Opera 1/14 - 1/21 Review

[ctdahlquist]

This was my first MSC Cruise, having sailed before on Holland America, Carnival, NCL, Royal Olympia and Commodore.

 

Pros: beautiful ship, ample deck space for sunning, pool area, shows, itinerary.

 

Cons: inconsistent service, inconsistent food, scheduling snafus, language barrier, complaining passengers

 

Embarkation

 

The Opera uses pier 29 which was recently transformed from a cargo dock to a combination cargo/passenger terminal. The set-up is less ideal than the more established terminals at Port Everglades with taxis, busses, passengers and luggage all congregating directly in front of the building’s entrance. Employees arranged passengers in groups who were allowed to enter the building at staggered times. Once inside the terminal, the process was fairly smooth and quick. We were on the ship within 30 minutes of entering the building.

 

While we were pleasantly surprised to be upgraded to a full oceanview (from an obstructed view), our luggage was delivered to our first assigned cabin. I retrieved the luggage myself and transported the baggage to our new cabin.

 

Cabin

 

The cabin was small but with plenty of space for storage. The white and blue color scheme was pleasant enough but perhaps a bit boring. The tiny shower was the biggest complaint. An irritating shower curtain further reduces your workable space by sticking to your body as you shower. Solid glass doors would improve the perception of space and functionality of the shower.

 

MSC provides tiny bottles of shampoo and shower gel. The gel is good for about one shower, and it never seemed that I had enough on hand. Soap/gel dispensers are strongly recommended.

 

Cabin service was certainly adequate but nothing special. A definite language barrier reduced communication with the steward. MSC would do well by instructing cabin personnel to wear deodorant as there was a nearly constant “body odor” problem in the corridors.

 

Ship Amenities

 

Overall, the MSC opera is a clean, beautiful ship with intimate public areas and lounges. A large pool area (2 saltwater pools) and solarium provide ample deck space for sunning. Despite 40 knot winds, there always seemed to be areas protected from the strong winds.

 

One could certainly make the argument that there are too many lounge areas on this ship, as many seemed completely empty much of the day. Perhaps expanded shopping opportunities and specialty restaurants could be a better use of the copious lounge space. Speaking of shopping opportunities, prepare to spend a bundle if you’re interested in purchasing watches or jewelry onboard. Even discounted clothing at the boutique was expensive.

 

Excellent prices on alcohol and cigarettes could be found in the duty-free shop. I estimate prices were nearly half of what can be found at the local ABC store here in North Carolina. Another bonus – alcohol purchased onboard CAN be brought back to your cabin for your enjoyment! With such cheap prices, don’t bother trying to smuggle anything onboard.

 

The gym space was larger than on some ships but could greatly benefit from additional free weights and adjustable benches. The facility always seemed to be on the hot side.

 

Adjacent to the gym are steam/sauna facilities for men and women. Choose from a steam room or dry sauna lined with cedar. Relaxation rooms in this area provide a quiet respite following your time in the sauna.

 

Cuisine

 

Most of the food tasted in the dining room was acceptable, with a few items falling into both the “very good” and “not so good” range. Southern Italian pastas made with tomato sauce and cheese (lasagna, cannelloni, spaghetti Bolognese, etc.) were quite delicious and expertly prepared, while some of the highly acclaimed risottos failed to impress. Some entrees and side dishes were quite salty. The Baked Alaska (which usually doesn’t impress me on cruises) was actually well prepared and enjoyable for a change.

 

Accustomed to the creative and upscale dishes found on other lines, MSCs offering did seem to be a bit of a letdown. Eggs Benedict is not available for breakfast, and the “so called” ham steak is actually some type of a pressed cold cut. Even presentation was a disappointment at times. For example, a medallion of tuna was served with a steamed white potato, white risotto, and white pearl onions. What were they thinking???

 

I only visited the buffet twice, so I won’t make many comments other that to say that the selection did seem to be lacking when compared to other cruise lines.

 

Room service did arrive promptly, sometimes within 3 minutes! The selection of sandwiches offered here are obviously made well in advance, as the bread often arrived in a dried-out condition.

 

Service

 

Again, “inconsistency” is the word of the day. Our Indonesian waiter Umar was quite exceptional and hospitable, while some of the European wait staff seemed aloof and less than approachable. Cream and butter often seemed to be in short supply. When asked to provide additional cream or butter, some waiters would bring only one small packet to the table. On several occasions, I noticed passengers on scavenger hunts at adjacent tables scouting out their own supply of cream. This should be an easy problem to solve. Is anyone from MSC reading this?

 

There is also confusion at times in the dining room. Ordered items never arrive, food is delivered to the wrong passenger, several waiters ask for your drink order. There is a language barrier between the wait staff and the passengers, so it is easy to assume there is also a language barrier between members of the wait staff.

 

I also witnessed inconsistent service at Reception and the shore excursion desk. Some of the Italian hosts were quite helpful, while others seemed annoyed when answering questions. To be fair, the ship was loaded with demanding and difficult American passengers (from specific areas in the USA), so perhaps the impatience on the part of the staff is somewhat understandable.

 

Shore Excursions

 

We booked excursions only at La Romana and Cayo Lavantado. The kayaking trip down the Chavon River in La Romana was overpriced, and in retrospect not worth the money. I would opt for snorkeling/sailing/beach adventure combined with an independent taxi tour of Altos de Chavon, La Romana and Casa de Campo.

 

On the other hand, our horseback riding adventure to Salto de Limon in Cayo Levantado was the best shore excursion ever. Adventurous souls will enjoy riding the horses over rocky hills, through lush fields, and across idyllic, tropical streams. At the end of the trail a vigorous hike to the bottom of the impressive Limon falls awaits you. Those with bathing attire can swim underneath the falls to explore the hiding places behind the actual cascade. This is a serious adventure, so one should be in good shape, have a good back, and not be afraid of a little mud. If you fit this bill, you will enjoy this experience.

 

Fellow Passengers

 

The average age of passengers was a bit older than I expected. There were numerous scooters and wheelchairs for those with challenged mobility. The largest nationality represented seemed to be the USA with a large contingent of Italian-Americans and South Florida/New York residents. A surprising number of Italians were also on board, along with numerous English, Spanish, Germans and Eastern Europeans. A younger crowd did congregate after 11 pm in Byblos disco for drinking and dancing.

 

I am somewhat embarrassed to say that some of the American passengers on board were demanding and somewhat loud. I also overheard lots of complaining about anything and everything; it doesn’t appear that everyone had a good time on this cruise.

 

Disembarkation

 

This was a real disaster. For some reason, we were denied entry to Port Everglades until around 10:00 am (we should have been at the dock around 7:00 am). We sat offshore for several hours as passengers waited impatiently in their designated holding areas. Only one announcement about the situation was made with no indication as to what caused this problem. One can probably imagine the turmoil such a delay causes with missed flights and fidgety cruisers. The first group left the ship around 12:00 noon just as passengers for the next cruise were arriving. Terminal 29 is already inadequate, but with passengers leaving at the same time everyone else is arriving, the scene was chaotic. This surely wasn’t the memorable sendoff MSC had in mind.

 

Miscellaneous Comments

 

Strong winds at Port Everglades on the day or our departure prevented our ship from safely exiting terminal 29. We waited over two hours for the Zuiderdam to pull away before we had enough clearance to exit the harbor. This delay placed us over two hours late in San Juan.

 

There isn’t much to see at night in Old San Juan. We took a long walk to the fortress at the opening of the harbor which was quite enjoyable. Those looking for good shopping and nightlife may be disappointed.

 

We rented a car on St. Maarten. Driving is easy, but the roads can be somewhat congested. Be sure to leave yourself ample time to get back to the ship at your designated time. We underestimated and almost missed the boat! We found Bia Rouge on the French side to be quiet and enjoyable. This is a clothing optional location, so please be forewarned if you find nudity objectionable.

 

The ship spends too much precious time in La Romana. Additional time would be better spent in Cayo Levantado.

 

I very much enjoyed the quiet and rustic ports of La Romana and Cayo Levantado. Shopping at these locations is almost non-existent, so those looking to spend money should focus on St. Maarten. Cayo Levantado (Samana area of the D.R.) is rustic, unspoiled, and beautiful with rugged hillsides and lush tropical foliage. This is the most memorable stop on the entire cruise.

 

The show performers on this cruise are fantastic – the best I have seen on any ship. Plan to take full advantage of their talents by seeing all the shows.

 

The captain’s party was quite an affair with strong drinks, caviar canapés, and live music/dancing.

 

Despite 12 foot seas and strong winds, the Opera sliced through the water with ease. Given my experiences on other ships, I was surprised by the overall lack of “rocking and rolling.”

 

A couple who sailed the Opera last year reported that the overall experience has gone downhill. They described a more sophisticated, European experience last year that they found lacking on this cruise. Perhaps the attempts at Americanizing this line are “dumbing down” the overall product.

 

Conclusion

 

You might be thinking from my comments that I did not enjoy the cruise – quite the contrary! While the ship experience itself left some to be desired, the combination of the itinerary, on-shore experiences and friends made on board really made for a memorable experience that I would not be interested in trading. I’m just not sure I’ll be doing it again on MSC anytime soon.

[resistk]

I quite agree, the cruise was of course enjoyable to me also but MSC instead of improving seems to be going in the wrong direction. I cannot really point to a single improvement over the cruise I took on the Opera in February 2005 except for good prices at the new art auction. I also agree, there were a ton of whiners and a lot of people with mobility problems. The Europeans did not seem to complain and MSC would do much better to target that market and quit trying to be something it is not.