Need help to decide Meraviglia/Seaside

[abbflex]

Hi. 

Never cruised in the caribbean before, only in Europe and never With MSC only RCCL. 

We are are two families With small kids in the age span from 3 to 8.  

 

Was hoping to get some tips on what ship gives the best Wow-factor, and what itinerary is the best for kids,  we`re probably just gonna hang out on the Beach,  maybe do some snorkelig or submarine/glassbottom boats. 

 

We are planning on getting fantastica balconys since one of us need to stay in the cabin with kids sometimes, so would like to get the free room service. Is the items included aswell or only the service charge?  (execpt drinks and Premium Food, ofcourse). 

 

 

Seaside: San Juan, Charlotte Amalie , Freeport , Ocan Cay

Meraviglia: Ocho Rios, George Town, Cozumel, Ocan Cay

[Tapi]

We sailed on the Meraviglia in November, and I thought that the ship had a “wow factor” comparable to Oasis class ships on Royal. It’s a beautiful, enormous, and technologically advanced marvel. My kids absolutely loved all the kid friendly things available to them. The water park, ropes course, Doremiland (the kids club), and Sportsplex (the indoor sports court). 

 

Because of the very competitive pricing, we decided to book an Aurea Duplex Suite which was an absolutely fantastic stateroom. We sailed in the Mediterranean so I’m not 100% sure if the rules are the same in the Caribbean, but what they meant by “free room service” meant no service/delivery charge. They still charged per item. The only time when room service was truly free was when ordering continental breakfast. 

 

About the itineraries:

 

The Eastern Caribbean tends to be a bit more relaxing in my humble opinion, usually with more time at sea, and visiting destinations that tend to be a bit more attractive. 

 

- San Juan is probably the most diverse and activity packed destination in the Caribbean. It’s a large, cosmopolitan city. The ship docks right in Old San Juan so you’re within walking distance of many attractions in the colonial part of the city. Puerto Rico has beaches, rainforests, caverns, culture, history, beautiful architecture, world class restaurants and entertainment, as well as great night life. But unfortunately, the short amount of time in San Juan will only allow you to barely scratch the surface and will most likely give you enough time to explore the old city. Everything else, including beaches, will be farther away. 

 

- St Thomas is a great island, with absolutely beautiful beaches, great shopping, postcard pretty geography, and a friendly vibe. I really like St. Thomas and consider it a very nice port of call, but do know that it can get crowded at times if there are several cruise ships in port on the same day, which is frequent. 

 

- Freeport is one port that’s rated poorly very frequently on Cruise Critic. The ship docks in a fairly unattractive and industrialized port, and getting anywhere will require transportation. There are some shops and bars right in the terminal area which only operate when cruise ships are docked. Freeport’s infrastructure is somewhat lacking, and many complain that the island is still struggling to recover from a hurricane that hit a couple years ago. Several establishments and hotels remain closed even after all this time. There are beautiful beaches in Freeport, and you can definitely find things to do. But you will need to plan a bit. 

 

The Western Caribbean itinerary on the Meraviglia will probably be better suited for your beach needs, but it also has its pros and cons:

 

- Grand Cayman has beautiful beaches, great, clear water snorkeling, swimming with stingrays, and a quaint downtown area with good shops. This port is a perennial favorite of mine. But be aware that it’s a tender port, and if the weather doesn’t cooperate, chances are high that the port will be skipped. 

 

- Cozumel is a great destination, with a little bit of everything. Beaches, scuba diving and snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, beach bars and clubs, Mayan ruins, etc. It is one of the busiest, commercialized, and touristy ports of call in the Caribbean so be prepared for the possibility of 6-7 ships docked simultaneously with the accompanying hordes of cruise passengers. Some of the more popular tourist attractions can get pretty packed and the crowds can be annoying at times.

 

- Ocho Rios: A lot of people have a romanticized idea of Jamaica, so be warned about this before you sail there. Yes, there are wonderful attractions like the beaches, Dunn river falls, etc, and many cruisers do love Jamaica, but others frequently complain about pushy vendors, less than friendly people, crime, and drug pushing. Many say that they won’t return to Jamaica. I personally have never had a serious problem there, but I also don’t prefer it either. 

 

No matter what you selected, I believe that you will have a wonderful time, so don’t sweat your decision too much. Have a great time!  

 

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by Tapi

[abbflex]

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

 

 

 

Thank you Tapi.   That was an answer above all expectation 🏆

If you dont mind  I have another question aswell….  Does MSC ever have % off drink package sometimes?  Just wondering if I should book now and be done with it or wait for an offer. Cruise will still be months away. 

 

[Tapi]

3 hours ago, abbflex said:

Thank you Tapi.   That was an answer above all expectation 🏆

If you dont mind  I have another question aswell….  Does MSC ever have % off drink package sometimes?  Just wondering if I should book now and be done with it or wait for an offer. Cruise will still be months away. 

 

I don’t know if they do. Because we had booked the Aurea experience, our stateroom came with a complimentary drink package so I didn’t bother to check. Several people do like to upgrade the drink package for an up charge, but I don’t know what that amount is either. We chose to keep the package that came with the Aurea experience and it more than met our needs. 

 

When we sailed on the Meraviglia, we were stopped as we boarded the ship to “welcome us aboard” and scan our cards. If they determined that you didn’t have a drink package, they would try to sell it to you on the spot. They would also try to sell you on a specialty dining package. Since we already had our drink package, we skipped the sales pitch. They will have signs and a table set up during the cruise selling the packages. 

 

I absolutely loved crusing on MSC, but I do feel that they’re a bit pushy with the upsells.

Edited March 20, 2019 by Tapi

[Itchy&Scratchy]

8 hours ago, abbflex said:

Meraviglia: Ocho Rios, George Town, Cozumel, Ocan Cay

I'd go with this one. As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I chose for our spring break 2020 with our then 9 yo kiddo. This is a better itinerary, and the ships are about the same. This will be our first time on MSC.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

7 hours ago, Tapi said:

- San Juan is probably the most diverse and activity packed destination in the Caribbean. It’s a large, cosmopolitan city. The ship docks right in Old San Juan so you’re within walking distance of many attractions in the colonial part of the city. Puerto Rico has beaches, rainforests, caverns, culture, history, beautiful architecture, world class restaurants and entertainment, as well as great night life. But unfortunately, the short amount of time in San Juan will only allow you to barely scratch the surface and will most likely give you enough time to explore the old city. Everything else, including beaches, will be farther away. 

while it's true, that particular Seaside itinerary has the ship docking in San Juan at 5 pm and leaving at 1 am... so not much can be done, especially if the family wants beach time.

Bahamas is 12 pm to 7 pm - also not a great timing.

[abbflex]

1 hour ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I'd go with this one. As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I chose for our spring break 2020 with our then 9 yo kiddo. This is a better itinerary, and the ships are about the same. This will be our first time on MSC.

Think ve landed on this for next year easter holiday. 5th april. Looks like its the last cruise in caribbean before the TA. 

 When is spring break btw? 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

58 minutes ago, abbflex said:

Think ve landed on this for next year easter holiday. 5th april. Looks like its the last cruise in caribbean before the TA. 

 When is spring break btw? 

that is the spring break in our county schools, but the timing of spring break varies widely throughout each state, county and school district.