New to MSC from NCL - Memorial Day 2024

[marktwothousand]

Doing Meraviglia from Brooklyn for May 26th week Memorial Day. What of environment and demographic should I expect coming from NCL for this kind of cruise?

 

it was VERY cheap..

 

Given the cheap drinks pack, I am thinking it is more of a party crowd? What are kids like during Memorial Day cruises?

 

On one hand, it is a holiday so I know a lot of people like to go with their family, but it’s only a 1-day holiday and the end of the school year is only a month later, so I’m thinking a lot of families with kids Might just be waiting until then.

 

all insight welcome

[JamieLogical]

Many schools across the US are out for summer by Memorial Day. In New York State, school doesn't end until June, but growing up in Ohio, Memorial Day weekend marked the end of the school year. So I suspect you might see a lot of kids onboard. I don't think it would be any different in terms of demand and number of kids than any other major cruise line sailing out of the US for Memorial Day...

 

If you have any questions about the differences between NCL and MSC, let me know, there was just another thread recently and I can dig up that link as well.

[JamieLogical]

Here's the link:

 

 

[marktwothousand]

2 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

Many schools across the US are out for summer by Memorial Day. In New York State, school doesn't end until June, but growing up in Ohio, Memorial Day weekend marked the end of the school year. So I suspect you might see a lot of kids onboard. I don't think it would be any different in terms of demand and number of kids than any other major cruise line sailing out of the US for Memorial Day...

 

If you have any questions about the differences between NCL and MSC, let me know, there was just another thread recently and I can dig up that link as well.

Thanks…and hello. Can’t remember if we met on an NCL cruise or if I just recognize your name from here

 

surprised to hear that schools are out by Memorial Day… that’s pretty early. I’m up in Canada 

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, marktwothousand said:

Thanks…and hello. Can’t remember if we met on an NCL cruise or if I just recognize your name from here

 

surprised to hear that schools are out by Memorial Day… that’s pretty early. I’m up in Canada 

 

I have spent a LOT of time on the NCL forums back when I was sailing with NCL, so you probably know me from there. But we might have been on an NCL cruise together after the COVID restart... they are honestly starting to all blur together!

[Essiesmom]

Schools in the South finish by the third week of May, sometimes earlier.  But they start up in early August…. EM

[Cruising Lynne]

6 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

Doing Meraviglia from Brooklyn for May 26th week Memorial Day. What of environment and demographic should I expect coming from NCL for this kind of cruise?

 

it was VERY cheap..

 

Given the cheap drinks pack, I am thinking it is more of a party crowd? What are kids like during Memorial Day cruises?

 

On one hand, it is a holiday so I know a lot of people like to go with their family, but it’s only a 1-day holiday and the end of the school year is only a month later, so I’m thinking a lot of families with kids Might just be waiting until then.

 

all insight welcome

 We are getting off the day you embark. We usually do Boston to Bermuda that week, but are making the leap from NCL to try something new. We are in Massachusetts, and school does not get out here until June 12th. This is a little early due to the lack of snow days this year. The Seniors get out earlier. This should help keep the number of families with young children down. You may have an increase in college age kids.

 

A ship as big as Meraviglia should have some quiet spots to get away from the crowds. We shall see. I have wanted to go on Meraviglia ever since it was new. The ceiling in the Promenade and the Swarovkski Crystal stair cases seemed like something I would like to see.

 

  I recognize you and Jamie from the Cruise Critic boards, but not on board ships. Happy sailing!!

[ajoneen]

We're on this sailing too-I'm thinking not a lot of kids. I sailed Meraviglia last Nov- it was a real mix, and largest % by far were chinese tourists.   

Edited March 30 by ajoneen

[perakcruiser]

5 hours ago, ajoneen said:

and largest % by far were chinese tourists. 

What you think are Chinese tourists are usually 95 percent not Chinese 😁

[ajoneen]

57 minutes ago, perakcruiser said:

What you think are Chinese tourists are usually 95 percent not Chinese 😁

I had a discussion with a few crew members who told me they were Chinese- 2 really big groups of over 400 each with two tour companies. There was a bit of confusion at the buffett  because of the language barrier and they were really into hanging with each other and moving about in big packs. Somo folks were Not happy but I just tried to smile and made basic hand movements to communicate.  

[JamieLogical]

2 hours ago, ajoneen said:

I had a discussion with a few crew members who told me they were Chinese- 2 really big groups of over 400 each with two tour companies. There was a bit of confusion at the buffett  because of the language barrier and they were really into hanging with each other and moving about in big packs. Somo folks were Not happy but I just tried to smile and made basic hand movements to communicate.  

 

I ran into that exact same situation on an NCL ship pre-COVID, so I don't think this is anything unique to MSC.

[perakcruiser]

2 hours ago, ajoneen said:

I had a discussion with a few crew members who told me they were Chinese- 2 really big groups of over 400 each with two tour companies.

OK, this of cause can happen. But usually the vast majority of "Chinese" on MSC (or other) cruise ships are from UK, Singapore, ...

[EllieinNJ]

Before my Miraviglia cruise last October there were discussions here and on FB about a certain ethnic group that was being obnoxious, cutting lines, reserving seats in theater, etc.  I found it wasn't too bad on my cruise.

 

The ceiling and stairs get old pretty fast.  The only quiet place to sit was in the piano bar on deck 17.  The MDR food wasn't too good.  I did not like a set dining time either.

 

But the shows were great.  Also enjoyed the after hours pizza and snacks.

[Two Wheels Only]

55 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

I did not like a set dining time either.

 

Some have a set dining time, some do not. 

 

It depends on what "experience" that you book.

[JamieLogical]

I really thought I was going to hate the set dining time. In fact, our first MSC sailing, we booked Aurea partly due to that fear. Since then we have sailed Fantastica many times and the set dining has been a non-issue. Turns out, we often eat around the same time every night anyway! If you want to see shows and do activities, that really limits the viable times for you to eat anyway. And the nights that the set dining time didn't work for us, we were able to just book specialty dining or eat in the buffet.

[Beamafar]

4 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

The only quiet place to sit was in the piano bar on deck 17. 

No deck 17 on any MSC ships as Italians are superstitious about the number (the way the number 13 is by others). It comes from an anagram, in Latin, of the number 17 in Roman numerals XVII. The anagram in question is VIXI which means "I HAVE LIVED" (perfect tense), implying "my life is over" or "I AM DEAD" 

[EllieinNJ]

16 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

No deck 17 on any MSC ships as Italians are superstitious about the number (the way the number 13 is by others). It comes from an anagram, in Latin, of the number 17 in Roman numerals XVII. The anagram in question is VIXI which means "I HAVE LIVED" (perfect tense), implying "my life is over" or "I AM DEAD" 

Oops!  It was the lounge/bar overlooking the pool area.

[dbrown84]

22 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I really thought I was going to hate the set dining time. In fact, our first MSC sailing, we booked Aurea partly due to that fear. Since then we have sailed Fantastica many times and the set dining has been a non-issue. Turns out, we often eat around the same time every night anyway! If you want to see shows and do activities, that really limits the viable times for you to eat anyway. And the nights that the set dining time didn't work for us, we were able to just book specialty dining or eat in the buffet.

Good to hear from a fellow NCL transplant, as the set dining is my biggest concern as I plan my first MSC cruise.  Not so much that I'm willing to pay for the experience with anytime dining though.  I've prepared myself to eat all my meals in the buffet if I'm not too thrilled with the set dining 

[JamieLogical]

3 hours ago, dbrown84 said:

Good to hear from a fellow NCL transplant, as the set dining is my biggest concern as I plan my first MSC cruise.  Not so much that I'm willing to pay for the experience with anytime dining though.  I've prepared myself to eat all my meals in the buffet if I'm not too thrilled with the set dining 

 

Not sure which ship you are on, but the a la carte pricing at the sushi and taco places are quite reasonable and make a good alternative to the MDR on nights when the fixed dining time doesn't work for you. We have found that those are usually much easier to get into with a last minute reservation than the "fancier" specialty dining venues as well.