Rotterdam Posted July 1, 2020 #1 Share Posted July 1, 2020 I just wanted to add some info on MSC, the MERAVIGLIA and a repo cruise I sailed in back in October 2019. As background I have been on countless cruises & crossings since 1975. I live in NYC & have sailed on MSC 4X in the past when the line was new to the states(POESIA,OPERA). I booked the cruise as it was easier to get on the ship than to deal w airports/JFK. For the last 3 years I was trying out fla as a second home( that's a no go..its not for everyone). I stay between 3 & 6 months. My goal was to sail down to fla & then take a msc repo from mia to italy in march 2020. It was my first time on a mega ship & my first sight of her as I got out of the cab at the westside piers was " oh my...I dont know about this". I booked a fantasia balcony cabin midship on deck 12. The cabin & balcony were quite comfortable & every morning i had coffee croissants & fresh fruit delivered which I enjoyed on the balcony. Coffe good & hot, fruit fresh & sweet & croissants warm & flaky...delish way to start the day. As I was getting away from life I spent a great deal of time on the balcony reading, resting & just loving my sea days. I only ate in the main dining room once & the staff were very accommodating in getting me a single table at a late seating. I found the food to be well prepared(except 1 meal), varied and the staff willing to go the extra mile for me when requested. I ate almost all meals while at sea in the " buffet" area. It's best if you walk around it first to see what is on offer. They had all the standards...cutting stations w po, beef chicken, salads...the pizza was great & they custom made them( I even took a pie up to a bar one nite for us to snack on after many cocktails & dancing...they even had pizza boxes. There was plenty of ethnic foods that changed daily. Along w grilled hamburger, frank's & fries. Each day I would get a drink & snack such as guacamole & chips & sit outside on the aft deck...wonderful. I didnt eat in the dining because on this trip I'd rather be outside..I was alone. Free & knew i would never go hungry. I do try local restaurants when in port & even enjoyed thai food w a bartender from the ship in Aruba. I also ate dinners in the buffet...choices of fresh fish, vegetables and various baked good & desserts kept me happy. Try the gelato on deck 6/ indoor promenade...wonderful & you can watch the parade pass...i dont know why more people dont enjoy it. I tried the Spanish restaurant onboard which i found lacking...there was only 2 other people there, service was slow & the food not seasoned enough. The Pub was a popular spot as a sports bar, great hamburgers & pub food & fun entertainment each nite. I dont eat sushi & am not a big steak eater do I didnt try them.( both were well attended). The chocolate shop was popular & interesting in the displays & process..delicious. The evening entertainment varied from small bars to the theater w shows. I am not a show person but did see the opera show. In one lounge people were up dancing. in the lobby w bars people sat at the champagne bar listening to the pianist or violinist playing. I usually went to the bar on the upper deck where there usually had a band playing...my bar stool & drink were ready. There was also an outside disco/ club most evenings weather permitting on the aft decks...fun. Each evening there was FOD/LGBT MEET...it was posted in the daily news program. I didnt attend tho in passing I did see a group of 6-8 men in the designated area. MSC is an European product & I prefer that. There were people who looked for things to complain about...lack of tissues in cabin, small portions & even one person composing about the size of the free soft serve ice cream out by the pools. Any issues I had I simply asked my steward(who I hardly ever saw) or waiter/ supervisor & it was taken care of. MSC is adapting but it's not the Ritz carlton...people expect too much compared to cost. Getting on & off the ship was very easy. Boarding in NYC there were plenty of dockworkers to take luggage(I had 😎 it took about 20 minutes to board and my luggage was already in the cabin. Disembarking in miami also was easy. I stayed in my cabin til last call..walk off, the bags were all there & my ride at the doors. 15 minutes. We did have an itinerary change as & didn't get to the new msc island as it wasn't ready. A generous credit + refund of port charges were immediately applied to my onboard account. MSC has some cutting edge tech onboard..easy to put in credit card, check on balance & close out at atm type machines. There were snags but the problems were nothing compared to how badly some passengers treated guest relations & staff. After years of carib cruise I stay onboard at ports like Jamaica, Nassau,Dominican Republic and such & really enjoy the ship. One nice perk when reboarding the staff had set up cooltowels, water, ice stations w water spray to keep people cool. A few things that can be improved...they need more staff in dining rooms, staterooms & bars & at security. In one port the line to get back on the ship was so long, it was blazing hot & the security team were not professional...I alerted an officer & it was straightened out immediately. The ship was immaculate & the constant cleaning was obvious all over the ship at all hours. As I had planned to be in italy now of course due to covid I returned to NYC😊🤗🌇 I stayed 8n ft laud,& palm beach for 6 months..8 weeks longer than I expected. I'll be back on a msc ship again & it sure beat getting on a plane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotterdam Posted July 1, 2020 Author #2 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Just an extra thought I've sailed on the old ITALIAN LINE, FRENCH LINE. HAL, CUNARD, Regent, RCCL... I wont do Carnival Line, Disney, RCCL. IM LOOKING AT SILVERSEA( THO I DONT LIKE THE IDEA OF THEM BEING BOUGHT) AND VIKING AS GO TO LINES NOW. I'll avoid CARNIVORE CORPORATION LINES AS MUCH AS I CAN. I LOVE BEING AT SEA ...EVEN A MEGA SHIP 8S BETTER THAN NO SHIP.🤗👑🍸 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tompeter Posted July 2, 2020 #3 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Great report....Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotterdam Posted July 13, 2020 Author #4 Share Posted July 13, 2020 On 7/2/2020 at 7:07 AM, tompeter said: Great report....Thanks! You're welcome TomPeter... Friends asked me to include the following... The gym onboard was on the small size w free weights &machines, tread mills & bikes. There were several classes offered. There was a small locker room w showers & a sauna. Towels were also supplied & plentiful. Again the gym & locker room were spotlessly clean. I used the free weights, bike & sauna. The spa was in another area of the ship...I'm not a spa guy but I usually like getting a haircut onboard. I made 2 appointments and both ran late & I ended up cancelling after sitting & waiting for 30 minutes. Funny thing is that the hair salon area was glass enclosed & visible to the reception area..so I sat & watched someone getting their hair dyed, mani, pedi , & a face scrub...and it was a guy🤯 I also travelled in a FANTASTICA BALCONY CABIN/ midship. As I stated the the room & service were great. The FANTISTICA LEVEL gave me some flexibility in dining & also free room service..all I did was tip the stewards that brought my morning coffee and🍌☕🥐 each day. PERFECTO....🤗🤗🤗 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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