aboard the MSC Magnifica was that it was a perfectly fine option for travelers on a budget and low-maintenance passengers. I won't lie, I have a taste for luxury in travel, and MSC is not on par with "luxury" cruise lines. For its price though, travelers can enjoy a nice private island and a no frills ship. For those wanting to save a few pennies, this is a good choice for a quick getaway. It is not for those seeking an ultra-luxurious option.