Live from MSC Meraviglia Sailing from Barcelona 7/7/17 with lots of photos!

[Rossco01]

I think you've made my mind up on Taormina as it was the one stop I wasn't sure about( it's quite pricey for the four of us ). Thanks notice that all of a sudden with less than 4 weeks to go were being offered 20% discount on the excursions online

 

 

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[kikki21]

I think you've made my mind up on Taormina as it was the one stop I wasn't sure about( it's quite pricey for the four of us ). Thanks notice that all of a sudden with less than 4 weeks to go were being offered 20% discount on the excursions online

 

 

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We had that come up online too Rossco01 - Taormina is definitely a lovely place to visit!

 

We had the pleasure of meeting Leighglo earlier which was lovely & set the MSC world to rights & just when we things couldn't get much worse!

 

 

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[kikki21]

Aurea guests had to move to the buffet area for their dinner as there was an air con issue in our assigned restaurant. We got an escort up to the buffet area where shock horror we actually had some hot food as in the steamed veg but this is MSC's version of a gala dinner!

 

 

 

 

My shrimp cocktail was the best starter I've had all week but the Mr's rock lobster soup didn't much evidence of lobster!

 

 

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[kikki21]

My main came out with a component AGAIN!!!! I couldn't be bothered with complaining because it would just delay the dinner & in any case - this is a gala dinner dish. Mmmmmm!

We both decided it's the buffet from now on!

The Mr had the fish & said it just tasted average.

 

 

 

 

There is no finesse in the MDR, I just feel it is lobbed on a plate & that's it!

 

 

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[70054609]

Hi any chance you could check if flexI dining us back in for fantasia guests?

Many thanks

[AlanDoheny]

Hi any chance you could check if flexI dining us back in for fantasia guests?

Many thanks

We were on board June 163out of Barcelona, the second night of the cruise flexi was abolished, you could understand why, dinner top slow and the que of people waiting to enter the restaurant was huge. When I questioned why flexi was abolished, they said it simply didn't work.

[keeponcruising]

And here we go!

 

 

Look at the menus & look at our plates - arrived with half the dish missing. No potatoes for both of us or the accompaniments.

Feel like banging my head against a brick wall!

 

 

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I hope the Seaside is not like this!! It looks unappetizing.

[keeponcruising]

I'm nervous now. I am booked on the Seaside next March and I have to say the pictures of the food do not look appealing at all.

[jimdicap]

I'm nervous now. I am booked on the Seaside next March and I have to say the pictures of the food do not look appealing at all.

 

me too---I am a huge foodie (I live in NYC and have been everywhere) and this is a huge concern....but the good news is the price is too good to pass up--so hope that MSC learns some lessons by next march. Which one are you on? We're on March 26th

[kikki21]

First of all thank you so much for this review- it's been great to see one from a non-YC cruiser (as nice as the YC looks, we aren't in it!).

 

The food menus and pics from the MDR are a little concerning as to be honest I can't see much I would want to eat on them. You mentioned you booked the £50 3 dinner package in advance- did you just do this via the MSC website? So you get to eat at 3 different speciality restaurants, with a set menu to choose from? Did you have to book the restaurants and times once you were on board? Would you mind at all posting the menus from the others included in the package if possible? I did see this as an option to book but there was such limited information on it.

 

 

 

Yes you can book the package before you sail.

There isn't much info about menus in the speciality restaurants ( also about the MDR too)

You need to book in your times & dates once you're on board.

Leighglo posted the Butchers Cut Menu on this thread & I posted the menu for the Cirque Show on here too [emoji4]

 

 

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[kikki21]

me too---I am a huge foodie (I live in NYC and have been everywhere) and this is a huge concern....but the good news is the price is too good to pass up--so hope that MSC learns some lessons by next march. Which one are you on? We're on March 26th

 

 

 

I'm also a huge foodie & have been massively disappointed by the food in the MDR apart from the bread which is superb & the desserts which are the best I've tasted at sea!

I can't get my head around that MSC can get that so right but that the starters & mains are so dire!

I read somewhere not so long ago that they are investing in their culinary programme!

 

We met another experienced MSC cruiser last night who confirmed that the MDR menu has definitely been cut right down from the last time she sailed from 7 courses to 4 courses as I previously stated.

 

The buffet experience is infinitely better than the MDR so that's where we'll be tonight!

 

 

 

 

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[kikki21]

 

Let's go back to the thread!

Here are some more Taormina pictures for you.

 

 

You can get stunning views of Etna from Taormina although our view was quite hazy yesterday but you could see that Etna was smoking!

We were meant to go straight to the Greek theatre but were waylaid by the numerous shops on offer & then got there & decided that paying 10 euros each was a bit much for what would have been a very quick look round.

 

 

 

The guide on the bus gave us limited information but told us to try 3 Sicilian things - granita which was freezing cold but delicious on such a hot day.

 

Arancini & also cannoli!

 

 

 

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[kikki21]

There is so much to look at in Taormina

 

 

Our shopping haul was impressive, tea towels, fridge magnets, foodie stuff, pistachio cream liqueur, a baseball cap for the Mr & some jewellery for me.

Taormina has 3 gates in the town which run through the Main Street.

 

 

Yes we got our 2nd food item in - Arancini - this was our lunch between us, we choose the Ragu version & it was lovely!

 

 

This is the Messina Gate at the end of town.

 

 

We got lots of foodie items from this place literally just off the Main Street. Really reasonable prices.

 

 

 

 

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[kikki21]

 

And yes we got our cannoli in from pasticceria Etna on the Main Street - it was delicious - we also got a fruit of the forests granita takeaway here which was great to walk back with to our meeting point.

 

There is an underground car park that tour buses use & a big terrace for groups to meet just before the Main Street.

 

 

 

 

All too soon we had to leave Taormina - an extra hour here would have been just the thing so maybe it's worth doing a DIY.

 

 

 

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[kikki21]

 

We got some great shots of the ship back in Messina.

 

 

(An MSC worker has just appeared on our balcony, carrying a rope!!!! - thanks for the warning!!!!)

 

 

We got back to the ship & decided that lunch was required - the cheese burger was delicious!

 

When we docked in Messina, we noticed smoke coming from a few directions. Apparently wildfires have been raging started deliberately around the town, this fire required assistance from this plane continually landing on the sea collecting water & releasing it onto the fire.

 

 

 

 

 

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[kikki21]

We had some great views of the Italian shoreline on leaving Messina & also chatting to our fellow CC cruisers [emoji4]

 

 

We tried to get views of Etna but it was just too hazy!

 

( the MSC worker is cleaning our windows which is fine but we have only just docked & haven't even got ready to leave our cabin - we had our curtains open & have just had to close them again!!!)

 

We did get a sunset shot at least & we were going to the spa but got waylaid by actually seeing dolphins on both sides of the ship!!!! It was so exciting to see them, I've always wanted to see them on a ship but this is the first time it happened! No pics I'm afraid because they were way too quick!

 

 

 

 

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[kikki21]

 

We had no time to go to the spa so got ready for the gala dinner that isn't the actual gala dinner - that's the last night on board the ship!!!

 

 

This was the cheese course - again it looks literally lobbed onto the plate.

 

 

Thankfully the Royal Cake dessert saved the day again, it looked & tasted delicious!

 

 

Lady Luck was with me in the casino again as I had 2 very decent wins ( for me!) on the slots!

 

 

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[kikki21]

 

And we are here docked in Valletta this morning - we ended up going to bed late ish at after 1am. I didn't fancy getting up too early & neither did the Mr. The ship vibrations of turning in the harbour woke me up at 7.30am though!

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure what we will do today. We thought about getting the hoho bus to get to Mdina but I think we will settle for walking around Valletta instead as we fancy a laid back day.

I've walked well over 10,000 steps every day on this cruise & my feet hurt!!!!

 

 

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[Rossco01]

Don't forget to try the barrakka lift that'll ease the feet a little!

 

 

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[70054609]

We were on board June 163out of Barcelona, the second night of the cruise flexi was abolished, you could understand why, dinner top slow and the que of people waiting to enter the restaurant was huge. When I questioned why flexi was abolished, they said it simply didn't work.

 

Thanks that was what I heard, was wondering if the situation had changed and they had re introdiced it. Both msc customer services and the agency I have booked through deny anything has changed.

[Tootsiesmum]

Kikki I'm loving ur updates, ur both looking fantastic for gala night, I'm now really concerned about the food it looks terrible, very little choice, can non arera guests use deck 19, I hope they get there act together before September, enjoy the rest of ur hol

[kikki21]

Don't forget to try the barrakka lift that'll ease the feet a little!

 

 

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Oh yes we sure did that!

It's massively hot today. Having a pit stop before we head back to the ship.

We ended up having a horse drawn carriage ride around the town area which was a great intro to Valletta & then we got the lift up to town.

We've walked a bit of a round circuit & now near the open air theatre before we set off again to explore the Waterfront area near the cruise ship dock.

Pictures later!

 

 

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[princessparkles87]

Loving your updates Kikki! I'm also a little bit worried about the food!!

Do you know if you can view the menu for MDR before going in?

[kikki21]

Loving your updates Kikki! I'm also a little bit worried about the food!!

 

Do you know if you can view the menu for MDR before going in?

 

 

 

It appears that you can't [emoji17]

Thought you might see menus on the TV but no. Nothing available outside the MDR that I can see either.

You can pay to use the Aurea sundeck - the Attendant checks your card when you get up there.

 

We'll be reporting from the buffet tonight on whether the dinner offering is better than the MDR offering for dinner - fingers & toes crossed!

 

 

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[kikki21]

Thanks that was what I heard, was wondering if the situation had changed and they had re introdiced it. Both msc customer services and the agency I have booked through deny anything has changed.

 

 

 

We are in a different restaurant as we are Aurea & there is always a queue of people in the other restaurants although restaurant sittings are put up outside those restaurants. All we keep hearing is that the computer system is new & it keeps going wrong. So much for high tech!

 

 

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