How many passengers were on your MSC Cruise?

[BHBillH]

Will report on 3/26/2022 Sinfonia out of Venice 

[thepla]

On virtuosa now, was told 2800. Most places feel fairly empty. Great ship.

[Kinnialias]

I was on the MSC Seashore 3/5-3/12     It was fabulous    I was told 1700 passengers   that's about 1/3 rd capacity.     I'm not aware of running out of anything.   Most of the Thermo-Spa stuff worked.  My only complaints was the upper deck hot-tub/ whirl-pools I tried were not that hot.  Just warm with lots of bubbles.    The other Issue I noticed around day 3 onward was there were Black Particles/Soot all over the upper deck around the exhaust area (near those hot-tubs) and I noticed some on our balcony from that point onward. It would leave black coal like marks on our footwear and anything else that it came it contact with.  Close to the end of the cruise I managed to ask a guy that looked like he worked down below in engineering "What were the chunks of soot around on the decks and balconies?"  He blinked with searching eyes and said "It was normal" and veered away       I don't believe that for a moment.  I think they were having a problem with tuning the engines  or fuel flow or something.

I've been on probably a dozen cruises and have never seen soot like that fall on the decks.   Anyone else notice anything like this?

[Markanddonna]

1 hour ago, Kinnialias said:

I was on the MSC Seashore 3/5-3/12     It was fabulous    I was told 1700 passengers   that's about 1/3 rd capacity.     I'm not aware of running out of anything.   Most of the Thermo-Spa stuff worked.  My only complaints was the upper deck hot-tub/ whirl-pools I tried were not that hot.  Just warm with lots of bubbles.    The other Issue I noticed around day 3 onward was there were Black Particles/Soot all over the upper deck around the exhaust area (near those hot-tubs) and I noticed some on our balcony from that point onward. It would leave black coal like marks on our footwear and anything else that it came it contact with.  Close to the end of the cruise I managed to ask a guy that looked like he worked down below in engineering "What were the chunks of soot around on the decks and balconies?"  He blinked with searching eyes and said "It was normal" and veered away       I don't believe that for a moment.  I think they were having a problem with tuning the engines  or fuel flow or something.

I've been on probably a dozen cruises and have never seen soot like that fall on the decks.   Anyone else notice anything like this?

That is an example increase for a spring break crowd but I think your sailing might have been the week before many schools let out for spring break. I think the last week of March and then the weeks before and after Easter will be the heaviest.

[mscdivina2016]

Last week on Seaview

900 main and 140 YC.

This week 135 YC and do not know main yet

 

[GA Dave]

I just got off Meraviglia this morning from the May 17 - 20 cruise.  After all of the nightmare predictions, I thought it was an excellent cruise.  We were told by the YC staff that the final count was around 2,500 passengers total with 80 in Yacht Club.  All of the bars and shops I went to were never overcrowded and the lines to get back on the ship at Ocean Cay were maybe five minutes for security.

[FrostyJoe]

5 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

That is an example increase for a spring break crowd but I think your sailing might have been the week before many schools let out for spring break. I think the last week of March and then the weeks before and after Easter will be the heaviest.

Nooooo!!!! I hope not 😵‍💫😩

[dexddd]

14 hours ago, Kinnialias said:

I was on the MSC Seashore 3/5-3/12     It was fabulous    I was told 1700 passengers   that's about 1/3 rd capacity.     I'm not aware of running out of anything.   Most of the Thermo-Spa stuff worked.  My only complaints was the upper deck hot-tub/ whirl-pools I tried were not that hot.  Just warm with lots of bubbles.    The other Issue I noticed around day 3 onward was there were Black Particles/Soot all over the upper deck around the exhaust area (near those hot-tubs) and I noticed some on our balcony from that point onward. It would leave black coal like marks on our footwear and anything else that it came it contact with.  Close to the end of the cruise I managed to ask a guy that looked like he worked down below in engineering "What were the chunks of soot around on the decks and balconies?"  He blinked with searching eyes and said "It was normal" and veered away       I don't believe that for a moment.  I think they were having a problem with tuning the engines  or fuel flow or something.

I've been on probably a dozen cruises and have never seen soot like that fall on the decks.   Anyone else notice anything like this?

Soot can be hit or miss.  Have not read much about MSC ships ever having that problem.

 

On NCL a couple of the older ships were notorious based on some reports then from other reports, it never happens.  Seemed to be impacted by weather.  Colder, moister weather seemed to be more of it.

[mscdivina2016]

13 hours ago, GA Dave said:

I just got off Meraviglia this morning from the May 17 - 20 cruise.  

Now that I know that the May 17-May 20th cruise will have that many people on it, I will make sure to avoid it.😁

[Markanddonna]

7 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Now that I know that the May 17-May 20th cruise will have that many people on it, I will make sure to avoid it.😁

Maybe that person had one too many drinks the morning of departure?  March maybe?

[blueslily]

21 hours ago, FrostyJoe said:

Nooooo!!!! I hope not 😵‍💫😩

 

Yep, spring break dates spread through March and April. My entire east coast area, north to south, has spring break dates rotating between those 2 weeks in April. Hence, no cruises booked for me in March or April, hahaha 🙂Even before COVID, I refused to sail during peak school breaks. Vacationing when everyone else is out there vacationing is not my idea of a relaxing or peaceful vacation time. I tend to wait for adults to be back at work and kids to be back in school, lol. 

Edited March 22, 2022 by blueslily

[Markanddonna]

9 hours ago, blueslily said:

 

Yep, spring break dates spread through March and April. My entire east coast area, north to south, has spring break dates rotating between those 2 weeks in April. Hence, no cruises booked for me in March or April, hahaha 🙂Even before COVID, I refused to sail during peak school breaks. Vacationing when everyone else is out there vacationing is not my idea of a relaxing or peaceful vacation time. I tend to wait for adults to be back at work and kids to be back in school, lol. 

That's us too but this spring break cruise, probably the last I will ever take, was all about our grandchild. She loved it because they had pools and ice cream. We sort of knew there would be problems, but MSC's incompetence increased them. 

[10smom]

Anyone know how many on the Meraviglia right now?  We board on Sunday (3/27) and would love to know how many they expect for that cruise.  Thanks.

[psmarkle]

Sailing next week, April 9th, for a spring break cruise as my DD is in high school and I'm a school teacher.  Look forward to the day when we're retired and can sail anytime during the year that is not tied to a school calendar!

 

Any info of # pax for the Apr 9th sailing, by chance?

[blueslily]

Two more peak spring break weeks to go. I wonder what May sill be like. 

[ineed-a-vacation]

On the May 31st sailing of the Meraviglia we only had 800.  No lines for anything and as far as I know, they never ran out of anything.

[Paphillyguy]

On 3/20/2022 at 4:11 PM, Kinnialias said:

I W The other Issue I noticed around day 3 onward was there were Black Particles/Soot all over the upper deck around the exhaust area (near those hot-tubs) and I noticed some on our balcony from that point onward. It would leave black coal like marks on our footwear and anything else that it came it contact with.  Close to the end of the cruise I managed to ask a guy that looked like he worked down below in engineering "What were the chunks of soot around on the decks and balconies?"  He blinked with searching eyes and said "It was normal" and veered away       I don't believe that for a moment.  I think they were having a problem with tuning the engines  or fuel flow or something.

I've been on probably a dozen cruises and have never seen soot like that fall on the decks.   Anyone else notice anything like this?

When we were on the ship in December the Soot was all over the place and honestly was noticeable.  We would get it on the bottoms of our shoes and bring it unknowingly onto the carpets.  I thought it was just a one of thing but I guess not 

[Grenadinka]

On 3/20/2022 at 4:11 PM, Kinnialias said:

I was on the MSC Seashore 3/5-3/12   The other Issue I noticed around day 3 onward was there were Black Particles/Soot all over the upper deck around the exhaust area (near those hot-tubs) and I noticed some on our balcony from that point onward. It would leave black coal like marks on our footwear and anything else that it came it contact with.  Close to the end of the cruise I managed to ask a guy that looked like he worked down below in engineering "What were the chunks of soot around on the decks and balconies?"  He blinked with searching eyes and said "It was normal" and veered away       I don't believe that for a moment.  I think they were having a problem with tuning the engines  or fuel flow or something.

I've been on probably a dozen cruises and have never seen soot like that fall on the decks.   Anyone else notice anything like this?

Yeah, we were on Seashore at the end of December and saw lots of black particles, especially in aqua park area, but also near the pool, cabin’s balcony, open buffet area and so on. 

[At Sea At Peace]

So, Seashore is the new MSC ship.  It is noted it has this problem - aft soot.

 

So, NCL has its new PRIMA Class coming out with its Haven relocated from to the aft of the ship.

 

I believe that they are built by the same shipyard?

 

Is there a difference in the ships (i.e., way over my head) engines, fuel types, et al that would account for this or are we to expect the NCL PRIMA Class ships to have it also in the aft with the newly located Haven?

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by At Sea At Peace

[Tierun]

I know the Mclass ships on X have the same issue. Upper deck sunset verandas get black soot from the funnel. 

[dexddd]

19 hours ago, At Sea At Peace said:

So, Seashore is the new MSC ship.  It is noted it has this problem - aft soot.

 

So, NCL has its new PRIMA Class coming out with its Haven relocated from to the aft of the ship.

 

I believe that they are built by the same shipyard?

 

Is there a difference in the ships (i.e., way over my head) engines, fuel types, et al that would account for this or are we to expect the NCL PRIMA Class ships to have it also in the aft with the newly located Haven?

 

I can tell you in September as we are on iirc the third Prima sailing.  That being said, soot can be hit or miss.  I know one problematic ship on NCL in aft cabins would have some people report with pictures of quite a bit of soot, others, no soot.  We sailed that ship on aft balcony had a bit on some days but none others over 12 days.

[JAGR]

The way this tread is going reminds me of training my dog.  Until the squirrel appears, and then he is gone down the rabbit hole!  ☺️

[Chalker Guy]

Back to the thread topic, 3/26 Seashore sailing was 1800 passengers.  Even with that, some venues were overcrowded at times, especially sea  days, like Cabaret and main pool area (tiny for such a big ship)

[clemsonlori98]

4/9 sailing we heard 3000 to 3500 passengers.  Sea days were very crowded!!!    

[morpheusofthesea]

I believe that the Seashore sailing 03/12/22-03/19/22 there were 2400 passengers on board and the Madison Theatre had 3 shows each night. On our cruise the following week 03/19/22-03/26/22 there were 2900 passengers and we had 2 shows each night in the Madison theatre.