What I disliked about the MSC Miraviglia...

[EllieinNJ]

...but will not stop me from cruising MSC again.

 

Just came off the MSC Miraviglia on an 11 day cruise to the western caribbean.  Unfortunately we had to skip Ocean Cay and Nassau because of the weather but it is probably not MSC's fault that they made that call.  I heard some of the other ships that were suppose to be in Nassau the same day as us did actually dock there.  We wound up docking in Miami, which was okay.

 

 

We had a Fantastica balcony on deck 10 center which was a great location.  We picked starboard side because we heard we could see the lighthouse show on Ocean Cay from there but we never did get to Ocean Cay.  We did know in advance that there were no public elevators or stairs in the back of the ship.

 

When we boarded the ship we found out we had a 6pm dining time which was too early for us.  So we went to the Panorama dining room to change the time.  The line was very long and took us almost an hour to finally get it changed.  The only times that were left by then was 8pm or later.  We took the 8pm time (wanted 7:30) and after several days found out they did open at 7:45 so didn't have to rush to see the 9:30 shows.

 

There was hardly any storage in our stateroom.  Two drawers and three shelves (one taken up by the safe).  One large drawer with the hair dryer at the desk.  That's all.  Better ask for plenty of hangers to hang clothes up.  They used the two bedside tables to store the bed toppings in the evenings.

 

The bathroom is TINY.  Although we liked the enclosed shower, there was very little room for movement in the bathroom.  Better bring a shoe bag to hang up for all your toiletries.

 

The TV only had one channel that played free movies and most of them were in black and white from the 30's to the 50's.  Only news channel was CNN.

 

Better bring the grey towels with you to the pool areas.  There are no towel exchanges there and you have to schlep the wet towels back to your cabin.

 

Most of the hot tubs are really small.  Only those in the adult area and two at the bamboo pool were a decent size.

 

The soft serve ice cream at the pool area closes at 5pm.  Why???? 

 

The buffet had very little variety.  Some of the coffee machines were luke warm.  The ice machines were always out of order.  Sometimes they did have bowels of ice there but not always.  The hamburgers at the grill were like hockey pucks.  They were much better in the MDR at lunch. 

 

I know that food is subjective but we went in with open minds.  Only ate dinner in the main dining room.  Out of 11 dinners, maybe 4 were tasty.  Except for the soups, everything came out luke warm.  The shrimp cocktail did not have the usual horseradish sauce but a sweet pink sauce and was disappointing.  In fact every dish that had any type of shellfish had small pieces, maybe the size of your fingernail.  Except for the lobster tail.  It was decent.  I really liked the butter chicken and the chicken parm.  There was never enough filling in any sandwich.  A cuban should have pork, not ham and cheese.  All the pizza was delish.  Every time you ask for cream or ketchup they just want to add some to your plate or cup.  You have to insist they leave some at the table.  At breakfast in the MDR you have to ask several times for butter.  The toast comes out like a rock.  Try an english muffin instead.

 

We truly loved the production shows.  They were some of the best shows we have ever seen at sea.  The guest shows not so much, except for the comedian who was a New Yorker and did shtick like in the old days at the borsch belt in the Catskill Mountains.  The steps down to the front in the Broadway Theater were somewhat dangerous.  I saw others and myself trip many times because of the lights around the stairs that give a false impression of their height.  There is no outlet to deck 5 so if you are sitting in the front you have to walk all the way back up to deck 6 and through the promenade, which is congested with people.

 

These complaints may sound petty to some but they are very irritating during your cruise.  There were many good things also on this cruise which might outweigh the complaints so if a great cruise with a great itinerary and price came up I would certainly consider going with MSC again.

 

 

 

 

[Two Wheels Only]

22 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

Sometimes they did have bowels of ice there but not always.

 

😝

 

On Meraviglia, I had a different experience.....literally and figuratively. It seems that a series of little things added up to make the cruise less than ideal. 

 

Many people prefer the Seaside/Seaside EVO class over the Meraviglia/Meraviglia Plus class. I tried Meraviglia after Seaside so I was prepared for a letdown. I wasn't expecting to like Meraviglia as much as I did. I would put Seaside Evo first, Seaside second, then Meraviglia as far as the MSC classes that I have sailed. I haven't sailed a Meraviglia Plus ship nor have I sailed on a World Class ship (World America, 2025), yet. 

 

40 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

...but will not stop me from cruising MSC again.

 

Hopefully, you'll enjoy one of the other ships more. I would suggest Aurea or Yacht Club experience since assigned dining was an issue for you with Fantastica experience. I can't comment firsthand on the food served in the Aurea dining room (not all ships have one) but there might be a higher attention to detail with that experience. Yacht Club gives all of the condiments that you want...even butter. 

 

Aurea sundeck has towels there for you to use. You can take as many or leave as many as you want. Hot tub temperatures vary greatly by ship. Sometimes, it feels like cold water is being pumped in. Other times, you're sweating from the heat. I don't think that MSC has a standard temperature for their hot tubs. 

 

Thanks for the review.

[Mark_T]

4 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

The shrimp cocktail did not have the usual horseradish sauce but a sweet pink sauce and was disappointing.

That would have been a Marie Rose sauce which is a typical way to serve it in Europe.

 

The version including horseradish is only 'usual' in America.

 

Just one of the more European elements of the cuisine that has not been altered yet.

[dexddd]

Was on trip before.  I'd agree about the theater and steps.  No hand rails and people coming in after lights turned down.  Soft serve was like 1-5.

 

Food, yes, subjective.  I'd say buffet did have good variety but mostly starches no surprise.

 

That movie channel would be TCM.  They do have some color movies. 

 

Pool towels, they had a station starboard just before Bamboo doors.  Staff was there long hours.

[JamieLogical]

4 hours ago, dexddd said:

Pool towels, they had a station starboard just before Bamboo doors.  Staff was there long hours.

 

Was about to post this. There is most definitely a towel exchange just before entering Bamboo from the main pool deck area.

[JamieLogical]

I don't have the storage problem that others seem to have on the Meraviglia. Maybe it's because so many of my first cruises were on Breakaway Plus class ships on NCL and those rooms have no drawers at all. I learned after my very first cruise to pack collapsible cubbies that you can buy for literally $1 from the Dollar Store. Since they collapse flat, they take up no room in my bags. I usually bring four (two for me and two for my husband), but don't always use them all, depending on the ship.

 

I found there was PLENTY of storage in the bathrooms with the three upper shelves, counter space, and shelf & cabinet below the sink. Makes me wonder how many toiletries people are bringing if that's not enough space! Could maybe use more shelf space inside the shower I guess. I also love that MSC showers have the little bar for me to put my foot on when shaving my legs. I used to have to pack a suction cup footrest, but learned I can leave that off my packing list on MSC.

 

 

 

[benjaminnicholas]

9 hours ago, Mark_T said:

Just one of the more European elements of the cuisine that has not been altered yet.

 

And frankly, better for it.  

 

Everything doesn't need to placate to the American ideal.  Americans can expand their horizons.  This is what makes an intrepid traveler.

[benjaminnicholas]

I was on that same sailing.  Let me clarify something...

 

TV had more than one channel.  I counted at least a dozen, not including varying channels of foreign language content.  This is a European line, after all.  

[JamieLogical]

1 minute ago, benjaminnicholas said:

I was on that same sailing.  Let me clarify something...

 

TV had more than one channel.  I counted at least a dozen, not including varying channels of foreign language content.  This is a European line, after all.  

 

I think the OP meant there was only one channel that showed movies. Not that there was only one channel total. They even specifically mentioned CNN.

[Homosassa]

14 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A cuban should have pork, not ham and cheese. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Cuban Sandwich is layers of pork, ham, cheese, pickles and mustard.

 

The Tampa area adds a slice of salami (a nod to the Italians and Cubans who came to the area to work in the cigar factories).

 

Marie Rose sauce is also served on shrimp cocktail on many other cruise lines besides MSC.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Homosassa

[Debde]

14 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

The TV only had one channel that played free movies and most of them were in black and white from the 30's to the 50's.  Only news channel was CNN.

 

 

 

This is a huge issue with me personally. I don't know why they can not have some other sort of movie/drama channel that most all other lines do have. I am sailing in a few weeks and I have a feeling it could be a game changer. Sorry-I know most people say they don't watch TV while on vacation but some do.

What I don't understand in my Seaside sailing had a much better movie channel on a loop. Where did that go??

That's why NCL is still my go to line.

Come on MSC-add a few more channels for the American market please.🤞

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, Debde said:

 

 

This is a huge issue with me personally. I don't know why they can not have some other sort of movie/drama channel that most all other lines do have. I am sailing in a few weeks and I have a feeling it could be a game changer. Sorry-I know most people say they don't watch TV while on vacation but some do.

What I don't understand in my Seaside sailing had a much better movie channel on a loop. Where did that go??

That's why NCL is still my go to line.

Come on MSC-add a few more channels for the American market please.🤞

 

There were some free on-demand movies available.

[JamieLogical]

7 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

A Cuban Sandwich is layers of pork, ham, cheese, pickles and mustard.

 

The Tampa area adds a slice of salami (a nod to the Italians and Cubans who came to the area to work in the cigar factories).

 

Marie Rose sauce is also served on shrimp cocktail on many other cruise lines besides MSC.

 

This picture is at a bad angle, but there was indeed ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard on the cuban I received onboard the Meraviglia on this exact same sailing.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by JamieLogical

[Debde]

1 minute ago, JamieLogical said:

 

There were some free on-demand movies available.

That could help!! Thank you Jamie!!

 

[benjaminnicholas]

25 minutes ago, Debde said:

This is a huge issue with me personally. I don't know why they can not have some other sort of movie/drama channel that most all other lines do have. I am sailing in a few weeks and I have a feeling it could be a game changer. Sorry-I know most people say they don't watch TV while on vacation but some do.

What I don't understand in my Seaside sailing had a much better movie channel on a loop. Where did that go??

That's why NCL is still my go to line.

Come on MSC-add a few more channels for the American market please.🤞

 

People here have already talked about how to cast or stream from a self-brought device.  

 

That way, you have exactly what you want.

[Debde]

47 minutes ago, benjaminnicholas said:

 

People here have already talked about how to cast or stream from a self-brought device.  

 

That way, you have exactly what you want.

This is where my kids roll eyes at me.🙄 Streaming and device stuff goes over my head at warp speed!! LOL

[joeyancho]

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

 

 

That sucker is burned.  Also not the proper bread...

[EllieinNJ]

38 minutes ago, joeyancho said:

That sucker is burned.  Also not the proper bread...

And there was no pork, pickles or mustard on mine.

[EllieinNJ]

7 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I don't have the storage problem that others seem to have on the Meraviglia. Maybe it's because so many of my first cruises were on Breakaway Plus class ships on NCL and those rooms have no drawers at all. I learned after my very first cruise to pack collapsible cubbies that you can buy for literally $1 from the Dollar Store. Since they collapse flat, they take up no room in my bags. I usually bring four (two for me and two for my husband), but don't always use them all, depending on the ship.

 

I found there was PLENTY of storage in the bathrooms with the three upper shelves, counter space, and shelf & cabinet below the sink. Makes me wonder how many toiletries people are bringing if that's not enough space! Could maybe use more shelf space inside the shower I guess. I also love that MSC showers have the little bar for me to put my foot on when shaving my legs. I used to have to pack a suction cup footrest, but learned I can leave that off my packing list on MSC.

 

 

 

It's just that I use a vanity at home with everything in my reach.  I don't like standing in the bathroom doing my hair and makeup.  It was fine for my husband.

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, EllieinNJ said:

It's just that I use a vanity at home with everything in my reach.  I don't like standing in the bathroom doing my hair and makeup.  It was fine for my husband.

Have you sailed on other cruise lines that had a vanity with a seat in the bathroom?

[EllieinNJ]

13 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Have you sailed on other cruise lines that had a vanity with a seat in the bathroom?

I think you misunderstood me.  I like to sit at the desk when I get ready to go out instead of standing in the bathroom.  On MSC there was only one center drawer so I brought a shoe bag to hang up with my incidentals and a lighted makeup mirror to do my hair and makeup.  I would have really hated reaching up or down for those shelves in the bathroom.  It was okay for my husband though.

[PTC DAWG]

YC or bust for me on MSC

[dexddd]

22 hours ago, Debde said:

 

 

This is a huge issue with me personally. I don't know why they can not have some other sort of movie/drama channel that most all other lines do have. I am sailing in a few weeks and I have a feeling it could be a game changer. Sorry-I know most people say they don't watch TV while on vacation but some do.

What I don't understand in my Seaside sailing had a much better movie channel on a loop. Where did that go??

That's why NCL is still my go to line.

Come on MSC-add a few more channels for the American market please.🤞

They actually used to have a ton of channels but vastly cut back awhile ago.

 

They did actually add all the NFL games to in room tvs a few weeks back.

[mikefromny]

On 11/10/2023 at 3:04 PM, benjaminnicholas said:

 

People here have already talked about how to cast or stream from a self-brought device.  

 

That way, you have exactly what you want.

It's my understanding that MSC's wifi plan is really per device. If you bring a streaming stick do you et an additional device or use your phone as a wifi hotspot?

[lcpagejr]

On 11/10/2023 at 2:38 PM, Debde said:

 

 

This is a huge issue with me personally. I don't know why they can not have some other sort of movie/drama channel that most all other lines do have. I am sailing in a few weeks and I have a feeling it could be a game changer. Sorry-I know most people say they don't watch TV while on vacation but some do.

What I don't understand in my Seaside sailing had a much better movie channel on a loop. Where did that go??

That's why NCL is still my go to line.

Come on MSC-add a few more channels for the American market please.🤞

Just grab a blanket and watch the movie shown up top on the Pool deck.