Ship Reports - Magnifica

MSC Magnifica

MSC’s latest addition to their fleet, Magnifica, weighs in at 93,330 tons and has a capacity of 2,500 guests. The ship was recently brought over to the UK, allowing UK agents the opportunity to visit and experience the ship during her short stay in the UK before heading over to Hamburg for her naming ceremony by Sophia Loren.

We boarded the ship at about 11am and were shown to our cabin which was an outside balcony cabin on Ischia Deck (Cat 11 – No. 11176). This was a good size cabin with a third bed available as a bunk and there was also a sofa bed. The balcony was quite small but a small table and two chairs fit in quite comfortably. A large mirrored panel on one wall and another mirror over the dressing table gave a good feeling of space. The décor in the cabin and indeed throughout the ship was in fairly rich colours and gave the impression of elegance and style as would be expected of an Italian ship. The bathroom was well appointed with a good amount of storage space and the shower offered both shower gel and shampoo. The wardrobes contained drawer space and hanging space as well as a safe.

Our first ‘port of call’ was lunch which could be taken in the Sahara Cafeteria or the L’Edera restaurant. We chose the Sahara Cafeteria as we would be having dinner in the L’Edera later that evening. The Sahara Cafeteria is large, light and airy with seating running down both sides of the ship and the buffet console running down the centre. Seating and décor is very pleasant with most tables having a good ocean view. The Sahara is also used for breakfast as an alternative to dining in the main restaurants.

After lunch we took the opportunity to have a look around the ship, in particular the outside deck areas. Beyond the Sahara Cafeteria is the La Grotta Azzura pool area which features the La Barchetta bar at one end and a lovely two-tiered area with a pool and two Jacuzzi pools at the other. The whole area is covered with a glass-domed ceiling, which can be drawn back as soon as the ship reaches sunnier climates. Even in Southampton, on a fairly grey February day it had the feel of a huge airy conservatory. This area then flowed on to LeGrand Bleu pool area which is a large pool on the open deck with loungers all around and La Conchiglia Bar. On the deck above there is plenty of room for the games area and there’s also a children’s play area, complete with indoor playroom where children can play video games. Also on this deck is T32 – the disco lounge and bar as well as the award winning Aurea Spa.

The Amalfi Deck (deck 7) houses the Casino, Library, Card Room and Cyber Café, (to name a few) and also the Royal Theatre (upper level) which was our venue for the main presentation by MSC during that afternoon and also for the evening’s entertainment. The theatre really is lovely and has dark blue and gold décor and plenty of tiered seating which give really excellent views.

On Portofino Deck (deck 6) there are a number of bars, shops, meeting rooms and the Quattro Venti Restaurant. Also on this deck is the Tiger bar which is an animal themed bar (of which we understand there is one on each of their ships – all differently themed). Whilst it may sound a bit tacky – it was quite the opposite. The décor was really stunning and consequently the atmosphere was really ‘African’.

We were seated on the first sitting for our evening meal (7pm), which we took in the L’Edera Restaurant and gave us plenty of time to go to the theatre for the 9.15pm performance. However, the second sitting is at 9.30pm so you wanted to see the show then you would need to wait for dinner. Again the décor was very stylish and the staff very pleasant. There was a good choice of menu – generally with an Italian bias, as you would expect.

The staff on the ship were very pleasant and friendly but there were quite a few, mainly in the restaurants and cafeteria, who seemed new and who struggled with English – A little patience may be needed whilst they get to grips with everything.

Our overall impression of the ship was extremely good. The colours are rich but not oppressive and the use of marble and tiling throughout the ship gives it a very elegant and ‘Italian’ feel. We had expected something a little glitzier and perhaps a bit tacky but instead found a warm and stylish ship with plenty of excellent facilities. Having now experienced an MSC vessel, we would have no hesitation in selling this line to couples and families alike – particularly those who would welcome something a little more ‘European’.

A couple of things to bear in mind is that as Magnifica is a European ship, announcements are made in a few different languages and smoking is not allowed outside of the designated areas.