My honest review of my 'Deluxe Interior' cabin onboard MSC World Europa
When I book my cruises, I often decide which ship I go on based on where I can find the best deals. In order to achieve the lowest price possible, I often find myself opting out of some of the optional extras, one of these being selecting my specific cabin for my cruise. This can work out perfectly, and the cruise line allocates me a perfectly agreeable cabin in the run up to the cruise. However, other times, I find myself staying in a cabin that nobody else has chosen for good reason. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the case for this cruise onboard MSC World Europa. In this post, let me tell you why!
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Okay, let’s get started talking about this cabin…
I was allocated cabin 19504, shown in the darker pink colour on the above deck plan (deck plan image is from the MSC Cruises website). This cabin, on paper, sounded great to begin with. On the left of the map here, you’ve got the 'Botanic Garden Bar’ - this is the bar in the upstairs section of the pool with the retractable roof - perfect for an evening drink, I thought! On the right side of the map above, you’ll find the ‘Top Sail Lounge’ - this is a suite-only venue and you’ll find it within the Yacht Club.
I obviously wouldn’t have access to here, but I liked the thought of being in the same part of the ship as suite guests - all of the grey-coloured cabins on the map above are Yacht Club suites! The final benefit that I could see to these rooms is that there was a dead-end at one end the corridor, meaning that there would be such minimal passing traffic, and so the noise level should be absolutely minimal.
After checking out the deck that the cabin was on and being thoroughly delighted with the location, I checked what was going to be above me. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that I always recommend trying to book a cabin that’s surrounded by other cabins, as that’s usually a pretty fail-safe way to secure a good night’s sleep.
Above this cabin was a similar corridor of inside cabins, but with some blank spaces. At the front of the ship, above the ‘Top Sail Lounge’ was the ‘MSC Yacht Club Restaurant’, and this is what then caused problems for me with this cabin…
It’s worth adding that deck 18 (directly below my cabin) just looked identical to deck 19, so no issues there!
Unfortunately, these ‘blank spaces’ directly above my cabin must have been Yacht club service areas/kitchen service areas, as the noise coming from here would be almost constant, and would go on well into the night. This is probably due to the fact that, even outside of mealtimes, the crew areas around the Yacht Club facilities will be buzzing, as the crew prepare for the next part of the day, whether that be the morning, the afternoon or the night - argh!
So, on paper, this room looked great when looking at deck 19, but not deck 20. This is probably our first lesson of this post - check above and below when you book your cabin!
So, putting the issue of noise to the side for a minute, let’s move on to talk about the room itself - how did this fare compared to what I’m used to from MSC Cruises? Let’s start by having a look at the cabin…
The cabin itself is everything I’d want from an Inside cabin: small but enough space to move around, nicely lit, great amounts of storage, the TV in the ‘correct’ position at the bottom of the bed, and the same amenities as what I’d expect from the more premium balcony relations. Overall, I was really impressed with this room!
When you walk in the room, you’ll find the bed at the far end. It’s worth noting - this room can only accommodate TWO passengers - some MSC Interior/Inside cabins will accommodate up to FOUR, but not this one. In terms of in-room amenities, you’ve got:
A chair - it might sound odd that I’m calling this out, but I’ve worked at way too many cruise ship desks on uncomfortable stools - a big ‘thumbs up’ for this chair being an actual chair!
Storage - You’ve got storage around your desk (shelves above and drawers beneath and on one side), then you’ve got the large wardrobe opposite, containing full length hanging space, and also some shelves and drawers inside
Safe - this is inside the wardrobe. Not huge - didn’t fit my laptop - but big enough for passports, phones, money and other small pieces you’d like to lock away while you’re onboard!
Power outlets - in here, you’ll find plug points over on the desk, and you’ll also find a regular USB outlet on each of the bedside lamps - perfect for overnight device charging beside the bed!
Refrigerator / minibar - you’ll find this in the desk unit!
Ice bucket - I’m never too sure of this one, but I do think it’s a nice touch! I don’t actually know if an MSC cabin steward would fill this for you - I usually just walk my bucket up to the buffet before bed to replenish my ice - why not?!
Hopefully you agree with me - for only 15 square metres, this room packs a punch!
Next up, let’s take a look at the bathroom…
The bathroom is one area in this cabin that it’s almost impossible to criticise. I’ve always said that I’ve found MSC cabin bathrooms to be some of the best I’ve seen at sea, and this feeling rings true into here - look at it! My bathroom felt absolutely immaculate, and the decision from MSC to fit this room with a glass shower enclosure instead of a shower curtain really does elevate the room. Add to the mix a larger than most ships’ sink, MSC-branded toiletries and nice lighting, and you find yourself happy!
One point that I have heard other cruisers complain about - but I had no issues at all in here - was the positioning of the toilet. Some have said it can feel quite cramped in there, but I didn’t feel this at all!
So, would I recommend a Deluxe Interior cabin on MSC World Europa to you? Well, the short answer would be yes - they’re brilliant rooms, they’re well equipped and they’re super comfortable. However, I’d recommend that you avoid these cabins on deck 19, as I had to move after the first few nights - the noise level was ridiculous up there! You’ll find these rooms on lots of floors throughout the ship, so you shouldn’t struggle at all to find one not on this deck!
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading about my cabin onboard MSC World Europa! Want to see more? Check out my cabin tour of this room below!