MSC Newbie - Balcony questions and more…

[Titanfan22]

I’m considering my first MSC cruise in the near future on the Meraviglia, I would appreciate any advice as to which floor and / or location is best for a standard balcony room.  Or those locations to run from.

 

Also, I have been directing these boards and still am not clear on a few other things:

Are gratuities included in the price of the cruise?

What does the free drinks and WIFI include?

Where can you find pricing for cruise add ons such as dining -package and thermal spa pools and etc?

Do they have have comedy shows or other non-production shows?

Can you use drink package while at the island on shore?

 

Any other info you would like to throw in would be great!

 

Thanks to all in advance!

[Georgia_Peaches]

38 minutes ago, Titanfan22 said:

I’m considering my first MSC cruise in the near future on the Meraviglia, I would appreciate any advice as to which floor and / or location is best for a standard balcony room.  Or those locations to run from.

 

Also, I have been directing these boards and still am not clear on a few other things:

Are gratuities included in the price of the cruise?  you can prepay them or have a daily service charge appear on your folio to be paid at the end of your cruise. 

What does the free drinks and WIFI include?  Easy plus includes drinks up to $9. Premium package goes up to $15. You can get a basic wifi which is good for texting and surfing or you can upgrade which supposedly allows for streaming. I’ve been able to stream music with the basic wifi. 

Where can you find pricing for cruise add ons such as dining -package and thermal spa pools and etc?  it’s in the cruise planner but I don’t think you can see it until after you book. 

Do they have have comedy shows or other non-production shows? comedy shows are rare due to a more international clientele. Could be different on shorter itineraries with fewer internationals. 

Can you use drink package while at the island on shore? yes

 

Any other info you would like to throw in would be great!

 

Thanks to all in advance!

I’ve answered what I could above. I have been very pleased with MSC on two cruises now and a third in 2023. We really enjoyed Meraviglia and the island is amazing. I can’t offer any insight on a regular balcony cabin but if you are interested in the thermal suite, you might want to look into the Aurea experience staterooms because they include thermal suite access and a private sun deck. I highly recommend that you book using a TA over directly with MSC. 

[sealynx]

6 hours ago, Titanfan22 said:

I’m considering my first MSC cruise in the near future on the Meraviglia, I would appreciate any advice as to which floor and / or location is best for a standard balcony room.  Or those locations to run from.

Pretty much the same as on any other ship. If you might be prone to motion sickness, stick to a cabin near the centre of the ship. Run from a balcony directly under the pool deck, since you might be woken up by people dragging deck chairs around. Though on the other hand, the higher up you are, the better the view (and the more you pay). Avoid cabins near elevators, they attract a lot of traffic. Be aware that some balconies have steel railings, where others have glass. The ones with steel railings used to be of a cheaper class, but that is no longer the case. Consider if you want to sit in the sun, or the shade. Cabins on higher decks, and cabins under the bridge wings, have more shade. Also consider the port or starboard for your sea days with that in mind (in port you can never be sure which side will be facing the sun).

[cellfree]

1) if you want to face island when at Ocean Cay pick an Even Numbered Balcony

2) Beverage Packages do cover beverages on private island

3) gratuities are not included in price of cruise 

Edited December 13, 2022 by cellfree

[ChattTenn]

We just got off Meraviglia this past Sunday (12/11).  Our balcony cabin was 10238 (Fantastica experience) and it was very convenience very close to an elevator to deck 15 for the Market Place and pool.  The cabin is smaller than RCL or Carnival but it was very clean.

 

There were shows just about every night (dancing and signing) with one night had juggling. 

 

We love Meraviglia very much from the ship to the food and entertainments and hope you would enjoy it too.  There were 2700 guests on our sailing.