8-Day Cruise to Northern Europe on MSC MAGNIFICA

7 day Baltic round trip from Copenhagen in an Aurea Balcony.

Right from the start the cruise went smoothly, embarkation was very quick and straightforward. We didn't queue at all and were quickly on the ship. Our arrival slot was 12.00. The safety drill procedure was more efficient than the last MSC cruise we took - we basically went straight to our muster point on the way to the cabin and then watched the short video.

The cabin itself was ready when we arrived and was very clean, our cabin attendant was lovely and always really quick to service the room in the morning and refresh again in the evening.

As expected the buffet was a bit of a scrum but it always is. Breakfast and dinner were good, lunch seemed to have less selection than I have seen before. We mostly ate in the dining rooms, the service was excellent and the food was good. I think I only had one starter that wasn't great. We had anytime dining (or whatever MSC calls it) so were in a separate part of the main dining room.

The whole ship was really clean, it is easy to navigate and not so huge as some of the newer ships. It felt very manageable.

It was very easy to get served on the pool deck and at the bars, I think the ship was full but it didn't feel crowded, maybe because we were mostly up on deck and it wasn't particularly sunny. There are a lot of bars scattered around the ship, indoors and outside so everyone should be able to find something that they like.

I can't comment on the entertainment or shopping as we didn't bother with it, but the theatre was full every night and people seemed to be enjoying it.

Debarkation was very quick - we carried our bags off and there was a local bus waiting to go into the city. No need for a pricey MSC shuttle.

I think some of the bad reviews for Magnifica are a bit over the top or maybe people don't know what to expect from an MSC cruise - it's not a luxury experience unless you book Yacht Club

I was really looking forward to our first ever ocean cruise as a number of our friends are very keen on this type of holiday.

What a disappointment!

Our balcony cabin was spacious, comfortable & well insulated against any noise. However, that’s the only positive I can find.

The overall organisation of the cruise was chaotic - no clear queuing process at the breakfast buffet, more just a push and shove exercise. Much the same experience waiting, sometimes interminably, for a lift.

The dining room seemed to be over full, attempting to cram as many as possible into a small space. Food quality did not meet my expectations. Chaos at time rained with ordering food & drink with incorrect orders being delivered or in one instance no order at all. The majority of serving staff seemed relatively disinterested in their job.

Daily activities were inadequate and entertainment third rate.

Drink prices & wifi cost were excessive.

There appeared to be too many people on board as in many areas there were crowds and a crush.

To cap it all off our bill showed an 84euro per person charge for “Hotel Service” which should not have been charged as we had paid this upfront as part of the fare. The charge was eventually reversed.

Overall a very disappointing experience.

I recently completed a 7-night Scandinavian & Baltic cruise with MSC together with my partner. I have to start by saying that the ship itself is beautiful, elegant, and clearly represents a significant investment. The décor, public spaces, and overall appearance are impressive and create a very positive first impression.

Unfortunately, beneath the impressive appearance lies a fundamental problem: organisation.

In fact, around ten years ago I cruised with MSC and was so disappointed by the lack of organisation that I avoided cruise holidays altogether for many years. My partner recently convinced me to give cruising another chance, and sadly I found that the very same issues still exist.

The buffet experience was one of the biggest frustrations. There appears to be little or no effort to manage passenger flow. Instead of clear queues and an organised system, people approach from every direction, cutting in front of each other and reaching over one another. At times it genuinely felt less like dining and more like competing for food. A simple queueing system with clear entry and exit points would make a huge difference.

What made this even more confusing was that additional buffet sections were often opened during lunchtime when many passengers were off the ship on excursions. Yet in the evenings, when almost everyone was back on board and demand was at its highest, sections were closed and only the minimum number of serving areas remained open, creating unnecessary congestion.

The same lack of organisation was evident around the lifts. It was common to wait 10 minutes or more, only to have people walk straight past those who had been waiting and jump in first. Simple barriers, queue lines, and signs encouraging passengers to queue properly would significantly improve the experience.

Customer service was also inconsistent. While many staff members were pleasant, our experience in the Tiger Bar Lounge was particularly disappointing. One staff member spoke to us in an unnecessarily aggressive manner and almost shouted at us regarding an area he claimed was closed, despite it being accessible and open. The interaction lacked even basic courtesy.

Another frustrating incident occurred when we attempted to purchase cigarettes. Different staff members provided conflicting information about whether sales were permitted at that time. After finally paying, confusion arose about whether the transaction had gone through, and we were left waiting around 10–15 minutes for another staff member to return and confirm the sale before receiving the product. It was a simple transaction that became unnecessarily complicated.

The spa is beautiful and the staff provide good service, but the pricing is extremely difficult to justify. We paid €115 for a couple's day pass, only to find the facilities so crowded that there was little opportunity to actually enjoy them. Charging premium prices for an overcrowded experience leaves poor value for money.

The pool facilities suffer from a similar problem. The outdoor pools are relatively small for a ship carrying thousands of passengers. They quickly become overcrowded, making it difficult to find space and enjoy what should be one of the highlights of a cruise holiday.

Even ordering drinks could be frustrating. In several bars it was difficult to get the attention of staff, often leaving us to wait for extended periods or walk to the bar ourselves to place orders.

Ultimately, my biggest criticism is that the ship appears to prioritise carrying as many passengers as possible without providing the infrastructure, organisation, or staffing levels needed to deliver a comfortable experience. Beautiful surroundings can only compensate so much when guests are constantly dealing with queues, overcrowding, confusion, and inconsistent service.

I genuinely wanted to enjoy this cruise and give MSC a second chance after my previous experience a decade ago. Sadly, while the ships may have become more beautiful, many of the organisational issues that disappointed me then still seem to remain today.