MSC Euribia Review

It’s tough to imagine a ship better suited for families than MSC Euribia. The ship offers fun top decks, a wide range of family activities, cabins created for as many as six berths, large and innovative kids clubs and a packed daily schedule. (MSC also often offers a “kids sail free” promotion, making it even more tempting for families.)

Euribia follows strongly in the footsteps of its Meraviglia Class fleetmates – if you’ve sailed one, the blueprint will feel familiar. This class of ships features an iconic two-deck promenade covered by a giant LED screen that is itself an art piece. It also offers entertainment that eschews the cruise ship norm, a lively late-night scene and an expansive spa.

MSC Euribia features MSC’s renowned Yacht Club, a ship within a ship for guests who want exclusivity and a whole host of perks, like butler service, expedited boarding and disembarkation, and reserved seating at the theater.

The 4,838-passenger ship can sail with 6,327 when fully booked, which can lead to crowding, especially if inclement weather forces guests inside. Passengers tend to follow similar schedules, and you’ll fight for space around the pool, in the Marketplace Buffet and in some of the smaller bars and lounges if you don’t zig when others are zagging.

Entry prices for sailing MSC Euribia are among the lowest in the industry and offer a great opening for travelers on most any budget to see the world. As such, you’ll pay for a number of items onboard that you might not on other cruise ships (soft-serve ice cream poolside, popcorn in the Sportplex, second entrees at dinner).

MSC Euribia’s Deck Plan Well Designed but Can Cause Crowding

The MSC Euribia deck plan is surprisingly easy to master, as it’s well-designed, with all of the ship’s restaurants located on decks 5 through 7, except the Marketplace Buffet, which is on Deck 15, and the Yacht Club restaurants (decks 18 and 19).

The ship’s five main dining rooms all come with views, but Colorado River is the only one that is located at the back of the ship.

The hub of the MSC Euribia deck plan is the Galleria Euribia, where you’ll find all of the ship’s specialty dining, lots of shopping, and many of the bars and lounges. It’s also the spot where impromptu parties might break out, including celebrations of dance and the line’s famous white party, where guests all dress in white.

The ship offers a beautiful, wide-open pool deck, and the sundeck above is vast, with great views though little shade.

The big activities, including the Sportplex, video/virtual reality arcade, waterslides, ropes course and waterpark are all found at the back of the ship, on decks 16 and 19. When the weather is great, passengers take advantage, spending time here or on the pool deck. When the weather is lousy, everyone moves inside, which can lead to some crowds in the ship’s public spaces.

MSC Euribia Rooms are Spacious, with Lots of Variety

One of the things MSC Euribia does so well is providing a strong variety of rooms to fit any need. Even the most budget cabins are fairly spacious by industry standards and offer decent storage and amenities.

Depending on what you book, cabins can accommodate anywhere from one to six guests, and multiple connecting cabins are available – ideal for families. The ship also offers 60 wheelchair accessible cabins across several cruise categories.

Cabins to avoid on MSC Euribia include cabins that are directly above or below late-night venues or sun decks. Specifically, beware of any cabins on Deck 14 midship, as they fall below the pool, cabins on Deck 8 above the bars and lounges, or cabins on Deck 5 below the Galleria and adjacent to the theater.

Food on MSC Euribia is Hit and Miss Depending on Venue

Overall, food on MSC Euribia is mostly good. We especially enjoyed the ship’s bread, freshmade pasta and mozzarella cheese, all of which is made onboard.

If you ate in nothing but the ship’s included venues, you’d come away satisfied but not blown away. Salads and soups are good, as are the nightly pasta offerings, which rotate every day. We also enjoyed the seafood we ate in the main dining room.

In the buffet, we found the selection a little wanting, especially at dinner time. Little was offered in the way of proteins and the included pizza was meh, a surprise considering how delicious the ship’s hot, made-to-order pizza is. (This pizza, delivered to your room, comes with a fee.)

The specialty restaurants, on the other hand, are very good. The ship’s new French steakhouse, Le Grill, has excellently prepared steaks, a wonderful variety of inventive starters and a spectacular wine list. Kaito fresh and modern sushi, as well as a fun teppanyaki that is both fun but also tasty. Hola!, the ship’s taco joint, offers a lively environment and authentic-feeling Mexican street tacos.

Likewise, if you stay in the Yacht Club, you’ll find a fully different included food experience. In this enclave, meals feel special and ingredients are elevated, whether you eat in the casual buffet or the main restaurant.

MSC Euribia Yacht Club is Special, with Incredible Service and Perks

MSC Euribia’s Yacht Club continues the cruise line’s tradition of creating and delivering a memorable cruise experience in a private little slice of heaven.

Guests who stay in this exclusive enclave experience a superior, customized level of service while also getting access and perks that are meaningful.

Butlers are standard for all passengers in the Yacht Club, and they’ll help you at virtually every turn, from setting up spa appointments to escorting you to and from dinner, to helping you skip the line to get into port more quickly. They’ll also make sure your room is exactly as you want it, all the time.

Yacht Club passengers have their own, private restaurant, sun deck and pool, a full-time concierge desk and a private lounge. Perks include a minibar that is refilled throughout your journey, exclusive seats in the theater, drink package, Wi-Fi package and access to the Aurea Spa thermal suite.

The ship’s suites sit in the Yacht Club, but you also can book interior and deluxe cabins.

MSC Euribia Sustainability is a Priority, Though Subtle to the Cruiser

MSC Euribia is the greenest ship in the MSC fleet, though most of the sustainable efforts won’t be noticed by the ship’s cruisers.

The most obvious spot is the hull art, designed by Alex Flamig. The art delivers a message through its playful take on sea creatures and our oceans: MSC is committed to protecting our endangered sea life and being a better citizen when it comes to sustainability. The art is subtle, the giant hashtag #SaveTheSea is not.

The cruise line, and the cruise industry as a whole, has a goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

Other spots where cruisers will notice the efforts toward being green include recycling bins in rooms and corridors, a reduction in single-use plastics (like straws) and signs and spaces dedicated to MSC Foundation, the company’s charitable arm dedicated to communities and the environment.

Linden Coppell, MSC Cruises’ vice president of sustainability, says guests won’t see some of the most impactful efforts onboard, including the ship’s clean-burning fuel, liquified natural gas, which virtually eliminates local air pollutants.

All of the ship’s crew are trained in sustainable practices, and there’s an environmental compliance officer onboard who oversees everything from the completely contained waste-water treatment systems to the recycling program, which is “as good as and likely better than many municipalities,” Coppell said.