kernie968

The outside buffet was open, but the food bins were mostly empty. I don't know if they couldn't keep up with the demand or just letting the food run out, but they had a long line of people waiting .

I guess on the ships we have ever sailed the buffet always opened at 5 or 530. Also on all the other ships there was always a food option somewhere in the ship. We always had an early buffet dinner to avoid the crowds. Openings at 6 makes avoiding the crowds even harder.

Sorry this was the Meraviglia from 3/31 to 4/7/2024. We had sailed on Royal Thanksgiving week in 2023 and had no problems with kids or food.

My first MSC cruise was in the Yacht Club. Loved every second.Second cruise was between Thanksgiving and Christmas in a regular inside room. Was not as spectacular as the Yacht Club, but good enough to decide to book a 3 cruise. This is a heads up for anyone who has never booked a cruise when kids are on vacation. If you like your sanity don't book during school breaks! The ship was full with thousands of kids. I booked this cruise so I could take my 15 and 7 year old grandsons on their first cruise. The seven year old asked to go home on day three. On a cruise with few kids the pools get crowded, but with kids on break they are jammed pack. No way I would ever step into that petri dish. Both grandsons braved the pool the first couple days then decided they couldn't swim so why go in? Tried to drop the youngest off at the kids club, but he didn't want to stand in long lines and I was happy about that. The buffet was a joke. On our last cruise we had no problem getting water and juice. This cruise it was like an Easter egg hunt trying to find one dispenser that had anything in it. A few times it was very hard to find a cleaned off table to sit at. My biggest complaint about the buffet was we went up at 5 o'clock one evening starving to find nothing open, not even the 24 hour pizza. Nothing would be available until 6, so we went out to the pool small buffet to find a line of at least 50 people and hardly any food out there except a few fries and lettuce and tomatoes. No food from 5 to 6. Come on MSC you can do better. But the main reason not to travel on school break week is germs! Never once did I see any crew telling people they have to wash their hands to enter the buffet. Some of you might be okay with that, but the flu hit hard. First my young grandson, then me, then my son. The group that was started for this sailing started posting immediately after we got off asking how many others were sick with the flu. We had 3 out of 5 sick. One group said 26 out of there group of 30 got the flu. It was alarming how many people posted about the flu. I feel bad for the people getting on after us. Would I sail MSC again? Definitely in the Yacht Club and possible on a week that would have less children. But after coming back from a cruise and then calling in sick for 3 day and struggling to get over the flu made me realize that cruising with thousands of children is not fun. For those of you who were on the same cruise and did not get sick I am so happy for you, but if you are elderly and considering taking your grandchild on a Easter week cruise think again.

We have brought an air mattress on 2 cruises. Both times we asked the room steward for bedding. We were able to leave it blown up standing against a wall.

It is both lights, but not always at the same time. I did go to guest services and ask to speak to the hotel manager. They told me he would call me. Of course he hasn't called yet and it has been 8 hours. I asked them if they really wanted me to go on every cruise forum and complain about the ship and I got a shoulder shrug. Lol.

They are sensor, but nothing is near them. If they turned on and I could just touch the button to turn them off it wouldn't be so bad, but to have to rub them for 20 seconds to go off is annoying. Others in the group said it is happening to their lights. I was told that humidity makes them turn on.

Wish we could, but we cannot get the covers off. We tried. It seems to be just the way it goes and they expect us to rub the light switch.

On the Meraviglia right now and wondered if anyone could give me a suggestion that might solve our problem. The lights by the beds decide to turn on by themselves and will not turn off. Guest services didn't send anyone the first time I complained they just had the room steward show me how to rub the buttons on the lights to make them go off. That's fine but I really don't feel like rubbing lights at 1AM then 2AM. The second time they sent a maintenance worker who showed me the same thing. Obviously they do not have a solution so I hope someone here has encountered this situation and found a solution.

DH and I were very loyal to NCL, but we got a really great deal on a YC interior and we blown away by the service in the Yacht Club. Since there were no more great deals on YC we chose to travel in a regular room. It was okay but the buffet was a letdown. The bars were great and we had no problem getting drinks. I missed the Vibe on the NCL ships. I cruise to forget that children exist and noticed quite a few people brought their children to the adult only section on the Meraviglia. We are taking our grandchildren this week on MSC because the price was so low for a holiday week. I feel like we will go back to NCL because the drink package and dining package included in price is good but I love Vibe and missed it.

Anyone who has been there recently and went to Bimini beach is there a food truck at the beach? Do the trams take you there or do we have to walk?

So the senior discount must mean that they think seniors don't drink that much! They must not have kept track of what I drink on a cruise! Lol

The day we were on the island was windy and the waves were pushing all the rocks into shore. We took the short walk to Bimini beach, swam, went back to the YC for lunch then back to Bimini. Bimini was calm water and fish to snorkel with. You do need water shoes.

Agree with everything you said. We have traveled in the Haven and loved it, but as the prices rose we opted for a regular balcony and the Vibe Club. We live Vibe because no children allowed. I had been waiting for MSC to come to NY. We managed to book a YC inside room for the same price as a balcony on the NCL Joy. We will never go back to NCL. The YC experience was amazing. The way all of the crew in the YC work together made it the best cruise ever. We hardly saw any of the rest of the ship!

We split the beds in the YC interior and it gave us more space. I would attach pictures but my phone won't let me!