In late April, our family (2 adults, 2 children) embarked on a 7-night cruise vacation in Norway. I believe it’s helpful to share some details for future travelers, as I benefited from others’ online experiences.
As a family we prefer active holidays, are patient, keep our accommodation tidy, and don’t require bed-making 2 times per day. Being considerate of our surroundings is crucial for us. If this doesn’t resonate with you, my insights may not be as useful.
This was our first cruise. Typically, I extensively research online, read reviews, and consider different viewpoints. For this trip, we selected MSC for two reasons: affordability for our family budget and the desired route to Norway.
Our itinerary was Kiel (boarding) – Copenhagen – Hellesylt – Molde – Flam – Kiel (disembarkation), with two days at sea. I booked this vacation nine months ahead, noticing prices rise closer to departure. We also pre-booked drinks, internet, and a photo package, as onboard costs are higher (20-30% more).
Boarding in Kiel: We drove to Kiel, facing traffic near Hamburg. Parking close to the terminal is recommended; and booking ahead to secure a spot. I booked the parking in the last 3-4 weeks and had limited options, but other options with lower costs were available if you book in advanced.
First-day suggestions: We attended safety training and planned activities. We had an Aurea Suite at the ship’s stern. The suite had enough storage for us 4. Some family members experienced seasickness for the initial two days. We used motion sickness bracelets. Areas with minimal movement were the ship’s central shopping and dining spots (decks 6, 7) and the upper deck activity zones (decks 15, 16, 17).
On day one, I explored the ship, activated packages at the Hub area, and booked activities. The ship allows bookings via interactive screens or its app for shows, dining, and entertainment options.
Food/Drink Package
Food is provided in the package, excluding specialty restaurants. With the Aurea package, we could enjoy the shared buffet (Marketplace) and a designated restaurant (Colorado). The food exceeded our expectations with a variety of options and quality ingredients. The standout dish was the pizza, prepared with ship-produced mozzarella.
The Marketplace (buffet restaurant) was busy, but with a bit of planning, we found quieter times to dine. Despite being full, we always managed to find available tables. The overall food quality was good, with few exceptions, even during peak times.
We opted for the Easy Package-basic drink package since we are not heavy drinkers, and the selection met our needs. Surprisingly, I ended up enjoying a lot of cocktails 🙂 . The best cocktails were prepared at the indoor pool bar. Although, I did encounter some instances where cocktails had missing ingredients (at bars around the ship).
We preferred having breakfast and lunch at the Marketplace restaurant for more food choices. The allocated restaurant (Colorado) offered a more nice atmosphere with a fixed menu of three options. The restaurant was less crowded, providing a more elegant ambiance and good service. It was a worthwhile experience for a peaceful evening meal, offering the same ingredients as the buffet but prepared differently.
I decided not to opt for the package including all specialty restaurants due to the cost and my belief that they wouldn’t surpass onshore dining experiences. I did try the Mexican specialty restaurant, which served dishes using common ingredients. The tacos were well-prepared, the Mexican dessert was a buffet dessert with a twist, and the margarita was good. Overall, it didn’t offer anything exceptional to justify the additional price.
During our time at sea, we would spend our days at the indoor pool, where the water mimicked the sea’s waves. My husband discovered the table tennis area and found teammates to play with, dedicating more time to the game than to us 🙂 . The girls briefly explored electronic game areas but lost interest quickly. They were not keen on participating in age-appropriate activities organized by MSC, so we missed out on those options.
We also joined a napkin folding workshop, which I found worthwhile if you have an interest in the subject.
Other Services
I purchased a Digital Photo package, which proved to be valuable as we captured numerous moments without relying on our phones. I preferred savoring the experience rather than endlessly taking pictures.
I purchased internet access for one device, which couldn’t be shared. Data roaming only worked near the port or close to the coast. Our rule became: if land was in sight, we had data!
Activities
During my trips, I preferred solo travel and made bookings 3-4 months in advance. To strike a balance, we planned active and relaxing days. While in port, we limited ourselves to 1-2 trips, avoiding rushing through must-see attractions to savor the experience fully. Family request: not too many museum visits :).
Our strategy involved returning to the ship early to enjoy quieter common areas, a tactic that proved successful. We always managed to secure sunbeds by the free pool.
Copenhagen – We used public transport to explore the National Museum of Denmark and Tivoli Gardens.
Hellesylt – We walked around the village and embarked on a fjordguiding.no boat trip, a favorite with the kids due to the thrilling speedboat ride and stunning landscapes.
Molde – We visit the town for 1-2 hours. Shops were closed dur to May 1sy celebration.
Flam – Opted for an excursion with Flåmsbana + Zipline + Bicycles via www.norwaysbest.com. Although the train ride was less impressive due to tunnels blocking the view, biking down was lovely with breathtaking landscapes and waterfalls. We return to the ship, taking advantage of the pleasant weather (20 ºC) to swim in the outdoor pool (21 ºC) and soak up some sun, a highlight of the trip due to the fjords surrounding view.
In the pool area, there was a jacuzzi, but we preferred not to use common areas with hot water.
We also attended a napkin folding workshop, a fun experience for those intrigued by the craft.
Services
The service was good The staff worked hard to maintain cleanliness in common areas and served promptly. Drink orders took no more than 10 minutes. Room cleaning could be been improve from my perspective. The pools were impeccably clean.
The evening shows were entertaining. Although we could have participated in more activities, it took us a couple of days to acclimate. Apart from me, the others experienced motion sickness, which was unusual as they don’t typically get seasick. However, being on a cruise ship’s upper decks between ages 13-19 changed that.
We didn’t utilize the SPA access from the Aurea package, as I was not expecting a better experience than my previous ones.
Other services
I opted for a Digital Photo package that proved to be valuable. We took numerous pictures without warring to use our phones. I preferred soaking in the experience rather than snapping hundreds of photos.
The internet access was limited to one device and couldn’t be shared. Data roaming functioned near the port and coastal areas. Our rule was simple: as soon as land was in sight, we had data access!
Disembarkation
Disembarkation was fast; we left within 5 minutes of the scheduled time, and our luggage awaited us at the port terminal.
Baggage Tips
- Motion sickness bracelets
- Pack medicines in luggage to avoid high onboard costs
- Magnetic hooks for convenient hanging
- Packing cubes for organized packing and unpacking
For us it was an all inclusive with better services! It’s worth the cost and services to explore an area you’ve never seen before! For the rest of the family, the holiday was a bit static and with too many moments of adaptation (to movement, meal schedule, embarkation / disembarkation times), but I think it’s the only option where we would go with all inclusive. An experience we will repeat again, but in the distant future.
I recommend setting your expectations correctly. From my perspective it’s not a luxurious or very elegant type of vacation, it’s a good price/quality family experience with much better service than what I experienced on land.
For me personally, it was a pleasant experience except for the many times when I had to organize and nag the rest of the :). Now I’m thinking about a summer vacation in Norway! If you have any queries, feel free to ask, and I’ll do my best to answer them.
