Opera Review 2/5 cruise

[satnightcruiser]

We just returned from what I can honestly say was a disappointing cruise at best. This line has a lot to learn in order to survive in the market it has entered. Be forewarned they cater to Europeans first and foremost. All announcements which are few and far between and made in 5 languages, This gets a little boring in the showroom when everynight you have to listen to a cruise director who cannot even say gentleman go through his routine. Now other posters have criticized the bad behavior of passengers and we did see a lot of that but it was also americans in that group.

Emabarkation was pretty smooth there had been a problem with customs arriving on time so there was a slight delay but it too about 45 minutes. Not as well run as other lines. We departed late as we had to wait for late flights because of weather problems.

Dining- Has been rehashed several times. Yes at times the food was bland even tasteless. Presentation was less then desireable. Items were fewer the other menus. If you are expecting American Italian like you get at home or you prepare forget it. The only thing close is the spaghetti.

Desserts are also terrible you would think Italian chefs could make a decent dessert.

Buffet- Forget it. You could get better food at Perkins or Golden Corral. No Imagination. Did you ever hear of someone carving "MEATLOAF". In addition it is a small area and lines are long.

Grill- Burgers, Hot Dogs (very salty)Fries. Edible when hot but they prepare so much and puy cooked in steam table.

This same area is used a Breakfast for omelets, pancakes etc.

Beverages- Coffee, Tea Juice available at Breakfast but once breakfast is over your out of luck. Don't oversleep. Come 10:00 they close everything down. I meaan down.

Pizza- Best part of cruise but again open limited hours only.

You can only get Iced tea when these places are open when they close so does your drink options. Can you imagine no ice tea available after 2pm.

Ice Cream- Forget it unless you want to pay for it. Or you can get it in dining room at lunch and dinner.

Entertainment- Probably the best I have seen at sea. Shows are good but do not expect late night shows with comedians etc, There animation team is great at getting things going very energetic but they favor the europeans.

Ports of call- Good choice but they could eliminate Santa Marta ,really a waste of time. We took several tours Whale watching being one of the best. The Canal tour and Costa rican tour were also excellent. We used private operators.

I would not recommend this line to anyone until they know all the facts. They have a lot of work to do. But you get what you pay for and the price is certainly right. If you can overlook the problems then by all means

check it out yourself. But previous posters have been pretty much right on the money about this line.

[bobar]

Thanks for the review.Glad you concurred with others on the entertainment. it is great on MSC..Sorry you didn't like the food..real italian and american italian are indeed 2 different things.As for the announcements in 5 languages you knew that getting on..And europeans are very different than us and I pray MSC never sells there soul out to compete in the north american market by kissing american asses and driving you crazy trying to sell yo something every 5 minutes like on all of our typical cruiselines. I sailed them 3 yrs ago before the baeutiful new ships and can't wait till my march 10th cruise..I will have my thermos with me so i don't run out of something to drink.Any way sorry you had a bad time,but thanks for the review...:cool:

[annX]

Bobar makes the same old tired argument I have heard from folks yearning ( for whatever reason) to overcome negative comments about MSC food, to wit, that Americans don't know what they are talking about when they negatively criticize the MSC food because Americans are not accustomed to true Italian cuisine. MSC Italian cuisine is so uniquely Italian Italian that it disappoints Americans' palates that are accustomed to "American" Italian. NONSENSE. The food on MSC stinks compared to other lines. The attempt to distiguish between Americanized Italian and "true" Italian is laughable. MSC food is bad no matter how you try to justify it.

[RetiredFL]

When we wer on the Lirica last fall we thought all they did was sell things. We got so tired of hearing "Hi this is Tim your art auctioneer" three or four times a day and then the sales of jewelery, etc. around the lounges.

We found the food edible but no more and usually cold. The waiters were constantly frustrated with the kitchen delivering the wrong order. Our waiter would stand with his head buried in his hands as he sent things back. (Waiter and helper were the best) I have been to Italy may times and did not find the food "authentic Italian" in any sense of the term. Perhaps if it were hot and pleasantly displayed it might have helped. As an example, in the morning in the dining room, the waffles and french toast was so cold butter would not melt. They had one bottle of syrup the passed around the room.

Bacon was a tangled, undercooked mess. Sticking with the simple things, danish, etc. and it wasn't too bad.

[bobar]

I guess y'all just want me to have a horrible time and not like the food. All I can say is from experience 3 yrs ago on the tired and not modern msc melody..the food was very very good..i have since been on 11 other cruises, ncl,royal carib,celebrity,carnival and holland america and didn't loke it as much. i guess its to each their own...or maybe with new ships ,which is what they were lacking,msc has gone down..from what i've heard of the pastes they are serving i will love it,and they are not the onlyline that charges for ice cream...anyway can't wait till march 10th and to see the opera:cool:

[mizzy76218]

Thanks, Bobar, I could not of said it better. I look forward to your review, so please do us all the favor and write one when you get back. We are booked for April 1 and can't wait.

[tjcox9]

:D What can I say? Just back from the 2/05 Opera cruise because we were a little bored with the same-o same-o of the lines we've used most in the past.

 

First and foremost, the entertainment is so much different and so superior (IOHO) to the mainstream lines that is was worth the cruise for only that. This entertainment group is OUTSTANDING!! The animation/entertainment group is top notch, always entertaining - yes, oft times a little outrageous, but so different from the usual run of the mill. This was also a Big Band Cruise and the Tommy Dorsey orchestra was on board in addition to the usual entertainment groups.

 

And yes, announcements are made in five languages at entertainment venues, but to us, that was part of the charm of the experience (and we knew this going in.)

 

If you want the standard cruise fare that you're used to, please don't take an MSC cruise! We loved most of the differences. I must confess that we only ate at the buffet once, so can't comment on that. But service in the dining room at all meals was quite nice, surpassing some of the major lines we've used. Sure, if you want shrimp cocktails and steaks at every meal, MSC is not for you. We loved the appetizers and pastas in particular. Yes, we think the entrees could use some help, but with the quality of the other courses, we were quite pleased as the scales will indicate. We found the lunch menu generally preferable to the evening menu.

 

We did fine the drink prices a bit high. And even on the first night of our cruise, some of the Italian wines were unavailable. Later in the cruise, additional wines were made available, some quite nice, others, rather blah.

 

All this said, would we use MSC again, the answer is YES! We knew what we were buying going in, and MSC exceeded our expectations based on our research.

[frbob]

I guess y'all just want me to have a horrible time and not like the food. All I can say is from experience 3 yrs ago on the tired and not modern msc melody..the food was very very good..i have since been on 11 other cruises, ncl,royal carib,celebrity,carnival and holland america and didn't loke it as much. i guess its to each their own...or maybe with new ships ,which is what they were lacking,msc has gone down..from what i've heard of the pastes they are serving i will love it,and they are not the onlyline that charges for ice cream...anyway can't wait till march 10th and to see the opera:cool:

 

Bobar, you are going to have a great time on the Opera on your March 10th cruise. I, too, was on the 2/5 sailing and had a very different take than Satnightcruiser, with all due respect for subjective differences.

 

First of all, the ship is elegantly beautiful and clean as a whistle. While the cabins are a bit smallish, they are efficiently laid out. The only area I didn't really like was the shower....very tiny. But, you know??? Somehow we managed.

 

I expected smoking to be a problem with so many Europeans on board, but was pleasantly surprised that all but a couple of spaces (like the Casino and the Sotto Vento Pub) were smoke-free.

 

This Italian American thought the food was terrific, for the most part. Sure there were some dishes that could use improvement, but I find this to be true about all the cruise ships I've been on. By and large, the food was excellent, varied and beautifully presented, IMO. True, they don't provide a great steak and potatoes experience, but I'd bet you won't leave the dinner table hungry. I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner in the La Caravella Restaurant, so I can't comment on the buffet (not my favorite way to dine). BTW, you're going to love the pastas...YUMMMMMM. Hey, if your favorite restaurant is Hardees, you probably shouldn't cruise with MSC.

 

I thought it was fun to hear the very limited announcements done in 5 languages, even if the CD couldn't pronounce "Gentlemen". What a blessing it is to not have bingo announcements (and other assorted crud) blasting throughout the ship every day!!! All the info you will need is in the daily program. All you have to do is read it.

 

The entertainment was fantastic....best at sea as far as this experienced cruiser has seen. The tenor, Adrian Makanu, was brilliant as was Marian Cristea who played classical violin. The other acts/performers were wonderful also. There were no stand-up comics but there was plenty to smile about, that's for sure. On this cruise we had the added pleasure of enjoying the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra virtually every night in the Caruso Lounge (scheduled not to interfere with Showtime in the Teatro dell'Opera).

 

The Animation/Entertainment Team was a pure delight. What a great concept. You will be hard pressed to dislike them. Many smiles are produced by this terrific group. I didn't feel they favored any nationality one way or another. They were having fun with all in an equally irreverent fashion. What a hoot!!!

 

Go on your 3/10 cruise and have a ball. If you go with a good attitude you will enjoy the MSC experience. If you look for troubles and problems, you'll probably find them. Buon Voyage.

[joybaby]

Thanks for your review. We are also on the 3/10 OPERA. Have been on many cruises so we are going w/ an open mind and a great attitude. We are practicing our Italian! See you on board Bobar! :) :) :)

[bobar]

One question for all of you who have been recently.If you have late dining is your show before dinner or after?With only a 700 seat theater i know they would have to do the shows twice so just wondering..thanks...like i said,i have already sailed msc once and am coming back so i can't wait to see and sail on this gorgeous looking ship.:cool:

[tjcox9]

Bobar, we had late dining (8:15 PM) and except for one evening, our entertainment was at 7:00 PM. I do not know if this is the norm or if they were accommodating the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and other entertainers who entertained in the Caruso Lounge each evening from about 9:45 PM on.

 

I've never been so "entertained" on a cruise with the usual nightly show plus the Dorsey group after dinner til midnight. This was billed as a big band cruise and there were many people on board for that reason. The music in the lounges was some of the best I've heard as well and the dance floors were generally filled.

[rollingstone]

I too am looking forward to my cruise on 3/10. We are traveling with a great group of people and eating is not my top priority for choosing a cruise. While on the Sea Princess, we were among only 300 Americans (Caribbean). Needless to say, the food & entertainment were geared for the Brits. No big deal!

Also, the cruise line knows the countries of all it's passengers. They use this info when deciding what languages to give the announcements in. If you cruise in another country, let's hope they are nice enough to make announcements in YOUR language!

Nancy

[caviargal]

Bobar makes the same old tired argument I have heard from folks yearning ( for whatever reason) to overcome negative comments about MSC food, to wit, that Americans don't know what they are talking about when they negatively criticize the MSC food because Americans are not accustomed to true Italian cuisine. MSC Italian cuisine is so uniquely Italian Italian that it disappoints Americans' palates that are accustomed to "American" Italian. NONSENSE. The food on MSC stinks compared to other lines. The attempt to distiguish between Americanized Italian and "true" Italian is laughable. MSC food is bad no matter how you try to justify it.

 

As a second generation Italian who makes her own pasta and can skin an eel with the best of them, I found the food on MSC far better than on RCI, HAL, X and the rest.

 

If Olive Garden is your taste in Italian food, you will be sorely disappointed. That is the definition of poor Ital-American food, IMO.:cool:

 

The difference between MSC and other lines insofar as dining room food is the difference between the garbage they serve at Olive Garden and what is served at a nice local trattoria in Rome, one without a "Tourist Menu" posted outside.

[bobar]

thanks for the info on the shows..and i agree caviar girl..being italian i'd rather stave to death than eat at olive garden or carrabas or any of the chain italian places that don't even know what gnocchi is..only 19 days till i get to pig out on pasta..can't wait!:cool:

[barrypoint]

Don't agree that the animation team catered to the Europeans. They were great and given there were several nationalities on board, they did a superb job trying to address all passengers. Whenever they addressed a mixture, they almost always began in English.

 

I would recommend MSC to any cruiser. We had a great time.

[redqueen]

This is a bit long.

This was our second experience with Mediterranean Shipping Company and I was as pleased with this cruise as I was with the transatlantic we did on the Lirica in 2004.

 

Our adventure began 5 Feb 2007 with a bus ride to FLL on a Cruise Connection bus. We were checked in and on board the ship by 13:15. We checked our cabin - 9137, all was in order, but no luggage, so we went for lunch and a walk about the ship. It wan't too long before we unpacked and waiting for sail-away which was supposed to be at 19:00, but actually was at 19:55. At 20:15 we were off to dinner(late seating) and to meet our tablemates. We were in the L'Approdo Resturant. Our Table mates were Lynn and Jan, from UK. Lynn from Derby and Jan from Cornwall, they are sister-in-laws. Bea, a delightful 83 yr old, traveling alone, from Maryland and Arthur, a 80 yr old casanova, from Virginia. One of our tablemates required a special diet and notified the line ahead of time and she was accomodated without any problems. Our waiters Deni and Gusti, from Bali were excellent.

 

6 Feb - Awake at 07:00, it was raining and we had wind speeds at force 6, temp 75F. Lifeboat drill at 10:00. A sea day, also a miserable day weatherwise. Formal night tonight. Tonight's entertainment in the theater - Classical Music with Marion Cristea, Violinist; George Calofir, Pianist and a delightful Tenor, Adrian Mocanu. The late show was a tribute to Glenn Miller. This cruise had a Big Band theme.

 

7 Feb -Today, Costa Maya. Warm and foggy in Am, cleared nicely in the afternoon and very hot. We planned to go for a drive about the Island, but our travel companions were not uo to it, so we went to the port tourist area. There is a nice beach and many places selling silver and Mayan jewelry as well as the ususal souvenir junk. Two ships in port, Jewel OTS and Grandeur OTS. Sail-away at 14:00. We formed a team for the World Knowledge Challenge with our tablemates. Big Band is the remnants of Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra with buddy Morrow directing. They are good. I think a few have been with the ensemble for 50+ yrs. Buddy said he first played with the TD Orchestra in 1938.

 

8 Feb - Sea day. Checked out the shops on board, very expensive in my opinion. Have a vendor selling Amber jewelry. Sunny and quite warm.

 

9 Feb - Puerta Limon. Bright, sunny day, air temp 77F. Took the old banana route train ride. Very interesting. The lava beaches were unspoiled with black sand that felt silky. The people we saw in this area were by our standards miserably poor. The literacy rate is 95% but the mean income for approximately 40% of the 4.2 mil. population is only $300.00/month. However, they get free water and electricity. The entire area has uncollected trash along the streets and everywhere. Tonight there was Disco On the Deck, featureing the music from Grease.

 

10 Feb - Cristobal/Colon. Another beautiful morning. Today we went on a the Gatun Lake tour and to the Old Fort at Portobello. It was fun to watch the ships entering the locks. The Old Fort was nice, but really not much to see. We went to town and the Cathedral where we saw replicas of the Black Christ. Again, we saw very poor people and trash laden roadsides. Sail-away at 17:00 and another formal night.

 

11 Feb - Santa Marta. Hazy and HOT. We had fairly rough seas with 12ft chop and winds to 38 knots. We docked at an industrial site. We ventured into town. There is a small duty free area at entrance to port. A very nice beach area within walking distance. Many military/police personnel with weapons are in the area, but not in a threatening manner. They were, in fact, pleasant. All the people seamed eager to please us. Only one down comment, I think they should have controlled the taxi drivers better, so there would have been less congestion at the exit to town. Only two vendors were actually by the ship, each selling Colombian coffee. Sail-away at 18:00.

 

12 Feb - Curacao. Along side the megaport at 13:00, a bit ahead of schedule. Day started out very windy, slight cloudy and very warm. We have acutually seen most of Curacao on previous visits, so this time, I will go into town for a bit of shopping spree and a stop at a casino for Charles. We had a quite a walk back to the ship. Curacao is as beautiful as ever. Sail-away at 23:00 - beautiful leaving at night with the band playing.

 

13 Feb - Sea Day. Very rough seas. Heavy rain, then sun and wind in the afternoon.

 

14 Feb - Cayo Levantado, Dominican Republic. This is a tender port. Ship has a private are for the passengers. Tender ride is 5-10 minutes to shore. Our friends have gone on a whale watching tour. At $130/person, I felt it was too expensive. Very hot. really not much to see here. This is a relative new port for tourism. Today was just fun in the sun for me. Sail-away at 16:00.

 

15 Feb - Sea Day.

 

16 Feb - Debarkation. Off ship and on way home by 10:45.

 

Summary:

Ship/Cabin/Public areas appearance: Very nice, clean and well kept by crew. Cabins are a bit smallish, but we knew that (140 sq ft and balcony about 32 sq ft). Heard some smokers complaining about limited smoking areas. Casino was rather small, but there weren't many players most nights.

 

Food: Pastas, breads, fish, IMHO, excellent. Veal-good, beef and pork some less than good, I did not have chicken or frog legs, turkey was good. I liked most of the vegetable presentations. Soups and salads were standard fare. Desserts were very good. The downer, Ice Cream was only free when ordered as a dessert at dinner, otherwise $1.00 a scoop. Most complainers were from USA.

 

Entertainment: Good. Big Band was a nice retro touch. Other shows also good.

 

Activities: Italian lessons, dancing lessons, trivia challenges, bridge tournament, tea dancing and different theme parties all very nice.

 

Cabin Stewards: Hendra and Robin, very attentive.

 

Bottom line: Yes, there are some differences, none that would ruin a cruise for me. We will definitely cruise with MSC again.

[bobar]

Great review Redqueen. You should post it as a separate review so more people will see it:cool:

[OldCop201]

I love just checking this site every now and then after our cruise. I had written a review of our Opera experience after returning home on Jan. 24th.

Satnightcruiser had a short version of my review. RetiredFL somewhat agreed with some of our opinions. AnnX was very thankful for everything, keeping in mind they are "our" opinions.

With that said I see that tjcox9 enjoyed his cruise but admitted there was a problem with the food. The same for FRBOB. But Bobar, who continually keeps posting that she was on a MSC cruise "3 years ago" says over and over how good the food is on MSC and also says food isn't that important. There are posts back and forth about "REAL" Italian food and Olive Garden etc. Caviargal joined in (6,721 posts) and to give credance to their posts keep reminding us of their Italian heritage. Like that makes a difference.

Keep in mind that a review is that persons opinion of that particular cruise. It obviously isn't meant to be gospel as opinions are like noses....everybody has one. My 11 days on the Opera were fun but it was because of the 8 family members. We had 11 days of cold, tastless food. Period. Buffet, dining room and room service. Cold.....and tastless.

Bobar and caviargal, go and have a great time. With your attitudes it seems if the ship sinks you guys will still only see the bright side. Enjoy!!!

 

Pat

[tjcox9]

OldCop201 and whoever,

 

Yeah, no cruise is perfect, but this one met this GAL's needs for a change of pace from the run of the mill cruise. Loved it, but one must go on an MSC cruise with an open mind.

 

Yes, ALL courses weren't to my liking, but then neither are they on a US oriented line. I really enjoyed the differences from the usual Princess/HAL/Celebrity experiences. And that is why I was even on this cruise, looking for a different experience. You'll notice I have a Costa cruise booked as well. Yeah, if you want the same-o same-cruise don't take an MSC cruise. And I must say that I never experienced any cold food in the dining room. I can't comment on the buffet, because as stated previously, didn't use that facility but on embarkation day for lunch.

 

If food was all that bad, I wouldn't be walking and working out daily since my return home.:p

 

If you like somewhat different food fare, in my opinion (that's what this is all about, right?) and much better entertainment, then MSC may be for you. Just do your homework in advance.

 

To each his/her own.............

[tjcox9]

OldCop201 and whoever,

 

Yeah, no cruise is perfect, but this one met this GAL's needs for a change of pace from the run of the mill cruise. Loved it, but one must go on an MSC cruise with an open mind.

 

Yes, ALL courses weren't to my liking, but then neither are they on a US oriented line. I really enjoyed the differences from the usual Princess/HAL/Celebrity experiences. And that is why I was even on this cruise, looking for a different experience. You'll notice I have a Costa cruise booked as well. Yeah, if you want the same-o same-o cruise don't take an MSC cruise. And I must say that I never experienced any cold food in the dining room, except that which was intended to be cold. I can't comment on the buffet, because as stated previously, didn't use that facility but on embarkation day for lunch.

 

If food was all that bad, I wouldn't be walking and working out daily since my return home.:p

 

If you like somewhat different food fare, in my opinion (that's what this is all about, right?) and much better entertainment, then MSC may be for you. Just do your homework in advance.

 

To each his/her own.............

[tjcox9]

Oh well, sorry about that.

[tjcox9]

;) Sorry about the somewhat dupe post. Didn't appear to have posted. Whatever, cruising, food, activities are very personal and subjective and that's what this forum is all about, right? Just make your own decisions based on posts and other independend research you've done.

 

Just remember, "You can please all of the people part of the time, and some of the people all of the time." Abe Lincoln

[bobar]

oldcop,

I think what's it's all about is outlook,some of us take life and see the glass as overflowing ,while some see it as half empty.As I said 3 yrs ago the food was very good.the people i met and the ports and the entertainment and the rest i got and the attitude of the crew and the cleanliness of the shp are all just as important if not more important than the food. i'm sorry you had cold food . hope your next trip is better whereever you may tavel...caio

[mmcipdn]

Hi, everyone, going on Lirica 3-16-07. Have looked at menus for dining room and being american from texas I am having a hard time pronouncing the names of the dishes, let alone know what they are, I have looked up a few on the net, but does anyone know of a small book or pamphlet that i could take with me to reference the italian names to an english description?

[tjcox9]

This Texan had no problems with the menus. They were provided in multiple languages on the Opera - including English with a brief description of the dish. You just have to turn to the right page in the menu. Is there a specific dish or dishes about which you have questions?