Detailed review of the Meraviglia during Spring Break

[Markanddonna]

Let me start by saying that three and four-day cruises are a whole different experience than longer cruises. I typically avoid them like the plague, but we decided in late February to take our granddaughter on this cruise since COVID numbers were going in the right direction.

I have about 25+ cruises on five different lines under my belt, with many on MSC (I am a Diamond member.) Our first cruise on the Divina was so very nice in every respect. The entertainment, our square cabin, and the lovely ship sold us on MSC.

The differences between the Divina several years ago and the Meraviglia in 2022 are like night and day.

The passenger count was under a thousand on the previous sailings on the Meraviglia during COVID. For the March 13-17 sailing, it exploded to 3,500. No extra crew was added, and many food items were severely underordered. MSC knew the count and the age ranges. The first mistake was milk cartons were gone after day two. Really? They knew many kids would be on board!

The ship itself wasn’t really crowded. I had sailed on an MSC ship in 2020 during President’s Day weekend, and it was packed. This was right as COVID was spreading, and it was a very sick, sneezy, and coughing group. I wanted to wrap myself in bubble wrap and go home. The Meraviglia didn’t have this problem.

The ship was inefficient because the staff was swamped. To their credit, they worked very hard and were almost always pleasant with a smile.

Pre Cruise: We traveled from the Midwest, so we stayed at the Radisson at the Port Hotel. They were very efficient, clean and comfortable, lovely pool, and their shuttle back and forth was top notch- right on time! They provided free parking for four days. They get an A+.

Cruise Day: We had a 3:30 PM check-in time which was unacceptable since we had a grandchild traveling with us. MSC had given us incorrect information about the requirements. It was good that I double-checked to get all the correct docs in order. So, I asked for an early time, and the phone agent couldn’t make it happen. Cruise Critics advised us that the port agents don’t check, so we arrived at 11:00. No problems. CCs were right. No one asked.

Although there was no special check-in for Diamond, we didn’t have to wait too long. The grandkid had to get another COVID test at port. They have been testing everyone for the past few months, but the surge in passengers made them realize that the expense and time would make testing a ridiculous experience.

The agent never asked to see my notarized permission to take the grandkid on the cruise. We were onboard by 12:00.

Onboard

We were able to go directly to our cabin at noon.

The only option for lunch was the buffet. I was surprised that the offerings were cut back quite a bit. I don’t recall any Asian options. The Meraviglia has a typical cafeteria set up instead of food islands.

MSC has you register your credit card at a kiosk once onboard. We had no problem because our card doesn’t have foreign transaction fees, but I heard others say there were problems. It is so much better to take care of this during check-in because we had to listen to the cruise director plead with the unregistered passengers to register their cards. These announcements happened all during the cruise and through the morning of disembarkation. MSC: your way obviously isn’t working too well! How about people registering their cards before they enter the check-in line?

Nassau

On Sunday night, the ship sent us a message that our granddaughter could not disembark in Nassau because she was unvaccinated. The Bahama’s tourism site indicated that unvaxxed children could come ashore if they had taken a PCR test within three days, which she did, or had a negative antigen test within two days. On Sunday morning, the ship tested her, and Nassau was Monday, so she should have been allowed.   From the Bahamian Site: “Children between the ages of 2 and 11 may present either a negative Rapid Antigen Test or RT-PCR Test.”

We didn’t argue because Nassau is one of our least favorite ports. I went souvenir shopping for her while grandpa took her to the pools. I met a mother as I disembarked who asked if I would be willing to go shopping with her. She felt unsafe by herself. It worked out well for both of us. She was never informed that her child couldn’t go to Nassau. They didn’t find out until they tried to leave the ship, and her daughter was in tears.

Ocean Cay

We were fortunate the ship docked at Ocean Cay (some MSC ships missed it the week before because of high winds), and the weather was beautiful. We disembarked around 11:30, and there were almost no chairs or seats left on the two beaches we checked out. Now, we had been there two years before with FAR MORE passengers, and it wasn’t a problem. It was obvious the crew didn’t put down enough seating. We found three bean bags from random areas. People do the chair hog thing on the beach.

On day two, we arrived about 10:00 and had no problem finding a place. Lovely morning.

We had lunch at the island buffet on day one. Their system is not well designed, and everyone is stuck in a long line. Stations would be so much better (desserts in one area, salads in another, etc.) The food was just fine and tasty. Some passengers reported that they ran out of certain food items and that the lines were very long, but we didn’t experience that. We ate at the buffet on day two.

On day one, the Lighthouse multi-media show in the evening seemed pretty short but was very nice. We stayed for dancing at the beach party. Line dancing…
 

The Ship

The Meraviglia is a lovely ship, well-maintained ship. We missed the traditional outside promenade deck. You could use the wide-open running track, but that isn’t the same.

 

The reception area had few seats available for enjoying the featured entertainment. So, the entertainers had almost no audience.

 

The Meraviglia Lounge was a huge disappointment as the dance floor was used mainly by very young children to spin around and dance while their parents chatted with other adults. Dancing onboard at night was very limited, and this should have been the best dance floor. So, unless the adults wanted to watch out for kids beneath their feet, it was useless for dancing. I’m sure the performers didn’t appreciate being a band for preschoolers.

 

The Sky Lounge was very pleasant (21+ only), and because the dance floor was so tiny, it was really only for easy listening. Many adults enjoyed this.

 

We never saw an officer while onboard except for one entering the Butcher’s Cut for his dinner. Otherwise, as is typical during COVID, the officers stayed far away from the passengers. Other crew members who typically are allowed on the main decks and restaurants (like the performers) weren’t seen either.

 

Main Dining

We always check our table location a few hours before our first dinner. They placed the three of us at a table for two. After seeing their error, they moved us to an appropriate table.

Like all the staff, our waiter was kept very busy and tried his best with a smile. He let us know that he preferred us to get our drinks before coming into the restaurant. I think that was a first. Really? Wine is that hard? But he was frazzled, so we complied.

The food, sadly, is just a step above cafeteria food. My beef bourguignon had no pearl onions or mushrooms, and I doubt that the vat of it saw no more than a cup of real wine. The chicken parmigiana was rather dry, and the pasta had no sauce, nor were we offered any cheese like is typical. Their Caesar salad was the smallest and most uninspired I have ever seen. My husband liked his swordfish, and the limoncello cake and okra were very good. The rest was very ordinary. We were served our appetizers and main dishes at the wrong times, but we didn’t mention that because of the stress on waiters. We always finished our meal by 7:00.

The MDR wasn’t available at lunchtime and was swamped at breakfast. The CD even made an announcement to recommend the buffet. The line was all the way to the atrium area.

There were three seatings in the MDR: 5:30, 7:30, and 9:30. A parent told me they were assigned at 9:30 and tried to have it changed but were refused.

The Marketplace Buffet

We always found a place to sit, and really, it wasn’t ever crowded. Anyone who might complain hasn’t cruised very much. Even on disembarkation day, there was plenty of seating.

A crew member was stationed at the entrance insisted that everyone wear a mask. They had a box of masks if you didn’t have one. Of course, most everyone removed their masks as soon as they went past her. You also were asked to wash your hands at the stations on the side (good idea.) 

The food selection was quite limited compared to other cruises we have been on, including MSC. They began to run out of basic items after day two. There were no milk cartons after day two (only whole and chocolate had been available on days 1 &2, no low fat or skim.) Then, syrup, ketchup (they mixed barbeque sauce and ketchup), orange juice, etc., started to be missing. On day four, the breakfast sausages disappeared, and cut-up hotdogs were available. I have never seen cut-up hot dogs on a breakfast buffet line!

The practices in the buffet were pretty silly. The food line was fully “serve yourself” with the spoons and tongs, so that sanitation practice has gone out the window. The drinks and coffee were served by a crew member. Of course, as soon as they left the station for one minute, the passengers started to help themselves.

The pizza was horribly disappointing. I used to think MSC’s pizza was about the best at sea. This time, the crust was cracker-thin and very dry, with almost no cheese or sauce on top. I am pretty sure they were running out of mozzarella and parmesan cheese because the waiter in the MDR didn’t offer it for our pasta.

Specialty Restaurant: The Butcher’s Cut

While it started out disappointing, we had an excellent meal, and the service was superb. We asked to be seated inside as we didn’t want to be eating in the outside walkway. They refused because our granddaughter was unvaccinated, and her presence “would upset the vaccinated customers.” We didn’t argue with this absolutely stupid reasoning. These same people sit in the buffet, MDR, and theatre with her! I’m pretty sure you can catch COVID from vaccinated people too. I can hardly wait till this COVID silliness stops!

We had the filet mignon, which was well prepared and tasty. The staff fawned over our granddaughter, who was very sweet and appreciative of the attention. One server did magic tricks for her.

Room Service

Our room attendant didn’t leave a door flyer for room service breakfast, so we had to request it. I thought it could be ordered on the My MSC app, but it appears that only lunch and dinner items are available that way.

The crew member who delivered breakfast was probably the most frazzled I saw. He arrived 30 minutes late, which was acceptable, but he forgot to leave silverware. Eating eggs and sausage with our fingers was an adventure. The food was just fine, though. We were charged $7.00 for this service even though we had the Fantastica experience. I didn’t challenge this because I was growing weary.

The Cabin

We had a balcony at the rear, which was fine, but there are no rear elevators, meaning every time out of the cabin and back put lots of steps on our pedometers. We never waited long for an elevator. BTW- I witnessed a young boy sucking his fingers and then using his “saliva slime” fingers to push the elevator buttons. Ewww. Wash your hands frequently and use your knuckles! 

While the Meraviglia might not have the smallest cabins at sea, they were the smallest we have ever experienced. It was impossible to stay organized because of the limited storage and the strange configuration of the closet.

Ours had a balcony which we rarely used. On the plus side, our beds and pillows were comfortable, our cabin was quiet, and we slept well. You have to request a box of tissue.

Fellow Passengers

As mentioned, the 3-4 day cruises attract locals, college students, and lots of kids now that spring breaks have started. The passengers were primarily from North America, which is different for an MSC cruise. This might be because Europeans aren’t going to travel to Florida for just a four-day experience. That said, Europeans do offer a more sophisticated touch which I missed. Only English announcements. Usually, there are three to five languages.

The dress code was VERY casual the entire time. I saw only one man in a suit, and it may be that he was an employee with his family. Some dressed up a bit more on night four, but the dress standards during the rest of the time were like what you would wear in the summer going to the grocery store.

We retire by midnight, so we never observed obnoxious drunks, but a woman above our balcony loudly and proudly shared how she vomited in her cake the night before. Classy.

The children and teens were well behaved in general all around the ship except for the crew next to us in the MDR. Grandma was the only one making an effort to control the two young boys who were noisy and wild. Interestingly, Grandma never joined them for dinner again after that first night.

Kids and Teen Clubs

Our granddaughter enjoyed the activities at the Junior Club (7-11). Signage to separate those who had already registered on the afternoon of the first day from the others who hadn’t would have helped. Everyone just stood in the same line, and then the unregistered were redirected to another check-in line when they got to the front.

The staff was always pleasant and welcoming despite the chaos of so many children. I heard that the teens had trouble using the massive sportsplex for athletic activities because it was used for the younger cruisers. Not sure how to work that problem out since there were MANY school-age children on spring break.

Diamond Members’ Perks

There were a few perks still available: the dinner for each Diamond member at a specialty restaurant, bathrobes and slippers, chocolate ships, and the bottle of Spumante. No Diamond priority check-in, no Diamond party, no dance class, no chocolate dipped fruit, no fruit basket, no late stateroom check-out, and no thermal spa session. We had to remind our steward about the chocolate ship and Spumante.

Pools and Aqua Park

No complaints at all. Each pool had a lifeguard, and while a few pools became crowded at times, being at Ocean Cay for two days helped with overcrowding. A towel attendant was available for clean towels. Bar service was pretty much nonexistent, and it was challenging to get a drink at most any bar on the ship.

The ice cream station didn’t have ice cream or soft serve. One crew member scooped out gelato, which we thought was pretty delicious. After day one, there was only one selection of gelato. Gelato for a fee was available inside. I’d say gelato beats ice cream any day. Some kids might only want vanilla or chocolate. Sorry, kids.

Entertainment

We went to the show on day one, which was very ordinary. Many people walked out on the performers. Day two was a magician. On day three, there was no main theater performance. Day four had a spirited song and dance performance. No real criticism except that is also was very ordinary if you have cruised before.

The Carousel theatre had previously featured Cirque du Soleil, but none was on this sailing. Some nights, it had random performers, but we didn’t see them.

Disembarkation

Except for Yacht Club, all passengers were dismissed by floors. However, it appeared to me that you could leave anytime you wanted after 7:30. I recommend going to the lounge nearest the exit and waiting until your luggage group is called. We didn’t have any problems, and the lines to get luggage, and then inspection of passports were typical. If you think they were long, you haven’t traveled much. We were out relatively quickly. The area to meet hotel shuttles is to the far left.

Who might enjoy this cruise?

- Floridians who can easily travel the day of the cruise.

- Those who have never cruised before and don’t know what the usual standards for cruising are.

Those who are willing to overlook issues resulting from poor corporate planning and not COVID issues.

- Adults traveling without children probably had a nice time drinking, playing cards, and dining with their adult friends.

- Kids who judge a cruise on hamburgers, hotdogs, ice cream, and pools.

I knew going into this cruise that it was primarily a kids’ and families’ cruise. We brought our granddaughter, so we were in this group. She loved the cruise, and we loved sharing her enjoyment. As more mature, experienced cruisers, this cruise itself was something we would never go on without having kids with us.

It wasn’t the surge in passengers but MSC’s poor planning and ordering that were the problem. They should have limited the numbers to about 1,800 as the first time numbers significantly increased.

Would I go on another MSC cruise? Probably not (and remember we are loyal Diamond members.) We realize (and so should MSC have) that a huge operation like cruising can’t go from 0 to 60 in one week. Unfortunately, we have a “cruise move” cruise with MSC in the future, and unless we want to throw away $3,500, we will go on another later this year. We will NOT book with them again until after that next cruise and then only if these problems don’t persist. To be honest, since our first on the Divina, each MSC cruise hasn’t measured up. We have experienced many issues with incorrect info from their agents and problems with their website (which is notoriously bad.)  We love a bargain, but this one is like a cheap bag of flour with mealworms inside. You can sift out the worms, but the flour is still inferior.

[portofrome]

Thank you for the review.

Edited March 19, 2022 by portofrome

[JT1962]

Thanks for the review. I see issues / complaints on the boards for most cruise lines currently regarding staffing / supply shortages during Spring Break. Most cruise lines went from 20-50% capacity to 80-100% capacity in a span of 2-3 weeks and may drop back again once Spring Break is over.  Hopefully as things get back to normal these issues will be resolved.  
 

I was on the Meraviglia in January with only 591 passengers and it was one of the best of the 20+ cruises I have been on. I enjoyed so much I booked a 19 day itinerary on Divina for this fall. I am hoping the passenger count will be less than maximum on that sailing. 
 

As far as the room service charge, only the Continental Breakfast items are included at no charge. Any hot items (bacon, eggs, sausage, etc) were listed as a $ 7.00 charge on the  door hanger menu left in my Fantastica balcony. 

Edited March 19, 2022 by JT1962

[Markanddonna]

JT1962m  Thanks for the correction about room service. That is why I didn't bring it up. 

Below is another cruiser's photo of the hotdogs at breakfast time. I saw them and was mystified. 

[JT1962]

The room service charge for hot foods for room service is hidden in the “fine print”, as usual, lol.

 

In January they had regular breakfast sausage. I’m sure they are struggling with supply issues like many businesses.  My local Kroger only has link sausage in stock about 25% of the time. Maybe they thought with more kids onboard they might be interested in hot dogs?

[perakcruiser]

15 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

There were no milk cartons after day two (only whole and chocolate had been available on days 1 &2, no low fat or skim.)

How this was solved? I mean they cannot go for days without milk at least for coffee.

[Markanddonna]

You could wait in the coffee line for a cup of milk. They kept it in urns that the crew dispensed from.

[momrox1]

I too was on this cruise as well as the one JT1962 mentioned in January  .  I have the exact same feelings about both cruises.  I'm surprised with so many dissatisfied customers that something is not done to correct the problem.  I mean, how do you run out of milk/oj/ maple syrup and eggs?  You know ahead of time how many are coming onboard. 

  I just got the survey and once again will state the complaints as well as the praise for particular employees.  I hope it does not fall on deaf ears.  I'm boarding again in 2 weeks..this cruise is the last before dry dock and I hope things don't go to hell in a handbasket because nobody cares 🙄  My friends would be so disappointed..  

We do look forward to reconnecting with the staff...they are so helpful and friendly it ALMOST makes up for the horrible food.  But like I said in another post,  I'm down a couple lbs.  😄

[perakcruiser]

31 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

You could wait in the coffee line for a cup of milk. They kept it in urns that the crew dispensed from.

OK, could be worse then. Coffee with no milk or milk powder instead of milk would really ruin the cruise for me. As a shortage of Mozza, but thats another topic. Or not, as the Mera produces it´s own, no milk, no Mozza sounds logic. 

[Markanddonna]

They weren't making their own mozzarella at the mozzarella station (reported by another cruiser who asked.)

[Markanddonna]

1 hour ago, perakcruiser said:

OK, could be worse then. Coffee with no milk or milk powder instead of milk would really ruin the cruise for me. As a shortage of Mozza, but thats another topic. Or not, as the Mera produces it´s own, no milk, no Mozza sounds logic. 

So, most kids drank the pretend OJ until that also ran out. I don't think most knew you could make a request for it at the coffee station.

Edited March 20, 2022 by Markanddonna

[Nunagoras]

Many thanks to the very well written and documented review. Personally I don't like those over the top ranting reviews that populate those boards. IMHO; those are the very reason why sometimes we, the most avid CC members, are staying for less and less time per day here, because, IMHO, those reviews can't be had as legitimate. I hope this to sort out ASAP, so that we can devote our precious time just here discussing what is our favorite hobby: Cruising!... But yours is a different kind of review. It has the good, the bad ant the ugly as it can be, but it is understandable and one can keep it as legitimate. Congrats!...

 

I understand cruise lines are losing money at an alarming rate, so they need to recover their business ASAP.

 

I also understand that to restart a business is not like to press a button on an iPhone's screen!...

 

But now: Does MSC really expect that a clearly oversold cruise wouldn't end up with severe criticism on the social media? That situation is causing a serious operational and reputation risk event at bare minimum!... How I understand this as a retired risk management professional!... It surprises me that they didn't keep it in consideration, even though their valid point to recover from their huge losses!... Obviously the ones experiencing it for now do have their legitimate reasons to be unhappy. I hope all of this ordeal to be gone ASAP.

 

For now I've no cruises booked elsewhere, because those issues are industry wise, even on the so called luxury lines, not just an MSC exclusive problem. I'll just await for better days when cruising resumes as the wonderful pleasure it ever was. Maybe 2023?... I hope so!...

 

And for the ones brave enough to go: Have nice sailings and, at least, expect problems to arise elsewhere. Maybe; things won't be as bad as you may think about!...

[JT1962]

8 minutes ago, Nunagoras said:Does MSC really expect that a clearly oversold cruise wouldn't end up with severe criticism on the social media? That situation is causing a serious operational and reputation risk event at bare minimum!... How I understand this as a retired risk management professional!... It surprises me that they didn't keep it in consideration, even though their valid point to recover from their huge losses!... 

Many companies don’t seem to have an overall plan or good communication between departments. I recently retired after 30+ years in Accounting / Finance and had an interesting discussion with a co-worker from sales a few years ago. I asked him why they promised prices and services to customers that the company would lose money on or could not possibly meet the demand. He said they were paid commissions on how much they sold, not if the company made money on the sale and it was operations job to find a way to make money on and meet the demands of what they sold. I told him operations should be providing sales with the minimum price / maximum quantity they could meet and sales should work within those parameters. The sales rep just laughed and said I was living in a dream world. It sounds like MSC (and other cruise lines) may have the same issue where they have competing goals between the different departments and are there own worst enemy. Of course it is up to leadership at the top to provide the common goals. It seems many companies are at a loss for what to do post-Covid.

[Markanddonna]

One of the problems with MSC is their horrible IT department. The frustrations before the cruise sort of set a passenger up to be a bit dissatisfied at the beginning of their trip. IT losing my account and then claiming I didn't ever have one was over the top.  The account was never fixed after five months now.

 

[the wandering two]

We only booked this sailing a couple of weeks before going,  my status on the app went from Diamond to gold(with a different VC number) to no status & back to diamond within that time.

Donna and Mark, any idea what the issue on Ocean Cay was that the CD mentioned in his last night show preamble?

We didn't notice anything untoward.

[Nunagoras]

5 hours ago, JT1962 said:

Many companies don’t seem to have an overall plan or good communication between departments. I recently retired after 30+ years in Accounting / Finance and had an interesting discussion with a co-worker from sales a few years ago. I asked him why they promised prices and services to customers that the company would lose money on or could not possibly meet the demand. He said they were paid commissions on how much they sold, not if the company made money on the sale and it was operations job to find a way to make money on and meet the demands of what they sold. I told him operations should be providing sales with the minimum price / maximum quantity they could meet and sales should work within those parameters. The sales rep just laughed and said I was living in a dream world. It sounds like MSC (and other cruise lines) may have the same issue where they have competing goals between the different departments and are there own worst enemy. Of course it is up to leadership at the top to provide the common goals. It seems many companies are at a loss for what to do post-Covid.

It seems we had a similar professional path, at least to an extent... That's it, absolutely agree with all what you said! Sometimes internal competition between departments is the worst enemy of any given business... But they only "listen" when the reputation alarms ring loud, louder, the loudest!...

 

Obviously, I bear in mind that we're not at regular market days right now, hence my understanding of the extra difficulties all the industry is facing... But, again, that is one thing. Other entirely different thing seems to be what is going at least in certain MSC ships. That seems total loss of control from top leadership to down ship employees. I hope MSC can fix it in due time, because their standards here in Europe have been consistently considered as high to top notch at their market level, and I hope to cruise with them sooner rather than later... Either way, they'll need to understand what we are discussing here and get their act together. Thanks for your kind words and have a nice day!...

[Markanddonna]

3 hours ago, the wandering two said:

We only booked this sailing a couple of weeks before going,  my status on the app went from Diamond to gold(with a different VC number) to no status & back to diamond within that time.

Donna and Mark, any idea what the issue on Ocean Cay was that the CD mentioned in his last night show preamble?

We didn't notice anything untoward.

We were at the seven o'clock show and didn't hear anything from the CD.

[Markanddonna]

6 hours ago, JT1962 said:

Many companies don’t seem to have an overall plan or good communication between departments. I recently retired after 30+ years in Accounting / Finance and had an interesting discussion with a co-worker from sales a few years ago. I asked him why they promised prices and services to customers that the company would lose money on or could not possibly meet the demand. He said they were paid commissions on how much they sold, not if the company made money on the sale and it was operations job to find a way to make money on and meet the demands of what they sold. I told him operations should be providing sales with the minimum price / maximum quantity they could meet and sales should work within those parameters. The sales rep just laughed and said I was living in a dream world. It sounds like MSC (and other cruise lines) may have the same issue where they have competing goals between the different departments and are there own worst enemy. Of course it is up to leadership at the top to provide the common goals. It seems many companies are at a loss for what to do post-Covid.

I don't agree with that line of thinking. If you have Aussies and Kiwis on your ship, you will have Vegemite. If you have Brits, you will find bangers and roasted tomatoes at breakfast. If you have lots of Asians, you will find Miso soup and many Asian dishes. The companies know where their passengers are from and the ages. This didn't seem to happen on this sailing. I don't think milk cartons are that hard to find.

[JT1962]

5 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

 I don't think milk cartons are that hard to find.

Not that MSC doesn’t have issues, but they are not the only ones having problems getting items that normally would not be an issue.   There have been numerous reports nationwide of schools and other institutions unable to get cartons of milk, among other basic supplies. 
 

“The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage District is preparing to ration milk at school lunch amid growing shortages in the paper carton supply chain.”

https://www.swnewsmedia.com/savage_pacer/news/paper-carton-shortages-force-minnesota-schools-to-plan-milk-rationing/article_966a9cac-7552-11ec-a5d9-7766e02f647c.html

 

A milk shortage could become the latest COVID-19-related headache in School District 191.  
 

Already challenged by food and supply chain shortages for school meals, the district is bracing for a milk shortage already plaguing some other districts, said Lisa Rider, executive director of business services.

 

A nationwide shortage of 8-ounce cartons is the culprit, she told the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School Board Jan. 13.

 

https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_thisweek/community/burnsville/school-milk-shortage-could-be-latest-headache/article_d7852960-7a4c-11ec-b41a-7ffa1c13a15d.html
 

Contoocook Valley School District was notified by its dairy supplier that the attack may disrupt milk orders and deliveries for the next week. By Benita Gingerella on Mar. 17, 2022

Contoocook Valley School District in Peterborough N.H., is anticipating milk shortages after its dairy supplier was hit by a cyber attack.

The district’s superintendent sharedthat H.P. Hood Dairy suffered a recent cyber attack that will cause disruptions to its ordering and delivery processes throughout the next week.

 

https://www.foodservicedirector.com/amp/operations/school-district-braces-milk-shortage-after-dairy-gets-hit-cyber-attack

[DisneyDatknee]

Thanks for your review. It's really realistic about what MSC is. I still sail on MSC when I can find a deal as I can go with the flow, but I know which cruise line to book when I want a perfect vacation. 

[rkacruiser]

Fellow Buckeyes, Markanddonna, thank you for your report and I am sorry that your experience was so disappointing.  Running out of so many very basic items cannot be justified when one knows how many and large the storerooms are on these large ships.  Stores need to be ordered by the Hotel Manager and his/her Department Heads weeks in advance of a cruise.  This failure, in my opinion, is due to very poor onboard management.  Did supply chain issues complicate things?  Wouldn't be a surprise to me if it did.  I wonder:  was there a sudden demand for a much larger passenger load than what MSC expected for your cruises?  If so, that booking demand could have been managed in coordination with what stores the ship had available for the guests wanting to be accommodated.  (Sorry, that sailing is fully booked, ought to have been the reply.) 

 

Agree with you that the Meraviglia Lounge is the best Lounge on the ship for musical entertainment.  Your description of "pre-schoolers" running amuck on the dance floor while their parents were oblivious--well, what else is new for too many parents of this era?   Agree that the Sky Lounge is great with a larger dance floor being needed.  Maybe another example of someone(s) who have never cruised designing a facility?  

 

9 hours ago, JT1962 said:

Of course it is up to leadership at the top to provide the common goals.

 

The cruise companies have become too large, too many ships in their fleet, and, in some instances with inexperienced leadership in the hospitality/cruise industry, to provide the necessary structure and enforced standards to meet whatever the "common goals" may be.  

 

I wonder what the Yacht Club guests experienced during your cruises.  

[chrishb]

Thanks for your review which helps us a lot.

We are from Germany and currently in Florida and  thinking of booking a 3 night cruise with Meraviglia in YC end of March with our 6yo son since there is a very nice promotion ongoing.

 

Are there limited zones which you couldn't join with your unvaxxed kid? I read that there are couple of venues not available with kids. 

Was there another Covid test prior disembarkation necessary? I understood that we need a PCR test and rapid test for our son, for us as vaccinated adults we only need a rapid test?

 

[Markanddonna]

50 minutes ago, chrishb said:

Thanks for your review which helps us a lot.

We are from Germany and currently in Florida and  thinking of booking a 3 night cruise with Meraviglia in YC end of March with our 6yo son since there is a very nice promotion ongoing.

 

Are there limited zones which you couldn't join with your unvaxxed kid? I read that there are couple of venues not available with kids. 

Was there another Covid test prior disembarkation necessary? I understood that we need a PCR test and rapid test for our son, for us as vaccinated adults we only need a rapid test?

 

Things change rapidly, but there were many places unvaxxed kids could not go inside. One was specialty restaurants. We wanted to eat inside the Butcher's Cut but had to sit outside because our granddaughter was unvaxxed. The unvaxxed have to wear a red bracelet letting everyone know they are unvaxxed. I don't know if you will find any area of the Yacht Club restricted, but the waiter said the guests inside would be "upset" if an unvaxxed child was dining with them. It didn't matter in the MDR, theatre, or the buffet though. There were a number of activities that were for vaccinated people only. 

 

Your son will need a PCR test (3 days) and you need either the PCR or better for you, the antigen 2 day test. Your son will be tested with the antigen test at the port but you will not. 

 

You might want to call an agent at MSC to see if your son will be restricted in the Yacht Club. Supposedly, the Atmosphere pool was for the vaccinated only, but no one said anything nor were there signs. Good luck!

 

[chrishb]

Thanks for your quick answer. With all these rules for our son I think we better stay ashore. These crazy covid rules are not supporting a relaxing vacation, especially since we love to go into the speciality restaurants and having a relaxed family vacation time.

[Markanddonna]

I have to agree. It is tense to have to take the COVID tests and then for your son also at port. To be honest, as you can tell by my review, the cruise was a let down for us, but not for our granddaughter who loved the pools and ice cream. She came from a colder weather area so that was another bonus for the cruise.