Hello cruise enthusiasts!
Today we’re talking about a topic I really like, the buffet on MSC Cruises ships.
As some of you may already know, I am Italian and therefore have been on many MSC ships. Actually, it is the cruise line I have traveled with most often.
That is why I am quite familiar with the type of buffets on MSC ships. As a result, I will help you better understand how it works, inform you about their opening hours, and share some photos of the dishes you can enjoy onboard.
How does the buffet on MSC Cruises work?
The buffet on MSC works similarly to those on other cruise ships.
When you enter the buffet, you grab a tray and go around the various stations to find your favorite dishes.
Stations are typically organized into categories like appetizers, main courses, and meat or fish dishes. Alternatively, they might be grouped by cuisine type, such as Mediterranean, Asian, South American, or Indian.
On newer ships, you’ll also find several hand-washing sinks at the entrance. For your health and out of respect for other guests, please take a minute to wash your hands. If everyone did this on cruises, many of the issues we often hear about could be avoided.
MSC Armonia
Although MSC Armonia is the company’s smallest ship, the buffet, called “La Brasserie” on deck 11, still offers an excellent variety of food.
Guests particularly enjoy the meat dishes as well as the vegan options, such as the veggie burger.
One drawback noted in reviews, particularly from Italian guests, is that the pasta tends to be overcooked. They prefer it “al dente.”
The opening hours of the buffet are:
- 6:30 AM – 9:00 AM for breakfast
- 12:00 Noon – 4:00 PM for lunch
- 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM for dinner
- 10:30 PM – 12:30 AM for late-night snacks
MSC Sinfonia
On MSC Sinfonia, the “La Terrazza buffet” offers a casual dining experience with good quality food; fresh salads, pasta, pizza, and grilled food are available for lunch and dinner.
I particularly like the layout of this buffet because it reduces queues thanks to the separate serving islands.
There’s also an outside area called “Caffè del Mare” which serves hamburgers on one side and pasta & pizza on the other side. I recommend you try it, especially when the weather is nice!
MSC Lirica
MSC Lirica’s buffet is called “Le Bistrot” and is located on deck 11.
It’s quite a spacious, varied buffet with very tasty food. It’s open from 6:30 to 10 am for breakfast and from noon to 2 pm for lunch.
When the ship was lengthened they added an outdoor area of the buffet called “La Pergola” which is very nice.
It is a semi-open space covered by a multi-cornered maxi tent. Both on the right and left side of this space, you can find corners dedicated to burgers, salads, and pizza.
MSC Opera
Like its sister ships, MSC Opera has two buffet areas. The main area is called “Le Vele” while the external part is called “Il Patio“.
For breakfast, you can find the usual dishes, both sweet and salty: croissants, muffins, different types of bread, scrambled eggs, bacon, and more.
For lunch and dinner, there are different sections: one dedicated to salads, one dedicated to cold dishes and cold cuts, one dedicated to pasta, and one for meat and fish.
Finally, you will find two separate islands for fruit and desserts. There’s really everything in this buffet!
MSC Musica
The buffet on MSC Musica is called “Gli Archi” and is located on Deck 13. It can accommodate about 350 people at the same time.
For breakfast, some stations can prepare freshly made dishes for you such as eggs and omelets. But you can still find the classic corners reserved for fruit, yogurt, and cereals.
For lunch and dinner, you can find more elaborate dishes such as roast beef, fish, paella, and pasta, or simpler but crowd-pleasing dishes such as meatballs, pizza, or hamburgers.
MSC Orchestra
The buffet on MSC Orchestra is called “La Piazzetta“.
It offers the usual selection of dishes and is available for all meals from breakfast to dinner.
The menu is specially designed to please all the guests who are on board and who come from many different parts of the world.
For this very reason, there are also stations with Asian food, Turkish food, and in some cases Indian dishes.
During peak times, especially for lunch, it is a bit difficult to find free tables. Fortunately, there are some more tables in the outdoor area which is lovely during sunny days.
MSC Poesia
On MSC Fantasia the buffet is located on deck 13 and is called “Villa Pompeiana“. It’s open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
This venue offers everything from made-to-order omelets to pancakes, bacon, croissants, and muffins.
During lunch and dinner, there’s a big selection of dishes with chicken, beef, pasta, fruit, and desserts.
MSC Fantasia
On the MSC Fantasia, the main buffet is called “Africana Buffet” and is located at the rear of the ship, on deck 14.
It offers a wide selection of dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and in the front, it merges with another part that is called “Zanzibar“.
As with all buffets on MSC ships, they have a casual eating atmosphere and, therefore are perfect as an alternative to the more formal restaurants.
You can always find something that pleases different tastes and preferences. In addition, the buffet allows you to have flexible schedules.
MSC Splendida
The buffet on MSC Splendida is called “Bora Bora” and is located on deck 14.
I was on MSC Splendida a few years ago and I remember that I loved the food.
The opening hours are:
7:00 to 11:30 a.m. for breakfast.
11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for lunch.
7:00 to 9:30 p.m. for dinner.
One thing that I like about the buffet on MSC Splendida is that it’s in a great location, right next to the pools, so it is super convenient to get to while you are relaxing.
Moreover, there are some tables outside that are very useful during the summertime.
MSC Magnifica
The buffet on MSC Magnifica is located on deck 13 and is called “Sahara” and has an adjacent part that is called “L’Oasi“.
The buffet on this ship also runs for many hours of the day. Breakfast is from 6:00 am to 11:30 am. Lunch is served from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Snack time is from 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. and dinner is from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
For every single meal, there’s a huge amount of food for every taste. The only more restrained selection is for snack time, which usually has only cookies, some sandwiches, and some nibbles.
MSC Divina
“Manitou“ and “Calumet“, located on Deck 14, are MSC Divina’s casual buffet options. It’s basically a single buffet but it’s divided into two different areas.
I have been aboard MSC Divina more than once and have fond memories of the buffet.
I must admit that sometimes it gets a bit crowded, especially at lunchtime around 1 PM but I have never seen excessive queues.
The variety of dishes is good. There are two lines, one to the right and one to the left serving the same food.
MSC Preziosa
On MSC Preziosa the buffet is open nonstop for 20 hours a day from 6 am to 2 am.
Again, it is a single buffet but on the ship plan it is divided into two parts: “Inca” and “Maya” on deck 14.
Here you can find continental breakfast, a lot of Mediterranean dishes, and fast-food fare, such as pasta, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches.
MSC Meraviglia
I have been on the MSC Meraviglia and remember with pleasure the excellent buffet. It’s called “Marketplace Buffet” and is located on deck 15.
I have to say that the food was great the whole week and that the buffet positively surprised me day by day.
It was always varied, with excellent quality dishes and most importantly never crowded. It allowed you to quietly enjoy all the dishes.
One thing I particularly like is that MSC has plenty of open kitchens. So you can watch the chefs prepare the fresh food, from pizza to roasts.
MSC Seaside
On MSC Seaside, the layout of the buffet changes a bit. In fact, there are two distinct spaces on this ship: the “Marketplace Buffet” (on Deck 8) and the “Biscayne Bay Buffet” (on Deck 16).
The former is located near the ship’s outdoor promenade and is also the larger one, while the latter is designed as an informal space where you can eat something near the pools.
Both have indoor and outdoor spaces, which are very nice to use of during the summertime.
The only main difference is that Biscayne Bay is open only for breakfast and lunch, while the Marketplace is also open for dinner and snacks.
MSC Seaview
Like its sister ship, MSC Seaview has two different buffets, one on deck 8 and another on deck 16.
This setting should help during peak times to limit overcrowding and queues.
As usual, the Marketplace is a bit bigger and has outdoor seating, but both have multiple serving stations with all kinds of food.
I’ve noticed that the “Ocean Point” on deck 16 it’s a bit more kids-oriented so has more things like nuggets, hot dogs, fries, and burgers.
MSC Bellissima
The “Marketplace Buffet” on MSC Bellissima is the perfect venue if you are looking for an informal lunch or dinner.
It offers an international selection of dishes along with specialties of Mediterranean cuisine. The variety of food includes both healthy options and typical dishes that change based on the ship’s itinerary.
I really like the buffet’s layout on the ship. It’s very spacious (3650 m2) and can accommodate a lot of people in a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.
MSC Grandiosa
On MSC Grandiosa the “Marketplace Buffet” offers a wide selection of international and Mediterranean dishes. It’s usually open between 6:30 am to 10 pm and is available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The buffet also includes healthy options and signature dishes that vary based on the ship’s itinerary.
It has an area of 3,650 square meters and more than 1,336 seats. Consequently, it allows passengers to eat comfortably and without crowding.
MSC Virtuosa
On the MSC Virtuosa, the “Marketplace Buffet” offers a wide selection of dishes to suit a range of tastes and preferences. It is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for snacks throughout the day.
The quality of the food is praised for being of a high standard. There are many culinary options, and you will always find some regional specialties, salads, pizza, and main dishes of the day such as roast, burgers, soups, and grilled fish and chicken.
The buffet can accommodate more than 1,300 people and has an outdoor area to eat while enjoying the view.
MSC Seashore
On MSC Seashore there are as many as 10 restaurants where you can eat. Everyone, however, likes to go to the buffet at least once.
Why this choice? Because it is the place where you can freely choose what you want to eat.
In this case, the buffet is very well designed; it is located on Deck 16 and has a surface area of 2,700 m2. There is also a nice outdoor area with tables that have a beautiful sea view.
MSC Seascape
MSC Seascape has a single buffet on Deck 16, again called “Marketplace.”
It’s very wide and spacious and can accommodate more than 1,000 people, so it never seems too crowded.
It’s also quite easy to find free tables; you just have to head to the back of the buffet where there are fewer people (everyone tends to stop near the entrance).
As for the food, I have read mixed opinions. Many people really liked the pizza and the cheese selection, while there are more complaints about other dishes such as the pasta.
MSC World Europa
MSC World Europa has two different buffets that are separate and located on two different decks: “Il Mercato” on Deck 18 and “La Brasserie” on Deck 19.
Both are quite large and can accommodate a huge number of people, from 600 to 800 each.
The menu is very similar in both, only a few dishes may change but really nothing more.
The only real difference, in my opinion, is that “Il Mercato” also has an outdoor space with a nice view. So go there if you want to eat while admiring the ocean.
MSC Euribia
MSC Euribia is the newest ship by MSC and the included food is generally good in all the restaurants. Many reviews, in particular, have pointed out the deliciousness of the pasta, the bread, and the cheeses.
On this ship, the buffet is located on deck 15.
As usual, it is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and is located in a fairly large space. I also like the layout of the different stations, they are all well-organized and do not create lines or extra crowding.
Many of the things are freshly made onboard such as bread, pasta, and a few types of cheese. I really like this mindset and wish more cruise lines would prepare fresh produce directly on board.
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