MSC dining questions . . . again!

[jones721]

Hi,

 

I know this has been discussed several times on this board but I am a bit confused about some of the reports I have read.

 

We are looking to book Poesia next Easter (Med) and have sailed Costa in the Med so are familiar with some of the issues discussed on here.

 

I understand that dining times are limited but I read a report which said that the grill and the pizza are open till about 6 and then others that say there is nothing to eat once the buffet is closed for lunch until afternoon tea is served. Is it just the buffet that is closed but you can get pizza or burgers - or is there nothing at all?

 

Also, I read that pizza is charged for - is this in the day or just after a certain time? I certainly wouldn't want to pay for pizza.

 

BTW we also had the same issue with tap water on Costa but used to just ask for a jug of iced water and it always arrived. The Europeans would ask how we got that and didn't realise it was available.

 

Thanks in advance.

Tracey

[sea-explorer]

Hi Tracey,

 

Dining times from our recent med cruise on the Poesia:

 

Breakfast: Buffet...6.30am - 10.00am (but coffee served from 6.00am)

Dining Room...7am -9am

Lunch: Dining Room...12 noon - 2pm (some days 2.30pm)

Buffet 12 noon - 2.30 (some days 3pm)

Grill 12 noon - 2.30 (some days 3pm)

Pizzeria 12 noon - 2.30 (some days 3pm)

Tea and Cookies 4pm -5pm

 

Dinner First seating 7pm, second seating 9.30pm.

Midnight buffet..changeable, 12.15am or 12.30am for example.

 

In reality, the buffet was a little flexible at lunch times if it was busy. When we returned from Ephesus, (sailaway 3pm, buffet due to close 3pm) the hours were extended & it was about 4.30pm when they started to close. The same for our Dubrovnik day.

 

Pizza, burgers, hot dogs etc were all available from the buffet. (Pizza on one side & burgers etc on the other, so walk the full way round if you want to see everything on offer for that day. :)

 

Nothing else open at other times for 'free' food, but there were 'alternative dining experiences' where charges did apply.

Wine bar. (Cheese, snacks etc,) 4pm - 1am

Pizzeria. 7.30pm - 10pm

Kebab. 7.30pm - 10pm

Sushi bar 12 noon - 4pm and 6pm - midnight.

 

Hope this answers your questions. :)

[Notenut]

So then from, say, 6 pm on the only (free) eating option is the sit down dining room, nothing offered on the buffet until midnight. Is that right?

[PersistenzaretiniKa]

according to my experience is like that. why going eating at the grill at night when there is the restaurant??

[Notenut]

why going eating at the grill at night when there is the restaurant??

 

 

Maybe because one might just want to get something light and not go through the time and effort for a sit-down meal. Also at times we have gone to the buffet after dinner just to get a different dessert. It's nice to have the option available.

[MMDown Under]

Maybe because one might just want to get something light and not go through the time and effort for a sit-down meal. Also at times we have gone to the buffet after dinner just to get a different dessert. It's nice to have the option available.

 

 

....and I thought I was the only one to do that!

[jones721]

Hi Tracey,

 

Dining times from our recent med cruise on the Poesia:

 

Breakfast: Buffet...6.30am - 10.00am (but coffee served from 6.00am)

Dining Room...7am -9am

Lunch: Dining Room...12 noon - 2pm (some days 2.30pm)

Buffet 12 noon - 2.30 (some days 3pm)

Grill 12 noon - 2.30 (some days 3pm)

Pizzeria 12 noon - 2.30 (some days 3pm)

Tea and Cookies 4pm -5pm

 

Dinner First seating 7pm, second seating 9.30pm.

Midnight buffet..changeable, 12.15am or 12.30am for example.

 

In reality, the buffet was a little flexible at lunch times if it was busy. When we returned from Ephesus, (sailaway 3pm, buffet due to close 3pm) the hours were extended & it was about 4.30pm when they started to close. The same for our Dubrovnik day.

 

Pizza, burgers, hot dogs etc were all available from the buffet. (Pizza on one side & burgers etc on the other, so walk the full way round if you want to see everything on offer for that day. :)

 

Nothing else open at other times for 'free' food, but there were 'alternative dining experiences' where charges did apply.

Wine bar. (Cheese, snacks etc,) 4pm - 1am

Pizzeria. 7.30pm - 10pm

Kebab. 7.30pm - 10pm

Sushi bar 12 noon - 4pm and 6pm - midnight.

Hope this answers your questions. :)

 

 

Thanks for you reply. Those are very limited hours aren't they? I thought the pizza and grill would be open till 6 and that would be the only choice you would have - in fact it is worse than that because (apart from afternoon tea) you have nothing to choose from at all. Never been on a cruise where that happened. Though Costa hours were a little limiting - but not that bad! Quite often on Costa, the children would get peckish later on a night (we had early sitting) so we went for a pizza (sit down and full pizza made to order) but there was certainly no charge for it.

 

I am also concerned after reading your post that there is nowhere to get tea and coffee except during meal times. Someone posted there is no self service tea and coffee - is this true? And if there are self service stations, are these only open at certain times? I like my cups of tea!

 

So, in reality, return to the ship from a port around 4ish and on late sitting, no food until evening dinner (apart from afternoon tea and is that just cookies or also cakes and sandwiches?)??

 

Maybe this isn't the line for us!

 

Tracey

[colmil]

I see a special offer for 27th Sept but I don't like to idea of the restricted meal times at all, whilst I am not a piggy, if I fancied a late night snack, I would expect to have one without having to pay for it!

 

I think we will give it a miss!

[Sungold]

I have only cruised once before, in March '08 on Costa. I'm considering the Cruising to Music cruise on MSC Orchestra in Feb. '09. I understand the concerns voiced here about the dining venues being unavailable for long periods of time. What about room service? I did not use it on my Costa cruise, but I understand if you are hungry at any time (kids too), you can order a sandwich or something from room service 24/7, at no extra charge. You should be able to get coffee or tea also, although they may charge for that, like they do for soda. I know they (room service) are said to have a limited menu, but some cruise lines offer the dining room menu also, during regular meal times. This is something you might want to check into, before backing out of an otherwise good cruise!

Pam

[jones721]

I have only cruised once before, in March '08 on Costa. I'm considering the Cruising to Music cruise on MSC Orchestra in Feb. '09. I understand the concerns voiced here about the dining venues being unavailable for long periods of time. What about room service? I did not use it on my Costa cruise, but I understand if you are hungry at any time (kids too), you can order a sandwich or something from room service 24/7, at no extra charge. You should be able to get coffee or tea also, although they may charge for that, like they do for soda. I know they (room service) are said to have a limited menu, but some cruise lines offer the dining room menu also, during regular meal times. This is something you might want to check into, before backing out of an otherwise good cruise!

Pam

 

 

It seems that room service in the Caribbean is free but you have to pay for room service in the Mediterranean. Only breakfast is complimentary. Costa too make a charge in the Med but not the Caribbean. But although Costa hours were limited (especially compared to a Carnival Baltic cruise we went on last month), they wer more extensive that MSC seem to be. ie you could get a limited breakfast at 11.15.

 

I can always take a travel kettle!!

 

I suppose the dining times are okay if you have first sitting but for those on late sitting who arrive back from a port around 5 ish are going to be very hungry!

 

Tracey

[Lard Greystoke]

Are we talking Europe or Caribbean? I sailed Caribbean on Lirica earlier this year and several food options were available until 8 PM. Pizza and buffet were available until about the time of the final sit-down dining. Pizza was free.

[jones721]

Are we talking Europe or Caribbean? I sailed Caribbean on Lirica earlier this year and several food options were available until 8 PM. Pizza and buffet were available until about the time of the final sit-down dining. Pizza was free.

 

 

Mediterranean

[PersistenzaretiniKa]

Maybe because one might just want to get something light and not go through the time and effort for a sit-down meal. Also at times we have gone to the buffet after dinner just to get a different dessert. It's nice to have the option available.

 

msc is a napolitan company first of all that means that traditions are different from other parts of italy. the dinner time is the moment of staying all together and show our best outfits.

[sea-explorer]

 

I am also concerned after reading your post that there is nowhere to get tea and coffee except during meal times. Someone posted there is no self service tea and coffee - is this true? And if there are self service stations, are these only open at certain times? I like my cups of tea![/qoute]

 

I seem to be the harbinger of doom & gloom don't I? There is a self serve tea & coffee station in the buffet, but every time I was in there it seemed to be shut..or operated by the staff at breakfast. At lunch times there was also a counter where you could be served with a tea or coffee.

 

I did take a travel kettle on my previous cruise & used that a few times. This time, I thought I'd use the cabin service breakfast for my early morning drink. This worked sometimes, but not on early port days. In reality, cabin service breakfast didn't start until 7.30 and yet in some ports we wanted to be off the ship at either 7.30 or 8am, so we weren't always able to use this.

 

So, in reality, return to the ship from a port around 4ish and on late sitting, no food until evening dinner (apart from afternoon tea and is that just cookies or also cakes and sandwiches?)??

 

It is also cakes and sandwiches.

 

I suppose the dining times are okay if you have first sitting but for those on late sitting who arrive back from a port around 5 ish are going to be very hungry!

 

It is of course a matter of personal preference, but late siting in the Med was a little too late for us. People were leaving the dining room between 11pm and 11.30pm and I personally would have thought this was a little late for those with children, also given there were a couple of early morning starts which would mean getting up perhaps about 6.30am. There are of course always the midnight snacks for peckish night owls.

 

The latest sailaway (Istanbul) was at 5pm, so you would have to be back on board by 4.30ish.... in time for afternoon tea. I've just had a peek though and it looks as though your itinerary will be different with later sailaway times.

[jones721]

Thanks for the info you have given us about Poesia. We are in two minds as to what to do. Yes, some of the departure times are later than yours so we would miss all food - would have to have early sitting otherwise we would be starving by 9pm!

 

Glad to see that afternoon tea is not just tea and cookies but also sandwiches and cakes.

 

If there is anything you want to know about Costa, feel free to ask. We have done two Caribbean and two Med sailings with Costa and did the Easter cruise this year from Savona. However, we have left it too late to book for Easter 09 as all the inside cabins have gone and the price jumps up.

 

Can I ask about tea and coffee? Were the machines closed down when the buffet closed or could you help yourself any time of the day? At breakfast, did they have cartons of milk (next to the cereal) that you could take to make your own tea in the cabin?

 

From what you said, I do think that MSCs dining hours are very limited and they are not going to win much of the UK market if they don't extend them. Also, on Costa, the children often had a pizza before going to bed and of course, there was no cost.

 

In the Med, is there no buffet choice at all in the evenings?

 

Lastly, there has been a lot of discussion about the fact that your waiter limited your evening courses to three only. It seems to be a different experience in the Caribbean. Do you think it was just your waiter or MSCs policy? I am afraid that I would have complained to the front desk or the head waiter if my waiter had said I could only order 3 courses. I don't order two of each coursr (ie two main dishes) but I do like to have lots of small separate courses. Were you happy with just the 3 courses or did you complain?

 

Sorry about all the questions!

 

Thanks again,

 

Tracey

[sea-explorer]

Tracey,

 

I've just checked Costa's site as the availability keeps changing. There seem to be a couple of inside 4 berths (I'm assuming that's what you are after?) out of Savona, Civitavecchia seems full at the moment. The price is higher I think, but there may be options. If you email me at yahoo.com I might be able to help, either with this or your MSC cruise.

 

Can I ask about tea and coffee? Were the machines closed down when the buffet closed or could you help yourself any time of the day? At breakfast, did they have cartons of milk (next to the cereal) that you could take to make your own tea in the cabin?

 

There was a grille pulled over the machines so they were not accessible during the day other than within buffet hours...even then they were sometimes closed and you had to go to the counter for tea and coffee. The milk was in a dispenser. If it were me, now planning ahead, maybe you could take a couple of empty water bottles to fill with milk and pop in the fridge?

 

In the Med, is there no buffet choice at all in the evenings?

 

The short answer I'm afraid is no, apart from of course the paying options.

 

Lastly, there has been a lot of discussion about the fact that your waiter limited your evening courses to three only. It seems to be a different experience in the Caribbean. Do you think it was just your waiter or MSCs policy? I am afraid that I would have complained to the front desk or the head waiter if my waiter had said I could only order 3 courses. I don't order two of each coursr (ie two main dishes) but I do like to have lots of small separate courses. Were you happy with just the 3 courses or did you complain?

 

I don't think it was just the waiter, but I couldn't be sure. The three courses did of course turn into four once the desert was added. We didn't complain, but were surprized as this was not our experience on our previous MSC cruise. I assumed it was perhaps a 'bigger ship issue' with the greater number of passengers to serve and time constraints. I wonder if it was just us, or if anyone else on MSC in the Med has experienced this?..it would be interesting to find out.

 

(Lurkers out there..please speak up. :D)

[jones721]

Sent you an e-mail. Noticed you have since added to your original post so I have asked you the same questions twice!!