cruzingambler

On ‎2‎/‎14‎/‎2020 at 5:52 PM, New@Cruisin said:

Long post ahead...

We got off the MSC Meraviglia this Sunday so our cruise was from Feb 2 to Feb 9. We had a grrrrrrrrrrrreat time ! This was our 11th cruise. We sailed with Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian before. If I had to order them by my own personal preference, that would be 1. Royal Caribbean, 2. Norwegian, 3. MSC and 4. Carnival. But again, this is my own opinion. But overall, we loved it. I mean, come on, you’re on a cruise; I’m one to look at the positive side of things and not let the less positive elements affect me. So if you’re looking for a bad review, this will not be the one… On that note, we overheard people in an elevator one night and people were complaining that they really did not like the ship, that it was dark, felt closed out etc. I was surprised as I didn’t feel that at all. We loved the ship, it really is beautiful. We took lots of nice pictures in the famous Swarovski staircases. We never really felt crowded as there are so many different areas to hold the guests. Of course, when you get out of the Broadway theatre after the show, everybody tries to get out at the same time so it is to be expected. There really is something for everybody. We went to the TV Studio to see karaoke and it was really popular and guests who were participating were great. Takes a lot of courage that I don’t have. Kudos to them.

Stateroom: We had a Fantastica balcony cabin on the 11th floor. Size compares to other lines. Balcony seemed a bit smaller. Room was clean, bed was comfortable. Shower had great water pressure. So overall, all good !

Food: We had a 6:30 PM table in Panorama Dining Room and had a wonderful ocean view. Everything we ate was pretty good. Not amazing but good. Some nights, I had issued picking something from the menu as the choices were limited but overall, it’s positive. We ate the 5$ fish and chips at the Brass Anchor Pub on the first sea day and it was really really good. We also ate the buffet for lunches and it’s a great buffet with many different stations offering a lot of options. There are 2 Marketplace buffets offering pretty much the same dishes when you get there. So once you go through the door, pass the first buffet area which gets pretty crowdy and keep walking to the back of the ship for the 2nd buffet much less crowded and nice sitting tables outside. Having breakfast outside with these amazing ocean views is worth it ! You can get water, 4-5 kinds of juice, plus coffee, hot water and tea at all times.

Drink Package: We had the Easy Package and felt we had our money’s worth. We’re not heavy drinkers but had Prosecco, wine, beer, specialty coffees all week which was nice. The package is also valid on Ocean Cay so had a couple of nice tropical drinks there too. I simply asked for a tropical drink that would be included in my package and had no issues.

Service: We had very good service everywhere. In the dining room, we noticed that the head waiter and his assistant were arguing a lot. It didn’t affect us nor their service but it just got a little bit annoying. But like in any restaurant or bar you go, some people ‘have it’ more than others. No big deal really…

Shows: Broadway theatre gets really full for the 8:30 PM show so you really need to make your reservations, even if it’s free, and get there early to get good seats. We were wowed by the shows. Honestly, I would have paid to watch each of the shows, except for Virtual which was a lot more basic. The magician show was good but we've seen all these tricks. The shows with singers and dancers are really outstanding ! We also attended both Cirque du Soleil shows and loved them. As people from the Montreal area where the Cirque was founded, we simply could not miss it 🙂

MSC for me app: The app works great and gives you your own personal schedule based on your reservations and bookings. It is also great to communicate with your friends for free, without the internet package. Just download the app and once you’re on the ship and connects to their wifi, you need to create a profile and then scan your friends profile to add them for the chat. Once you figure it out, it works out great !

Visited ports: We did Costa Maya, Belize, Roatan and were lucky enough to stop at Ocean Cay. We already did all the other ports before, except Ocean Cay of course. In Costa Maya, we exited the port and got a cab to Mahahual and then picked a place at the beach. Water is calm and beautiful, no seaweed. We had a nice lunch on the beach. We were really looking for our stop in Belize as we had book cave tubing with Cave Tubing dot com - Butts Up again. It was our 3rd time with them and they sure delivered again this time. We had an amazing time. River is beautiful and caves are amazing. They provided tamales for lunch after. I highly recommend them and this excursion. The owner has a team of local people who are working hard to give us a great experience. Yhony the owner has been in business for about 16 years and as his business expands, he is helping families and local economy so encourage them ! In Roatan, we booked with a local operator for a beach day at Bananarama. It got really crowded but the beach is beautiful. It was a great day ! Ocean Cay is a great place but we can see that’s it’s brand new. Palm trees just got planted and other trees too so it will take some time to look its best. Day was overcast but we could still enjoy the amazing colours of the ocean. There are a lot of different beaches on the island to accommodate everybody. The lunch buffet got a very long line when everybody wanted lunch at the same obvious time and food was just ok. There are chairs everywhere so no issues there.

Embarkation/Disembarkation: I was expecting the worse because of the Super Bowl so we got to the port early, around 11:00 and traffic was not as worse as expected. We had to wait about an hour but it wasn’t too bad. I read that some people had to wait a long time but it wasn’t our case. We got on the ship around 12:30 an headed to Marketplace for lunch. Disembarkation was a total breeze, we simply walked off the ship when we were ready, so before our assigned time and never stopped walking until we got out of the terminal. No delay for luggage, no delay at customs. That was great !

So in conclusion, I got my money's worth. I am one that could never have a bad time on a cruise… I always make the best of my cruise time. Overall it was great, but not exceptional. I would definitely go back on the same ship or on another MSC ship if there is a good deal. Because ultimately, we want the best experience but also want the best deal...

 

Thank  you so much for sharing a Very Positive experience and Lovely Attitude!  We board on March 1st on the Meraviglia & can't wait.  We've been on the Divina and the Seaside and have had nothing but Great Experiences.  Can't wait to see what is in store for our adventure in 12 days!  We always look for the positive and stay away from the negative talk from others on board. your vacation is what you make it and we always make ours positive:)  Happy Cruising!

Hi, we are leaving on March 1st:)

Can anyone that has rented the umbrellas at Ocean Cay let me know if you save $$ renting them on the website or can you rent them at Ocean Cay for the same price?  Also, is one enough for 2 lounge chairs or is it better to have 2?

Thanks so much

On ‎12‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 6:36 PM, eroller said:

I'm still working on the review, but my pics are uploaded from a recent MSC MERAVIGLIA cruise (12/8/2019).  There are lots of Ocean Cay pics as well (including some video) which I loved. All in all 401 pics and 9 videos.  All the pics are labeled, so if you want to know what it is, just roll your curser over the pic or enlarge it.  There is a separate link for all the daily programs, Ocean Cay information, pics of the MSC for Me App, and some other information like the room service menu.  Hopefully the review will be forthcoming.  All in all I greatly enjoyed myself, but MSC being MSC things are always a little quirky!  This was my 4th MSC cruise.  

 

Link to 401 pics and 9 videos:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eroller/albums/72157712405145446

 

 

Link to Daily Programs and other information:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eroller/albums/72157712405683928

WOW!  I am blown away by your photos!  AWESOME job & thank you for posting!  I am more excited than ever to board this Beautiful ship on March 1st. 

Is one umbrella large enough to provide shade for 2 loungers? 

Thanks

48 days away!!  WOOHOO.  It's all I can think about lately.  We are so excited about our Aurea Suite with hot tub.  In the process of booking a couple of excursions.  Maya Chan in Costa Maya looks good.  Roatan is one of my favorite ports, thinking of checking out the sloths this time, so cute and cuddly & relaxing at the beach the balance of the day.  Belize, probably stay on board and enjoy this beautiful ship.  I hear a massage calling, lol. 

We love MSC.  Haven't had anything but Excellent service on our past 2 cruises (Divina & Seaside).  Meraviglia scheduled for March...Can't wait!  We have 32 past sailings with Carnival, RC, NCL, Celebrity, & Princess.  MSC stands up to all of them.  They have a way to go in advertising themselves as I always mention MSC when I am talking to others on the other cruise lines and I have yet to meet someone who has heard of MSC, ????  Oh well, maybe we can keep them a secret and have the ship to ourselves, not!  LOL   Happy Cruising! 

20 hours ago, EMc&DrS said:

 I actually posted those pics from Belize.  It's Goff's Caye.  It really felt like the "man on a deserted island" place--but it was beautiful!

 

LOL:)  The small island may be just what we are looking for.  Thanks for the info.  The past couple of times we were in Belize, we just stayed on board but looking for a new experience at a beach this time. 

3 hours ago, smile145 said:

 

Hi,

I just sailed Oct 18-28 in cabin 12010, which is an Aurea suite with wrap around balcony.  The hot tub was kept full and heated the whole time.  It was not something that was drained and filled.  The cabin attendant checked it daily.  Of course, on my sailing (to Canada) we couldn't use it much because of the cold/wind.  Most nights at sea, the wind was too fierce to even stand outside.  But in warmer climates/conditions I am sure it will be great.  We loved this suite.  Especially the walk in closet with so much storage space!

 

Thank you so much!!  We will be in the Caribbean so as long as the weather and the seas co-operate sounds like we will be living on the balcony.  Thank you for confirming the hot tub is full and heated.  I'm sorry you weren't able to take advantage of it.  Maybe next time.  Happy Cruising:)

We will be in an Aurea suite with the wrap around balcony on the front of the Meraviglia ship in March next year.  The Hot tub is an actual Jacuzzi.  I don't think we fill it???  Look on youtube for Meraviglia aurea suite with hottub for a video...it looks fantastic, I think we will be spending a lot of time on the balcony:)

On ‎10‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 1:17 PM, Fogfog said:

❤️ exactly

It is going to be lovely. 

A few bumps as it is being completed (YC area won't be ready til early summer 2020)

OC is about the sea/sand and sunshine. 

Not rollercoasters. 

 

The lighthouse does have a ligh show (video was on instagram in recent weeks) and I believe it is to be part of the Bahamian party/parade atmosphere ... which is why the ship stays til late for evening events

 

FogFog, What little island is that off of Belize?  Beautiful

April42749, I like your style.  Sounds a lot like me.  Over the years we have dressed up for dinners, especially when we were with a large group of family and friends.  Lately it's just my husband and me and we tend to stay casual....it's so nice!  doing what we want when we want....Anyway, did you visit the Casino?  I do like to play the slots and play BJ & Let It ride...any thoughts?  Thanks

Thank you HLR:)  I am an MSC fan and it is so refreshing to read the Positive Reviews.  I've sailed the Divina and the Seaside and am going on the Meragvilia in March 2020.  I have had the best experiences on MSC and Love their ships and Outstanding Service!  I have been on 35 cruises to date and look forward to a lifetime of cruises to come.  Thank you for sharing you review, I really enjoyed it.  Take care

Thank you April42749!   We will be sailing the Meraviglia in March of 2020 and I can't wait.  We have the Aurea experience in a front wrap around suite, so excited.  It is disturbing to read so many negative reviews about the MSC ship experience from many other cruisers.  I have 35 cruises with sailings on Carnival, Princess, NCL, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and 2 past cruises on MSC (Divinia/Seaside).  We discovered MSC back in 2016 and the price was right and we were looking for a Caribbean cruise.  That 1st experience with MSC (Fantastica) set us up for future sailings.  The ship was beautiful & the service was great.  The food, not terrible but as other American cruisers have said, more work to be done.....but getting better.  I was so impressed we booked the Seaside in 2018 & that cruise exceeded our expectations.  We chose Aurea on this cruise and we will continue to book Aurea until we take the plunge for the YC sometime later.  It was the Outstanding service on the Seaside that we will never forget....I don't think it was in MSC's favor to take away the Better drink package and not include the mini bar in the Aurea package, but all the other amenities make it worth it.  I am so glad you had a good time and enjoyed the ship.  Cruising is what you make of it....there will always be complainers, we just move right past them:)  We look for the positive and we make each experience we have the best it can be...Of course, if there are any issues we don't dwell on them and we let a crew member or guest services know asap to take appropriate action and then we move on!  We haven't been disappointed:)  Here's to more fabulous cruise experiences!!!!  CAN'T WAIT:)

I called yesterday to see if I could pre book Six on our Bliss sailing this coming weekend.  Got to an agent right away and she needed to put me on hold to see about pre booking the show....After an hour of waiting (overlapping at work), I gave up.  So much for getting through right away, LOL!

Does anyone know if the show SIX can be reserved on the kiosks around the ship or will the NCL app have it available to book once on board?  OR is it necessary to go to the Social to reserve....

Thanks all

Beautiful sentiment  So sorry to hear about Mr. Happy.  You and your husband are wonderful people to stay in contact with him.  Thank you for sharing!

Hi Everyone,

We are headed down to Mexico 10/6 on the NCL Bliss.  Currently have a balcony on the hump on deck 14.  Looking to upgrade to a spa mini suite on deck 15.  The spa mini suites are located under Kids Aqua park on deck 16.  I don't expect too many kids on the cruise since school has started, but as we know kids are on cruises year round.  For those of you who have stayed in the Spa Mini Suites 15200 - 15214  or those under the Wave Bar 15800 - 15814 can you please advise your experience with the amount of noise you had?  We stayed under the pool deck on RCL (Serenade of the Seas)  many years ago and learned our lesson quickly as we awoke to chairs being moved around the deck at all hours. Since then we have always had cabins above and below.   I'm sure improvements have been made to lessen noise from deck to deck, but thought I would put out the question just in case I was missing anything.  Of course, we won't be in our room much, but we do like to sleep in, lol.

Thanks so much

Hi,  we are CAS also.  We initially upgraded from an inside to a balcony and at the time the upgrade was $500 pp.  We booked November of last year.  Seems expensive $1000 pp to move to a balcony.  I have never stayed in an inside cabin so I can't provide any info on that, but when I saw a picture of what the inside room looked like, I immediately called to upgrade to the balcony....the inside room seemed so small and nowhere to sit but on the bed....The $500 pp was worth it to me.  We enjoy sitting on the balcony & having the extra space in the room.  We are new to the bidding process and currently have a bid in for the Haven Spa mini suite and the Haven Penthouse.  It doesn't seem likely that we will get either one, as the categories show sold out and my bid was in the poor range.  I would be pleasantly surprised to find either one was approved.  Good luck to you & I know you will enjoy your cruise either way!!  See you onboard:)

Great review.  I really enjoyed it.  Lasting memories:)  We will be aboard the Bliss In October, headed to Mexico.  So looking forward to it. 

Thank you and Happy Cruising

17 hours ago, CelebrationFamily said:

We had the same "dilemma" before sailing the Meraviglia in March, 2019. We booked an aurea Duplex suite with private hot tub. YC was VERY tempting, but in the end, we sailed in our suite and LOVED it. We had no problem with wind or extra motion (we were in 12001, forward facing) and enjoyed our private hot tub and loungers everyday (sail in and sail away were amazing from that vantage point.) We upgraded our drinks package to Premium Plus and status matched to Black and enjoyed our anytime dining in Panorama. I'm sure I'd also enjoy YC, but the extra space (and bathroom) along with the above-mentioned perks, were perfect for our family. Enjoy! 🙂

Thank you so much!  I appreciate your feedback especially about the wind and motion.  I am feeling much better about my decision to stay with the Aurea Suite....it will be sweet:)  I know we will really enjoy the privacy of our balcony with loungers and of course the selling point was the hot tub!!  We really enjoyed the Aurea package in the past with the anytime dining, the use of the spa and our massages.  We also have use of the Top 19 deck (I think that's the name) which is less crowded than the pool areas....so I feel pretty fortunate that we can take advantage of the "specialness" of this package and the location of our suite.  So glad you had a good time and a wonderful experience on your sailing....Cheer's to many more cruise memories:)

On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 3:28 PM, Russ_MT said:

Again, it's a very nice cabin, with tons of space.  2 large loungers and a nice big hot tub (compared to those tiny ones on Seaside).   That's rare on any ship.  I would want to spend a lot of time in those private loungers rather than a crowded pool deck.

However, I don't like that metal stuff blocking the view.   I do love the wrap around view.  Port days would give a lot of things to see forward and side.

 

 I'll never book a forward facing cabin again though.  Wind noise drove me crazy.  The aft cabins are the best in my opinion.   No wind, gentle sound of the wake.    But everyone is different and there is no one size fits all.

 

Our hot tub at home is open to the sky.   That's what we like, to soak and take in the view.  I'm not sure this would give much of a view.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Seems too claustrophobic for me.    But then again, a private hot tub on a ship is quite the luxury.  

 

 

This is 11011 on Meraviglia.  

 

 

Having a Hot Tub in Big Sky Country must be Heaven!  Thanks so much for your input, I really appreciate it.  I hope the noise from the wind isn't too bad....I also worry a little about the motion on the front of the ship.  Maybe I'll need to wear one of those ear patches...Normally I have no problem with the soothing motion of the ship.  So much excitement about this cruise in March.  I really hope we get what we pay for in this case...Thanks for sharing the photos!  Have fun on your cruise.  Maybe we'll see you in the YC on a future cruise:)

On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 4:52 PM, Até said:

I also prefer aft facing over forward facing for the same reasons.  I have one of those forward Meraviglia Aurea suites w/hot tub booked anyway.  Have you seen the Mardi Gras aft suites renderings?  I'm still not sure about Carnival though.

 

We have had so many WONDERFUL experiences/memories on Carnival.  We are hoping the New Carnival Panorama doesn't disappoint.  We sail her in May once she is broken in a little.  Sailing with Family and Friends in the Spa Balconies. 

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 7:06 PM, ronbe65 said:

Hi Cruzingambler,

I would prefer an inside cabin in the YC to any suite outside the YC.

Please note that the Seaside is a much better ship.

The YC is also better on the Seaside (a two-deck high lounge and an open forward terrace).

Unless you want to see the Meraviglia (an anthill in a floating container), you may want to upgrade to the Seaside YC.

 

We have been on the Seaside recently. The YC is a solid product (4*+). 

 

Happy cruising!

Ronbe65 - Thank you for your input.  We have been on the Seaside, AND Loved it.  We had a regular Aurea balcony on that cruise and we were very comfortable.  I am drawn to the larger balcony and the Hot Tub in the Aurea Suite we have booked.  We've never stayed on the front of a ship before so this will be a new experience.  We have stayed aft on the Divina and were very happy with that cabin as well.  I guess you could say, we are branching out trying different cabin types and new locations on the ship (normally we are balcony mid ship).  We love the Aurea experience, sad they changed the drink package:(  We like trying out the new ships.  We have upcoming sailings on the NCL Bliss (which isn't receiving very positive reviews) & the Carnival Panorama...which will be at our home port of Long Beach, Ca.  Very excited about that one and hope it receives positive reviews.  My husband and I have been on approx. 35 cruises & we are kick back relax type of people.  We love to enjoy the view & atmosphere of the cruise ship.  A cruise is what you make it & we find the fun in everything we do.  Even though there are negative reviews (we do pay attention), we look past those and board with an open mind and create a positive experience.  Russ_MT brought up the wind noise and that concerned me too as well as the solid metal railings.  BUT, we are excited to give it a try....If it isn't what we expected, well, we know not to book it again...LOL   I appreciate everyone's input & look forward  to providing a review when we return, in hopes of helping someone else with their decision.  I guess YC will be the next step up on the next MSC sailing & that will make for a new and exciting cruise.    HAPPY CRUISING TO ALL...see  you onboard!

3 hours ago, cruisingator2 said:

We are sailing on the Bliss on 10/06. I have only been able to book Jersey Boys so far. Nothing else has opened up. I just spoke with someone at the Concierge desk. She stated that they cannot book anything for my sailing. “Six” was listed but Jersey Boys was not. She placed me on hold and then came back stating that all entertainment on the Bliss was being updated and that was all that she knew. Guess we will have to wait it out.

We are on this same sailing, October 6th.  Did you get the impression that Jersey Boy's may not be Performing?  I was able to book that one too!  That was the one show I wanted to see....Oh well, guess we will be surprised.  89 days and counting:)

18 hours ago, Russ_MT said:

We did 2 weeks in YC on Seaside last December.     First time MSC.

 

Our observations are the ship is understaffed.   I hear many complaints about waiting for service (bars drinks etc.)   The crew/passenger ratio isn't good on MSC.   See  https://www.cruisewatch.com/top-10/ships-passenger-crew-ratio/

We also found the ship to be crowded. 

 

We didn't need a butler.   However, they are pooled.  So they wander around everywhere.  

Seating for shows...they escort you to reserved seating.  Escort you on/off ship.  We hate waiting and paying to not wait is worth every penny.

 

Our butler did bring us a bottle of wine and glasses (opened and poured) to our cabin.  Mini bar is stocked and free.   We said "there is no Baileys" and he said it doesn't come in small bottles and filled a glass with Baileys, covered it and put it in the fridge.

Stocked us with a dozen bottles of water each day.   

 

As black match, we were given a specialty restaurant meal each week.   Honestly the YC restaurant was better, quieter, nice views and excellent service.  Our YC waiter even brought us a desert from the specialty restaurant.  Filet Mignon was always on the menu and as good as the steakhouse with MUCH better service.

 

Honestly, I hope people avoid YC so MSC doesn't raise prices.  

 

 

I hear you!  We've been pretty lucky on past cruises and seem to choose "off times" for dinner and we are selective with the shows we attend and haven't minded the 15 minute delay in line.  Of course, this is probably the largest ship we have been on and the crowds may be different.  We were on the Seaside recently and LOVED it...that was the 1st time with the Aurea experience and it did make a difference.  I have been curious about the YC experience for awhile now.  My husband not so much, but I will share everyone's thoughts with him and see if it changes his mind on this cruise or future cruises.  I enjoyed reading about your experience and wish you many more in the future!  Thank you & Happy Cruising!

22 hours ago, hamrag said:

 

That is definitely possible. The best way may be to speak to your restaurant Maitre D'....with a little luck, he might arrange for you to have lunch in the YC restaurant on say a port day when it is less busy....and that opens up the way to a full YC tour!

Interesting idea, we will give that a shot!  Thank you and also thank you for the Voyages Select idea.  I checked that out previously but the dates didn't correspond to my work schedule.....BUT, that is changing and I will retire very soon.  My husband retired in April so I am not far behind:)  YAY!!!