First Cruise Experience Aboard the Grandiosa - Part1

[OmegaSeamaster]

Our long-awaited first cruise finally became a reality as we embarked on the Grandiosa in Genoa on Sunday, July 2nd. To enhance our journey, we opted for the pre-paid MSC valet parking package, which proved to be remarkably convenient. Although it took a short while to be attended to, the process of handing over the keys and our luggage lasted no more than 20 minutes. From there, we made our way to check-in, a mere 50 meters from the car park. 

As Aurea guests, we were granted priority boarding, scheduled for 12:00 PM. Within 15 minutes, we successfully completed check-in and security, obtained our cards, and stepped foot on the ship promptly at noon. Our embarkation experience was genuinely pleasant, deserving a perfect rating of 10/10.

 

As expected, the ship exuded beauty and opulence, with an immaculate environment evident throughout (one could scarcely go far without encountering a crew member engaged in cleaning or vacuuming). After strolling through the Galleria, despite the stores being closed, we made our way to our rooms. Our accommodations consisted of a mid-ship Aurea balcony cabin on deck 13. The prompt arrival of our luggage allowed us to unpack swiftly. Alongside one large suitcase and two cabin-sized bags, we also brought four backpack-sized bags for our party of four, including two adults and two teenagers. It's worth noting that all cabins designed for four guests follow a specific configuration, with the main bed situated near the entrance and the bunk beds positioned by the balcony side of the room. For those staying in a cabin for three, the bed is closer to the balcony, while the sofa bed occupies the area near the entrance. We were surprised at the room's storage capacity , we were able to fully unpack our clothes, utilising the wardrobe and drawers (although we did request an additional six hangers). Additionally, we conveniently stored our luggage under the bed. We brought five magnet hooks with us, which proved useful in hanging wet swimming costumes, hats, and lightweight bags in the bathroom and cabin. Our room steward was great, always around when we needed him and kindly removed the mini-bar contents when we arrived so we could use it for our own drinks. Our Aurea welcome gifts were awaiting us, a chilled bottle of prosecco and some chocolate. 
Our overall rating for the ship and stateroom experience: 10/10.
 

 

Our initial task involved visiting the services desk to inquire about the fun passes we had purchased. As these had been assigned to the adults' cards, we sought clarification on how the children could enjoy their own activities and remain entertained. Unfortunately, we encountered a problem. The staff informed us that transferring the fun passes to the children's cards was not possible and should have been done during the booking process. Despite their initial assertion, it took a full 24 hours before they successfully accomplished what they had deemed impossible. Our subsequent endeavour involved purchasing wristbands as a practical alternative to prevent potential loss of the cards. However, this transaction required a considerable wait in the queue at the Photo Services desk, and we had to wait overnight to receive the wristbands. Thanks to a family discount, we paid €20 instead of €40, but we were mistakenly charged twice: once during the initial order and again upon pick-up, unbeknownst to us. We discovered this error by checking the MSC for Me app for billing discrepancies, prompting us to queue once more to obtain a refund. Moreover, contrary to what we were told, it is advisable to keep your room cards on you at all times, as they are often required even when you are aboard the ship, contrary to the staff's information. It is crucial to highlight a couple of points regarding the fun passes. First, registration of the cards at the entertainment deck is necessary. Any activities you engage in using your cards will be billed to your account and not deducted from the fun passes. Additionally, please note that certain games in the entertainment deck corridor are not included in the fun pass activities, so exercise caution. Regrettably, there seems to be an insufficient number of staff members available to manage the desk in the fun/sportsplex deck, making it challenging to engage in activities requiring their assistance, such as booking F1, bowling, or the 4D cinema. Therefore, it is advisable to allocate sufficient time and maintain patience.  Bowling reservations can be made a maximum of two days in advance and tend to fill up quickly, so we recommend arriving at 10 AM when the desk opens to secure a slot. Following this guidance, we patiently waited for two days to secure our bowling slot, only to encounter an attempt to reschedule us for another day upon our arrival. The staff explained that technicians had experienced an issue that required some time to resolve, but rather than push everyone’s time back, they opted to reschedule us. However, we stood our ground and endured an additional 40-minute delay. Unfortunately, we encountered several glitches with the bowling. When paying €54 for a family of four to partake, experiencing multiple breakdowns during the activity becomes unacceptable. If it was free then you take the good with the bad, but that’s not the case. 
I’d also add that, unfortunately, half of the arcade games were also out of order. Consequently, during our upcoming cruise with MSC in October, we have decided not to purchase the fun passes. If we wish to engage in any fun activities, we will opt to pay for those activities individually. Nonetheless, we did thoroughly enjoy the 4D cinema experience.  Regrettably, we did not have an opportunity to try F1 or the VR Maze.
Considering the aforementioned aspects, our rating for the Fun Passes/Sportsplex: 4/10.
 

[Ryan82]

We were on Grandiosa in May and truly loved it. Hope you have a great cruise.

[carlmm]

Exciting to read your report. We were on the same cruise, thus I am looking forward to read more.

 

Regarding you had to queue at the photo Service, maybe it was just a bad timing. We went there to inquire about a photo, had no wait time at all, and were proactively offered the wrist bands. Yet we declined as I see no point in spendimg money on a tracking device. 

[OmegaSeamaster]

26 minutes ago, carlmm said:

Exciting to read your report. We were on the same cruise, thus I am looking forward to read more.

 

Regarding you had to queue at the photo Service, maybe it was just a bad timing. We went there to inquire about a photo, had no wait time at all, and were proactively offered the wrist bands. Yet we declined as I see no point in spendimg money on a tracking device. 

Interesting view on the wrist bands 🙂 For us it was just much easier to wear around the wrist rather than a card/lanyard around the neck, especially for the kids. 

[carlmm]

4 minutes ago, OmegaSeamaster said:

Interesting view on the wrist bands 🙂 For us it was just much easier to wear around the wrist rather than a card/lanyard around the neck, especially for the kids. 

Well, I hate lanyards.  We just had the cards in our pockets.

[OmegaSeamaster]

54 minutes ago, carlmm said:

Well, I hate lanyards.  We just had the cards in our pockets.

Yes, very doable, but you haven't met my kids, the cards would be lost in no time 🤣

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

On 7/12/2023 at 4:03 PM, OmegaSeamaster said:

First, registration of the cards at the entertainment deck is necessary. Any activities you engage in using your cards will be billed to your account and not deducted from the fun passes. 

 

Could you please elaborate?  I'm not following how the Fun Pass credit gets applied.

[Bracarense]

Thank you for your review.

 

About the Fun Pass, can you tell if I buy 1 for my 12yo, can I use some of the credit to play a round of Bowling with her?

[OmegaSeamaster]

13 hours ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

 

Could you please elaborate?  I'm not following how the Fun Pass credit gets applied.

Make sure the fun pass is applied to the person's card that will most likely use the credits. Then, ASAP upon boarding, go to the desk (next to the sportsplex) and register the fun pass. They will add a small sticker to your card and then you will be able to use the pass. If not you'll just rack up additional expenses without actually using the value of the fun pass.  

[OmegaSeamaster]

6 hours ago, Bracarense said:

Thank you for your review.

 

About the Fun Pass, can you tell if I buy 1 for my 12yo, can I use some of the credit to play a round of Bowling with her?

Yes, anyone in the cabin can share the fun pass, so it can be used for anything. However, make sure the fun pass is applied to your 12yo's card otherwise you will need to be with them whenever they wish to use the credit as it will be on your card. You need to do this before boarding, ideally.