Hello everyone! I’m back from yet another exciting cruise adventure! This time I was on a 3-night mini cruise out of Genova on MSC Bellissima! This wasn’t my first MSC cruise, but it was my first time on a big MSC ship, like Bellissima. Here are my thoughts on this giant beauty!
About the ship:
MSC Bellissima is a HUGE cruise ship, and no I’m not exaggerating. At 171,598 gross tons and with 15 passengers decks she definitely feels big and spacious. At double occupancy, Bellissima can carry 4.500 guests and around 5.600 with all berths filled. There are also 1.500 crew members that are taking care of you and the ship. MSC Bellissima has a nearly identical, two years older sister ship MSC Meraviglia. They are both newer ships with Meraviglia being delivered in Spring of 2017 and Bellissima in Spring of 2019. She also has a brand new, slightly bigger sister ship MSC Grandiosa, which does have some new features but is still quite similar. Bellissima is still pretty new so all the spaces still have that new, “fresh out of the shipyard” look and smell, even though she spent a whole summer season sailing in the Mediterannean. Her sister ship Meraviglia is currently sailing out of her new winter homeport Miami, Florida and MSC Grandiosa will be doing 7-night cruises in the Mediterranean.
Meraviglia class ships offer so many things to do on-board, it’s honestly hard to do it all on a 7-night itinerary so imagine how busy I was trying to do as much as I can on my 3 night mini-cruise! From a huge Arizona water park to an amazing, thrill packed Sportsplex to the relaxing Aurea spa…. on this ship they have it all. But more about all of that later!
Before every cruise I always read a bunch of reviews and ask my fellow cruisers about the ship I’ll be sailing on. What I really wanted to know about this ship was how crowded does it get, because I never really sailed on a ship of that size so I was slightly worried about crowding. I was positively surprised, I would say that this ship handles crowds pretty well considering it carries five thousand people. With such a huge number of people onboard, of course you can expect some lines during peak hours at the buffet… elevators were also in high demand (I recommend taking the stairs if you can use them) but I never really felt trapped by people! Some areas of the ship definitely get more foot traffic at certain times, but it was never a disorganized chaos like it can be on some ships. And also you can always find a quiet spot somewhere on this ship (places like the Sky lounge on deck 18) which always seems to have a nice and quiet atmosphere. Top decks were usually deserted in the evenings and there are plenty of nice seating areas up there too.
MSC Bellissima docked in Barcelona
Stateroom
I booked a guaranteed inside cabin for an insanely good price but guess what! I got upgraded to a balcony cabin on Deck 12, mid-ship! Now I don’t know if that’s because I got lucky or because I run a cruise blog in my free time… but either way, I loved it! Location of the cabin was perfect, it was just across the hallway from the mid ship elevators and surprisingly there was no noise from the hallway. This cabin was spacious, in a good condition and pretty functional. The cabin looked contemporary and had everything I needed. I really liked the layout of this cabin and especially the layout of the bathroom, it is not big at all but it’s so functional that it really doesn’t need to be any bigger. The storage space is decent with a closet and drawers under the table, but it could get tight if you’re going on a longer cruise. I don’t usually stay in balcony cabins because, as we all know, they cost more, so I usually opt for more affordable inside cabin. Some people really dislike inside cabins, but to me they’re perfect since I spend most of my time walking around the ship, so even when I have a balcony I don’t really use it all that much… it all depends on what you like and need! On this cruise the weather was definitely not great for using the balcony, but since I had it, I made it my top priority to use it! It was nice to watch sailaways from the balcony, but it would get cold quite quickly so I didn’t spend much time out there. Overall, I really liked my cabin, probably so much so that I’ll never look at my guaranteed inside cabins in the same way again! Ha-ha!
Balcony Cabin 12163 
Bathroom
Activities onboard
On the top deck you will find four pools and seven whirlpools. One pool (Grand Canyon pool) is covered by a retractable roof so it can be used pretty much anytime anywhere! Main pool deck on this ship is one of the biggest ones I’ve seen on any ship so far. There are two big pools surrounded by a Baja shelf where awesome, comfy sun beds are located, I would call them prime real estate! Around both pools there is enough space for lounging and sunbathing, there are also pool bars nearby if you fancy a drink by the pool. Since this was a mid-November cruise you can imagine how busy the pools were. The indoor pool was used by some people, but it never got busy and I haven’t seen anyone using outdoor pools… I guess nobody was brave enough!
There is also a huge waterpark at the back of the ship. It is called the Arizona water park and it features three water slides and a big waterpark area with all kinds of water features for young and young at heart cruisers! There is also a ropes course, just aft of the waterpark. This activity is also included in your cruise fare and I never really saw a line for it, but sadly I haven’t had time to do it. Maybe next time!
I was really impressed with the Sportsplex and Leisure Centre on MSC Bellissima, sports complex come night club in the evening, is an incredibly large area. From a basket ball court to football, it can be used for just about anything. If that wasn’t enough the arcade complete with F1 simulation, 3D virtual reality activities and full sized bowling lane is enough to keep any game enthusiast busy. Note, some of these activities incur extra charges.
On-board gym, spa and wellness facilities are pretty big, as they should be for a ship of this size. The gym was never crowded and it is located just a deck above the buffet… I think MSC is trying to say something with that… haha! I haven’t used spa facilities on this ship, but I’ve heard some great reviews of the Aurea spa on all MSC ships!
Dining
MSC Bellissima has 12 different dining venues, including Hola! the tapas bar from 2* Michelin Star chef Ramón Freixa. If tapas are not your thing, you can try Kaito Teppanyaki & Sushi bar, the American Steakhouse Butcher’s Cut or L’atelier Bistrot, the French bistro. Many of these have outside tables with views over Bellissima’s two story indoor promenade, Galleria Bellissima, a great place to people watch.
As it was I mini cruise I didn’t have enough time to try many speciality dining options, but I did manage to dine in the Butcher’s Cut and in the Sushi bar. Freshly made Californian rolls with pickled ginger and wasabi were beyond delicious and fillet steak in the Butcher’s Cut was excellent. I would definitely recommend trying at least one speciality restaurant, not only beacuse the food is excellent, but also because each restaurant has a different decor and atmosphere so each night can be a totally different experience! There are some great dining packages on offer that do save you some money so look into that if you’re planning on dining in multiple speciality restaurants.
Oh, and how could I forget the delicious Crepes in the Jean-Philippe Crepes & Gelato shop on the Galleria Bellissima. The Crepes are worth every cent, they were so delicious! There are also many flavors of gelato offered here for around 3 euros a scoop. You can literally smell when this venue is open since the aroma of freshly made crepes spreads all throughout Galleria!
As well as the speciality dining, there are three main restaurants and a fabulous buffet restaurant. I was particularly impressed with the Marketplace buffet. The choice of fruit, cereals, breads and hot food was excellent. I loved the live cooking stations and had a hot breakfast with a freshly cooked omelette on mornings! One MAJOR thing I didn’t like was, there were no donuts for breakfast… if you’re a cruise donut lover like me, prepare to be disappointed. Other than that, I was impressed by the overall quality and variety of the food in the buffet! EDIT: When I came back home from the cruise and posted this review, a person who was on the same cruise contacted me and told me that there were in fact donuts served for breakfast but in the kids section of the buffet… excuse my sobs!
Dinner in the main dining room was good too. I love the way the Italians serve four smaller courses, rather than overload your plate with one large main course. The desserts were particularly good too – I didn’t expect anything less, desserts seem to be good on all Italian ships!
Entertainment
One of the biggest draws are the two Cirque du Soleil shows, that can not be seen anywhere else in the world. MSC built a specific auditorium for it’s Cirque du Soleil shows, with a 360 degree rotating stage and 40 meter long LED screens. Note there is an additional charge for Cirque du Soleil and it needs to be booked in advance. If Cirque du Soleil is not your thing, don’t worry, there are six different Broadway style shows to choose from. There are also 40 hours of live music each day and twenty different bars and lounges to choose from. Many of the bars and lounges are located close to the atrium of the ship, where the dazzling set of Swarovski crystal staircases is located. These are a feature on all newer MSC cruise ships and are considered a symbol of sophistication and a focal point of the ship. There are 96 steps in the main staircase (there are actually 6 Swarovski staircases on board) and each step has a staggering 640 Swarovski crystals! These stairs were ALWAYS busy, everyone wanted that signature Swarovski staircase photo!
During the day you can also participate in various events like dance lessons, quiz and trivia shows, karaoke… there is something for everyone.
Itinerary
On this short cruise we visited Barcelona, Spain and Toulon, France. We were originally supposed to visit Marseille instead of Toulon but due to strong winds we were redirected. I didn’t mind this change since I have more cruises booked that are visiting Marsille (most Mediterranean cruises visit Marseille). Toulon is slightly off the beaten path for large cruise ships and most ships that visit it are much smaller than MSC Bellissima. She is so big that she became the biggest ship to ever dock there. Though keep in mind that the ship does NOT dock in Toulon but in the small city near Toulon called La Seyne-sur-Mer from where you can catch a free shuttle bus or a shuttle boat to Toulon. Rides with both are not long at all, around 10-15 minutes. I would definitely recommend taking the shuttle boat not only because it docks right on the waterfront of Toulon but also because you get beautiful views of your ship as you’re sailing around it to reach Toulon. I really liked this city, as it’s not busy as Marseille and it is known for its fountains, found in many of the small squares, each with a different character. The original system of fountains was built in the late 17th century but most were rebuilt in the 18th or early 19th century. Toulon is also an important centre for naval construction, fishing and winemaking. It is located in Provence after all! All in all, a beautiful city with a lot of charm and I’m really glad I got to visit it!
Barcelona on the other hand is a complete opposite of Toulon. It is a bustling port city and the second largest city in Spain. If you’ve been on a Mediterranean cruise, chances are that you’ve been to Barcelona, it is a major cruise port. At this stop we didn’t have a lot of time, so we decided to take the metro to Sagrada Familia and walk around the city centre. We also strolled trough La Rambla and many surrounding streets lined with many shops, cafes and restaurants. You can visit Barcelona a million times and still see something new each time. I love this city and its metropolitan atmosphere. I can’t wait to go back!
The embarkation and disembarkation port, Genova is a busy port city located on the Gulf of Genoa in the Ligurian Sea, Genova has historically been one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean, it is currently the busiest in Italy! It has been nicknamed la Superba due to its glorious past and impressive landmarks. Genova is also the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. The ship docks right in the city centre so if you have time definitely walk around the city and soak in the history that this place has the offer!
MSC
In conclusion, I would have to say that this ship exceeded my expectations. I expected huge crowds, lines and a shopping mall feeling, but in reality there were little to no crowds on-board and even though the ship is huge, it still feels, smells and looks like a ship! Embarkation and disembarkation were really easy and fast which was great since I didn’t have time to waste on this short mini cruise! I left the ship with a full stomach, and many great memories.
In my opinion, MSC offers a great product at reasonable prices. Officers and staff on board are welcoming and are working as hard as they can to ensure that you have the best on-board experience as possible. I’d say that you get your money’s worth no matter what! You can always grab something to eat, there’s always something happening on the ship and the itineraries that Bellissima offers are amazing.
I would not think twice about sailing on another Meraviglia class ship or with MSC in general. I really like what MSC offers, a subtle Italian experience on-board contemporary, state of the art ships!
If you have any questions about MSC Bellissima, MSC or anything in general just hit me up on Instagram or feel free to e-mail me!
Have you sailed on Bellissima or with MSC recently? What are your thoughts?
As always, thank you for reading, Dominik!
Cruise Ship Paradise 
Great review ! We have just got off an 8 day cruise and you are right ! It was terrific
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