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Travel + Leisure’s full cruise ship review of MSC World Europa.
Just as youd expect from a ship this big, the 22-deck mammoth is overwhelming in scale and spectacle.
The MSC World Europa on it’s arrival into Doha, Qatar.Credit:Courtesy of MSC Cruises
Its no wonder that large-capacity cruise lines are going all-in with similar private enclaves on their mega-ships.
Soon enough, we were escorted aboard, and prosecco and snacks soon appeared.
We had breakfast, most of our on-board lunches, and some dinners there on our weeklong sailing.
The Top Sail Lounge.Ivan Sarfatti/Courtesy of MSC Cruises
The package would otherwise cost about $50 per person per day.
That not having to think about it ease is what really defined the luxury of MSC Yacht Club.
The Yacht Club concierge handled our reservations forWorld Europas specialty restaurants.
When we wanted to see a show, there were always seats set aside for Yacht Club guests.
Mega-ship experiences are fun, but theyre not always effortless or stress-free.
But on a ship nearly filled to capacity, our Yacht Club privileges made for smooth sailing.
More than 1,000 cabins are in the deluxe balcony category and can sleep up to four guests.
An additional 200 balcony cabins overlook the World Promenade, the flashy seven-story open-air atrium.
From there, the next step up is the Yacht Club.
Our 269-square foot Yacht Club Deluxe Suite was one of 152 Yacht Club staterooms.
In addition to the Yacht Club restaurants, we tried four of the ships five specialty restaurants.
Our best meal overall was at the more formal Butchers Cut steakhouse.
There seems to be a bar around every corner.
Its not publicized, and if you ask a crewmember, theyll deny any knowledge of its existence.
Its hands-down the best drinking venue on board if you could find it.
On our sailing, guests would say farewell or hop on for the first time at every port.
Shore Excursions
We booked two shore excursions, one in Palermo and another in Barcelona.
Both were walking tours, from the lineup of what MSC calls Protectours.
Others, we simply didnt have time to try even over the course of a week.
All together, there are seven pools and 13 hot tubs on this ship.
Because of the windy weather, most families with kids were clustered in the indoor Botanical Pool.
Chef’s Garden Kitchen restaurant.Ivan Sarfatti/Courtesy of MSC Cruises
(Despite our daughter technically being too young to access this space, no one batted an eye.)
I may never convince her that whale-watching from a Zodiac is better than being on this ship.
But for whatever reason, there were never any other kids there.
Fizz Champagne Bar.Ivan Sarfatti/Courtesy of MSC Cruises
On our cruise, we noticed many passengers with reduced mobility.
The MSC Yacht Club Sundeck.Ivan Sarfatti/Courtesy of MSC Cruises
The World Promenade and Venom Drop slide.Ivan Sarfatti/Courtesy of MSC Cruises
Scenic views from inside the Panorama Lounge.Ivan Sarfatti/Courtesy of MSC Cruises
The ship’s F1 simulators.Ivan Sarfatti/Courtesy of MSC Cruises
