Story by Ruth E. McBride
Travel Pulse Canada was on MSC Euribia for a 7-day Norwegian Fjord cruise roundtrip Copenhagen, with stops in Norway and Germany. The Euribia is the newest of the line’s massive Meraviglia class ships, with a capacity of 6,327 pax and 1,711 crew.
I was initially overwhelmed by the mammoth ship with its 19 decks, 377,000 sq. ft. of public spaces, opulent Swarovski crystal staircases, 2,419 cabins, 32 elevators, four pools and nine whirlpools.
The Norwegian fjords itinerary is not widely offered by MSC’s competitors, so the ship was full of wide-eyed explorers looking to experience the stunning, tiny, Norwegian ports on this sailing.
As an Italian-owned, family-based company, MSC values families with children who cruise on their ships, so the onboard Kids Clubs are free for all ages. Children are excluded only from the Sky Lounge, on Deck 18, which was packed with thirsty adult cruisers during the sailing.
MSC’s exclusive Yacht Club area at the bow of the ship provides cruise guests with a shared butler, concierge, private dining and pool. It also accommodates children, which I was surprised to see as my misconception was that Yacht Club was an ‘Adults Only’ area.
The destinations visited on the Euribia were outstanding.
The Norwegian fjords have some of the most beautiful waters in the world. The Euribia delivered magnificent sailing while expertly navigating the narrow, scenic fjords. Excursions to the extremely small ports of call in Norway were booked well ahead of time, and guests are advised to reserve all excursions at the time of booking as excursion space is extremely limited.
Dining and Bars:
The MSC Euribia offers 10 restaurants including the Marketplace Buffet, four main dining restaurants (with early or late dining), and five speciality restaurants.
The food in the main dining room was underwhelming and I found the atmosphere noisy.
The Marketplace buffet had many good options including a daily carving station. The cuisine wasn’t fancy, but very tasty. The buffet was open almost all day, with breakfast flowing into lunch and open late for pizza and dessert lovers. Fresh Buffalo mozzarella cheese is an unexpected treat, made daily at the Marketplace buffet.
Our hosts provided us with a three-night speciality restaurant dining package that sells for $110CAD. !Hola! Tacos was my favourite of the specialty restaurants I tried, with authentic and freshly prepared Mexican food.
The traditional ‘Le Grill’ steak restaurant, while tasty, did not offer as many included options when using the speciality dining package. There were supplements required for the oyster appetizers, and all meats other than ‘tender steak’ and New York strip loin. That said, the $23 up-charge filet mignon was delicious.
Teppanyaki on MSC Euribia was a fun-filled experience with ample amounts of food. (Photo Credit: Ruth E. McBride)
Our group dined at Kaito Teppanyaki one evening ($56, if paying without the specialty dining package), and the amount of food was overwhelming. There were no up-charges or exclusions on its menu and the humorous grill master was very entertaining.
Twenty-two bars located throughout the Euribia provide thirsty cruisers with bountiful drink options. Highlights include the ‘Helios’ interactive wine tasting bar with its state of the art multi-media touch screen table, and the ‘Champagne bar.’
The premium drinks package is priced at $114 a day and entitles cruisers to all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages up to a cost of $20 per drink. As with other lines, when cruising together in a cabin, both adults of legal age must buy the same drinks package.
Theatre & Entertainment:
MSC Euribia offers seven different theatrical productions in the Delphi Theatre on the seven-night sailing, with performances offered three times each evening. The musical stage shows were enjoyable and provided a lively 30 minutes of entertainment.
Carousel Lounge features a 19-piece big band performing nightly. ‘First come, first served’ seating made the lounge a difficult place to visit. The ‘Diva’s’ show was excellent, despite having to stand to watch the show.
MSC for Me App:
The MSC For Me app is the ‘go to’ for information while onboard the Euribia. (Photo Credit: Ruth E. McBride)
The ‘MSC for Me’ app is the ‘go to’ for information while onboard the Euribia. Booking shows was done conveniently through the app. The app also allowed a real time view of onboard spending. Disappointingly, excursions were not available for booking in the app.
The Euribia is a beautiful new ship, but MSC could improve in a few areas:
Cabins are spacious, with a comfortable queen bed, pillow menu options and crisp linens, but there were minimal amenities. MSC provides an environmentally sustainable pump hand soap dispenser by the bathroom sink, body wash and shampoo in the shower. Basics such as facial tissue, face cloths, bath robes, body lotion and hair conditioner were not provided.
Upselling occurs throughout the ship. The pre-massage paper work for a Balinese massage at the Aurea spa had an upsell sheet offering hot stones for $27 CAD and 15 minutes of reflexology for $42 CAD. The basic Balinese massage treatment was good, but the spa felt like a factory. In the Aurea Thermal Area a few treatment options were out of service, and the area was extremely over crowded.
A major irritant for me was the open smoking area inside the casino which permeated into the adjacent Carousel lounge, as well as to other areas inside the ship.
Final thoughts:
MSC uses a low entry-level pricing strategy to entice guests, but clients should be made aware that drink and specialty dining packages can add significantly to the cost. A deluxe balcony cabin, with an added three- or four-venue speciality dining package and a two-device per person unlimited internet package would be sufficient for most couples. Travellers on the Norwegian Fjords itinerary should make sure to book excursions well in advance to avoid disappointment when 6,000+ guests descend on the very small Norwegian ports.
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