First time MSC cruise for a seasoned RCI cruiser - RCI vs MSC honest thoughts

[syracr]

Hello all,

My DW and I and D+ on RCI and have also sailed most of the majors.

We were curious to see what MSC was like so we book a short  3 night "test cruise" on Meraviglia to Ocean Cay and back.

here are our hones thoughts comparisons  and impressions.

 

The good:

• The Meravviglia and the crew was wonderful.
• the ship was kept spotless, 
• Rooms seems a bit larger (we had a fantastica Balcony.
• Service was outstanding. (cabin steward, dining room , buffet, shops, cruise directors staff)
• Cruise price is lower,
• With the exception of the specialty restaurants, all other prices were lower. we did not have a drink package so we paid by the drink. they generally ranged from $6-$10 (+ gratuity)
• The number of activities we comparable to RCI (maybe a bit more).
• The wifi was not bad - a little temperamental but usable - RCI's VOOM has it beat- not to mention once they go to full starlink.
• The App works extremely well. - on out cruise we were supposed to stay overnight on Ocean Cay, but the weather prohibited us from docking at all the first day. within 1 hour of that announcement that we would stay at sea, The activities list in the app as updated.
• The app kept a real time status of our bill, and gave nightly menus for the restaurants, 
• this forum said you would have to activate your account with a credit card upon boarding even if you registered your car don the web site. that no longer appears to be the case, Ours was already there.
• the main theater shows were at least the same quality as the non-full production shows on RCI. by non- full production I mean like hair spray, cats, grease....)
• The island was beautiful. Not all the exciting water slides, etc. of coco cay, but a beautiful set of beaches and ample space for everyone 

 

the bad:

• Proof of COVID vaccine and/or negative test still required.
• in  general the ship never felt crowder - EXCEPT lunchtime on both the unexpected sea day and the day on the island. bot had long lines and the food was cold. On the island the line for lunch was a full 40 minutes. I am willing to give a bit og race here due to the schedule change, but if this is the norm, it is a problem.

 

Less serious "bads":

• they do not give any prizes for winning trivia etc... c'mon man we all know the pens, keychains, etc. cost nothing and they are crowd pleasers. give the winners something!!!
• the TV in the cabin was flush to the wall and did not swivel at all - tough to see form the far side of he bed.
• To use the purchased wifi on the island, you have to disconnect from the ships hotpsot and connect to the island,  In itself this is not a big deal. but then you had to log in on the island and that was hit or miss - it took us a few tries to get in. Then when we got back on board the switch back was equally tedious.

 

Final thoughts

 

Would I sail MSC - again. Absolutely yes - once they remove the COVID restrictions. They have a good product. The ship culture is similar the RCI at a lower price point. I believe they have a bright future as a major player in the US cruise market going forward.

 

Good Job MSC!!

 

[JT1962]

Thanks for the detailed review. I was on Meraviglia in January and Divina in October and would agree with most of your comments.
 

As far as lines at the restaurant on Ocean Cay, if you get there as soon as they open the 2nd side, it usually moves a little faster.  On Divina last month they gave away prizes at trivia. I got a bandana and a nice excursion backpack for two wins. 

Edited November 21, 2022 by JT1962

[mawvkysc]

The Covid restrictions just changed the day before you boarded. Somehow the staff at checkin weren’t notified of it yet though. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Have to agree that the wifi log in/out when on the island is very annoying. Part of me thinks “why do I even need it, I’m on vacation” but the other part of me says “because I have to have my cruise critic fix”. 😊

 

glad your overall experience was good. I think the 3 & 4 night cruises are perfect for the MSC newbie to try them on for size.