Our first cruise together – MSC Bellissima

We made our first cruise together in September 2019 and were impressed by the ship. Our families were with us on this trip, so we were in total 8 people. The cruise started for us in Barcelona, but in every city people could check in and out. Our route included the cities Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Messina (Sicily) and Valetta (Malta). 

Choice of cabin category

Luca and I slept in an inside cabin, which was perfectly sufficient for us. The cabin was big enough and modern. Since there were eight of us on the way, we could also have a look in the other cabin categories. The outside cabin was the same size as our inside cabin. However, it has a window, which cannot be opened. In our opinion, the relatively large price difference you pay for a window is not really worth it. The balcony cabin, on the other hand, is with 20m² larger than the other cabin categories and has an additional coach and the balcony. The balcony cabins are barely more expensive than the outside cabins, which is why we recommend you to book either an inside cabin or a balcony cabin, depending on how much it is worth to you. Within these categories MSC will offer you so-called adventure worlds. Also there we have taken the cheapest one because we have not seen such a big difference with a more expensive experience world for us. However, the slightly more expensive cabins are more likely to be found on a higher floor.

The ship – a floating small town

The ship was really impressive for us both from the outside and from the inside. Altogether the ship offers space for more than 5,500 passengers. Surprisingly, the guests were so well distributed on the ship that it never really seemed overcrowded. This is probably also due to the size of the ship. Therefore, it was difficult to orientate oneself on the ship at the beginning. With the length of the ship, we always had to plan enough time if we wanted to visit attractions that were at the very front or at the very back. The MSC Bellissima has many highlights to offer and especially the heart of the ship, the Galleria Bellissima, is very beautiful. The long gallery has a beautiful LED sky which changes depending on the event, time of day, mood etc.. By the way, this is currently the longest LED sky on a ship. Along the gallery there are many shops and restaurants. Mandy also bought a super nice handbag there.

What on no cruise ship is missing is the casino where we tried our luck and we didn’t really win anything but we also didn’t lose anything because we played our stakes over and over again. The ship also has an adventure area with water slides but we didn’t test them. The gym tested Luca once and it was good. There is also a party area, a kid’s area, a sports hall and several bars on the ship. We bought a drinks package before the cruise which we also used very well. 

On the ship there are several pool areas. The main pool which is open, is in the middle of the ship. Events and funny games like bingo, dance classes, parties etc. took place there. There are also enough steamer chairs, so that one has actually always found a place. The adjoining area also has a pool and several whirlpools which can also be roofed. There are some more whirlpools spread all over the ship. At the back of the ship there is also a pool. But we didn’t like the wellness area so much. You have to book it separately and it was very small. The rest rooms are also not really nice. There are comparable ships with more beautiful wellness areas. At the evening events there is a very large selection. For example, we went to a white party, to the theatre and to Cirque du Soleil. The theatre on the ship has room for up to 1,000 guests and we really liked the shows. Cirque du Soleil has developed breathtaking shows especially for this ship but they have to be paid extra. We bought the tickets before the trip and can highly recommend this exclusive show.

The culinary catering

There are several areas on the ship where you can eat. For breakfast and if we wanted something to eat at noon, we were actually always in the buffet restaurant, which was good. The big buffet restaurant is upstairs and offers something to eat the whole day. On the other hand, we found the restaurants where the dinner is served much more chic. Every evening there is a delicious 3-course-menu with various offerings. Depending on the motto, we also dressed up accordingly in the evenings. Otherwise, one can also eat in specialty restaurants but they have to be paid additionally. 

Insights into exclusive areas

We found a tour offered by MSC about the ship particularly interesting. There we could have a look into areas that one don’t see otherwise. We also had a look at the wardrobe of the theatre and could ask one of the artists questions. Furthermore we were in the MSC Yachtclub, an exclusive area on the ship, for which one have to pay a lot more. Among other things, there was an exclusive restaurant and a private pool. Beside the laundry, we could also visit the huge kitchen. With appropriate protective clothing we were allowed to look at the cooking areas and camps. We also got a glimpse into the floor where the crew members live and could learn a lot about the life of the crew. We can recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in cruise ships.

We enjoyed our first cruise together very much and the ship is very modern and impressive. If you want to get more impressions on the ship, please have a look at our video about the MSC Bellissima.