tx121

We will hopefully be sailing on the Mardi Gras on Jan 22nd. Right now we are planning on going but would like to know what kind of "atmosphere " to expect during these "omicron" times. To those who have cruised recently, have all the shows / entertainment gone on? Are the pool decks filled with empty loungers? Do you notice a decrease in capacity?

I thought chibang and cucina del Capitano was included in the cruise fare but when I go on the Carnival website, it says additional charge. Can anyone confirm if those venues are still complimentary? 

Most importantly, what are the must dos on the Mardi Gras? 

We are very easy going people and as long as we make stops in 2 of the 3 ports we will be happy. Just praying not 7 days at sea 😳😳.any advice is greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

At first it seemed weird to me that the ships entertainment crew, mainly the production cast was getting infected with covid since they really had no face to face interactions with the guests. 

Yes I know they could get affected from other crew members but then I remembered when we cruised a few years back on the Oasis, we met the cast member who played Tracey in Hairspray in the Windjammer. She mentioned that certain performers like herself have guest status and stay in guest cabins since they are the leads of the broadway type of shows. I'm wondering if this is causing "outbreaks" among some of the ships production cast? 

If you look at the other ships in the fleet without the Broadway type shows, you don't see their cast becoming sick and canceled shows since they don't have guest status. Maybe it's just a coincidence? 

So I redeemed 10,000 fun points from the Carnival Credit Card and received $100 onboard credit redemption code. Does anyone know how I can apply this redemption code to my next cruise which is on Jan 22nd? I tried calling Carnival but when I try calling there is a automated message saying wait times are too high and to try again later. Is there a way I can apply the redemption credit online? Any help is appreciated.  Thanks!

Hey all!

We are looking to book a cruise on Princess to Alaska and are trying to decide on the Crown or Discovery Princess. We would like to leave out of Seattle due to uncertainty if the Canadian borders would be open to ships by the time we want to cruise, preferably in May.  The Discovery Princess being the newer ship seems a lot more attractive to book, but we heard Glacier Bay is great to see, so we were thinking of the Crown Princess. Discovery Princess has the same itinerary but goes to Endicott Arm instead of Glacier Bay. What would you guys recommend itinerary/ship wise? Also we have been to Alaska before on Royal Caribbean, but we heard Princess does a better job with guest lecturers about Alaska. Do all ships have the guest lecturers? Any info you can provide is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

9 hours ago, VegasVic14 said:

Here's the complete list:

To think that this is the best RCL's Miami Office can come up with? They should reuse past ship names as Carnival is doing now with their new ships. People may say, oh it will confuse people when they book ships thinking its the older ship. Well in that case in this day and age, they didn't care to do their research where up to date information is readily available on websites. Hopefully out of this list, they reuse Splendor of the Seas. I would love to see the names like : Empress of the Seas, Monarch of the Seas, Sovereign of the Seas, Legend of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas sail once again. Such strong and bold names that are Royal. 

I am looking at the prices for a suite on the Allure and I see that a Jr Suite is $100pp lower than a Suite guarantee. My question is if you book a suite guarantee, does that mean you have the possibility of getting a Jr Suite? In that case I rather just book the Jr Suite at $100 pp lower. 

Did you ever get lucky and get a loft or owners suite with a suite guarantee? Thanks for the info!

1 hour ago, 40yearcruiser said:

Thanks for the review and beautiful photos. We will be on the Meraviglia this time next week for the 8-day cruise over Christmas!!! We've been on the Divina (last time in October this year) but this will be our first time on the Mera. Was it decorated for Christmas? We are still waiting for our cabin assignments since the two side-by-side cabins we booked have been changed to guarantee. Hope we get a good location and the cabins are still together. When we were on the Divina in October there were less than 900 passengers but we're wondering if the holiday cruises will have much higher capacity. The crew were fantastic and it was nice having plenty of extra space at the pool, etc. I agree that Ocean Cay is beautiful and we are hoping for some warm, sunny days when we are there. Merry Christmas to all!

You're welcome! Yes they started to decorate the Meraviglia for Christmas during our cruise. I think they will add even more by the time your cruise comes around. When I talked to some of the crew, they said the holiday and new years cruise will be busier and have about 2500 people / 50% capacity. Hope you guys have a great cruise and a Merry Christmas!

3 hours ago, skyking said:

What drink package did you have?  We upgraded to the Premium and it does say you can use it in the Specialty Restaurants.  

I had the easy drink package which does not include the drinks at the specialty restaurants.  I should of did what others said and brought my own drinks before going in to the restaurants but wasn't sure if this was allowed.

SPA

I totally forgot to mention about my Spa Experience. I prebooked a 50 minute Balinese massage online, but I wish I waited until I got onboard. They have specials each day that I think had better value then the pre cruise listing price on the website. On Day 1 for example, they had a special where you get a 80 min massage for the cost of a 50 minute massage. 30 MORE minutes of relaxation for the same price I could of had if I waited and booked on the ship. Another special was on Day 4 where you can get a 60 minute full body massage for $99 if you book it in the morning. The Balinese massage was very therapeutic and relaxing. The masseuse did a great job.

Because MSC matches your loyalty status from other cruise lines, hotels, and memberships, I was a Gold card member on MSC since I am a diamond on RCL. As a gold card member, you can use the thermal spa once per cruise for 1 hour. The thermal spa has saunas, steam rooms, salt room, heated chairs and jacuzzis. This area was VERY relaxing and enjoyable. 

20 hours ago, buckeye25osu said:

 

Thank you so much.  How early is too early?  We get into Orlando at 8:50am and plan on being on the first GoPort shuttle at 10:00AM which gets us to the port by 11:00AM I think.

I just used the Go Port Shuttle for my cruise on the Meraviglia this past week. My advice is once you get your luggage, go straight to the Go Port counter and check in. You will be given a number. I was number 40 and was able to get on the 1st shuttle. We arrived to the port area around 11:00am but there were passengers from other cruise lines that were dropped off first. MSC was the 3rd stop. By the time we got to the MSC terminal; it was around 11:40. 

I also had trouble checking in online. But there's nothing to worry about, they will just process your information at the pier. Have a great trip!

Overall Cruise Experience

I have to say my first cruise on MSC was very enjoyable and a success! I couldn't of asked for a more relaxing yet entertaining vacation! There were only about 1100 people on this cruise which is 20% capacity. The ship felt like a large yacht! There was always seats available in the buffet, in the theater, on the pool deck, etc. Most of the passengers were from the US / Canada, so English was the only language used for announcements. I think they said there are usually 5 languages spoken when there are more international guests. The service from the crew was top notch. Ocean Cay is a great beach day. We were lucky enough to have wonderful weather both days. The entertainment and activities were great. I always had something to do and was never bored. 

The only down side is the food which isnt all that bad. My advice to the one's who are thinking about going on MSC, I say DO IT NOW! With the low capacity, it is surely going to be a great cruise experience!

Covid Protocols

MSC does a good job with following their protocols they promised to their guests. Crew made sure everyone is wearing a mask, social distancing and sanitizing areas. 

Happy Holidays Everyone! Hope you enjoy your future cruises! If you have any questions about MSC Meraveglia, please ask! I will try to answer as best as I can! 

39 minutes ago, missalexandra said:

$60 for a steak? LMAO. You can go to the best steakhouse in New York at those prices.

 

I totally agree with you. The al a carte pricing is ridiculous in the specialty restaurants. The Tomahawk steak was $120, where on NCL it is part of the dining package, 

Entertainment and Activities

The entertainment and activities were great! There was always something going on and at times you had to choose as they started at the same time. The singers in the lounges were fantastic! I especially enjoyed the group who performed the Uptown Funk and Disco concerts in the Carousel Lounge. They are not to be missed! Other activities were the Silent Disco Party, the Quest, the Beach Party on Ocean Cay, MSC's version of name that tune which was more exciting that the trivia version, Love and Marriage, etc. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the cruise. 

The production shows were good. Don't expect any of the special effects and wow factor that is on Royal Caribbean production shows. However, I really enjoyed the Opera/ Italian variety show (Sorry I forgot the name of the show). The singers had fantastic voices and it felt like I was transported to Italy and enjoying a show there. There was also a magic show the first night which was good. The second production show called Way was a variety of popular American music. I think I would enjoy it if the singers sang the songs in Italian. Don't get me wrong, they have great voices but the accent is distracting when they are singing the songs in English. Lyrics get jumbled up and the choreography was cheesy but overall it was a good effort.

Service

I have to say, the service on MSC was fantastic! The crew was always smiling and engaging. It is so refreshing to hear "you're welcome" after saying thank you....something Royal Caribbean crew seemed to forget how to say. I cannot praise the crew enough on the Meraviglia! There was not one crew member who was not friendly, well besides the security team who always seemed like they were in a bad mood. lol! Service was right up there with Celebrity. 

Ports of Call

Nassau- I have been to Nassau numerous times before pandemic and now. It is nice to see how more shops are starting to reopen and the city is getting back on its feet. This time I went to see Baha Mar in the Cable Beach resort area. The hotel is gorgeous! I mainly went there for the casino and thank God Lady Luck was on my side as I was able to recover my losses from the Meraveglia casino. The machines on the cruise ship didn't seem to pay out often and the blackjack tables had automatic continuous shufflers. 

Ocean Cay- It is beautiful even under construction. There are many beaches to choose from and the water quality was excellent! There are loungers and umbrellas on the north part of the island and bean bags and chairs on the light house beach. Since we were there overnight, they had a small little Bahamian parade followed by a lighthouse show on the beach and then a dance party. It was nice night out on the island and to see the ship all lit up in the background. 

Food

Since I had the 3 specialty restaurant dining package, my dinners were spent 3 of the 4 nights at the for fee restaurants. On the last day I went to the complimentary main dining room. Now when I prebooked the specialty dining package online, it was $77 which is a great pricde compared to $120 they charge onboard. For around $25 a restaurant, this was a great bargain and worth it. Compared to the $40 a restaurant when booking onboard, I'm not sure if it would be....but I will explain this further in to detail. 

Here is a buyer beware about the specialty restaurant package on MSC compared to other cruise lines. Usually in the specialty restaurants, you are given full access to the menus and can choose 1 item for each category. On MSC, there is a section called Dining Experiences which is a limited section of the menu you choose from. There are about 4-5 items from the full menu for each category (usually the cheapest priced items). Now they do say if you want to substitute a item that is on the full menu, you can have that for 50% discount of the listed price. For example, so say I want the Ribeye Steak which is not included in the dining experience section. The listing price is $68 for the ribeye on the full menu, so you would have to pay $34 more for it on top of the price you paid for the package. 

Also, they do not serve regular iced water, it is either 1 liter of sparkling or still bottled water which is $5.50 plus 15% service charge. Your drink package does not work in the specialty restaurants, so whatever you order there, you will be charged accordingly.

For my meals, I stayed within the dining experience section. Here are some pictures of the food. 

dddd

Review 

Ocean Cay Restaurant- The Service and food was very good but I thought it compared to the food you can get in the main dining room on Royal Caribbean. I got the crab cake, crispy skin Cod entree and Creme Brulee. 

Butcher's Cut Steakhouse - This was my favorite restaurant out of the 3. I ordered the deviled eggs, NY Strip Steak, mashed potatoes and Lava Cake. The deviled eggs I did not care for. I should of went with the waiter's recommendation of the Goat Cheese appetizer. The NY Strip and mashed potatoes was excellent! Full of flavor and perfectly cooked. It also comes with 4 different sauces which was a nice enhancement. The chocolate lava cake was very good.

Kaito Sushi- At first I thought I was getting the Teppanyaki experience for dinner but learned when I got there that it was the sushi dining experience where it is a set menu. You get miso soup, sashimi, hand rolls and a tempura type roll. Dessert is a matcha green tea ice cream. For $25, it is a good deal. I went to the buffet afterwards as sushi doesn't fill me. lol! 

Marketplace Buffet- I thought the food was good here. Although it was repetitive at times and didn't have as many options as other lines, there was always something to eat. The pizza was very good as expected. Also the desserts here are also very good. You MUST try the chocolate covered donuts. They are light, fluffy, sweet and addicting!

Main Dining Room 

I only went here on the last night and I'm glad I had the specialty dining the other nights. The food here lacks flavor / seasoning. I tried the fried calamari, french onion soup, Chicken Parmagiana, Lasagna, and Lemonciello Cake. 

Food on Ocean Cay Private Island

The food here was ok. Again, some things needed more flavor. The menu consisted of hamburgers, hot dogs, jerk chicken, ribs, corn, beans, rice, grilled fish. Since we were in Ocean Cay for 2 days, I chose to eat in the buffet the 2nd day and it was much better than the food on the island.

Overall Thoughts - Food

I thought the food in the specialty restaurants and the buffet were good to very good. I would spend the extra money on the specialty restaurants especially if it is for $77 for the 3. I feel like since you are getting a lower rate on the rooms on MSC compared to other cruise lines, spend the extra money saved to get good food in the specialty restaurants. The service is much more personal and the food is much better. 

Balcony Stateroom

I booked a guarantee balcony stateroom and I was assigned cabin 14085. It was a good sized cabin and balcony with a very comfortable yet firm bed. The bathroom came with a bathtub which was a nice surprise. However if you are a tall person above 6 ft tall, when you step up in to the tub, your head is close to the shower head and ceiling.

The room location is midship on the 14th floor. One deck above is the pool deck so when they are moving the furniture up there, you will hear it. Also it is a connecting room, so you will hear your neighbors conversations. 

The room is considered partial view as it is a inward and covered balcony. Overall I was satisfied with the room provided for the price. 

I'm not sure if it was a glitch but I got 3 specialty restaurants for my mergavilia cruise for $77. Guess for that price it was worth it

49 minutes ago, hsyoon said:

If anyone has been on Meraviglia since she moved to Port Canaveral and and had an itinerary that officially lists 12pm departure on second day of Ocean cay before returning back to Port Canaveral, could you let me know if they actually left at 12 pm sharp or did they stay later on second day of OC prior to departure?

 

I've read MSC might be a bit "loose" with the departure times from Ocean Cay generally---and it looks like some of the Divina itinerary has them leave 6 pm prior to 7 am arrival to Port Canaveral.

Just got off the Meragvilia yesterday and we were in Ocean Cay until 6pm (all aboard 5:30pm)on the 2nd day and arrived back to Port Canaveral at 7am

Background

I just returned from my 4 night cruise on the MSC Meraviglia. Most of my cruises have been on Royal Caribbean and I am currently a diamond member. I have also cruised on NCL and Celebrity numerous times. When the cruising restart happened, I jumped on the opportunity for lower cost cruises and lower capacities on ships. My first 3 cruises were on RCL ships which I enjoyed as usual, but then I figured I would venture off and expand my cruise line curiosities of lines I haven't traveled on. The first cruise line I tried was Carnival. Let's just say.....I enjoyed the people watching. That is all. 🤣 Way too many people on the ship and I didn't feel comfortable during these times as protocols seemed like they were just a suggestion.

Choosing MSC

I have always been interested in checking out MSC but the company being a Italian line, I was hesitant since I thought their demographics targeted Europeans. For example, if there was a ship in Europe, I would choose a American Line like RCL. If I were a European guest I would choose MSC for cruises in the Caribbean. 

The opportunity came along where I was able to take a quick getaway before the holidays so my cruise search was on. The cruise cost for MSC always seem to be very competitive and on some cruises, they don't charge the single supplement which is a big plus! I upgraded to a balcony because of this. I chose the MSC Meraviglia 4 night cruise to Nassau and Ocean Cay Bahamas. I was deciding between the Meraviglia vs the new Seashore but after watching videos, the Meraviglia layout looked nicer to me. I pre-purchased the 3 speciality restaurant package and a Balinese massage.

Embarkation and First Impressions 

Flew in to Orlando Airport on the same day of the cruise and used Go Port Shuttle service to get to Port Canaveral. The transfers to and from the ship using this service is very convenient and organized. The time to the ship was around 40 minutes.

Embarkation and checking was pretty fast. It took about 30 min from security, vaccination and test check, and checking in process with agent. 

Once you get on the ship, they give you a wristband tracker to wear for the entire cruise. This way if you come down with symptoms or test positive, they know where you have been on the ship. After that you are lead out to the Promenade area where there is line of crew trying to sell you a drink package or the specialty restaurants instead of a "Hello! welcome aboard". This is kind of a turn off as it reminds me of when you go in to a port and people are hounding you to buy something from their shop. I have seen this type of sales tactic on other ships too. I'm just wondering when will these cruise lines learn that people are more willing to buy these things when you aren't being bombarded right when you walk on a ship? Smh😒

Anyways when you get through the sea of crew salesmen, it is beautiful to see the Promenade area. Of course it is similar to the Royal Promenades on RCL ships but has a more European/Vegas type feel. The LED ceiling is a nice touch! The MSC Meraviglia is definitely a beautiful ship!

To be continued.......

(I'm trying to figure out a way to add photos)

On 11/24/2021 at 9:07 AM, pvpollock said:

One final note, MSC has a program to match travel status from other companies, Google search MSC Status Match to find a link.  That can be other cruise lines, but also airlines and hotels.  I have Hilton Diamond status and though it took a long time to get them to match it, I am now a top tier Black member.  I got a free hour in the spa thermal suite, free chocolate ship, free specialty dinner, and some discounts on board.  If you have good status with a company, take advantage (once per person so pick your best level card).  

 

How do you apply the loyalty match to the cruise reservation? I filled out the form on the MSC website. Do they email you something afterwards where you can apply the status to your booking? Can it be done onboard? 

How was the internet onboard? Is it fast or worth getting? 

Thanks so much for your any info you can provide! 

I purchased a massage for my upcoming cruise on the cruise planner but it did not ask for a day I prefer or time. Do I reserve at the spa when I get onboard? Thanks in advance for the info!

20 minutes ago, drusierdmd said:

I'm on the explorer right now.  I was told...unless you book a RCCL excursion (and show proof) adventure Ocean time is limited to certain blocks. Imagine the morning group having to pickup by noon...afternoon drop off pick up by 5pm and so on.  The only way to combine blocks was. RcCL tour.  

If you don't mind asking...is it any RCL shore excursion tour or is it an exclusive "bubble tour" for unvaccinated guests? Thanks for any info you can find!

2 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

  And to the OP, why are you leaving a 4 year old on the ship?  

1 hour ago, zekekelso said:

There’s cartoons on the tv - that plus a bag of Cheetos and what 4-tear old isn’t happy for a few hours? And before anyone gets upset, yes, lock the door to the balcony. 

Not sure if you know....there is a place called Adventure Ocean which is the children's center where they do fun age appropriate activities with staff supervision.  

We have used the kids club in the past when there were age restrictions on certain excursions like scuba or jet skis. After the excursion we would pick the kids up and go back out and tour the rest of the day. A lot of the times they would complain about having to leave the camp.  

If not I guess I can ask the stateroom attendant to offer the bag of cheetos during lunch and to make sure to lock the door behind so the 4 yr old doesn't escape 🤣 (Sarcasm of course)

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

I have to ask...how does somebody become unvaccinated?

"Unvaccinated " means even if you the adult is vaccinated,  if you have a child with you who is Unvaccinated ..you are not allowed to enter vaccinated areas on the ship. If going ashore with the child you are considered Unvaccinated. 

We are trying to plan our cruise for summer 2022 but are unsure which ports are allowing "unvaccinated" guests to explore independently/ without a RCL "bubble tour". We have a 4 year old in the group who cannot get the vaccination.  We understand that the person in the room with the child will also become "unvaccinated". 

The 4 yr old wouldn't mind not getting off the ship, but the adult in the same room would.

Besides CocoCay, what are the other Caribbean ports that don't require a bubble tour to get off the ship?

Thanks for the info.