Seashore March 12

[mlbdude]

Just started this cruise yesterday.  I am going to post random thoughts and reviews on this cruise.  I have sailed MSC many time before and always loved the experience once on the ship.

 

Day 1, 2

2 hour wait I line air security then another 2 hour wait in line for check in.  Not sure if it’s the terminal construction or that this is a more crowded sailing.  No water offered, all standing.

 

Dinner was good, I see them sneaking some American dishes on the menu.  First night was chicken and waffles.

 

Buffet is completely unusable.  Not enough of it is open, long lines for everything.  Looking more like not enough staff for the amount of people.

 

Elevators- useless.  Press button for floor, 5 minutes later it arrives full with a crowd of people behind you waiting for the same elevator.  Rinse repeat.  So far this new intelligent system seems anything but.

 

Breakfast in MDR day 2 was good.  Buffet had too long of lines to be used.

 

I seem to be harping on lines, which to some may not be a big issues.  This is new to me and MSC.  
 

More later.

 

 

[JT1962]

Thanks for the updates. It sounds like MSC is experiencing the issues I have seen people mention on other lines - larger Spring Break crowds are more than the staff that has been used to 40-50% capacity can handle. Hopefully they can add more staff as the passenger loads return to normal.

[maggiepfe]

I’d like to add to this as, up until now, I’d happily sailed with MSC multiple times. I chose to sail in a fantastica balcony rather than yacht club that I’ve enjoyed previously so I could spend more time with my brother and his fiancé. I had thought, wished, hoped that MSC would offer the same high quality service I’d enjoyed from them in the past, both in and out of YC. Unfortunately, from the word go this cruise has been a disaster. As some mentioned the disorganized check-in is just the tip of the iceberg. 
 

Long-lines at the buffet without enough stations offered to be effective starts the day on the wrong foot. There is hardly enough staff to even clear tables making the experience more of a nightmare. It took upwards of 20 minutes for my partner to procure water and orange juice after already waiting an inordinate amount of time to get food. 
 

We chose to buy a cruise pass for the thermal suite and spend some time there this morning as this has been one of our favorite perks in YC. This thermal suite is nearly completely devoid of staff. Dirty towel bins are overflowing. Half the jets on the lukewarm hot tub inside do not function. The first step to the tub is not secured. We witnessed several people stumble, including my partner. Unacceptable, especially for the price. 
 

And the elevators? The elevators are what really grind my gears. I’m extremely grateful that I have no mobility impairments and my partner and myself do not drink, but if that is not your situation strap in for a nightmarish journey. As previously mentioned waiting for an elevator can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes. It is not unusual to see many parties come and go and give up on the hope of convenient transportation between floors, choosing to hoof it up 6, 10, 12 flights of stairs rather than wait for the elevator. If you do persevere, perhaps because you’re tired, or tipsy, or in a wheelchair, or just would like to use the elevator on vacation, you’re packed like sardines in elevators of double digit patrons, many of whom are not wearing masks. This issue really has me heated so I spoke with the guest relations manager and officer in charge of health and safety on board last night. When I asked if this was safe and appropriate practice the guest relations manager enthusiastically demanded it was while the health and safety officer shook his head staring at the ground. When pressed he finally admitted, no, it’s not safe, nor is it acceptable practice, and he went so far as to say they had reported the issue to the shipyard as this was a major issue. Yet, when excitedly booking MSC’s new “flagship” online, nowhere does it state that people may experience unsafe conditions on the elevators. No one is monitoring the elevators for mask compliance or even the number of people in a car. It’s a circus. Yes, I can walk up and down stairs, but some can’t and others simply want their expensive vacation to at least meet minimal standards of safety and accommodation. 
 

This is all to say that on day 2 of MSC’s newest and most promoted ship all I really want is a refund. 

[mlbdude]

MSC should be ashamed of themselves on this one.  If this was my first MSC cruise I would never go back.

 

The buffet situation is completely unacceptable.  Everyone is frustrated, fighting for food.  My wife left crying.

[Frode]

Curious about how many passengers there are onboard (or in % of the max capacity)? 😬

[maggiepfe]

17 minutes ago, Frode said:

Curious about how many passengers there are onboard (or in % of the max capacity)? 😬

There are between 2800-3000 on board and the ship can hold max of 5000. They just have no idea what they’re doing and barely acknowledge that there even is a problem. 

[Oxo]

38 minutes ago, maggiepfe said:

There are between 2800-3000 on board and the ship can hold max of 5000. They just have no idea what they’re doing and barely acknowledge that there even is a problem. 

How can MSC justify this? 

What is the cause of this? 

It should not be short of staff. 

Untrained staff. 

Not very professional.

[ready2cruzagain]

6 hours ago, mlbdude said:

Just started this cruise yesterday.  I am going to post random thoughts and reviews on this cruise.  I have sailed MSC many time before and always loved the experience once on the ship.

 

Day 1, 2

2 hour wait I line air security then another 2 hour wait in line for check in.  Not sure if it’s the terminal construction or that this is a more crowded sailing.  No water offered, all standing.

 

Dinner was good, I see them sneaking some American dishes on the menu.  First night was chicken and waffles.

 

Buffet is completely unusable.  Not enough of it is open, long lines for everything.  Looking more like not enough staff for the amount of people.

 

Elevators- useless.  Press button for floor, 5 minutes later it arrives full with a crowd of people behind you waiting for the same elevator.  Rinse repeat.  So far this new intelligent system seems anything but.

 

Breakfast in MDR day 2 was good.  Buffet had too long of lines to be used.

 

I seem to be harping on lines, which to some may not be a big issues.  This is new to me and MSC.  
 

More later.

 

 

Thanks for the update.  We just got off yesterday morning before you got on the ship.  Totally different I would say due the the size of the crowd.  I think we had about half of what you all were suppose to have.

 

The elevators were great except for car D in the area by the atrium, that one took 5 minutes minimum for some reason..

 

I personally was not happy with the menu at all!  Not a fan of adding foods I can fix at home to the menu, left Carnival because of that.  Not a lot of variety on the menu at all and some nites I could not find anything I liked which is unusual for us.  I would end up getting the Vegetarian Dish, usually Indian and it was always delicious.

[Go4Golf]

4 hours ago, mlbdude said:

MSC should be ashamed of themselves on this one.  If this was my first MSC cruise I would never go back.

 

The buffet situation is completely unacceptable.  Everyone is frustrated, fighting for food.  My wife left crying.

Come and get it! 
 

[Go4Golf]

4 hours ago, mlbdude said:

MSC should be ashamed of themselves on this one.  If this was my first MSC cruise I would never go back.

 

The buffet situation is completely unacceptable.  Everyone is frustrated, fighting for food.  My wife left crying.

the queue for pancakes 😳😬🙄

[ready2cruzagain]

5 minutes ago, Go4Golf said:

Come and get it! 
 

Wow, glad we got off the ship yesterday!  We had a great time for 2 weeks but only had 1500 the first week and 1700 the second week!

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, maggiepfe said:

There are between 2800-3000 on board and the ship can hold max of 5000

WOW!!! We were on the Feb 12, 2022 sailing. We had just 1000+ passengers and it was great.Maximum capacity is 5632 passengers. Elevators empty, quick, express to designated deck. We sail again next week March  19, 2022. Will also report. Never been to the buffet. Stay in YC. Hearing this is disconcerting. But I recall that a butler told us that no matter how crowded the ship the YC service will always be the same. (?)  A short time will tell.

[CampNCruise74]

6 minutes ago, Go4Golf said:

the queue for pancakes 😳😬🙄

Hmmm.   No bueno.

[mlbdude]

They must be staffed for 1500 max.  This week is probably an anomaly with double that.  I know they cannot just staff up quickly but they clearly overbooked what they could handle.

[CampNCruise74]

5 hours ago, maggiepfe said:

I’d like to add to this as, up until now, I’d happily sailed with MSC multiple times. I chose to sail in a fantastica balcony rather than yacht club that I’ve enjoyed previously so I could spend more time with my brother and his fiancé. I had thought, wished, hoped that MSC would offer the same high quality service I’d enjoyed from them in the past, both in and out of YC. Unfortunately, from the word go this cruise has been a disaster. As some mentioned the disorganized check-in is just the tip of the iceberg. 
 

Long-lines at the buffet without enough stations offered to be effective starts the day on the wrong foot. There is hardly enough staff to even clear tables making the experience more of a nightmare. It took upwards of 20 minutes for my partner to procure water and orange juice after already waiting an inordinate amount of time to get food. 
 

We chose to buy a cruise pass for the thermal suite and spend some time there this morning as this has been one of our favorite perks in YC. This thermal suite is nearly completely devoid of staff. Dirty towel bins are overflowing. Half the jets on the lukewarm hot tub inside do not function. The first step to the tub is not secured. We witnessed several people stumble, including my partner. Unacceptable, especially for the price. 
 

And the elevators? The elevators are what really grind my gears. I’m extremely grateful that I have no mobility impairments and my partner and myself do not drink, but if that is not your situation strap in for a nightmarish journey. As previously mentioned waiting for an elevator can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes. It is not unusual to see many parties come and go and give up on the hope of convenient transportation between floors, choosing to hoof it up 6, 10, 12 flights of stairs rather than wait for the elevator. If you do persevere, perhaps because you’re tired, or tipsy, or in a wheelchair, or just would like to use the elevator on vacation, you’re packed like sardines in elevators of double digit patrons, many of whom are not wearing masks. This issue really has me heated so I spoke with the guest relations manager and officer in charge of health and safety on board last night. When I asked if this was safe and appropriate practice the guest relations manager enthusiastically demanded it was while the health and safety officer shook his head staring at the ground. When pressed he finally admitted, no, it’s not safe, nor is it acceptable practice, and he went so far as to say they had reported the issue to the shipyard as this was a major issue. Yet, when excitedly booking MSC’s new “flagship” online, nowhere does it state that people may experience unsafe conditions on the elevators. No one is monitoring the elevators for mask compliance or even the number of people in a car. It’s a circus. Yes, I can walk up and down stairs, but some can’t and others simply want their expensive vacation to at least meet minimal standards of safety and accommodation. 
 

This is all to say that on day 2 of MSC’s newest and most promoted ship all I really want is a refund. 

Hello how much was your week-long pass at the thermal area if I may ask?

[Go4Golf]

5 hours ago, mlbdude said:

MSC should be ashamed of themselves on this one.  If this was my first MSC cruise I would never go back.

 

The buffet situation is completely unacceptable.  Everyone is frustrated, fighting for food.  My wife left crying.

Queue for trays 😵‍💫😬 Let me off please. Can I get a refund 🙄

[CruisinPedsNurse]

42 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

Wow, glad we got off the ship yesterday!  We had a great time for 2 weeks but only had 1500 the first week and 1700 the second week!

Agree! Just got off on 3/12, and this definitely was not the situation. No issues with crowds at all. There was a line the first day at the buffet, but then they started opening more aft stations and that issue seemed to improve. We took the aft elevators straight to 16 and had no issues finding seating, drinks, etc. Hope the same happens to you.

[Cruiser21]

7 minutes ago, Go4Golf said:

Queue for trays 😵‍💫😬 Let me off please. Can I get a refund 🙄

Really? second day and you want a refund because you can't get a tray right away? Take a 20 minute walk and come back, I'm sure things will calm down so you can eat.

[maggiepfe]

Just now, CampNCruise74 said:

Hello how much was your week-long pass at the thermal area if I may ask?

It was $360 + tax so like $414 total for a couple. If you’re gold status or above you can get a 10% discount to $372 total - still not worth it in its current state. 

[maggiepfe]

Just now, Cruiser21 said:

Really? second day and you want a refund because you can't get a tray right away? Take a 20 minute walk and come back, I'm sure things will calm down so you can eat.

You would think, but a 20 minute walk doesn’t clear this line. People are genuinely panicked about getting enough to eat and it’s a really unfortunate situation. Not enough stations open, not enough staff serving food, it’s extraordinarily unpleasant. 

[Cruiser21]

2 minutes ago, maggiepfe said:

You would think, but a 20 minute walk doesn’t clear this line. People are genuinely panicked about getting enough to eat and it’s a really unfortunate situation. Not enough stations open, not enough staff serving food, it’s extraordinarily unpleasant. 

They are panicked about not getting enough food on a cruise? Unpleasant situation? Ok, we will call Coast Guard to start evacuation Immediately.

[morpheusofthesea]

Is the Main Dining Room closed for breakfast ? Tribeca ? Central Park Restaurant ? 5th Ave and Manhattan were closed with only 1000 + passengers. ???

Edited March 14, 2022 by morpheusofthesea

[mlbdude]

Breakfast is open till 9:30 on sea days, not sure about port.  Lunch is only sea days from 12 till 1pm.

 

MDR has been fine when you can make it.

14 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Is the Main Dining Room closed for breakfast ? Tribeca ? Central Park Restaurant ? 5th Ave and Manhattan were closed with only 1000 + passengers. ???

 

[maggiepfe]

Just now, Cruiser21 said:

They are panicked about not getting enough food on a cruise? Unpleasant situation? Ok, we will call Coast Guard to start evacuation Immediately.

I can imagine that this all sounds very dramatic. I understand that this is a very privileged issue to have. All of us on this website are here because we love cruising and want to enjoy it. I’m sorry that these complaints have been upsetting to you. I think we’re all frustrated with the situation and having some validation from others that they are not alone in that feeling can be helpful. That’s one of the incredible gifts of these online communities. If these types of issues don’t bother you, that’s awesome! I’m glad you enjoy cruising as well!

[morpheusofthesea]

8 minutes ago, mlbdude said:

Breakfast is open till 9:30 on sea days, not sure about port.  Lunch is only sea days from 12 till 1pm.

 

MDR has been fine when you can make it.

 

Never sailed outside of Yacht Club. Is there a charge for Room Service outside those times?