When you’re cruising with kids, your cabin isn’t just a place to sleep – it’s your home base, your recharge zone, and sometimes even your escape pod. So picking the right one? It’s a big deal.
MSC Cruises offers plenty of stylish, modern staterooms, but not all are created equal when it comes to families.
Between limited layouts for larger groups, a few sneaky price jumps, and options that sound perfect but turn out to be a bit cramped in real life, it pays to know what you’re getting into…
The Best MSC Ship Classes For Families
Before we get into the cabins themselves, let’s talk ship classes. MSC has six, although two of those have sub-classes within them. Not all are the best choice for a family cruise, so here’s a quick look at the more popular options:
1. Meraviglia & Meraviglia Plus Class
- MSC Meraviglia
- MSC Bellissima
- MSC Grandiosa
- MSC Virtuosa
- MSC Euribia
For a long time, the Meraviglia and Meraviglia Plus Class ships for MSC were the biggest in the fleet, and as such they are some of the best that MSC has to offer for families.
You’ve got some great accommodation options sleeping up to six guests, but also plenty to do onboard to keep everyone happy – splash parks, bowling, pools with water slides, arcades and even an F1 simulator.
MSC Virtuosa and MSC Euribia both sail from Southampton at certain points of the year too, making them convenient options for cruisers travelling from the UK.
Read more: Fun Things To Do On MSC Virtuosa
2. Seaside & Seaside-EVO Class
- MSC Seaside
- MSC Seaview
- MSC Seashore
- MSC Seascape
The Seaside Class ships are a fantastic choice for families who love to spend time in the fresh air. The design of these ships shifts a lot of the action to the outer decks – think waterfront boardwalks, open-air dining, and more pools and sunbathing spots than you’ll know what to do with.
It helps that the ships are stylish and packed with family-friendly attractions, too. There are aquaparks with interactive water features, zip lines, bowling alleys, and virtual reality games.
MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape, part of the upgraded EVO sub-class, also offer reworked layouts with bigger venues and more space, which is always a win when you’ve got a stroller or two in tow.
Accommodation-wise, these ships are pretty solid for families. You’ll find a decent range of cabins for groups of five or six, especially in the balcony and suite categories, plus some good connecting room options too.
MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview offer European cruises with a range of departure ports, although none in the UK.
3. World Class
- MSC World Europa
- MSC World America
- MSC World Asia (Coming 2026)
- MSC World Atlantic (Coming 2027)
The newest and boldest addition to the MSC fleet, the World Class ships are absolute game-changers. These are megaships in every sense!
MSC World Europa is home to an enormous kids’ area split across age groups, thrilling water slides (including the longest dry slide at sea), bumper cars, roller skating, and a proper sports arena. MSC World America has retained many of those features and added new ones too.
When it comes to cabins, World Class ships offer the widest variety yet, including brand-new layouts like Infinite Oceanview rooms and cabins in the “Family District” near the kids’ club. There are also tons of connecting room setups and multi-guest suites.
Read more: MSC World Europa Review
Bella vs Fantastica vs Aurea
A quick note on the different MSC ‘experiences’ you can book, as this will have an impact on the cabins that are available to you.
When you book a cruise with MSC, you’ll choose either the Bella, Fantastica, or Aurea fare. Depending on your sailing date, availability and choice of cabin category, not all of them may be an option.
Bella is the cheapest fare and you don’t get to pick your cabin – just the category. You’re also limited to only Balcony options or below – there are no Suites you can book with Bella.
Fantastica is the next step up and this will let you select your specific cabin. You do get more cabin options too, but the very best are reserved for Aurea guests.
There are a lot of other perks to booking Fantastica over Bella, and Aurea over Fantastica, so it’s worth checking out my guide to them all to understand exactly what you’re paying for.
Read more: MSC Bella Vs Fantastica Vs Aurea
The Best MSC Cabins For Families
Looking for the best MSC cabins for larger families? There are some great options across the fleet, but these three in particular stand out:
1. Premium Oceanview Cabins
If you’re not fussed about a balcony but still want more space and natural light, Premium Oceanview cabins are a solid choice.
These rooms are surprisingly roomy and often configured to sleep up to five, with a small separate area that can be curtained off as a ‘second bedroom’.
You’ll find a generous seating area, good storage, and plenty of comfortable bed space. This isn’t about cramming five people into a room that’s really only good for three or four!
These cabins are ideal if you’re cruising with younger kids and don’t plan to spend hours on your balcony, and as Oceanview cabins they aren’t going to break the bank either.
2. Premium Suite Aurea
Step things up a notch with a Premium Suite in the Aurea experience tier. These cabins give you that little bit of luxury – more space, stylish décor, and a private balcony to escape to during nap time or post-dinner wind-downs.
You’ll also get Aurea perks like priority boarding and access to the spa’s thermal area, which can be a lifesaver if you’re due a break from the onboard chaos.
These suites can comfortably sleep a family of six, so if you’re travelling with a larger group, it’s worth stretching the budget for one of these.
3. Grand Suite Aurea
If you can afford to step up another level, the Grand Suite Aurea is one of the most comfortable and spacious family-friendly options onboard an MSC ship.
With separate sleeping and living areas, there’s room for everyone to spread out – or sneak off for a moment of peace.
These suites also come with larger balconies, priority services, and all the Aurea benefits. Perfect for families who want to cruise in comfort without going full Yacht Club.
The Worst Cabins For Families
There are a couple of options that might be advertised as family cabin options on MSC, but aren’t really the best. It’ll depend exactly on what you’re looking for, but at least consider the drawbacks of these before you book:
1. Deluxe Interior
Tempting because of the price and that “deluxe” name, but don’t be fooled – these rooms are tight.
Deluxe Interior cabins are fine for solo travellers or couples on a budget, but stick a family of four (or more) in here and you’re asking for trouble, even when they’re advertised as family-friendly options.
These rooms offer minimal space to move around, and once you pull down those extra bunk beds? Forget about walking to the bathroom without stepping on someone’s shoes.
2. Connecting Cabins With Studio Interior
Depending on your ship, you may be offered the chance to book family cabins that are actually connecting cabins – more than one (sometimes up to three!) that are sold together and that have inter-connecting doors, essentially opening them up into being one large option.
And these can be great if you want a lot of space, although make sure to check the prices. However, you also need to be careful about the connecting cabins you do book.
Studio Interior rooms are quite small on most ships, but on MSC Meraviglia they come with a significant drawback – you don’t get a bed!
There’s just a single sofa bed instead, and so bear in mind that while you might be paying for two cabins, one of them will only have the extra sofa bed.
Tips For Getting The Best Family Cabin On MSC Ships
Regardless of which cabin you choose, there are some important tips you need to be aware of when booking your family cabins with MSC.
1. You have to book early
I always say that family cabins are the first ones to sell out, but that seems to be especially true for MSC sailings – probably because the fares are often lower than other cruise lines, and so savvy cruisers snap up the best options ASAP.
So, if you want a great deal, you need to make sure you’re booking a family cabin at the earliest opportunity. If you’re within 12 months of your planned sailing date, there’s a good chance the top cabins are already sold out, especially during the school holidays.
Try to plan your cruise 18 months in advance if you can. If your dates aren’t on sale yet, keep checking and book with a deposit as soon as it becomes available.
2. Always check the deck plans!
Another tip which isn’t exclusive to MSC, but again seems to be even more important with the cruise line, is to check the deck plans before confirming a booking.
You might only be able to do this with a Fantastica or Aurea fare, but as long as there isn’t a crazy Bella deal you’d be missing out on, paying a little extra is worth it to know you’ve chosen a good room.
If you’re looking at connecting cabins, check them both out and consider searching on forums or YouTube for reviews of the specific cabin numbers – just to make sure you’re happy with the bed configurations and you know what you’re getting.
3. Family cabins will be cheaper than connecting rooms
While there are some great options for connecting cabins on MSC ships, the best prices for bigger families will always be the dedicated family cabin options.
Which isn’t too surprising – you’re only paying for one cabin, after all, instead of two – even if one of the connecting cabins is a studio single.
It’s another reason why those cabins sell out first, so if budget is a concern then it’s one more justification for booking as soon as you can.
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Final Word
Sailing with a bigger crew doesn’t mean you have to squeeze into awkward layouts or break the bank to stay comfortable.
MSC Cruises might not always make it easy to figure out the best cabin setup for your family, but with a bit of planning (and now, the right info in your back pocket), it’s definitely possible to lock in a space that works.
From knowing which ships to target, to understanding the quirks of their pricing structures and cabin configurations, there’s a lot you can do to make your cruise a smoother ride from day one.
And if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the choices? Reach out to a specialist. Companies like Cruise Family can help you navigate all the fine print and find a solution that fits your group’s size and budget.
