8-Day Cruise to Alaska on MSC POESIA

The Msc poesia

is a medium sized ship

When we were on it there was approximately 3200 on board

It has a very traditional layout which means that it has lots of character

There are lots of different bars and lounges and a very well designed theatre

We had a cabin with a round window which was a good size , very spacious with plenty places to store items

The app that msc use has improved a lot giving you all the info about what is happening on board the ship as well as restaurant menus ,there was even an AI assistant in the app

We found the staff were very friendly and the caption was very visible and funny

The cruise director was also very good

We had a meal in the speciality restaurant (butcher cut) which was excellent

On the whole the buffet items were very good great choice and good quality especially the pizza

The breakfast buffet had mainly american breakfast options with a few odd items(apple crumble)

We opted for the top drinks package so there was a good choice of drinks available

The entertainment was also very good and varied with a good assortment of shows

Our only slight negative (which apparently is because of the ship being in alaska) was the dinning times

5pm or 7.15pm with no freedom dining option

On this cruise we were part of a group of approximately 500 british (cruise with derek who is a cruise company presenter)

So this meant we had our own events as well as the msc ones

So it was a very packed schedule

When we booked the cruise there was meant to be a sail past of a glacier but due to the weather and operational issues this got cancelled and we ended up having longer in juneau

Embarkation - Getting onboard was very easy.

Food and Dining - We gave the restaurant multiple tries with 30-45 min waits between each course of the meal every time resulting in 2+ hour meals. Drink orders not taken, wrong entrees delivered, table given away after 10 min wait for the line to shorten all resulted in not using the main dining room. The meals were tasty small portions, but too painful to be bothered to wait for. This poor service was in stark contrast to a MSC cruise I took a year earlier. The Buffet was ok, nothing great. Essentially the same meals everyday with nowhere to sit.

Onboard Activities - The Hot tubs were jam packed with kids, and/or the same adults all day, every day. Couldn't use them. Fitness center was great. Not much else to do since I do not go to the casino.

Entertainment - Caught a few of the stage shows, which were entertaining. Karaoke was entertaining as well, even though it seemed like the same three people sang all the songs. Other music options were ok.

Service and Staff - Food service was terrible. Drink service was sub-par. Multiple times I had a drink waiter put a paper coaster under my near empty glass without asking if I wanted another drink. Most times I would have to go to the bar myself and wait to order.

Ship Quality - The ship overall was well maintained and the layout was fine; however, the public bathrooms were not particularly clean. The decor is horrible imho.

Cabin / Stateroom - It was a cruise cabin. Not overly roomy, but satisfactory in size and clean. The couple next to us were coughing up a lung from day 1, which you could hear anytime we were in the cabin, day or night.

Ports of Call:

Ketchikan, Alaska - Small village with some personality. Cool to see the Salmon and the seals.

Cruise Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier - Absolutely breathtaking scenery with beautiful weather.

Juneau, Alaska - Nice to visit, but how many t-shirt shops can you visit.

Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska -

All the action was in the water and trees. Whales and Eagles up close. Nice walk to Hoonah, but what a depressing little town. Nothing to see or do.

Victoria - Didn't get off the ship.

Overall, I got to see places that I had never been and likely will not see again, so I'm glad I made the trip. If the weather hadn't been as perfect as it was, it would have been an absolutely terrible trip as the ship experience was so poor. There were people coughing all over the place and it eventually got me day 5, so I didn't leave the cabin for the last few days. I somewhat blame the lack of cleaning in some of the public areas, but who knows. For Alaska at least, I would try another cruise line.

My mother and I recently sailed on MSC Poesia, and while I enjoyed the ports(this was an Alaskan cruise) , I think this ship needs some work. They did have a refit earlier in the spring, which boasted the addition of MSC Yacht Club and updated cabins. However, I noticed Poesia was missing quite a lot compared to other MSC ships. Honestly, I expected more with the refit as far as restaurants and venues are concerned. That was not the case. Also, it should be noted that if you book the Deluxe Balcony Cabin, it is quite small. What you want is the Premium Balcony Cabin. With that said, the food was amazing; the crew members were amazing, and the ports were excellent. Although I will warn you, the town of Hoonah and Icy Strait Point might not be to everybody's taste. Definitely try the crab legs at Icy Strait Point and do the rickshaw ride through Victoria, BC.