First Cruise - Solo? Good Idea? MSC Meraviglia 7 nights NYC Bahamas

[First timer and Solo]

Hello all,

 

Just wondered if anyone could offer some feedback on whether the MSC Meraviglia for a week would be a good idea for a first time cruiser and solo? From the youtube videos it honestly looks like there isn't a square inch of space without other people elbow to elbow, but obviously this is video for Youtube. Others have said it feels drastically overbooked and there are long lines, (not enticing for an introvert). Can anyone weigh in?

 

Thanks

[leaveitallbehind]

Perhaps if you could provide a little more detail about yourself and what your first cruise expectations are it would help with better responses.  What age group are you in?  Do you enjoy partying or prefer more quiet entertainment?  Would you prefer to be around adults or families with children? Etc.

 

The reason I ask is that most of the different cruise lines target different primary demographics with different on board venues to cater to that.  Some offer the mega-ships that are more like floating amusement parks while others offer more mid-sized ships with a more sedate cruising environment.

 

Royal Caribbean, Disney, and NCL, as examples, have families with children as their primary demographics with mega-ships at their core and most of their ships have venues to address that - water slides, rock climbing walls, bumper cars, etc.  Celebrity and Princess are oriented more towards adults and have none of those "activities" on board. Their ships tend to be more mid-sized with less passengers with more of a pure cruising environment.  Carnival "fun ships" are typically that with a lot of younger oriented activities along with those for families with children. They also feature mega-ships.  MSC is an Italian based cruise line with a predominantly Italian crew and caters to a broad base of demographics with families as a focus.  Their ships range from mid-sized to mega.  HAL is mostly older adults with mid-sized ships.  Etc., etc.

 

So without knowing more about you and what you like, etc., it is going to be very difficult to respond with good information about what a good idea for a first cruise would be.  One thing you should note is that as a solo cruiser, with most cruise lines your typical fare would essentially be the double occupancy fare for two in a stateroom, less one set of port fees and taxes.  There are cruise lines (NCL / Celebrity as examples) that offer dedicated solo staterooms at a reduced solo rate that you may want to consider.

 

My best suggestion would be to contact a live human travel agent who specializes in cruises and discuss your expectations with them and  let them determine which cruise lines would be the best fits for you to consider.  They would be in the best position to accurately assist you.

 

Good luck with your first cruise.  As with most of us, it will not likely be your last!

Edited February 8 by leaveitallbehind

[Essiesmom]

Sailing solo is 100% better than not sailing at all.  I sailed solo twice last year on MSC, as well as twice on Carnival and once on Celebrity.  There are always crowded places, but seats for one can be easier to find than a pair.  I’m not a joiner, but I love to find a seat and people watch.    Come over to the MSC board here if you have more questions.  
Welcome to Cruise Critic.  EM

[First timer and Solo]

Thanks. I am fifty, male, single. I guess I would be low maintenance as far as food, drinks, entertainment went. More like would there be quieter decks to sit on, places to read and just be a passenger enjoying the ocean breeze as opposed to being at "Vegas at Sea", kind of thing. I got a good deal with MSC for a balcony cabin around $1500 with port fees, taxes and the drinks wifi package which is what got me interested in it. Thanks again for the comprehensive reply.

[leaveitallbehind]

9 minutes ago, First timer and Solo said:

Thanks. I am fifty, male, single. I guess I would be low maintenance as far as food, drinks, entertainment went. More like would there be quieter decks to sit on, places to read and just be a passenger enjoying the ocean breeze as opposed to being at "Vegas at Sea", kind of thing. I got a good deal with MSC for a balcony cabin around $1500 with port fees, taxes and the drinks wifi package which is what got me interested in it. Thanks again for the comprehensive reply.

In fairness I have never sailed on MSC so I would not have direct experience regarding them as your option.  However that by no means would suggest they would not be a good choice as I'm sure they would be. Just look closely at the venues and offerings to see if that would suit your expectations.  I would recommend that with any cruise line.

 

I would, however, suggest that you may also want to look at Celebrity in terms of cruising style based on some of your comments.  If you were interested in looking at them, be aware that there has been some recent controversy over how some of their solo pricing was determined.  My recent searches did not confirm that, but that doesn't mean it didn't exist.  But I think the best way to confirm that for you would be to look at an itinerary you are interested in and do mock bookings for a solo cruiser in a standard double occupancy stateroom as well as their dedicated solo staterooms (on Apex class ships) for comparison and make your own determination.

 

Whatever you end up with, enjoy your first cruise!

 

 

[Langoustine]

I recently sailed as a solo on the Meraviglia and quiet is not a word I would use to describe the ship,