MSC World Europa: Top 10 To Do’s
I spent 21-nights onboard MSC World Europa in 2023, and feel like I know the ship really well as a result of this longer time onboard. The cruise I took on this ship left Dubai (UAE) and finished in Marseille (France), and was the cruise that brought MSC World Europa ‘home’ to Europe for her first Summer season, following completion of her time as a floating hotel in Doha (Qatar) for the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Before we get started on my ‘Top 10’ things that you need to do when onboard, you can also read this article in video form - I cover the same 10 tips in the below YouTube video:
Still here? Amazing - let’s get started!
10. Visit the Jean Philippe Chocolatier
You’ll find this on Deck 6 of the ship, just along from Guest Services in the indoor Galleria section of the ship. This speciality venue is where you’ll find handmade chocolates and gifts made onboard! If you’re cruising over a key event (in my case, I was onboard over Easter), then be sure to head down and look at their seasonal products! In here, you’ll also find some of the best ice cream available onboard. It’s long been an annoyance for some cruisers that there’s no complimentary ice cream on an MSC cruise in Europe, but this stuff’s excellent! Think more ‘gelato’ than standard ice cream, and be prepared to spend €7-€10 per sundae, but it’s worth it! It’s usually pretty quiet in here, so no need to worry about booking or getting there early to get a good table.
Products-aside, let’s talk about decor in here. I’ve seen this chocolate shop so many times on a number of MSC ships, and I’m always really impressed at the standard of chocolate sculptures that are on display - they really are complete works of art! These sculptures are made entirely of chocolate, and often painted - absolutely remarkable! Note: these aren’t available for purchase - just to have a look at!
9. Have a Tea (or an Afternoon Tea snack) at the Raj Polo Tea House
I was so impressed when I found this place - I hadn’t imagined a tea lounge on an MSC cruise! One of my biggest frustrations with these enormous MSC ships is that they can be really quite loud throughout the day - there’s always something going on, and there’s often people around you. That said, the Raj Polo became my little refuge onboard, as I quickly realised this is where passengers would go during the day for some ‘peace and quiet’. On sea days, you could come and spend time in here, sipping tea and eating biscuits, while a pianist gently played the piano in the corner of the room - bliss!
If being indoors isn’t really your thing, then the lounge also has a beautiful external terrace attached, which is another really quiet spot to lose yourself for a few hours in an afternoon!
There’s over 30 different flavours of tea to choose from, and they’re all really reasonably priced, so why not try something new?!
8. Ride the F1 Simulator
for a few years now, MSC have had an official partnership with Formula 1, and they introduced these simulators on their ships (I’ve also seen them on MSC Virtuosa and MSC Meraviglia). On World Europa, you’re going to find the simulator up on Deck 19.
You’ve got 2 simulators to choose from - you can opt to either ride solo, or you can race against a fellow passenger in the opposite car. Price-wise this one isn’t cheap - when I was onboard back in April 2023, it cost €11 for 5 mins - not something I’d want to pay for every day, but worth giving it a try! There’s also a way to save some money - check out the ‘Fun Pass' package - it often includes the simulators.
7. Try a fresh pint of beer brewed onboard MSC World Europa!
For this one, you’ll need to head back down to Deck 7, and into the ‘Masters of the Seas’ pub, where you’ll find a traditional-looking British pub! In here, you’ll always have great live entertainment, but that’s not my ‘top tip’!
As you walk in, you’ll see huge brewing chambers on the right hand side of the bar. In here, would you believe it, they’re actually turning sea water into beer! I know - crazy, right?! Anyway, be sure to grab a pint, and settle yourself down for some decent music.
6. Aurora Borealis Aqua Park
This is the onboard water park, and it’s not for the faint-hearted! Here, you’ll find 4 different slides: an inflatable ring slide, 2 racer slides, and a drop slide. Personally, I found the drop slide to be absolutely fantastic - you stand in a chamber at the top, it counts down, the floor falls away, and you go down the slide - it’s SO much fun, and I’ll allow you consider that a trophy to take home if you do build up the courage to go on it!
5. EAT PIZZA!
It’s the worst-kept secret that MSC are among the best of the cruise lines for their quality of pizza. You’ll find this at a number of locations around the ship: the buffet, the poolside grill, the ‘Pizza and Burger’ grill down on Deck 6, or your Room Service menu.
While you’ll pay to have pizza delivered if you opt for the Room Service approach, there’s ample opportunities to grab a slice of the good stuff totally free of charge - it was available all day from various places, and the final slot would be the ‘midnight snack’ buffet, which was open until 2am… In other words, no excuses!
4. MSC Aurea Spa
You’re going to find the spa right at the front of the ship, and it really does serve as a haven away from the crowds. My personal highlight has got to be the Thermal Suite - you’ll find a huge jetted pool in here, heated loungers, and a number of state-of-the-art saunas and steam rooms, some with beautiful ocean views.
You can usually book a day pass for the Thermal Suite, but it’s often much cheaper to consider booking a cruise pass, which would allow you access throughout your time onboard. It’s also worth mentioning that, if you happen to be a ‘Gold level’ member of the MSC loyalty programme (it’s called the ‘Voyagers Club’, then you’ll get a 1-hour access pass to the Thermal Suite per cruise - I always love using this option to let me see what it looks like in there, and it saves me the money of buying it for the whole cruise!
3. Ride the Venom Drop!
Yep, this is the one you’ve probably been expecting to feature in this guide - the huge dry slide that you can see at the back of the ship. This slide drops 12 decks, and takes passengers from the top deck of the ship down to the central promenade on Deck 8. If you’re trying to find it, you can’t really miss it - it’s the slide with the enormous snake head at the top!
My advice on this one? It’s not as terrifying as it looks! If you’re in two-minds about giving this one a go, please do - you’ll be surprised at how good a view you get of the ship - a very unique perspective!
2. Check out the onboard entertainment
On these huge cruise ships, you’re going to find a huge array of entertainment options. On World Europa, there’s 2 venues that I need to tell you about here. Up first, is the ‘World Theatre’, and I found some of the acts in here to be absolutely fantastic. I do often find that MSC’s own production team can feel relatively low-budget, so don’t be expecting a full West End production (but that’s fine - they never claim it will be), but the visiting acts and entertainers are often fantastic.
The second venue to mention here is my favourite by a mile: the ‘Panorama Lounge’. Location-wise, this lounge is at the back of Deck 7, and it’s totally different to anything I’ve seen on an MSC ship previously. If you’re more familiar with Meraviglia-class ships, then this lounge is essentially their new take on the Carousel Lounge (which, on those ships, is the show lounge usually beside the casino).
You should expect fully immersive performances here with the cast out in the audience for a large part of the show, and some other really great pre-show features (I’m not going to tell you what these are, but my advice is to get down here early to secure a good seat and to watch the goings-on!).
1. Remember to check out the views!
Ok, the last one on my list. If you’re cruising on this ship, PLEASE remember to take in your surroundings outside of the ship. I often find that people cruise on these mammoth-sized cruise ships, and I always hear their reviews of the food, the drinks, the bed, the service etc, but so many don’t tell me about the views. Remember that, for however long you’re on that ship for, you’ve got the best opportunity to soak in a little bit more of our beautiful planet. In other words, get out on deck, watch the sunrise, take in a sunset, and enjoy those sea views.
That’s it! That’s my ‘Top 10’ to-do’s if you’re planning a cruise on MSC World Europa. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading this article - if you have, then please think about checking out my other MSC Cruises content via the menu at the top of your screen. While you’re there, head over to my ‘sign up’ tab to receive my newsletter and be kept updated with all of my newest edits to the site, and remember to check back - there’s so much more to come!