I was fortunate enough to be invited on MSC World Europa, sailing through MSC heartland, the Mediterranean. I flew with Emirates from Brisbane to Barcelona, which was a really positive experience, with the airline’s app making it easy to select seats and make dietary requests. Entertainment onboard also made for an enjoyable flight.

I stayed at the Grand Hotel Central Barcelona. Aptly named, the hotel is in a very central location and offers easy access to restaurants, bars and a variety of shopping options.

With the day prior to my cruise free to explore Barcelona, I took the Hop On, Hop Off bus City Tour - a must! It was a really good way to orient myself with the city as it was my first time visiting Barcelona. My top spots on the tour were Sagrada Familia, Port Olimpic, Park Guell (which I had to unfortunately view from the outside due to low season) and Camp Nou Mueseu FC Barcelona (a must for football fans!)

Once I was invited on this trip, having sailed with other brands previously, the first thing I did before I left was organise a status match. Using MSC’s online form I was able to match my status and this allowed me to access perks such as onboard discounts, spa treatments and so much more! The MSC App is the best way to book your shore excursions, shows and dining - but they do have a number of interactive screens around the ship where you can book your shows, check the activity planner and view a map of the ship and routes on how to get around.

MSC World Europa herself was absolutely breathtaking - the sheer size of the ship was so much to take in when embarking, but once you get your bearings she is very easy to navigate. And due to the size, it was always easy to find some peaceful spots to relax with a book (and a cocktail!)

I got the chance to enjoy a pre-dinner drink in the exclusive Yacht Club lounge, MSC’s ship within a ship concept. This spacious lounge is for Yacht Club guests and connects to their private dining and pool lounge. And the best part, the Swarovski staircase!

Dining onboard was absolutely fantastic. Your main dining room is assigned when you check in and is based on the experience level that you had booked. If you have dietary restrictions, they are very accommodating to pre-ordering to make sure that you are well taken care of throughout the voyage. La Pescatara offered fresh seafood, and the vibe in the restaurant makes you feel like you’re truly in the Mediterranean. HOLA Taco Bar is the perfect spot for a light bite, and if you’re into margaritas then this is the spot for you with a full bar filled with different flavour combinations. If you’re having dinner in the Butchers Cut Steak Restaurant, make sure you leave room as the portion sizes are enormous!

The Aurea Spa is an absolutely stunning space with a variety of saunas, steam rooms, therapy pool and even a salt room. Sea days fill up fast, so make sure you book in as soon as you’re onboard.

Throughout my voyage, we experienced three organised excursions. The first was in Marseille - Uncover the Charms of Aix-En-Provence. Home of L’Occitane with a beautiful little boutique store. Mid-year is Lavender season, so that is one of the most popular times to visit. But even in the winter there were a variety of farmers markets to explore. If you’re not doing a shore tour, there are shuttle buses available into Marseille.

In Genoa we did the Portofino & Enchanting Views of Ligurian Riviera tour, which was my absolute favourite. We jumped onto the bus and had a scenic 45-minute drive to Camogli. We then had free time to explore, so many great little cafes for coffee and pastries. From there we jumped onto a ferry over to Portofino. We used our free time here to do as the Italians do and enjoyed some nice fresh pasta and wine. Also included in the tour was a free gelato, even with it being wet and cold weather we couldn’t miss this and it didn’t disappoint! Next stop on the tour was Santa Margarita for you guessed it, more food and wine and of course a spot of shopping.

Finally, on one of the sea days, we undertook a behind the scenes tour. For those who are cruise nerds, you cannot go past a behind the scenes tour. Over the course of a couple of hours we were able to explore the galley, backstage of the theatre and also down in the crew only areas such as the laundry and staff highway. They also offer an extended version on one of the port days which takes in other areas such as the bridge.