10/01/2026
🚢 Day 4 — Disembarkation + everything I learned from our first MSC cruise!
And just like that, our cruise was over! We had a quick and easy walk-off disembarkation, made it through Customs, and were back in Florida before stopping for the most important part of any road trip home… Cracker Barrel. 😂
Since this was our first cruise, I wanted to share some of the things I learned along the way — including a few things I wish I had known BEFORE we boarded!
🤍 Dinner time: If you’re able to request or change your dining time, I’d recommend something around 6–7 PM. We had a 5 PM dinner, which meant we felt like we needed to start getting ready around 4 — washing/drying hair, changing, etc. — and we ended up missing Sailaway from the ports because we were at dinner. Next time, I’d definitely choose a slightly later dinner.
💰 A correction from my previous video: I mentioned the $51-per-person “hotel service charge” that I saw on our account. After hearing from other cruisers, I found out that there was a prepaid gratuity option that my sister chose not to select when booking, which is why that gratuity was showing up on our individual onboard accounts. So, when booking your cruise, make sure you understand how gratuities are handled and whether they’re prepaid or added to your onboard account.
That said, I still recommend keeping an eye on your onboard charges throughout the cruise. I overheard other cruisers discussing unexpected charges while we were in the thermal area, so it’s better to catch something while you’re still onboard than after you get home!
And probably my BIGGEST first-cruise lesson: research the ports just as much as you research the ship. I spent so much time learning about the MSC Seashore that I didn’t plan our port days nearly as much as I should have. 😅
Overall, we had such a fun first cruise with the family, and I hope this series gave you a realistic look at our experience — plus a few tips that can help you plan your own!
Would I cruise again? You’ll have to follow along for future trips to find out. 👀🚢