A floating city on the water: a trip on the MSC World Europa

A short cruise break manages to offer a mind-boggling variety of dining and hospitality options along with myriad activities and some very choice onshore destinations, writes Vickie Maye

La Plage Pool, aboard the MSC World Europa

The waiver was signed with a blasé shrug, but as we neared the top of the queue, and saw the looming drop below, we began to get second thoughts. 

We were on top of the 20-storey MSC World Europa, about to hurtle down 11 decks on a long snaking slide, appropriately called The Venom Drop. (Later we would learn it is the longest dry slide at sea.)